Princeton, N.J. - August 26, 2010 - edWeb.net, a professional social network for the education community, has announced the launch of a new community "Exploring eBooks for K-12." This is a forum where educators and industry executives can connect and collaborate together to discuss the evolution of this new technology and its potential for use with students and in the classroom.

The "Exploring eBooks for K-12" Community is sponsored by Neal Goff, the founder of consulting firm Egremont Associates and former president of Weekly Reader. Goff started this community on edWeb.net because of his fascination with eBooks and their potential impact on education. "I hope [this community] enables its members to learn from and support each other, and - if I may be so presumptuous - perhaps even influence the way educators use eBooks and educational publishers create them in the years to come," Goff said.

The community has acquired over 130 members in just a few days, including teachers, superintendents, librarians, media specialists, principals, technology directors, publishers, educational associations, and more. Members are also joining from around the world. The community is already engaged in an active dialogue that can help all members gain a better understanding of the opportunities, needs, and obstacles to adopting eBooks in education.

According to Lisa Schmucki, founder of edWeb.net, "It has been a pleasure to work with Neal Goff to launch this community. This is the fastest start we have had for any community to date. There is clearly a high level of interest in this topic from so many constituencies. We are delighted that edWeb can be an online forum that breaks down the silos in education and enables broader collaboration."

Anyone involved in education is invited to join the "Exploring eBooks for K-12" community at www.edweb.net/ebooks.

Princeton, N.J. - August 2, 2010 - edWeb.net, a social network for the education community, announces two winners of its edWeb Innovation Grant Program. The program provides grants of $500 to educators who are developing new models and best practices for using edWeb.net to provide online, collaborative professional development. Based on the strength of the recent entries, two $500 grants were awarded.

The edWeb Innovation Grant winners are:

Kelly Daly, assistant principal, Banning Unified School District, Banning, California. Ms. Daly is a district administrator coordinating the Enhancing Education Through Technology Grant. Their program requires that teachers receive support through Technology Integration Coaches (TIC). The school district hired eight coaches to assist teachers in the integration of technology into 4th, 6th, and 8th grade Language Arts instruction. The coaches are using edWeb to participate in an online Professional Learning Community as part of the program. Through their edWeb community, they are able to: provide a communication medium for coaches to share information, ideas, and best practices among each other; have a one-stop-shop for resources like web links, documents, and a calendar; and coaches can use edWeb as a practice ground with Web 2.0 tools that they can then share with their mentees and schools. Kelly Daly states, "The edWeb tools have been extremely beneficial for our coaches and to meet our goals. I hope each school within our school district begins to extend faculty meetings and staff development with edWeb."

Amy Anders, house principal, Atascocita High School, Humble, Texas. Ms. Anders is the program director for A Career in Teaching-EPP in Humble, Texas and uses edWeb as a means of communication and learning with their educator preparation program candidates and interns. They use edWeb as a means of collaboration so that they are all connected to the learning topic and are able to post discussions, web links, and assignments. edWeb has provided the modality to build community and capacity with all of the program members. Many of the teachers' candidates and interns (1st year teachers) have expressed appreciation for having a site like edWeb as a tool for growth and learning. According to Ms. Anders, "No longer is the learning solely between the teacher and student... the learning is between all of us on our edWeb Community site." As the assistant principal of a small learning community in a school with 3200 students, Ms. Anders plans to also use edWeb to connect teachers, students, parents, and staff for everything from homework assignments, announcements, and collaborative activities to connecting with other students across the world.

The edWeb Innovation Grant program was created to help educators learn about new ideas and best practices for integrating an online, collaborative platform into professional development programs for educators.

PRINCETON, N.J. - July 20, 2010 - edWeb.net, an education social network, announced this week that Follett Software Company is sponsoring the launch of a new "social webinar" series that coaches school librarians on the use of emerging technology to transform library instruction and service delivery.

The monthly series, titled "Using Emerging Technology to Advance Your School Library Program," represents a new model for delivering online instruction that integrates webinars, a popular online training tool, with a social networking community for ongoing engagement over the course of the yearlong program.

