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"CALL (Campaign Alliance for Life long Learning) Category: Common Interest - Current Events: Why CALL? Why now? Rising charges and course cut backs have seen two million learners' places lost from further and adult education in England since 2005. Now groups representing students, staff and local communities have come together to campaign for the right of everyone to access to learning irrespective of class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, asylum status or employment. We have founded CALL, the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning because we believe that affordable access to the life changing opportunities provided by education is the hallmark of a civilised society. CALL is a non-party political alliance. The only qualification for joining is commitment to our six founding principles below. CALL believes our education system should provide: equality of access to high quality education for all learners (regardless of: class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, asylum status or employment status), including a statutory right to learning in the workplace universal access to basic skills, ESOL and ICT courses and a first level three qualification regardless of age learner, teacher and community involvement in all levels of decision-making about their learning wherever it takes place learning for personal wellbeing and development and the maintenance of local authority adult education a path out of poverty and disadvantage including widening participation in higher education and the provision of a second chance later in life a stable, motivated and rewarded workforce of professional practitioners."

"Advancing Excellent Teaching in American Schools Annenberg Media uses media and telecommunications to advance excellent teaching in American schools. This mandate is carried out chiefly by the funding and broad distribution of educational video programs with coordinated Web and print materials for the professional development of K-12 teachers. It is part of The Annenberg Foundation and advances the Foundation's goal of encouraging the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. Annenberg Media's multimedia resources help teachers increase their expertise in their fields and assist them in improving their teaching methods. Many programs are also intended for students in the classroom and viewers at home. All Annenberg Media videos exemplify excellent teaching. Annenberg Media resources can be accessed for FREE at Learner.org , or can be purchased through the Web site or by calling 1-800-LEARNER."

"ABCmouse.com is a global education initiative of Age of Learning, Inc. Our goal is to help children build a strong foundation for future academic success by providing a comprehensive and engaging online curriculum to greatly assist early learners to succeed in pre-k, kindergarten, and early elementary school programs. ABCmouse.com is subscription-based, with no advertising, pop-up ads, or links to other sites. Children can learn and explore with their parents, or on their own (depending on age and ability), in a safe and secure online educational environment. We named our site ABCmouse.com because here children can learn important educational basics (often referred to as "the ABC's") through the use of a computer mouse, thus ABCmouse.com. At ABCmouse.com, the computer mouse comes to life as ABC Mouse, who serves as our site ambassador and guide to early learners everywhere."

"Who are we and what we do Futurelab is an independent not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to transforming teaching and learning, making it more relevant and engaging to 21st century learners through the use of innovative practice and technology. We have a long track record of researching and demonstrating innovative uses of technology and aim to support systemic change in education - and are uniquely placed to bring together those with an interest in improving education from the policy, industry, research and practice communities to do this. Futurelab is close enough to government to be influential, but distant enough to have an independent viewpoint; credible and respected by academia, but with rigorous project management, support and delivery mechanisms that deliver to commercial timelines. Our integrity and commitment to positive change allow us access to education practitioners and learners and we, in turn, support them to adopt new teaching practices with a range of research-informed support and tools."

"Stenhouse Publishers started in 1993 with two employees in a one-room attic walk-up in York, Maine. That fall we published six titles. Today, a dozen employees work in our offices overlooking Monument Square in the heart of Portland, Maine, editing, marketing and producing a catalogue of more than 200 books and videos. Stenhouse publishes professional development books and videos by teachers and for teachers. All of our titles are grounded in a philosophy of education that respects both teacher and learner. And all are designed to integrate theory, research, and practice in an accessible manner. Good professional resources encourage teachers to step back and ponder important questions, such as: "Why do we teach these concepts in these ways?," and the closely related, "Is there a better way? Our titles cover a range of literacy topics, from reading comprehension to classroom management. On a larger level, our publishing program strives to support professional growth and create a culture of inquiry for teachers at all stages of their career and for learners of all ages. Stenhouse is part of Highlights for Children and a division of their subsidiary Teachers' Publishing Group.

"Service. Leadership. Relevance in a global society. These values define our mission at American Public University System. They guide how we educate and support more than 70,000 distance learners studying in 50 states and more than 100 countries. They shape the growth of our two institutions, American Public University and American Military University. They are a roadmap for how we prepare you for successful careers."

"NIIT is a leading Global Talent Development Corporation, building skilled manpower pool for global industry requirements. The company which was set up in 1981, to help the nascent IT industry overcome its human resource challenges, has today grown to be amongst world's leading talent development companies offering learning solutions to Individuals, Enterprises and Institutions across 40 countries. NIIT's training solutions in IT, Business Process Outsourcing, Banking, Finance and Insurance, Executive Management Education, and Communication and Professional Life Skills, touch five million learners every year. NIIT's expertise in learning content development, training delivery and education process management make it the most preferred training partner, worldwide"

"Our Mission: Through its network of more than 100 CEOs, Change the Equation pledges to create widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as an investment in our nation that empowers us all. Our Goals: Change the Equation works towards three critical goals: Great Teaching: Improve STEM teaching at all grade levels, with a larger and more diverse cadre of highly capable and inspirational STEM teachers. Inspired Learners: Inspire student appreciation and excitement for STEM programs and careers to increase success and achievement in school and opportunities for a collegiate education, especially among females and students of color. A Committed Nation: Achieve a sustained commitment to improving STEM education from business leaders, government officials, STEM educators and other stakeholders through innovation, communication, collaboration and data-based decision making.

