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December 15, 2001
Awards of Excellence (cont'd)
By Kristen Kennedy
Enhanced and Improved Past Winners
Here, a few of the latest upgrades and enhancements to some of our judges' old favorites.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY
Apex Learning
A winner in 1999 for its online courses in AP Calculus and U.S. Government, Apex Learning has since become a provider of virtual schools. Now offering technology infrastructure, online curriculum, and connected learning communities, Apex Learning's virtual schools have expanded to include 10 AP courses ranging from microeconomics to English literature and composition, as well as courses in German, French, and Spanish.
Apex Learning, Bellevue, WA; (800) 453-1454
CURRICULUM AND MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
ClassWorks Gold
ClassWorks Gold, a network management system that offers comprehensive curriculum, student tracking capabilities, and comprehensive assessments, now offers several new features. The first, ClassWorks Online Professional Development courses, provide instruction in how to use all ClassWorks Gold applications. ClassWorks Gold for High School, another new component, delivers over 50 software titles in math, language arts, and test preparation.
Curriculum Advantage, Los Angeles, CA; (800) 221-0802
MATH
Zoombinis Logical Journey
The Zoombinis Logical Journey, which took the gold in 1996, updates its popular predecessor with new adventures for the Zoombinis, who need help finding their way to safety once the Diabolical Bloats seize their island. Intriguing puzzles with four levels of difficulty mask the complex analytical skills needed to develop information-age logic skills that keep the Zoombinis from harm.
The Learning Company, Novato, CA; (415) 382-4400
REFERENCE
2002 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, School Edition
A winner in 1996, this rich reference resource includes 20,000 new and updated articles and Web links, including such current events as the Bush-Gore presidential election. Standard features in this package include the Research Center, which guides students through the research process, from choosing a topic to writing a draft. Monthly Internet updates keep content vital and fresh, adding to the over 50,000 Web links and 77,000 articles currently available.
Scholastic Inc., New York, NY; (800) 724-6527
Microsoft Encarta Reference Library 2002
Housing the Encarta Interactive World Atlas, Encarta Encyclopedia Deluxe, Encarta Africana, as well as a dictionary and thesaurus, Microsoft improves once again upon its comprehensive reference suite. Now available in DVD-ROM and five-disc CD formats, the latest version offers more multimedia with 3-D video demonstrations and extensive research help with built-in Encarta Researcher and Microsoft FactFinder features.
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA; (800) 426-9400
SCIENCE
Science Court
The popular Science Court package is now available in a network version, allowing educators and students access to the program from any computer on their network with one installation. This animated series for fourth- through sixth-graders combines courtroom drama and scientific experiments to teach core science concepts.
Tom Snyder Productions, Watertown, MA; (800) 342-0236
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