The initial webinar, which featured presenter Michelle Luhtala, head librarian at New Canaan High School, is archived on the edWeb.net web site. The next live webinar, also sponsored by Follett Software, is scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT on Aug. 10th with "Millennials & Digital Brains" as the focus. The webinar will explore ways in which the millennial brain is evolving, what instructional opportunities this transformation presents, and how librarians can capitalize on this shift to improve learning environments in schools.

Luhtala, who launched a hybrid online/on-ground instructional program at her school that uses social media to engage and inspire both students and teachers, shared advice on how she got her program approved and implemented, and provided demonstrations of how she is using a wide variety of collaborative and content-sharing technologies. Luhtala is the winner of the 2010 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) and the Connecticut Library Association's 2010 Outstanding Librarian Award.

Topics for upcoming edWeb.net webinars include Best Instructional Practices in the 21st Century; Hybrid Programming; Communication, Collaboration & Cloud Computing; and Evidence-Based Practice & Data Collection.

"Our research has shown that school librarians are further ahead of teachers and principals in their use of 21st century technology," said Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb. "Michelle is an incredible example of that. Through our online program, Michelle will share her ideas to inspire others. And through our community, everyone can share ideas and best practices for using technology to improve teaching and learning. We are especially thankful that Follett Software has agreed to sponsor this innovative program."

According to Michael Campbell, marketing director at Follett Software, the company's sponsorship of the edWeb.net monthly series is a natural fit.

"Follett Software has built its reputation on helping librarians play a key role in K-12 education," Campbell said. "As the role of the school librarian is changing, we are adapting and evolving our products and services to support librarians in their jobs. We applaud edWeb.net's mission, and are pleased to be the inaugural sponsor of what promises to be a compelling series of webinars."

"Using Emerging Technology to Advance Your School Library Program" is free, and librarians can enroll in the program by joining edWeb at www.edweb.net/emergingtech.

About Follett Software Company

Follett Software Company (www.FollettSoftware.com) is the integrated educational technology solution provider that more than half of America's school districts trust to support staff and engage students in today's digitally rich learning environment. Follett's digitally powered technologies help districts more efficiently and cost-effectively manage traditional and digital educational resources, provide digital learning environment tools focusing on student achievement and make confident decisions based on quality academic data. Powerful, integrated solutions enable Follett to support today's collaborative learning community and empower 21st century learning and discovery. Follett Software Company is a subsidiary of Follett Corporation, a $2.7 billion, privately held company that provides products, services and solutions to the educational marketplace. Follett Corporation was founded in 1873 and has its headquarters in River Grove, Ill.

Princeton, NJ - June 9, 2010 - edWeb.net, a professional social network for the education community, received a Distinguished Achievement Award last night at the AEP Awards Banquet.

The AEP Awards, from the Association of Educational Publishers, are nationally recognized by educators and administrators as a mark of outstanding quality and achievement and are one of the largest and longest-running recognition programs in the education industry.

edWeb.net received a Distinguished Achievement Award in the category of Technology & New Media - Social Media.

Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb.net, commented, "We are delighted and thankful to AEP for this recognition, and so thankful for the many friends and colleagues who have helped us reach this rewarding milestone. I also thank the many educators whose constant feedback helps us make edWeb better."

Princeton, NJ - May 20, 2010 - edWeb.net, a professional social network for the education community, has just announced the launch of a new program that coaches school librarians on the use of emerging technology, particularly free social media, to transform library instruction and service delivery.

The program will be hosted by Michelle Luhtala, Head Librarian, New Canaan High School and the winner of the 2010 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) and the Connecticut Library Association's 2010 Outstanding Librarian Award.

Michelle will share advice on how she got her innovative program approved and implemented, as well as providing demonstrations of how she is using Facebook, YouTube, VoiceThread, Twitter, Moodle, Google Apps, and many more collaborative and content-sharing technologies.

The focus will be on student needs and pedagogical initiatives like responsive teaching and differentiation, and how social media in a school library program can favorably influence professional development. There will be examples of library assessment in all forms of social media, and how student responses have informed library instruction and program delivery.

