Nortel forms partnership with Durham Public Schools and Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology
May 29, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Nancy Hester, Associate Superintendent
Support Services, 919-560-2501
Edgar D. Murphy III, Community Relations Manager
Nortel Networks, 919-997-3045
Nortel forms partnership with Durham Public Schools and Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology
DURHAM – Fifty teachers from Durham Public Schools (DPS) will be the first in the state to earn e-Teacher certification through a new partnership with Nortel LearniT, the signature community relations initiative of Nortel to inspire learning through the power of technology. The teachers will participate in training and will spend part of their summer writing lesson plans that will then be shared with other teachers via the Nortel LearniT Website and Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology’s Riverdeep Learning Village curriculum management system.
Nortel LearniT is an initiative that involves sharing online learning opportunities and resources for teachers, students and learners of all ages. Nortel LearniT’s project-based lesson plans are organized and searchable by grade, subject and technology. DPS teachers at all levels have centralized online access to all lesson plans and can share those lesson plans via Learning Village. The Learning Village effort started with middle and high school teachers sharing lesson plans and has since expanded to the elementary level.
Through this new partnership, DPS teachers in grades three through eight will be trained in Nortel LearniT on June 14. Teachers will then spend one to two weeks writing lesson plans that will be shared locally and nationally through Nortel LearniT and Learning Village. Technology facilitators, media specialists and others will work with the teachers to integrate technology into the plans.
In addition to stipends for participating in the training and writing, teachers will receive incentives such as digital cameras, Webcams, and other tools to enhance the lessons. Digital cameras, webcams and other tools are among the incentives the teachers may receive. DPS teachers also will be encouraged to partner with Nortel employee volunteers.
“We are very pleased that our teachers will share their knowledge with each other and with teachers across the country using the Nortel LearniT and Learning Village initiatives,” Superintendent Carl Harris said. “Part of the Professional Learning Communities movement involves finding more opportunities for teachers to collaborate. This partnership is an excellent example of how we can help facilitate collaboration.”
Nortel Community Relations Manager Edgar Murphy said he is proud that his home community of Durham is the first district in the state to sign on to LearniT in such a major way. “LearniT gives teachers and other educators a great tool to enhance 21st Century skills—their own and their students,” said Murphy. “Nortel employees in Durham are excited to partner with local teachers and volunteer in the local schools.”
Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology recently completed a merger with Riverdeep and now sells and supports the Learning Village curriculum management solution as well as a full line of interactive K-12 curriculum-based courseware. “We are extremely pleased to be working with Durham Public Schools on this important initiative,” said Scott Kirkpatrick, president of Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology. “Learning Village is a powerful instructional portal for providing the tools, instructional resources and applications that promote collaboration and empower teachers to create a positive impact on learning advancement.”
About Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology
Houghton Mifflin Learning Technology, a new division of Houghton Mifflin Company, provides a powerful, research-proven approach for integrating core and supplemental instruction, intervention, assessment and reporting, professional development, and school-to-home connections.
About Houghton Mifflin
Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Company is one of the leading educational publishers in the United States, with more than $1.4 billion in sales. The Company publishes a comprehensive set of educational solutions, ranging from research-based textbook programs to instructional technology to standards-based assessments for elementary and secondary schools and colleges. The Company also publishes an extensive line of reference works and award-winning fiction and nonfiction for adults and young readers. In 2006, Houghton Mifflin merged with Riverdeep, bringing together one of the most respected print publishers with the leader in interactive courseware. With origins dating back to 1832, Houghton Mifflin combines its tradition of excellence with a commitment to innovation. To learn more about Houghton Mifflin, visit www.hmco.com
For more information about LearniT, check the Web at www.NortelLearniT.org Riverdeep is online at www.riverdeep.net
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