Financial Literacy and Professional Development

A recent column by Michelle Singletary, a personal finance columnist at the Washington Post, caught my eye. "We are Flunking Personal Finance" looks at a recent study by the University of Wisconsin at Madison entitled Teachers' Background & Capacity to Teach Personal Finance. The study indicates that less than 20% of K12 teachers feel they were “very competent” in the six areas of financial literacy focused on in the study. Those areas included:

• Income and careers
• Planning and money management
• Credit and debt
• Financial responsibility and decision making
• Saving and investing Risk management and insurance

From the column:

This study reinforces the need to incorporate personal money management topics into educational opportunities for teachers, whether in undergraduate or graduate curricula for students studying to become teachers, or as postgraduate or in-service courses or workshops," says Ted Beck, president and chief executive of NEFE. "We have an opportunity to dramatically affect the quality of K-12 financial education by providing teachers with the subject matter expertise they need throughout their careers."

Increasingly, states are pushing economic education. The number of states that require students to take a personal finance course, or instruction as part of an economics class, increased to 13 in 2009 from seven in 2007, according to the Council for Economic Education. Although states are setting up financial education guidelines, an overwhelming majority of teachers who participated in the NEFE survey said they didn't feel qualified to offer instruction at the level of the standard set by their states, the researchers said.

Recent economic events have made it clear that financial literacy is vital to both the global economy and as a factor for personal success. How can these important life-lessons be incorporated into the classroom without professional development for the teachers who are expected to help the students?

New Content Alert: Safari 4, Word 2010, iPhoto '09, PixWriter 3, Read:OutLoud 6, more

New and expanded tutorial series
Safari 4
As stated by Apple®: "It’s a browser. It’s a platform. It’s an open invitation to innovate. Safari® continuously redefines the browser, providing the most enjoyable way to experience the Internet."

View 2 free tutorials

Word 2010
Microsoft® Word 2010 offers the best of all worlds: enhanced features to create professional-quality documents, easier ways to work together with people and almost-anywhere access to your files. Use this introductory level tutorial series to watch, listen, and learn the basics of how to create high-quality documents that you can be proud of.

View 2 free tutorials

Back by popular demand: Training & Staff Development for 21st Century Teaching at Lincoln Public Schools (Just Enough, Just in Time, Just for Me)

The first run of this webinar went very well and provided such valuable information that we've decided to do it again.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 | 12 pm PST / 3 pm EST

Click here to register for this FREE event

In order for students to have 21st century skills to succeed and compete in today's global workplace, districts first need to develop those skills in their teachers. How do you build a professional development program that creates a solid understanding of the skills and develop the ability to integrate them into the classroom?

Join us as a panel from Lincoln Public Schools shares best practices and collaboration between departments to create a successful training and staff development program to help their teachers – and students – succeed with 21st century learning.

Read about the presenters

Innovation is easy to find if you know where to look

This came through my inbox late yesterday and seemed too valuable to not share.

LinkedIn Groups

Group: Innovative Learning & Education Innovators Subject: Links to Help Learning & Education Innovators Think: Innovation Newsletter, Calendar of Innovation Workshops, Events & Certification Opportunities Our Learning & Education Innovators group on Linkedin already has over 3,500 members! The discussions and posts have been very interesting. Many members asked for a calendar of innovation events, a newsletter, info on innovation workshops and tools and suggestions for innovation resources. Therefore, I am providing the following convenient links to several useful websites. Feel welcome to visit the useful links below to innovative websites, groups, pages and resources on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and YouTube. -- LEARNING OPPORTUNITES for Innovators - SUBSCRIBE to our Innovation NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToNewsletter LEARN about new Innovation Training WORKSHOPS & TRAINER CERTIFICATIONS: http://bit.ly/InnovationTrainingWorkshops Experience the Award-Winning Accelerated Innovation Workshop at the Thinkubator in Chicago: http://bit.ly/AcceleratedInnovationTraining -- CALENDAR of INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES - View CALENDAR of over 100 Innovation Events, Workshops, Webinars & Conferences: http://bit.ly/CalendarInnovation

Earn Graduate Continuing Education Credit with Atomic Learning

Are you eager to learn new ways of reaching students with modern techniques using new technology, but often find yourself lacking time or clear direction?  Are you working on maintaining your teaching license and perhaps working on a lane change?  Do you find yourself wishing you had more opportunities to leverage your subscription to Atomic Learning?  If so, a new collaboration between Atomic Learning and IT4Educators just might be your solution.

This arrangement provides online continuing education courses that are created and conducted by experienced teachers. Each standards-based course incorporates training from Atomic Learning for teachers seeking continuing education credits for license renewal and professional development. These 1-, 2-, and 3-credit courses cover the most innovative technology tools available - from Twitter to blogs and Moodle® to SMART™ Notebook. Instructors guide the courses through online interactions and feedback, though each course is independent-study and self-paced, allowing you to effectively learn new techniques for technology and classroom integration on your own schedule. You can select from three different accredited universities to earn your graduate college credit.

