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LOS ANGELES, May 16 /PRNewswire/ — Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest school district in the nation, announced its choice of a single research-based, innovative math curriculum for the city’s K-5 students on Wednesday. With the adoption of enVision Math California, all Los Angeles students will be learning from the same curriculum developed by education publisher Pearson and customized for California. Applauded by educators nationally for its visual, innovative, research-based approach, envisionMATH california becomes the most widely adopted curriculum in the state. The program is centered on conceptual development and problem-solving skills, and exposing young students to algebraic concepts as early as Kindergarten to build a rock solid foundation for higher-level math courses in middle and high school.
“This is a monumental decision given the Los Angeles School District’s size and influence around the country,” said Vicky Bush, Pearson’s vice president for California. “Adopting enVisionMATH california as its only K-5 program makes a strong statement about the district’s vision and commitment to the importance of boosting math performance for all learners from Kindergarten on up.”
Bush said, “Across the nation, and especially in California, there has been a call to introduce algebraic concepts before formal algebra classes, to do so at a very early age, and then to sustain the focus in every grade.” She noted that the importance of a foundation in algebra was one of the key findings of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel in its March 2008 report to President Bush and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.
“The significance of the Los Angeles adoption goes well beyond just the elementary grades,” Bush said. “It represents recognition of the need for a holistic approach that yields benefits all the way into college, where too many students require remedial math instruction.”
enVisionMATH california author Dr. Randall Charles, Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics at San Jose State University and past vice president of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, is an author on four of the Pearson K-12 math programs approved for adoption by california school districts. Charles links mastery of algebra and math skills to the long-term fiscal health of our economy and future generations. “Virtually all of the research in recent years confirms that in order for our students to compete in the global 21st century economy, they simply must improve significantly in their understanding of math concepts and skills,” he said. “Mathematics is a significant obstacle for many students, and this is no longer acceptable.”
Bush said that all of the K-12 programs that Pearson is offering to california include a strong focus on algebra readiness and embedded intervention that will not only keep students in school, but give them the skills and confidence to realize that they can be successful in math
“We are emphasizing exactly the elements and skills cited by the National Math Advisory Panel and the State of California,” said Bush. “Fractions, critical thinking and problem solving are the building blocks for algebra understanding and ultimate math success. Focus on these priorities is where school districts - such as Los Angeles - will see the biggest return on investment when it comes to dedicating funds to new programs.”
About enVisionMATH California:
This first-of-its-kind elementary math curriculum integrates a comprehensive foundation in math conceptual development and problem-solving skills with visual animation and next-generation technologies to give students the mathematical grounding they need for future success. The program was created to conform directly to california Standards and is aligned to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Focal Points.
Four years in the making, enVisionMATH was developed by Pearson’s elementary school publishers at Scott Foresman with research experts and the nation’s top math authorities in collaboration with classroom teachers. Key authors of the program include Dr. Randall Charles, Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, San Jose State University, and past Vice President of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics; and Dr. Francis “Skip” Fennell, immediate past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, a member of the President’s National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and Professor of Education, McDaniel College, Westminster, Maryland.
Published in both English and Spanish, enVisionMATH California’s strong, visual learning design includes a Visual Learning Bridge in each lesson, with step-by-step visuals that bridge the gap between the interactive learning activity and guided practice. Ongoing diagnosis and intervention, daily data- driven differentiated instruction, and regular assessment through Pearson’s SuccessTracker ensure that enVisionMATH california gives every student the opportunity to succeed.
With both a full digital path and print textbook available, teachers will have the flexibility to use the digital or print stand-alone versions of enVisionMATH or a blended combination. Additional resources for students include online digital texts with enhancements including online tests and exercises through Pearson’s SuccessNet, an interactive homework workbook, a daily spiral review workbook, and professional development for teachers.
About Pearson in California:
Pearson, the world’s leading education publisher, has been providing education materials to california schools as far back as the 1800s. You may know us individually as Scott Foresman, Prentice Hall, Longman, SuccessMaker, NovaNet, AGS, Pearson School Systems, Pearson Assessment, Learning Teams, Achievement Solutions, and so many more - names in the world of education that are recognized and respected across the State and the globe. In fact, most teachers in california have learned their profession by studying with Pearson’s Merrill or Allyn & Bacon textbooks, and many have benefited from our professional development programs. Today, nearly a thousand Pearson people are living and working in the State, providing educational materials that cover the gamut from birth through professional learning. In addition to Education, Pearson’s other major businesses include The Financial Times Group and The Penguin Group. For more information, go to: .
Pearson