The program will explore the correlation between social media and 21st century learning, and consider the value of more open access to social media websites in school districts. It will also show how "social libraries" raise community awareness and help increase school library budgets.

With this program, edWeb is launching a new "social webinar" program format that will make participation in a webinar series more collaborative and interactive. The program will use the technology to teach about the technology.

According to Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb.net, "The program evolved from the research we've conducted with educators on social networking. Our research showed that school librarians are further ahead of teachers and principals in their use of 21st century technology. We wanted to develop a program that would leverage that advantage and help librarians advance further, faster. Since school librarians play such a central role in providing information and resources for their school communities, we recognized that this would help these innovative uses of technology to spread faster. I could not be more delighted that Michelle Luhtala, the winner of the 2010 School Library of the Year Award, will be our program host and coach. She is a very dynamic and engaging presenter who is really pushing the boundaries of what a school library program can offer."

"Using Emerging Technology to Advance Your School Library Program" is a free program for school librarians. It will begin in June 2010 and run through May 2011. Librarians can sign up for the program by joining edWeb at www.edweb.net/emergingtech.

edWeb is offering sponsorship opportunities for education companies who would like to support this innovative program. Sponsors will have a unique opportunity to participate in the program and engage in dialogue with school librarians around the use of these new technologies. For more information, email info@edweb.net.

Princeton, NJ - May 8, 2010 - Keeping up with changes in technology and in the classroom is an ongoing challenge. As educational publishers strive to improve instructional materials for the classroom, it is more important than ever to hear from educators, in their own words, about what they need to teach effectively and to meet the needs of their students in the 21st century.

To bring educators' voices into the conversation, AEP has launched the Teacher Video Challenge in connection with their upcoming Content in Context Conference. AEP is teaming up with edWeb.net to reach out to educators and ask them to submit videos on three crucial questions:

1. What are you most in need of in order to teach effectively in the digital age?
2. What one request would you make of those who create instructional materials to make them digital-classroom friendly?
3. How would better digital technology and content in the classroom help you and your students?

The Teacher Video Challenge: Classrooms in the Digital Age will collect thoughts and opinions on digital resources and classroom technology from educators across the country and bring them directly to those companies and organizations responsible for developing learning materials and tools.

Teachers will create and upload their videos on YouTube, then submit their entry on edWeb.net with blog post and a link to their YouTube video. The submission process uses these social media platforms to encourage teachers to use these 21st century communication tools.

Twenty videos will be showcased as part of AEP's Content in Context Conference in June, and all submissions will be archived on both the edWeb and AEP's YouTube channel.

Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb.net commented, "I am delighted to work with AEP to help them reach educators through our edWeb community and also through our strategic partnership with MCH, Inc. Through our combined efforts, we will help AEP reach more than 200,000 educators to encourage their participation in the Teacher Video Challenge. Social networks like edWeb provide an entirely new channel to connect and get feedback from educators. This is critical if we are going to meet the challenges of providing a quality education for all students."

To learn more about the Teacher Video Challenge, go to: http://www.AEPweb.org/teachervideochallenge

About AEP

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) is a nonprofit organization that serves and advances the industry of supplemental educational publishing. The membership of AEP represents the breadth of educational content developers delivering progressive educational products in all media and for any educational setting.

AEP's thought leadership and market insight have created ground-breaking opportunities for its members to collaborate, network, and partner with each other as well as to acquire a voice in the development of government education policy. Founded in 1895, AEP now assists its members in navigating the global realities of educational publishing in the 21st Century. For more information, please visit http://www.AEPweb.org.

Princeton, NJ - March 16, 2010 - edWeb.net and the SIIA Education Division have teamed up to reach out to educators and involved them in a wide range of SIIA programs and initiatives.

SIIA's Education Division serves and represents more than 150 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. It has never been more important to promote an open dialogue among all the stakeholders in education to find the best solutions for improving education.

SIIA will be working with edWeb to create online communities with educators to discuss key issues in education and provide professional learning programs, particularly in the area of educational technology.

