EDUCATIONAL Software and Education News for School Administration

Valuable Tools for Teachers Available Free Online

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:03:10 EDT

The Internet, along with other education technology solutions, is becoming the best resource for teachers to enhance their teaching. Hundreds of sites populate the web with suggestions for lesson plans, test strategies, and collaboration, most for free.

Education World is one such site that is general in nature but has many articles of interest to school administrators, teachers, and IT personnel. There's also a wealth of information for professional development.

Dr. Bernie Poole, associate professor of education and instructional technology at the University of Pittsburgh, suggests several different free websites that offer free resources for educators.

- 4teachers.org provides platforms for creating quizzes, rubrics, and even classroom architecture, which provides help in the layout of the classroom.

- Web Collaborator is a free, web-based tool designed to help students work as a team on group projects. It takes the headaches out of communicating with different people working on the same task.

- Citation Machine from the Landmark for Schools project helps students correctly cite sources they use for research papers and projects.

Of course, this only scratches the surface of what is out there. EDTECH, an online discussion group for educators, is an excellent way to find resources and exchange ideas, etc.

School Enrollment Nears Milestone According to Education Department

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:42:50 EDT

In the 2009-10 school year, public school enrollment will surpass 50 million students for the first time in the nation's history according to The Condition of Education 2008, a recently released report from the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education.

The center is projecting through 2017, expecting numbers of elementary and secondary school students to grow to just over 54 million. Educational software solutions will need to keep pace with this growth in order for their to be effectiveness in administering the education system

At a May 29 news conference, NCES commissioner Mark S. Schneider provided a summary of the report's finding, one of which is the growing diversity of the student population.

In 1972, 22% of public of school students were considered to be from an ethnic or racial minority group. That number had nearly doubled to 43% by 2006. And while the number of students whose second language in English swelled from 9% of the school-aged population in 1979 to 20% in 2006, the proportion of those that has difficulty speaking English outside the home decreased from 34% in 1979 to 25% in 2006.

Another highlight of the report was the decrease in students enrolled in special education programs, private schools, but an increase in the proportion of students whose parent(s) has obtained at least a Bachelors degree.

While the report is strictly figures and numbers and does not address the issues surrounding the state of the education system, it can be helpful for school administrators and school management software professionals in developing technology solutions to meet growing demands.

Get the Most out of your Blackbaud Investment

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:51:51 EDT

Whether you have just joined the Blackbaud family or need a refresher on the numerous features of our software, many classes and resources are available. Being properly trained through one of the following options is the best way to ensure you get the most from your investment in Blackbaud's educational software solutions.

1. Classroom training at Blackbaud Headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina

Courses are available in a wide range of Blackbaud educational, fundraising, and data management software products. Plus you will have the benefit of visiting one of the most leisurely and historic cities in the United States.

2. Regional training available in 50 cities across the United States and Canada.

Just like traveling to our facility in Charleston, regional training sessions are held in state-of-the-art facilities. Each student is provided with their own workstation for hands-on learning.

3. Distance learning options available for busy professionals.

Can't travel anywhere? Distance learning can help you just like our in-class options. Instructor-led classes are available in an interactive, live group setting along with the eLearning library which provides self-paced online software lessons.

While these courses and resources can be purchased individually, Blackbaud recognizes organizations have budget constraints but also need a well-trained, passionate staff. For one affordable yearly fee, Blackbaud Training Pass offers unlimited classroom, regional, and distance learning courses along with unlimited access to the eLearning library.

Higher Education Software Solutions at Blackbaud

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:57:34 EDT

Small and private universities must constantly be up-to-date and organized in order to fulfill the mantra of officials which is to Recruit. Retain. Solicit. This is easier said than done with hundreds and possibly thousands of applicants, students, and alumni.

A good enrollment management software option helps higher education with these tasks. Small university officials need integrated solutions to address the challenges they face, including administrative burdens on faculty, maximizing course requests, and standing apart from peer institutions.

One easy solution to these challenges is the Student Information Software (SIS) from Blackbaud, which can be integrated to share information across campus offices. Update to student information is instantly available to not only the registrar, but admissions, advancement, and even faculty, which allows for easier communication with students.

