Newly relaunched YouTube channel now online

We've recently wrested our proper YouTube channel from the grubby hands of a spam squatter. In case anyone else is dealing with this same issue, Google has finally created a mechanism by which rightful owners can reclaim their channels.

We've uploaded many free tutorials already, along with a great video of a professional development day put on by our own Jody Ouradnik at Hopkins school district in southeastern Minnesota.

We'll be adding new tutorials and other videos often, so stop by and be sure to subscribe!

http://www.youtube.com/user/atomiclearning

Great feedback from our customers

We regularly receive phone calls and notes letting us know how educators appreciate our product and service. Here's a recent comment from an administrator in Connecticut:

I have to say, I am REALLY impressed with the materials here.  I am new in this position after having taught English for my whole career at the college level.  I can't say enough good stuff about these materials!!!

Beth Lynne Ritter-Guth
Educational Communication and Technology Facilitator
The Hotchkiss School, Connecticut

Thank you very much, Beth.

And as much as we like these comments, we appreciate constructive criticism just as much. As a customer-driven company, we're always looking to meet the needs of you on the front lines of education. Please don't hesitate to tell us what you think through whatever channel you like.

cs@atomiclearning.com

New Content Alert: Assistive Tech Apps

Easiteach^® Studio is a powerful and flexible whole-class-teaching software product, which provides a wide range of cross-curricular teaching tools for both primary and secondary schools. This tutorial series will teach you all you need to know about the features that come with the RM Easiteach Starter package.

View two free tutorials on Easiteach Studio

Co:Writer^® 6 is a word prediction software program that helps students translate ideas into writing. Version 6 has been upgraded with a simple single window interface, the ability to speak any text on the computer screen, and enhanced speech options, word bank, and personal dictionary. Version 6 has also made signing into Co:Writer optional so you can begin writing immediately.

View 12 free tutorials on Co:Writer 6

Read:OutLoud^® is a text to speech software program with built in supports for reading comprehension. Version 6 of Read:OutLoud has made it easier to read and navigate every type of file and Web content. There is improved PDF support and NIMAS files don’t require any conversion. In version 6, an outline is automatically formed when students highlight text, simplifying the outline process. Read:OutLoud 6 will instantly open books from Bookshare’s Web site without unpacking.

View 12 free tutorials on Read:OutLoud

Free Training Opportunity – ISTE Webinar

With the phrase “21st century skills” popping up all over the place, it is impossible not to notice that 21st century skills is a hot topic in education. What seems to be the consensus now is that even though it is clear that these skills are important, many schools are still struggling to create 21st century-ready students. To help, Atomic Learning and ISTE have partnered to lead a discussion on 21st century skills professional development strategies.

Professional Development Strategies to Create 21st Century Teachers
February 16, 2010
1 PM Pacific/4 PM Eastern

Why professional development? It’s simple really. 21st century-ready students start with 21st century-ready teachers. This webinar will discuss strategies and resources districts can use to address 21st century professional development and the integration of crucial 21st century skills in the classroom.

Hope you can join us!

Update: Here are the resources mentioned in the webinar. 

(Thanks to Jennifer, guest contributor)

Technology for technology's sake

One of the themes that I regularly encounter in my social media wandering is that technology should never be employed simply to be "high tech". Doing so misses the whole point, which is to engage students and enable them to learn in new ways and collaborate on a higher level. Putting a whiteboard on the wall or a laptop in a student's hands accomplishes virtually nothing without proper technique.

Here's a funny representation of tech for tech's sake. Believe it or not, some classrooms aren't far from this scenario.

Atomic Learning is dedicated to helping you put the technology you choose to employ to good use. Find out about some of our technology integration resources here.

Free ebook from Atomic Learning: Integrate Assistive Technology in General Education

Assistive technology can be tremendously beneficial to all educators, not just those in special ed environments. Atomic Learning is committed to integrating assistive technology into the classroom, and we offer this guide in the spirit of that mission. 

Click here to view this ebook.

New Content Alert: Adobe Premiere Elements 8 and Photoshop Elements 8

With Adobe^® Premiere^® Elements 8 software, making incredible movies is easier than ever. Enhance your stories with professional style. Share virtually anywhere. And easily manage and protect all your video clips and photos. 


View two free videos on Premiere Elements 8

Adobe^® Photoshop^® Elements 8 software combines power and simplicity so you can make your photos look extraordinary, share your life stories in unique print creations and web experiences, and easily manage and protect all your photos and video clips.

View two free videos on Photoshop Elements 8 

Digital Workshop from PBS - 21st Century Schools: Learning in the Digital Age

This project by PBS and the MacArthur and Park Foundations aligns well with recent posts on digital learning. It starts this evening.

More and more educators are tapping into the power of digital media and technology for teaching and learning. The variety of information resources available online is simply staggering. Explore how teachers and students are using the power of social media to promote students' active engagement, critical thinking and literacy skills.

• New Forms of Learning. It doesn't need to happen in school. Because it's visual, interactive and social, learning can happen anywhere with digital media as people collaborate and share about a wide range of topics and issues that matter to them.
• Technology and School Improvement. Technology may transform schools by promoting student engagement and creativity. But critics fear that too much focus on technology takes attention away from what's really needed to improve schools: capable, well-trained teachers; student-centered learning methods; and smaller class sizes.
• Hope, Hype and Reality. Are today's learners really different from previous generations? Compelling images of students using digital technology are impressive, but the research evidence on the impact of technology on learning is more mixed. And it's sometimes hard to separate the scholarship from the marketing hype, given the deep investment of technology companies in promoting the idea of technology's transformative potential.

Get the entire project
Watch the full show 
Visit the digital_nation - life on the virtual frontier homepage

New Feature Alert: Boolean Search

Our new platform launched a few months back, and we've been working feverishly to add even more new features. Last week we introduced the ability to use Boolean search terms, such as AND, NOT and OR, and the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols.

From the Find an Answer to a Tech Question pod on our home page (when logged in), you may use these terms and symbols to refine your search.

• Use plus (+) or minus (-) to force inclusion or exclusion of a particular word or phrase (in quotes), as in dog cat -mouse
• Use AND, NOT, and OR to specify the logic of your query
• Group terms with parentheses, as in "double spaced" AND (page OR paragraph) 
• Boolean terms are case-insensitive (may be upper- or lowercase)
• OR is generally implied and not necessary

We're always striving to make your Atomic Learning experience easier and more productive. If you'd like to make a suggestion, please contact us.

HP and Intel's Digital Learning Environment — Las Vegas, NV, 2/25/10

Atomic Learning is a partner in this series of interactive events. Join us February 25 in Vegas!

Thursday, February 25, 2010 Loews Lake Las Vegas
101 Montelago Boulevard
Henderson, NV 89011

HP, Intel, and our partners have joined forces with Tech & Learning to bring you the new 2010 HP & Intel Digital Learning Event Series.

These unique, interactive forums are one-day events held throughout the United States. Each Digital Learning Event is an immersive experience that provides K-12 decision-makers with state-of-the-art technology solutions delivered in hands-on learning environments.