Right Reason Technologies

Pocono Mountain School District (PMSD) utilizes Right Reason Technologies’ CyberExtension™ online, web-based system for their Homebound Program.  The Transitions Program, as it is called, is in its fourth year and it has been a great success for both the district and the students.  Loree Guthrie, Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Services, states, “The program continues to grow and improve every year, keeping abreast of the most recent technology and eLearning trends.”  This includes mapping their curriculum to the Academic Teaching Standards required by the state. Let’s take a closer look at the Pocono Mountain program… (more…)

In today’s world of eLearning, numerous products are available to meet the needs of online education. Many of these products are available on the Internet for free. Naturally, whenever purchasing an eLearning platform is discussed, a question that always arises is “why don’t we just use a free program?” This is an important question and it is one that anyone considering an eLearning endeavor should ask. The issue really boils down to cost. However, the answer is not as obvious as it may seem…

On the surface, open source or free eLearning software may seem like the obvious choice, after all it is “free.” But is it truly free? To understand this question, we will divide the process of using an eCommerce platform into a few key steps: setup, use, and maintenance. Along the way we will compare free and commercial offerings to understand which is truly more expensive. To wrap things up, we’ll take a look at my personal experiences with installing one particular, and very popular, free eLearning platform, Moodle.

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On July 10, the Ohio State Board of Education passed the final revision of the model policy mandated by the State Legislature. This model policy’s purpose is to provide guidelines to school districts in setting their own policy. The State Board includes definitions, complaint processes, personnel responsibilities, and training. According to the legislation, all districts must have policies set in place by this December, a year after the legislation was passed.

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On March 3rd, an Ohio bill came into effect requiring public schools to develop anti-bullying policy. HB 276 requires the state to audit the school system, identifying whether or not the district has complied with the law. The law defines bullying, requires the state to create a model policy, and sets guidelines for districts to follow. BullyPolice.org rates this legislation as an “A+”, as it fulfills all requirements put forth by the organization.

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