Benchmark Education Company - Educators Can Develop Individual Areas of Need

Educators Can Develop Individual Areas of Need

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Jay Castelli Benchmark Education Company 914-637-7254 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it	Charlene Blohm C. Blohm & Associates, Inc. 608-839-9800 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Educators Can Develop Individual Areas of Need with Educational Leader™ Online Learning Community
Interactive offering provides teachers, literacy coaches with constant network of support
PELHAM, N.Y. (Nov. 29, 2005) – Even for already "highly qualified" educators, professional development is an ongoing endeavor. Beyond the limits of terminal coursework, technology can enable teachers to access 24-7 support from both educational resources and each other. That’s the premise behind Educational Leader, a new service developed by Benchmark Education Company, a leading provider of literacy products and services for K-8 students and their teachers. Educational Leader is an interactive professional development website for teachers, literacy coaches and mentors in grades K-8. The subscription-based site offers ongoing support with a variety of literacy topics, downloadable classroom resources, best practice model lessons and other support materials. Because Educational Leader is designed as an interactive learning community, users will also find professional learning opportunities, collaboration, discussion, and support for classroom implementation. "Many educators, particularly new teachers, need an extra layer of ongoing professional study beyond the traditional, one-time course," said Tom Reycraft, president of Benchmark Education. "Educational Leader complements existing face-to-face and online professional development programs by extending and supporting learning in a web-based community." Within the password protected website, subscribers can select topics in their individual areas of need to investigate at their own pace, place, and time. Then users can download sample lessons and other resource materials to use in the classroom. The uniquely interactive aspect of Educational Leader allows teachers to extend their learning in several ways. First, they can listen to audio commentary from experts and practitioners. Next, users can also talk to fellow educators through the message boards or read past discussions. Finally, users have the opportunity to &auot;ask the expert" during live chats and discussions with highly acclaimed literacy consultants and authors. Recent examples of "ask the expert&quot: sessions include such experts as Debbie Diller, Carla Soffos, Mary Lee Hahn and Laura Robb. Because the Educational Leader web site is capable of monitoring learning progress and professional development credit hours, subscribers can print a report as documentation of credit hours earned. Educators may receive graduate credit through Chapman University. Pricing for Educational Leader is $195 per person for a 12-month online subscription. For more information, including a full site demonstration, visit www.educationalleader.com or phone 1-877-236-2465. For more information, visit www.benchmarkeducation.com.
About Benchmark Education Company Benchmark Education Company is committed to helping K-8 students attain lifelong literacy by publishing a wide range of reading resources and services for all learners. Benchmark Education recognizes that classrooms are comprised of many kinds of students, including gifted, on-level, and struggling readers; students with learning disabilities; and students who are still mastering English as a second language. The company helps educators take each learner on a different road toward academic success through research-based and standards-aligned products and services. Benchmark Education is headquartered in Pelham, New York. For more information, call 1-877-236-2465 or visit www.benchmarkeducation.com.
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