"With over 7,000 resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, audio, video and flashcards, onestopenglish is the world's number one resource site for English Language teachers. Onestopenglish is a teacher's resource site published by Macmillan English Campus, part of the Macmillan Education Group, one of the world's leading publishers of English language teaching materials. Onestopenglish is packed with resources for English teachers. All materials are written and edited by our expert team of teachers and authors and are organized into core subject areas such as Skills, Grammar and Vocabulary, Business and ESP, Exams and Young Learners, so you'll always find what you're looking for. Onestopenglish members have the opportunity to sign up to the Staff Room, our subscription area containing additional features and premium resources."

"Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation Mission and Vision: Picture the happy, effective and contributing global citizens of tomorrow. Being lifelong learners and digitally fluent, they participate fully in every aspect of social and economic life. To make this picture a reality, today's students must learn differently. They must be granted an education that fosters their innate motivation to learn, that encourages academic rigor through relevant application, and that connects them with the world they will enter. This approach is often called 'anytime anywhere learning.' To take part in anytime, anywhere learning, students must be provided with: *A constructivist, international education where meaningful tasks subsume curriculum objectives. * A personal, portable computer with which to think about, construct and share ideas The Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation is a not for profit organization whose primary purpose is to ensure that all children have access to unlimited opportunities to learn anytime and anywhere and that they have the tools that make this possible. AALF members are committed to making anytime, anywhere learning a reality for all students. We believe that this release of human potential is in the best interest of our children and society. Through the AALF, members access research, resources and a professional network, and create strong, sustainable, learning-driven, 1-to-1 technology environments."

"The Reemployment Works! Community of Practice is a communications vehicle to offer technical assistance, share promising practices, and network with colleagues in the Workforce and Economic Development world. Workforce3One currently has over 50,000 registrants from every corner of our workforce world, not just the public workforce system: Business and Industry, Education and Training, Non-Governmental organizations and Community-based organizations, Faith-based organizations, organized labor. To date, our knowledge-sharing tool, Workforce3One has been a repository for tools and resources that complement the technical assistance offered by ETA and peer-to-peer learning. Using social media and Web 2.0 technology, we can take this to another level. You may consider the Reemployment Community of Practice an exclusive, professional club. Exclusive (we're inviting only 50,000 of our closest associates), professional (we're offering technical assistance to build the capacity of the public workforce system) club (we'd like to keep the engagement informal and socially comfortable). Through our Community of Practice (CoP) we can open more two-way exchanges among thought-leaders and workforce system learners. We can communicate in real time and continue "conversations" we started at a forum, a Webinar, a conference call, etc. We can upload documents to the Wiki section and ask our colleagues to edit them or offer comments. Wikis can also be used to document what's happening in your region on a particular topic. Our CoP can be used to jump start collaboration on a project and to engage in peer-to-peer learning activities. The CoP also complements our blended learning strategy . Now our colleagues can view a PodCast that introduces or defines a topic, then move to a wiki document to be share or edit content, then participate in a Webinar to learn more and to brainstorm further, and then join a discussion thread on the CoP to "continue

"What is Orchard? Orchard Software provides targeted instruction in math, reading, writing, language arts, and science for grades K-9. Combining formative and benchmark assessments aligned with state standards, motivating instruction, and qualitative data reporting, Orchard Software is the preferred choice for thousands of schools across the country looking to improve AYP. Orchard Software provides schools with a powerful solution that enables educators to adapt and deliver both individualized and whole class instruction that meets the needs of all students, including ELL learners and those with special needs. Orchard has proven effective in helping teachers differentiate instruction in multilevel classes and provides flexible pricing and scalability so that any classroom, school, or district can implement and take advantage of Orchard's research-based and motivating content."

"ALISON is a for-profit social enterprise based in Galway, Ireland. We are a resourceful and determined multi-national team of socially-aware technologists, educationalists and marketers who understand that today, we have the opportunity to make universal education free to access via the Web. Through ALISON, we believe we have a sustainable and scalable business model to make education free online. Our starting point is basic skills for the workplace, and for that, we provide a range of high-quality courses. We have a range of courses to be launched over the next few months. Since our launch in April 2007, we have developed relationships with some of the largest and most prestigious institutions involved in promoting education and learning. We believe ALISON can make a profound impact on people's lives and livelihoods around the world. We cannot however succeed in this on our own. To learn more about how you might be able to assist the ALISON mission, click here. We believe that the ALISON model of education can save governments and educational institutions billions of dollars every year if adopted. Read how ALISON can help you as an individual learner, a teacher or trainer, or as an organization. Across the world, billions of people do not have access to high-quality skills-based interactive learning. The reason for this is usually distance and cost. The Internet changes this dynamic, and now ALISON can provide an educational opportunity like none before. Cost and distance need not be a barrier to universal learning. Through your use and support of ALISON, we can break down these barriers to learning permanently!"