SIS software goes along way to meeting the challenge of reducing the burden of administrative tasks on faculty as to allow them more time to interact with students. Besides the easier communication, SIS also automates tasks related to determining how effectively recruiting dollars are being spent to developing various class scheduling scenarios to make the best use of instructors and space.

And students will love it to, having quick access to grades, schedules, billing statements all online. Also, assignments, news, and progress reports can be delivered electronically which is important to today's tech savvy youth. SIS, through efficient class scheduling, also easily modifies schedules to handle special and last-minute requests.

Today's competitive and fiscally tight environment demands institutions stretch the most of their resources to meet the challenges of recruiting, retaining, and soliciting. Student Information Software from Blackbaud is a useful tool in meeting those demands.

Connect with Other Blackbaud Users through Blackbus

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:18:57 EDT

Users of Blackbaud school administrative software or any of their other services can connect with other users through the Blackbaud User Society. Maintained by volunteers, it was developed by Blackbaud users to provide an informational resource separate from the company itself.

The user society includes many items that help school and non-profit administrators maximize the usefulness of their software products. Forums are available for each of Blackbaud's products, including the Raiser's Edge, Education Edge, Intelligence Edge, etc. Users can post questions regarding specific issues that are then addressed by others.

For instance, one recent post was from a college administrator having a difficult time importing test scores into their Blackbaud database. With a quick post to the forum, they received many helpful responses to their inquiry.

The Blackbaud User Society also includes news releases from the company and other topics of interest - with RSS feed capability so users can have those directly downloaded to their desktops.

Another great feature of the society is the user suggestion area. Each year, members from the society meet with developers from Blackbaud to share their insights and suggestions for making their products better. Suggestions are organized into several different categories and ranked by other users.

While the user society is free, you must create an account to fully utilize the site.

Blackbaud Interactive - A New Internet Solutions Division at Blackbaud, Inc.

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:39:35 EDT

Blackbaud recently combined several large, existing teams to create a new division exclusively focused on internet solutions and services for non-profits.

Blackbaud Interactive combines the company's Interactive Services and Support teams with OnDemand hosting to better meet the needs of their rapidly growing Internet solutions customer base.

Many donor management professionals had a growing desire to "build a sense of community among their supporters and an increasing adoption of multi-channeled fundraising strategies," said Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s chief executive officer.

Blackbaud Interactive provides a comprehensive set of end-to-end services for school fundraising, including strategy, design, development, training, and management.

An exciting new offering of Blackbaud Interactive is OnCall Services. School fundraisers can partner with a dedicated client manager and other experienced professionals to collaborate on website development and design, improving efficiency and delivering on long-term strategies.

Blackbaud Interactive believes first and foremost that communication is the driver of online success and that people want to be recognized as unique individuals when they interact with an organization.

Their solutions are used by many organizations including the Clinton Global Initiative, University of Dayton, and the Francis W. Parker School to name a few.

Visit http://interactive.blackbaud.com/ to find out how Blackbaud Interactive can make the most of technology for your school fundraising and donor management.

Enhance Academic Recruiting through Search Engine Optimization and Social Networking

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:28:02 EDT

Students today rely almost entirely on the Internet to search for schools, submit applications, and communicate with prospective professors and student peers. And with the economic slowdown resulting in budget reductions for many institutions, more cost-effective avenues to recruit students must be considered. In addition, it can help students relate to your school better when you show up right where they go to find information.

Improve organic search engine rankings through Search Engine Optimization

Incorporating search engine optimization (SEO) into admissions and recruiting websites provides an edge when potential candidates are beginning to examine their options. To take advantage of the benefits of SEO, important keywords should be identified that are incorporated into the text along with consistent updating of content, which can be helped by using blogs, press releases, and/or newsletters.

Pursue in-bound linking relationships in an organic manner, to demonstrate to the search engines that your site is considered an authority. In addition, you will need to ensure the architecture of your web site is optimized, or all that wonderful content you are adding will not even be indexed.

