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 The EdGate Observer Connecting Publishers With What Works! |
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Greetings everyone,
In this month's newsletter, we focus on the most recent education news pertaining to Makerspaces (Hot Topic); College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards (Client Solution); CSTA standards (Teaching Trends); an introduction to our new team member, Denise Maria (EdGate Services); and following up with new additions to the EdGate Standards Repository (Standards Update).
As always, EdGate is your source for staying current with new developments in education and the impact of educational standards.
Regards,
Gina Faulk
EdGate General Manager
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 College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards
College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards - sometimes known as College- and Career-Ready standards - are in the news lately because they have been specifically namechecked in the Every Student Succeeds Act. But what are they? As it turns out, they are an outgrowth from Common Core. The Common Core standards included, in the Language Arts section, a set of "anchor standards" that would define the English language skills that students should have to be ready for college and the workplace. The ESSA expands on this by asking states to adopt more rigorous language and mathematics standards, noting that four out of every ten college freshmen need to take remedial math or English courses. EdGate offers the Common Core CCR standards, as well as CCR standards adopted by Texas and for the ACT, and we will continue to bring new sets into our system as they are adopted by the various states; keep following this newsletter for more details!
Mathematics Project Manager
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Makerspace becomes Maker District in Virginia
Albermarle County Schools in Virginia have embraced the Maker movement. In an effort to bring real world skills to students, Makerspaces are classroom models that combine hands on learning experiences with traditional instructional methods. The Albermarle schools are ensuring that students will be "making" from Kindergarten all the way up through high school. Additionally some Makerspaces in the district are grade level-agnostic and focus on incorporating maker ideals of collaboration, experimentation and creation. Although student choice makes up much of the day, there is a balance between traditional and makerspace instruction. "We really pride ourselves on interdisciplinary learning, so this space can be used by anyone," Chad Ratliff says as he stands in this mix of a makerspace, woodshop, and high-tech computer lab. Along with students practicing writing and storytelling using screenshots from web based games, other students are receiving direct literacy instruction in a different area within the Makerspace. Portfolios are used to document learning instead of assessment tests. One of the libraries in the district removed and donated half its books and filled the space with a Makerbot 3D printer, sewing machines, Spheros, and more. "We don't put limits on this. Because there are informal making opportunities all over the place, the students can do something they're interested in - whenever they want," Superintendent Moran says.
Project Manager
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CS Standards Re-Enter the Education World
 Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) first developed the CS Standards in 2011. The goal of the K-12 CS Standards was to create a set of learning standards designed to provide the foundation for a complete computer science curriculum and its implementation at the K-12 level. Unfortunately, a majority of students in the U.S. are still not required to take a single computer science course throughout their K-12 education. Often students who go on to major in computer science are not well-prepared to do so. They lack the computational thinking or mathematical preparation to succeed in college-level coursework.
Some organizations are meeting this challenge head-on. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio
recently announced that the city is investing $81 million to establish computer science instruction in every public school in the city by 2025.
Additionally, the CSTA established a task force, which was formed in August 2015, to conduct an ongoing revitalization of the 2011 CS Standards. T
he task force will meet
in the spring of 2016
to review feedback from the public and to further enhance the draft revised standards. To learn if your content aligns to the CSTA standards, please contact an EdGate representative.
Account Manager
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Welcome to Denise Maria!
EdGate is proud and excited to highlight our own Denise Maria this month.
Denise
joined the EdGate family as a digital content editor
in 2015 leaving her much loved job in Oregon where she taught English, Language Arts, AP English and Composition, and English Recovery. Denise graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a Master of Arts in Teaching.
Denise has now
transition
ed
into the role of an Account Manager in the Sales Department. Her extensive knowledge of life in the classroom and in an academic setting will ensure customer needs are effectively matched with EdGate's products and services. One o
f
my favorite things about Denise is
that
her Mom is her hero.
Congratulations Denise!
Please feel free to reach our Sales and Marketing Team for any of your correlating needs:
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Denise Maria
Account Manager
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Gina Faulk
General Manager
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Tracy Olstad,
Account Manager
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Updates to
The EdGate Standards Repository include:
- Connecticut - English Language Learners (2015)
- Illinois - Social Studies (2016)
- Indiana - Science (2016)
- Kansas - Arts Education (2015 Visual Arts)
- Massachusetts - Early Childhood Education (2011/2015 Infant/Toddler/Ages 3-5)
- NCSC Core Content Connectors - Language Arts (2014)
- NCSC Core Content Connectors - Mathematics (2014)
- Pennsylvania Alternate Eligible Content - Language Arts (2015)
- Pennsylvania Alternate Eligible Content - Mathematics (2015)
- South Dakota - World Languages (2011 ACTFL)
- Washington DC Standards - Early Childhood Education (2012)
- West Virginia - Mathematics (2016)
Kristie McCarley
Standards and Operations Manager
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EdGate Correlation Services works with over 200 content providers to increase the value of their products in a rapidly expanding digital world. EdGate uses its patented technology and highly skilled staff to assure client success. Employing its nearly two decades of innovation experience, EdGate has proven learning platforms, robust metadata tools and comprehensive correlation services to serve every clients unique needs.
EdGate currently focuses on correlation consulting, content and metadata development and management, media segmentation and licensing of international educational standards. EdGate Correlation Services LLC is a division of EDmin, Inc., a learning management and instructional technology solutions company based in San Diego, California.
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