Sally Ride Science Launches “All-Access” Site Licenses for Teacher Training and Classroom Instruction
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) February 26, 2014 -- Today, Sally Ride Science announced the nationwide release of the Sally Ride All-Access Site License™, a new offering that equips an entire school with professional development and classroom instructional resources to promote student interest in STEM topics and careers.
The All-Access professional development for teachers, administrators and school counselors is based on the Sally Ride Science Academy training delivered to thousands of teachers since 2009, under a partnership with ExxonMobil, and is delivered via the Sally Ride Online Academy. Blending hands-on activities, quizzes, videos, and other instructional tools, the Academy courses are designed to foster cross-disciplinary approaches that teachers can use to connect classroom lessons in science and technology to diverse professionals who exemplify the many opportunities in STEM careers.
For students in Grades 4-8, the site licenses include individual eBook subscriptions for each student, delivered via a cloud-based eBook platform, with rich web-based multimedia content for instruction and career discovery. The 12 titles in the Cool Careers series introduce students to 144 professionals from diverse backgrounds who are using familiar skills in science, technology, engineering and math to address compelling real-world challenges that engage student readers. The 36 titles in the Key Concepts series address the “Big Ideas” in three important scientific domains – Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth Science.
Special Activity Guides designed for each eBook provide background information for teachers and help them extend the content into ready-to-use classroom activities that encourage students to analyze information and “think like a scientist”. Alignments for Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and TEKS, among other state standards are also included in each Activity Guide.
“The teachers we have worked with over the years have asked for better ways to share our training and student resources with colleagues back in their district,” said Tam O’Shaughnessy, Sally Ride Science Board Chair. “So this is a major milestone. They can now choose one simple package that delivers our Academy professional development and our best content right into the hands of teachers and students. It truly offers access to all educators and students at a site.”
The eBooks are cross-platform, accessible on both Android and iPad tablets, as well as on Mac and PC laptops and desktops. The customizable multimedia resources in the eBooks offer a wide range of updatable functionality, including glossaries with audio support for academic vocabulary in English and Spanish, individualized highlighting and note-taking features, flashcard reviews, and tools for collaboration with teachers and other students. The eBook system also offers analytical tools that allow educators to track student usage and progress.
Under the All-Access professional development, teachers can also earn continuing education units (CEUs) through Brandman University when they complete the main Sally Ride course. While the training is primarily an online and self-paced offering, schools can also combine it with onsite sessions to deliver a blended training model. Both the CEUs and blended training delivery options are available for an additional cost.
“Over a million students have benefitted from Sally Ride Science instruction,” said Dr. O’Shaughnessy, “but almost half of all students still lose interest in STEM fields between 4th grade and high school. We believe that these new site license packages will enable educators to keep more students interested and engaged in STEM during those crucial upper elementary and middle school years.”
About Sally Ride Science, Inc.
Sally Ride Science, founded by Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space, provides college and career readiness training and tools to build students' passion for STEM fields and help teachers incorporate engaging career-focused approaches into their existing instruction. Sally Ride Science administers the Sally Ride Science Academy Brought to You by ExxonMobil, a professional development program for educators in Grades 4-8, the Sally Ride Online Academy, an online professional development program open to all educators, STEM Central, a web-based searchable database of online resources for STEM topics and careers, and Sally Ride EarthKAM, a unique NASA-backed educational outreach program enabling students, teachers, and the public to learn about Earth from the unique perspective of space. Visit http://www.sallyridescience.com or http://www.stemcentral.com for more information.
Matt Casper, Sally Ride Science, http://www.sallyridescience.com, +1 858-638-1432 Ext: 145, [email protected]
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