If you have a subscription to Atomic Learning and are ready to enroll in a course for college credit, view course options and get started at atomiclearning.it4educators.com. Founded by a technology educator, IT4Educators leverages many years of experience to produce robust courses on technology in education.

New Content Alert: Higher Ed Projects and Workshops with Google Docs and more

We've released a batch of new Technology Integration Projects and Workshops with our colleges of education customers in mind. They're also useful to K12 educators looking for more advanced content.

Technology Integration Projects
Collaborating to Build a Slideshow Presentation – Google Docs

Creating a Photo Book – Photoshop Elements 8 (PC)

Video Creation – Photoshop Elements 8 & Premiere Elements 8 (PC)

Creating a Resumé – Word 2007 (PC)

Building a Bibliography – Word 2007 (PC)

Workshops
Creating an Effective Presentation using PowerPoint

PC Maintenance & Security

FREE WEBINAR: Virtual Training Success at Philadelphia University

Register now!

Limited by budgetary constraints and without a formal training department, Philadelphia University’s Office of Information Resources (OIR) used online tutorials and assessment tools to train and develop faculty and staff.

Learn how Philadelphia University’s OIR department successfully used Atomic Learning as a development resource to:

• Migrate faculty and staff from Office 2003 to Office 2007
• Create a virtual training presence on campus
• Provide a training solution for not only faculty and staff, but to help desk team members as well

Learn how you can successfully integrate this virtual training solution on your campus.

Bring questions for our presenters. An interactive Q&A session will follow the live presentation.

Date: 04/15/10  
Time: 11am  PT/12pm MT/1pm CT/2pm ET  
Duration: 1 hour

Register here

FREE FOR EDUCATORS: Digital Learning Environments

HP & Intel's Digital Learning Event Series 2010 - Practical Strategies for Digital Learning Environments

Register today!

HP, Intel, and their 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.

TEACHING AND LEARNING TRACK
In this track, sessions are hosted in Math, Science, Language Arts and Professional Development. This unique classroom environment lets you be a student for the day and experience compelling standards-based learning moments through seamless technology and curriculum integration!

TECHNOLOGY TRACK
IT decision-makers are encouraged to attend this track to learn more about cloud computing solutions, wired and wireless networking, and asset and data security for district infrastructures. There will be an elective time slot for you to attend one of the Teaching and Learning sessions.

At these Digital Learning Events, you will learn how technology-rich environments enrich students' learning experiences, change the way teachers engage their classes, and help you build sustainable technology programs.

Find out more about these events:

Boston: Thursday, 4/8/10 ~ Washington, D.C.: Wednesday, 4/14/10 ~ Indianapolis: Tuesday, 4/20/10 ~ Denver: Thursday, 4/29/10 Minneapolis: Wednesday, 5/5/10 ~ Raleigh-Durham: Tuesday, 5/11/10 

Register here

A good report on what teachers are doing to modernize classrooms

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)

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.

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 Content Alert: OpenOffice.org 3.1

We've released a big batch of new tutorials this week, starting with a series on OpenOffice, the free, open-source productivity alternative.

OpenOffice.org 3.1 Writer - Intro (PC)
http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/en/oow31_intro

OpenOffice.org 3.1 Calc - Intro (PC)
http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/en/ooc31_intro

OpenOffice.org 3.1 Impress - Intro (PC)
http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/en/ooi31pc_intro

Watch our What's New page in coming days for all our new product releases, including tutorials on Moodle, Comic Life, Windows 7 and more.

When learning is done well, the technology becomes transparent

Today was our last day in Australia, and we are exhausted. Our feet and legs are tired from walking, and our brains are tired from taking in and processing so much information. I believe we have served Atomic Learning well on this trip, giving lots of people in lots of schools lots ideas for how to utilize the features of our site and bring 21st century concepts into the classroom. I know that the people we have met with have also served AL, providing us with important feedback and knowledge about the educational systems within their country.

We spent the morning at CEO Sydney*, a wonderful facility and an organization with lofty goals and every intention of meeting them. Over morning tea (which means coffee and snacks, either “sweet” or “savory”), they shared with us their iLearn program and some of the projects teachers are developing and students are diving into.

The double-edged sword of competency assessment

Educators face an uphill battle when attempting to embrace 21st century teaching models. Regardless of the technical accommodations in a particular classroom, the instructor tasked with using those tools must be trained to apply them effectively. They must be equipped to create and adapt lesson plans to impact student learning.

How do educators avoid a negative-feedback loop, whereby a deficiency in training is only discovered once a piece of technology or an emerging concept is encountered? Often, the answer is pre-assessment of technology literacy. By determining the best areas in which an individual could focus training time and energy, professional development is made more efficient. Overall technical effectiveness is increased. 

An intriguing, frustrating conundrum

This morning I was repeatedly reminded of a dilemma professionals in many fields encounter. On one hand, an employee is expected to keep up with the latest technological tools available to them and relevant to their job. On the other, they may already feel overwhelmed with what's on their to-do lists.