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PASADENA, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire/ — Looking for a fun and effective way to learn or teach football fundamentals? KnowledgeBall(TM) LLC () is announcing its official kick-off of QB Power Plays(TM) (), the first-ever educational football in the consumer sports market. QB Power Plays(TM) includes a top-grade composite leather football featuring the Passing Tree, Passing Plays and Offensive Formations embossed directly on the ball, as well as the Power Plays Wristband Coach and 16 Power Cards. Using these innovative tools as training and teaching aids, people of all ages can quickly and effectively learn the critical fundamentals of the offensive passing game — on or off the field.
“QB Power Plays(TM) is one of the most effective training tools I have ever seen,” says Greg Ours, former NFL player and junior football league coach. “As a youth football coach and father of two, nothing teaches the game quicker and easier than this football and its associated items. A child who has no football background to the experienced youth, can learn and apply this information — and have fun while doing it.”
QB Power Plays(TM) is ideal for school teams, youth football leagues, recreational football, physical education programs and pretty much everyone who enjoys playing the game of football.
“In youth football, I spent a lot of time on the bench with other teammates because we had no idea of the basic fundamentals. We always thought we were good at the game, but when it came to organized football there was a definite disconnect. I made it my goal to develop a football that would help bridge the learning gap for kids wanting to learn the game and transition into organized football. Our team at KnowledgeBall(TM) has developed an easy-to-learn football training kit, so players of all levels can use this to either learn or better their game,” says JJ Stone, president of KnowledgeBall(TM) LLC. “It’s a great tool for up-and-coming quarterbacks, receivers and running backs, as well as people of all ages in their recreational football activities.”
QB Power Plays(TM) prepares a player like no other sports tool — taking their game to a whole new level. This innovative sports kit includes: 24 Offensive Plays; 12 Offensive Formations; a Series 1 Passing Tree; 8 Running Plays; Guide to Hole Numbers and more. Anyone can score big with QB Power Plays(TM).
For more information, visit .

About KnowledgeBall(TM) LLC

KnowledgeBall(TM), the creator of QB Power Plays(TM), is committed to developing products that educate people of all ages about the fundamentals of sports and fitness quickly and effectively through innovative visual training aids.
Contact:

