HotChalk Introduces First Wireless, Web-based Collaborative Software for Secondary School Teachers, Students and Parents
HotChalk Learning Environment Is Funded by School-Approved Online Advertising, Bridges Growing Divide Between Educational Demands and Shrinking Budgets
CAMPBELL, Calif., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- HotChalk today introduced the HotChalk Learning Environment(TM), a new Web-based collaborative software solution for secondary school teachers, students and parents. The software automates much of the time-consuming administrative work for teachers by offering curriculum management; lesson plan development; secure email; and automated assignment distribution, collection, and grading.
It is provided to participating schools as a hosted service, along with a campus-wide wireless network and up to ten laptop computers for teachers -- all at no cost to the school. The solution is funded by online advertising, which schools can control by using the patent-pending HotChalk Community Standards Engine(TM).
A recent consumer survey commissioned by HotChalk and conducted by Harris Interactive(R) suggests that the debate is not whether corporate sponsorship of schools should be allowed, but rather how corporate sponsorship should be managed. In the survey conducted earlier this month, 76 percent of U.S. adults agreed that corporations have a responsibility to support public schools because they depend on employees having the education and skills that schools teach. Moreover, more than half of adults think that advertising in the classroom is acceptable if schools and local officials determine which ads are displayed (54 percent) and ads are restricted to after-school hours only (53 percent). By contrast, only 22 percent think that it is acceptable to show advertising inside the classroom.
Educational Collaboration Supports NCLB
The HotChalk Learning Environment is a comprehensive application that enables secondary schools to create a productive learning environment and produce measurable academic results. It includes curriculum management, lesson plan development, and secure email, as well as automated assignment distribution, collection and grading. The collaborative environment makes it easy for teachers to add supporting materials so that all students have access to the resources they need, and teachers can share lesson plans and other information in order to get more done in less time. HotChalk harnesses the power of enterprise-class computing and online advertising to address the demands that financially squeezed schools face to meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandate of the US government. No prior technical experience is necessary. All that is required for a school to participate is for a teacher to complete ten hours of free online training in order to become HotChalk- certified.
The benefits to schools also extend to students and their parents. Since the HotChalk Learning Environment is a Web-based application, it is accessible through any standard Web browser from any computer -- whether at home, the library or local community center. Teachers can set up assignments so students receive reminders about their homework every time they log in. Meanwhile parents benefit from knowing what is expected from students in the days and months ahead, and can easily stay in touch through private, secure email with teachers about their children's progress.
School-Controlled Advertising and No Strings Attached Technology Grants
With HotChalk, schools and the local community can benefit from the online marketing budgets of corporations and local businesses while gaining access to enterprise-class software, wireless networking and security while controlling the advertising at all times. The patent-pending HotChalk Community Standards Engine allows secondary schools to choose which companies can advertise, what advertisements are acceptable, and who can see them. For example, schools can determine that students will only see ads if they log on during non-school hours. If they log on during class time, they simply see online public service announcements. HotChalk gives 10 percent of advertising revenues back to participating schools in the form of technology grants and offers fundraising programs for schools. To date, school-approved categories of advertising on the HotChalk Learning Environment include print and online media; retailers of clothing, books, music, groceries, and electronics; travel and financial services.
Schools and Teachers Praise Early HotChalk Benefits
"With easy installation and training, HotChalk has made it fast and easy to bring powerful Web-based collaboration and administration to our school," said Gary Adams, technical coordinator for the Palisades School District in Kintnersville, PA. "Our teachers are finding that the HotChalk Learning Environment is both a huge time saver and is greatly improving their ability to communicate with parents. We're very excited about HotChalk, and we are expanding our use throughout the school district."
"For school administrators, a top priority is ensuring that students have a strong command of the technology skills required to get ahead in today's business environment," said Derrick Leasure, dean of the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, CA. "With HotChalk, we've seen significant gains in student productivity. For example, history teacher Adam Goad reports that his classes never made it to the Civil War before Christmas. Using the HotChalk Learning Environment, this year's class reached the Civil War before Thanksgiving, and in the process our students brought a new level of enthusiasm and effort to their studies."
HotChalk Brings Enterprise-Class Performance and Security to Schools
The HotChalk Learning Environment is provided as a hosted service; the application and all of its data reside on secure servers that are accessed by its users through a standard Internet Web browser. By moving the HotChalk application out of the local schools and into a data center, it becomes economically possible to provide the necessary tools for ensuring 99.9 percent uptime, including redundant servers and network connections, backup power systems, and enterprise-class network security. Equally important, by hosting the application, HotChalk manages all ongoing administration and eliminates the need for the school technology coordinator to be a database administrator, developer, or integrator.
HotChalk WalkAbout Wireless(TM) Network
Participating schools are provided with the HotChalk WalkAbout Wireless Network(TM), unlocking the benefits of wireless Internet access for the entire school community. The campus-wide, industrial-strength wireless network enables teachers and students to access the HotChalk Learning Environment from anywhere on campus and eliminates the need for schools to spend scarce educational funds on networking infrastructure. With a simple two-day installation, the wireless network is up and running.
"As a parent, it's easy to appreciate that teachers face an uphill battle in their efforts to optimize students' learning experience, engage parents, and deliver on the promise of No Child Left Behind -- all in the midst of budget cuts," said Edward Fields, president, CEO and founder of HotChalk. "We are excited by the enthusiastic response to the HotChalk Learning Environment from our early school users. It highlights the power of partnering with corporate sponsors to offer best-in-class technology and help schools deliver measurable academic results."
Methodology
Harris Interactive(R) conducted the telephone survey on behalf of HotChalk in the U.S. between February 4 and 7, 2005 among a nationally representative sample of 1,028 adults aged 18 and older. Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults, number of voice/telephone lines in the household, region and size of place were weighted where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire U.S. adult population had been polled with complete accuracy.
About HotChalk
Headquartered in Campbell, CA, HotChalk is dedicated to helping secondary school teachers, their students and parents work together as a team to create a more productive learning environment and produce measurable academic results. The HotChalk Learning Environment(TM) automates much of the work involved in lesson planning; assignment distribution, collection and grading; and communicating progress to parents. To make the application, as well as supporting computers and wireless networking, available to qualified schools at no cost, HotChalk has adopted an advertising model in which schools can use the patent-pending HotChalk Community Standards Engine(TM) to select which ads students see and when they see them. To learn more about HotChalk, visit www.hotchalk.com.
About Harris Interactive(R)
Harris Interactive Inc. (www.harrisinteractive.com), the 15th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, is a Rochester, N.Y.-based global research company that blends premier strategic consulting with innovative and efficient methods of investigation, analysis and application. Known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering Internet-based research methods, Harris Interactive conducts proprietary and public research to help its clients achieve clear, material and enduring results.
Harris Interactive combines its intellectual capital, databases and technology to advance market leadership through U.S. offices and wholly owned subsidiaries: London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com), Paris-based Novatris (www.novatris.com), Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan, through newly acquired WirthlinWorldwide, a Reston, Virginia-based research and consultancy firm ranked 25th largest in the world, and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. EOE M/F/D/V
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