Take teachers, for example. There's a transformation occurring in schools around the world right now. It's being driven by technology--or rather the use of it by kids. Children come to class natively fluent in social media, entertainment, and information channels. They don't know a world without it. And the teachers are being asked to catch up, and then get a step ahead of them.

Training available on SMART Notebook 10, ActivStudio and ActivPrimary

Get SMART. Get ACTIV.


You have the technology. Now what?

Technology is reaching farther into the classroom every day and with tools like SMART Notebook, ActivPrimary and ActivStudio it should be easy—but that’s not always the case.

Did you know that you may have a training resource available for all of these technology applications 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Through a subscription to Atomic Learning's online technology training and support you have access to easy-to-understand tutorial movies on SMART Notebook 10, ActivPrimary, ActivStudio and more.

SMART Notebook 10
PC: www.AtomicLearning.com/smrt_nb10pc
Mac: www.AtomicLearning.com/smrt_nb10mac

ACTIVprimary 3
PC: www.AtomicLearning.com/activprimary3
Mac: www.AtomicLearning.com/activprimary3mac

ACTIVprimary 2
PC: www.AtomicLearning.com/activprimary_2_pc
Mac: www.AtomicLearning.com/activprimary_2_mac

ACTIVstudio 3 Professional
PC: www.AtomicLearning.com/activstudio3
Mac: www.AtomicLearning.com/activstudio3mac

ACTIVstudio 2 Professional
PC: www.AtomicLearning.com/activstudio2_intro
Mac: www.AtomicLearning.com/activstudio2_intro_mac

Interested in finding training on another application? Atomic Learning provides access to over 40,000 tutorials on over 120 applications for all teachers, staff, students and school families in those organizations with subscriptions. If you need help logging in, or would like more information on Atomic Learning, please contact your school or district’s Technology Coordinator.

New Content Alert: Adobe CS4

This week we're releasing a bunch of great new content on Adobe's products.

Illustrator CS4 - Advanced 
Adobe^® Illustrator^® CS4 software is a comprehensive vector graphics environment with new transparency in gradients and multiple artboards that invite you to explore more efficient ways to design. Take your knowledge of Illustrator CS4 to the next level with this advanced series.

Two free tutorials for Mac users 

Flash CS4 Professional - Advanced  
Adobe^® Flash^® CS4 Professional software is an advanced authoring environment for creating rich, interactive content for digital, Web, and mobile platforms. Dig in deeper with this advanced level tutorial series!

Two free tutorials for Windows users

After Effects CS4 
With Adobe^® After Effects^® CS4 software, you can create compelling motion graphics and blockbuster visual effects with flexible tools that help save you time and deliver unparalleled creative power.

Two free tutorials for Windows users

Photoshop CS4
Adobe^® Photoshop^® CS4 offers unrivaled editing and compositing power, a more intuitive user experience, and significant productivity enhancements. You'll enjoy learning how to use the more advanced features of this application in this tutorial series.

Two free tutorials for Mac users
Two free tutorials for Windows users

New Content Alert: Twitter

Twitter^™ is a free micro-blogging service enabling its users to send and receive messages known as "tweets" - text-based posts of up to 140 characters. This tutorial series demonstrates how to connect with others on this increasingly popular social networking site.

View two free tutorial videos

Blogging –The New Model for Building Collaboration in the Classroom

For students around the nation, blogs have become far more than the latest technology buzzword. For many, blogging can be a key method of communication on a social level. While many students already blog in their free time, incorporating blogging technology into the classroom can have many benefits through the use of a medium that already interests students and makes learning more interactive and engaging.

With the knowledge and interest that students have in blogging, it can be an effective tool to use in the classroom to engage students outside of the classroom setting. For example, blogs can be a great avenue for continuing class discussions or posing questions for students to consider before coming to class. This gives quieter students the opportunity to participate without feeling the pressure of speaking in front of a group. Students will also find this medium helpful as they will have more time to formulate their thoughts and to reflect on other students’ comments and questions.

Another use for blogs in the classroom is for peer review – a method that many teachers use for essays and projects. A blog can be a convenient and interesting way for students to review others’ work. Students can post an essay, for example, and their peers will be able to read it and post comments. It also makes the peer review process easier for teachers to grade, as they can see who commented and the content of their remarks.

When used with younger students, class blogs can be an effective tool to introduce students to the increasingly important world of Web 2.0. Teaching students the educational and practical value it has can be accomplished by using it in a fun manner such as pen pals via the web and many other activities.

Blogs can also be used to keep parents involved in their child’s education by keeping them abreast of class happenings and activities. A special thread for parents could be created or they could be given some rights on the class blog.

Perhaps most importantly, class blogs are a great way to build a sense of unity and community within the classroom. Within this online forum, student’s profiles and class goals can be shared. This allows students an opportunity to learn about and from each other. With this unity creates an open class culture that fosters learning and promotes an environment in which students feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

The process of incorporating blogs into the classroom can sometimes be an intimidating prospect to teachers. To help educators develop ways to incorporate blogging into their classrooms, Atomic Learning has created a Blogging Workshop. The workshop covers topics ranging from setting up a blog and managing blog comments to keeping your blog confidential.

Download this article as a .pdf