Monique Stone
Vice President, KnowledgeBall LLC
888.412.2229

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit .
KnowledgeBall LLC

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SOUTHPOINTE, Pa., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — ANSYS, Inc. , a global innovator of simulation software and technologies designed to optimize product development processes, today announced that the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia has chosen to deploy software from ANSYS across its campuses on that continent. A world-class research and teaching university headquartered in Sydney, UNSW will use the ANSYS academic products for teaching programs and research activities in various fields of engineering and science.”UNSW is committed to new and creative approaches to education and research to maintain its leadership position. Deploying academic products from ANSYS as an integral part of the curriculum allows our students to be trained on a cutting-edge commercial engineering simulation toolset along with underlying numerical theory, making them ready for the simulation-driven product development environment of industry,” said Professor Eddie Leonardi, director of the Computational Fluid Dynamics Research Laboratory and deputy head of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at UNSW. “The depth, breadth and comprehensive multiphysics capabilities of technology from ANSYS make the academic products unique in meeting our teaching and research needs.”UNSW’s School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering will offer its third-year students a course that covers applications of computational techniques and commercial packages in engineering analysis. Covering structural and fluid flow analyses in two streams, the course will use the ANSYS technology portfolio to enhance understanding of modeling strategies, structured and unstructured grids, element choices, solution interpretation, accuracy and convergence, turbulence modeling, nonlinear, and time-dependent problems. Through the application of ANSYS(R) DesignModeler(TM) software and geometry interfaces for various CAD systems, students will learn about “what-if” parametric studies in a design context. Finally, the two streams will be combined, introducing students to coupled-physics phenomena, such as fluid structure interaction, using the ANSYS(R) Workbench(TM) environment.Products from ANSYS will be used for both teaching and research in a number of other schools at UNSW, including The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The School of Materials Science & Engineering, The School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, The School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications, The Faculty of Built Environment, The School of Mining Engineering, and UNSW at the Australian Defence Force Academy. A number of research projects using the suite of ANSYS products will be conducted this year by the Water Research Laboratory, the Faculty of Safety Science and the NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre.”We are honored to partner with UNSW, as it is one of Australia’s leading teaching universities and undertakes a tremendous range of research. Our relationship with UNSW is critical in ensuring that there is an ANSYS trained workforce available to our commercial customers; it also is crucial in ensuring that academic research can continue to push the technology envelope,” said Joe Fairbanks, vice president, worldwide sales and support at ANSYS, Inc. “The affiliation with UNSW is a testament to the potential of our products — as well as to the support capabilities of our partner LEAP and the value they create for our academic customers.”LEAP Australia Pty Ltd., the ANSYS channel partner in Australia, has been working closely with UNSW. “A well-trained and industry-ready work force is one of the key obstacles faced by Australian companies when deploying simulation as part of the product development process in creating competitive products,” said Greg Horner, managing director and co-founder of LEAP. “Having high-quality universities like UNSW training graduates in computational engineering is fantastic for local businesses.”About University of New South WalesUNSW in Australia is renowned for the quality of its graduates and its commitment to new and creative approaches to education and research. It is a founding member of the prestigious Group of Eight research-intensive universities in Australia and a member of the Universitas 21 international consortium. Established in 1949, UNSW has expanded rapidly and now has close to 40,000 students, including more than 7,000 international students from over 130 different countries. The institution is host to groundbreaking research in fields as diverse as quantum computing, molecular engineering, photovoltaics, robotics, biomedical research, financial markets and interactive cinema. UNSW expertise is regularly sought after by business and government for a wide range of consultancy and training services.About LEAP Australia Pty Ltd.LEAP Australia is the ANSYS sales and support distributor for the Australian and New Zealand regions. The channel partner sells, trains and provides full technical support for all ANSYS customers, including academia, SMB’s, large defense suppliers, automotive, rail and maritime manufacturers, government departments and research organizations. Software from ANSYS has been installed at every major university in the country, with literally hundreds of engineering students using ANSYS products before graduation.Over the past 10 years LEAP Australia has grown considerably to become the largest computer-aided engineering provider in the region. This success is largely due to LEAP’s partnering with its customers through high-quality technical support, training and application engineering services.About ANSYS, Inc.ANSYS, Inc., founded in 1970, develops and globally markets engineering simulation software and technologies widely used by engineers and designers across a broad spectrum of industries. The Company focuses on the development of open and flexible solutions that enable users to analyze designs directly on the desktop, providing a common platform for fast, efficient and cost-conscious product development, from design concept to final-stage testing and validation. The Company and its global network of channel partners provide sales, support and training for customers. Headquartered in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with more than 40 strategic sales locations throughout the world, ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries employ approximately 1,400 people and distribute ANSYS products through a network of channel partners in over 40 countries. Visit for more information.ANSYS, ANSYS Workbench, AUTODYN, CFX, FLUENT and any and all ANSYS, Inc. brand, product, service and feature names, logos and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of ANSYS, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States or other countries. All other brand, product, service and feature names or trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ANSYS, Inc.

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SeaWorld’s Unique Waterpark Launches Spring Travel SeasonTourism executives from around the world, guests and colorful entertainers dedicate the grand opening of SeaWorld’s newest park, Aquatica, Friday, April 4.To celebrate the first new park to open in Orlando in eight years, a vibrant dedication — inspired by the tribal traditions, music and entertainment of the South Seas — will officially “bring to life” the waters of Aquatica and celebrate having fun.SeaWorld’s much-anticipated new park wows guests from around the world with its innovative new take on the traditional waterpark. Aquatica’s design and diversity of attractions takes the high-speed thrills you expect at a waterpark even further by blending them with up-close animal interactions and guest comfort. Aquatica joins sister parks SeaWorld and Discovery Cove to create a trio of immersive marine life adventures found nowhere else in the world. SATELLITE FEEDS: Friday, April 4th, 2008 Friday, April 4th, 2008 2:30 PM - 2:45 PM ET 6:30 PM - 6:45 PM ET Galaxy 26 Galaxy 26 C-Band C-Band Transponder 18 Transponder 18 Downlink Freq. 4060 Horizontal Downlink Freq. 4060 Horizontal Monday, April 7th, 2008 Monday, April 7th, 2008 3:00 AM - 3:15 AM ET 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM ET Galaxy 26 Galaxy 26 C-Band C-Band Transponder 18 Transponder 18 Downlink Freq. 4060 Horizontal Downlink Freq. 4060 HorizontalNEWS: The Grand Opening of SeaWorld’s waterpark Aquatica - the first Orlando park to open in eight years.FORMAT: Soundbites and B-roll.ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Video, contact information and more available at: SOUNDBITES: * Chuck Cureau - Aquatica’s Ambassador of Splash B-ROLL INCLUDES: * Aquatica’s Grand Opening celebration inspired by the music and entertainment of the South Seas. * The colorful slides and attractions of Aquatica. * Aquatica’s animal inhabitants including black and white Commerson’s dolphins. VIDEO PROVIDED BY: Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC)Contact: FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL: MultiVu Media Relations, 1-800-653-5313 EXT. 3 Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC)

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