PLATO Learning Expands PLATO® Courses Product Line

PLATO Learning is pleased to announce the expansion of the PLATO® Courses product line for middle school learners, additional subjects for high school students, and course management and reporting options for administrators and teachers.
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Memphis City Schools Provide Second Chance for At-Risk Youth with Course Recovery Program

In it's initial offering, Memphis City Schools had 286 seniors participate in their new course recovery program in the summer of 2004. The program has since expanded to include grades 7-12 throughout the school year. Today, there are over 4,000 students participating across middle and high school, with over 3,700 credits awarded and an 88% pass rate. Read how the largest school system in Tennessee set up and manages this successful program.
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Online Class Enrollment Increases by 40 Percent, The Daily Free Press

The days of going to office hours in old brick buildings and having in-depth conversations with professors may be on the decline as virtual professors and online classes have increased in popularity by more than 40 percent, according to a recent study.
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Urban Students Do Worse than Nation in Science, CNN

Children in major U.S. cities perform worse than other students around the country on science tests given in elementary and middle school, a snapshot released by the government Wednesday shows.
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How to Bring Schools into 21st Century, Time/CNN.com

American schools aren't exactly frozen in time, but considering the pace of change in other areas of life, our public schools tend to feel like throwbacks.
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Calendars
Happy Holidays! With the new year fast approaching, I thought Nettie's should provide lesson ideas around dates and the calendar. Access the following lessons to incorporate the time and the calendar into your math, reading, science and social studies lesson plans.

Grades K–2

Arthur - Calendars
Learn about days of the week, organizing information and how to use a calendar. Decorating individual squares on a calendar and create a one-month calendar. Read More >>

Learning Objectives For National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles     Grades Pre-K-2         Measurement                 Understand measurable attributes of objects and the                 units, systems, and processes of measurement recognize                 the attributes of length, volume, weight, area, and time;

PLATO® Math Expeditions Level D, Solve problems: Calendar

Grades 3–5

The Year in Review
Poses a suggestion for an end of the year exercise in which students create a chronological, class yearbook containing pictures with captions. Read More >>

National Council for the Social Studies Strands     Social Studies II. - Time, Continuity, and Change

PLATO® Cross Circular Projects, Level H, Unit 4: Maya Mystery, Calendar Dates

Grades 6–8

Modern Sunstones
How would our modern-day calendar look if it were a different shape, and created entirely with pictures? Visit http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/overview.htm, www.anthroarcheart.org/ancient.htm to view the Aztecs' huge circular calendars, or sunstones. Then challenge your class to design its own using a regular calendar as a guide. Let students create the different sections of the calendar using photographs, magazine and news clippings, cut paper, or drawings. Have the class work together to assemble its calendar. Once it is complete, invite other classes in to try reading your "sunstone."

NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts 6     Students apply knowledge of language structure,     language conventions (spelling and punctuation), media     techniques, etc.

PLATO® Essential Writing Process and Practice, Using Commas in dates and Places

Grades 9–12

NOVA - Lost King of the Maya: Calendar
Understand that different cultures have used different calendar systems to mark time, examine the Maya Long Count calendar system and use it to determine your birthday and other dates. Read More >>

National Science Content Standards     Content standard C: Life Science, 9-12

PLATO® Life Science with Assessments: Fossils and the Geological Time Scale

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