District Administration - November/December 2011 - (Page 57)

DistrictAdministration 1 00 Products of the Year PRODUCTS BY COURTNEY WILLIAMS AND KURT EISELE DYRLI TOP INNOVATIVE DA Readers Choose The 2011 winners reﬂect how educators seek a variety of technological tools in tough economic times. 2 0 1 1 R EADERS SPOKE OUT IN THE LARGEST numbers yet for District Administration’s 2011 Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products awards. e DA editorial staﬀ spent days sifting through hundreds of submissions and learning about new and innovative education products nominated by readers. Nominations were accepted via the DA Web site from March through Sept. 15, 2011. Each nomination required a testimonial from a school administrator to allow us to understand how the product speciﬁcally impacted a school or district. Some products received more than 70 unique nominations. Each winner receives acknowledgement in the magazine, on our Web site, and in our digital edition, plus a winner’s certiﬁcate. Editor in Chief Judy Faust Hartnett, former Products Editor Kurt Eisele-Dyrli, and I researched each nomination and read hundreds of testimonials. In true American Idol fashion, I was the kind judge who found the good in everything, while Judy asked the tough questions and Simon, I mean Kurt, well, he was the critic. All jokes aside, it was a very diﬃcult process due to the many thoughtful and articulate nominations, and it took a few weeks to narrow down the products that had the same number of nominations. We have compiled the list of winners, which includes a wide variety of products to help districts large and small. From student information systems to assistive technology, online professional development and curriculum builders, we’ve got you covered. District Administration is proud to present its 2011 Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products in the following pages, in random order and including some of many of the insightful comments from the record number of nominations we received. We hope that these products can help make a diﬀerence in your district and fuel innovation as we enter 2012. Congratulations to the winners! —Courtney Williams SEAS Computer Automation Systems, Inc. pricing varies SEAS (Special Education Automation Software) is a Web-based assistive technology designed by special education teachers. SEAS is made up of several modules that allow districts to manage their forms management, timeline compliance and special needs programs, including IEP management. www.computerautomation.com “SEAS has been a great asset to our special education teachers because it provides an organized method of developing IEPs and saves valuable time.” Rita Windham, superintendent, Enterprise (Miss.) School District NEWSCURRENTS AND READ TO KNOW Knowledge Unlimited, $209 per site for NewsCurrents; $75 per site for Read to Know NewsCurrents is a discussion-based weekly current events program for grades 3 through 12 that helps students understand the world around them while enforcing critical-thinking skills and vocabulary. Read to Know is an online news magazine written on a ﬁfth- to eighth-grade reading level. www.newscurrents.com “We are excited to bring the online application of current events to our middle school classrooms as we prepare for Common Core State Standards and civics education.” Wendy Hodgson, curriculum coordinator, Collier County (Fla.) Public Schools www.DistrictAdministration.com November/December 2011 57 http://www.computerautomation.com http://www.computerautomation.com http://www.newscurrents.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - November/December 2011

District Administration - November/December 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Inside the Law
Administrator Profile
District Profile
CIO news
How to Update Your Network on a Budget
The Importance of IT Team Unity
Creating an Anti-Bullying Program With the Resources You Have
The Ultimate Empowerment Program for Parents
Taking the Helm in Cheating Scandals
Readers’ Choice: Top 100 Products
New Directions
Professional Opinion
Problem/Solution
Going Mobile

District Administration - November/December 2011