Depending on your site, you may begin seeing higher search engine rankings for your relevant keywords within a couple weeks - or it could take 6 months or longer.

For faster visibility, pay-per-click (PPC) ads listed through Google or Overture can be a good tool during peak recruiting times.

Network where today's tech savvy youth hangout, on social networking sites

Another method for schools to increase their Web presence is through the ever-growing social networking medium. A profile for a particular program or institution as a whole can be created on MySpace or Facebook for no cost, giving you the ability to reach thousands of high school and undergraduate students.

One particular social networking site, Zinch, is specifically made for students and admissions counselors to interact slightly more in-depth than traditional name, GPA, and test score environments. Recruiters can better narrow their searches rather than sending thousands of e-mails, resulting in open rates 3 times higher than blanket e-mail campaigns, as reported in one recent effort at Butler University.

SEO and social networking can be valuable components for admission recruiting along with student recruiting software solutions, to help your institution draw the best and brightest to fill the ranks.

Online Resources for Teachers

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:12:30 EDT

The revolution of the Internet expands students to a whole new medium of learning. Free software tutorial web sites as well as freeware are available to teachers and students on practically every subject. Teachers may find this collection of web sites and resources useful in lesson planning:

Technology to Support Learning: Why do teachers need to integrate technology into the classroom?

A Fish Called Megabytes: Elementary school technology program. Teachers can download sample plans for various subjects.

Best of the Web for Students: Teacher recommended resources for students categorized by grade level.

Teachers First: Lesson plans, ideas and activities for classrooms.

Access My Library: search publications from libraries nationwide.

Pics 4 Learning: categorized list of copyrighted images for education

MIT World: a video collection of lectures and public events at MIT.

3D Science: free science clip art.

NetTrekker: educational search engine for parents and teachers. Low monthly subscription.

S.W.A.L.K.: collection of abbreviations from the old days to modern-day text messaging.

Teachers Can Enhance Accountability and Provide Greater Access with Enrollment Management Software

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:30:57 EDT

Teachers can find it difficult to communicate with parents. Sometimes, problems that could have been resolved if parents were aware sooner go unaddressed and cause the student to fall behind. Proper communication of student attendance, progress, and grades is important in helping to ensure a child succeeds in the classroom.

Many schools across the country are turning to technology to address this concern. School administrators, like Debbie Hamilton in Albuquerque, New Mexico say the improved communication makes students more accountable for their work and eliminates unwelcome "surprises" on report cards.

For instance, the webmaster for Debbie Hamilton's school says their site receives at least 500 hits a day. He has calculated that students/parents that do not utilize teacher grading software are 400% more likely to receive a deficiency report.

Class scheduling software, in addition to grade reports, provides another benefit to online communication. Students and parents alike can log-on to view lesson plans, assignments, etc. to be fully aware of what's going on.

Grading and report card software not only provides greater communication between teachers and parents but also greatly reduces the need for printed reports. Many school districts across the country are facing tightening budgets so any help in reducing costs is very welcome.

Probably the biggest benefit to report card, class scheduling, and class attendance software is the enhancement of the teacher/parent relationship. Having easy access to their child's progress has greatly enhanced the idea that teachers and parents are partners in a child's education and development.

Enrollment management solutions available at Blackbaud allow you to use the Internet to connect your school community. Education Edge Internet Solutions provides all the benefits detailed above and reduces administrative burdens on teachers, allowing them to devote more time to actually teaching.

Google Sites: Build Websites, Share Class Notes, School Projects and More

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:51:45 EST

Google did it again. Another FREE software debut in February: Google Sites. Build a web site, shares video, images, files and centralize your information in one place. This can be a good tool for teachers who can create web sites and eaily update information on class schedules, projects, exams, etc.

Quick Facts and Features:

>>Build websites easily. No knowledge of HTML required.

>>Customize the site to your look and feel

>>Upload files, videos, presentations, slideshows, etc.

>>Set permission as to who can view or edit your site i.e collaborators, viewers, etc.

>>Search function powered by Google Search Technology

View examples of sites customized for teachers and students:

Student Club

Teacher Classroom

More information on Google Sites >>