SIIA is recruiting educators to participate in their highly-regarded CoDIE Awards programs. Karen Billings, vice president, commented, "We worked through edWeb to invite educators to judge our CoDIE Awards program and received an overwhelming response. We are delighted that so many educators, who are so busy, are interested in taking the time to judge the latest education products and solutions from our members. Their input will help focus attention on the best new educational products and platforms."

Lisa Schmucki, founder and CEO of edWeb.net commented, "I am delighted to work with SIIA to help them reach educators. This was a major reason we founded edWeb-to break down the silos between educators, associations, companies, and legislators. Through our edWeb community and also through our strategic partnership with MCH, Inc., we can help SIIA reach a high percentage of K-12 educators and use social networking to connect and get feedback. This is critical if we are going to meet the challenges of providing a quality education for all students."

About SIIA

The Software & Information Industry Association is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to the leading companies that are setting the pace for the digital age. SIIA's Education Division serves and represents more than 150 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. SIIA provides a neutral business forum for its members to understand business models, technological advancements, market trends, and best practices. Through collaborative efforts with educators and other stakeholders, the Division undertakes initiatives to enhance the use of educational technology and the success of SIIA members. For more information, visit www.siia.net/education.

Princeton, NJ - November 4, 2009 - Final results of a Survey of K-12 Educators on Social Networking and Content-Sharing Tools were released this week. The survey was sent to 83,000 educators nation-wide (teachers, principals, and librarians) during late August and September.

The purpose of the study, which will be conducted on an annual basis, is to begin benchmarking educators’ use and attitudes about Web 2.0 collaborative technologies such as social networking, blogging, wikis, video-sharing, and more. Students are far ahead of educators in their use of technology, and this survey is intended to provide information than can help measure and close the gap.

Educators, like millions of other Americans, are exploring the world of social networks. 61% of the educators surveyed have joined one or more social networking websites. While Facebook is current the number 1 site joined (85%), 76% of educators seldom or never use it. Many educators express the need and desire to separate their personal and professional lives. There are a number of social networks that are dedicated specifically to education. Although these sites currently have low penetration, educators expressed a strong preference to join a social network dedicated to education.

A key finding is that educators who have already joined a social network are more positive about the technology and its value in education than educators who have not joined a social network. They also engage in more online activities in general. As the younger generation that has grown up on social networks enters the education workforce, there will be increasing desire and pressure to use this technology for professional and classroom collaboration.

Educators who responded provided insight on the factors that are inhibiting the growth of this technology in educational settings including—major privacy concerns, schools/districts that block access to these website, and time pressure.

The survey was co-sponsored by edWeb.net, MCH, Inc., and MMS Education.

Download the report

Princeton, NJ - September 21, 2009 - Preliminary results of a Survey of K-12 Educators on Social Networking and Content-Sharing Tools were released last week at the EdNET Conference in Chicago. The survey was co-sponsored by three organizations—edWeb.net, MCH, and MMS Education—and was deployed to more than 70,000 K-12 principals, teachers, and school librarians.

The purpose of the study, which will be conducted on a regular basis, is to begin benchmarking educators' use of and attitudes about Web 2.0 collaborative technologies such as social networking, blogging, wikis, video-sharing, and more. Students are far ahead of educators in their use of technology, and this survey is intended to provide information that can help measure and close the gap.

According to the survey, Facebook is currently the leading social network that educators have joined—86% of educators who have joined a social network have joined Facebook. There are a number of social networks that are dedicated specifically to education. Although these sites currently have low penetration, educators expressed a strong preference to join a social network dedicated to education, which bodes well for these niche sites.

Another key finding is that educators who have already joined a social network are far more positive about the technology and its value in education than educators who have not joined a social network. As the younger generation that has grown up on social networks enters the education workforce, there will be increasing desire and pressure to use this technology for professional and classroom collaboration.

Educators who responded provided insight on the factors that are inhibiting the growth of this technology in educational settings including major privacy concerns, schools/districts that block access to these website, and time pressure.

You can download a copy of the preliminary findings from the Survey of K-12 Educators on Social Networking and Content-Sharing Tools here.