"About powerspeaK¹² (Formerly Power-Glide) From the start, powerspeaK¹²'s mission has been to revolutionize the way children learn foreign language. We offer what no other language program does-an optimal mix of innovative, yet proven teaching methods that are integrated and woven together for an unrivaled learning experience. This successful blend of best practices evolved following decades of research by world language experts. While powerspeaK¹² courses are continuously enhanced to reflect the latest language conventions, the company's roots of creativity and innovation remain firmly planted throughout every powerspeaK¹² learning experience. This is the powerspeaK¹² difference - a difference we stand behind with our satisfaction guarantee. Our courses use a proven natural-language-learning method that utilizes immersive techniques to foster powerful and authentic language mastery. Unlike competitors' offerings, powerspeaK¹² courses were developed specifically to maximize learning in younger minds, with flexibility to address all learning styles and all age ranges, with 29 courses covering kindergarten through high school. These self-paced, engaging courses include age-appropriate content, games, and culturally relevant activities to help learners enjoy their studies and remain highly motivated. The all-new graphics, video, music, and games encourage multi-sensory learning and promote retention of material. We offer students, teachers, and schools the ability to meet their foreign language needs with a flexible and differentiated offering. The self-paced nature of the powerspeaK¹² courses makes it possible for parents who do not know the target language to help a child learn without any prior training. Schools can offer courses with or without teacher support, and can choose to utilize their own teachers or certified powerspeaK¹² teachers. With a unique methodology based on decades of research and proven results,

"For years, Central Union High School, situated in a low-income California neighborhood just north of the Mexican border, was struggling with poor test scores and overall low student academic achievement. But thanks to hard work by the school's teachers, administrators, students, and parents, the high school has, in recent years, been achieving significant academic growth. In 2007, Central Union was named by the state as a Distinguished School because it had substantially higher performance than predicted. This designation is especially encouraging given that many of the students are English learners."

"Hello! Welcome to the LifeLongLearning Lab! I am an avid learner with an insatiable curiosity and interest in pretty much everything. As a professional in the learning and organizational development industry, I help individuals and organizations use technology and best practices to achieve their goals. I believe that to really learn and understand we have to try things out for ourselves. Living out new ideas makes them our own so we can improve what we do and how we live. Ralph and Friedrich sum it up best: "All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions-as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all." Friedrich Nietzsche"

"A Legacy of Education Education has always been a core value of the Walt Disney Company. Since 1945, when Disney became the first studio to bring educational films into schools, educators have turned to Disney Educational Productions for award-winning classroom media that enhances learning and unlocks student creativity. We believe that kids who succeed at learning grow to love learning, and it's that life-long celebration of curiosity and innovation that built the Walt Disney Company. Building Thinkers Every Day...For more than 60 years, our programs have been receiving numerous awards and accolades -- among them Oscars, Emmys, and honors from organizations such as the National Safety Council and Learning Magazine. Today we are harnessing the timeless power of immersive storytelling with the new possibilities of dynamic multimedia to provide teachers with the tools they need to engage, inform, and inspire learners of all types. We collaborate with educators, curriculum specialists, scientists, mathematicians, historians, writers, musicians, artists, and many other skilled and passionate experts to create compelling content based on national curriculum standards. Our classroom edition DVDs include public performance rights, educator's guides, exclusive educational bonus features, and assessment tools to reinforce key lessons."

"ePals is the leading provider of safe collaborative technology for schools to connect and learn in a protected, project-based learning network. With classrooms in 200 countries and territories, ePals makes it easy to connect learners locally, nationally or internationally"

"The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art, and human perception located in San Francisco, California. We believe that following your curiosity and asking questions can lead to amazing moments of discovery, learning, and awareness, and can increase confidence in your ability to understand how the world works. We also believe that being playful and having fun is an important part of the process for people of all ages. We create tools and experiences that help you to become an active explorer: hundreds of explore-for-yourself exhibits; a Web site with over 25,000 pages of content; film screenings; workshops for lifelong learners including day camps for kids and family investigations; evening art and science events for adults-plus much more. We also create professional development programs for educators, and are at the forefront of changing the way science is taught. We share our exhibits and expertise with museums worldwide."

"We live in a world that is changing quickly. It is characterized by rapid growth in the availability and quantity of new information, pervasive use of computers and information processing technologies, rapid technological advances affecting a wide spectrum of society, and an increased awareness of our impact on planet Earth. With the rate of scientific discovery and technological innovation continuing to accelerate, there is a critical need to look at learning in a new way. Instructional practice must move forward to keep pace in producing students who are prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. By having learners participate in the actual process of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, we can help them gain a rich understanding of core principles in these disciplines."