CTCWeb: An Education Phenomenon in 2000.

Business/Technology/Education Editors

MEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2001

In announcing its annual "Gold Chalice" awards, the Classics Technology Center on the Web (CTCWeb) solidified its position as a phenomenon, treasured by educators and students alike. CTCWeb is an Internet-based center for the online exchange and utilization of educational materials and applications that focus exclusively on Latin, Greek, and ancient civilizations.

On winning a Gold Chalice Award, Jennifer Powers of the State University of New York at Albany said: "CTCWeb is a phenomenon. In just two years it has become the marketplace for knowledge within the global educational community."

During the past year, CTCWeb hosted more than three million visitors from all 50 states and over 70 countries on six continents. "That's a 300% increase over 1999 and our rate of growth is even faster this year," said Wendy E. Owens, CTCWeb Editor-in-Chief. "The global education community has made CTCWeb the premiere Web portal to Classics education," Owens said. "The site is humming with activity every minute of every day, seven days a week. We are always educating and entertaining users from somewhere around the globe."

CTCWeb (http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb) is a focal point for education on the Web worldwide. The site is like a small town in terms of warmth and simplicity. It has attracted a loyal, global community and has done so without fanfare. "We simply built it and they came." Owens said, "The secret is our site is genuinely useful to teachers and learners of all stripes. It's practical. It helps teachers do their jobs and gives them the recognition they deserve. And, of course, it's free to everyone."

CTCWeb is recommended by state departments of education and school districts, public and private colleges and universities, leading home school education organizations, and educational sites around the world. "Whether it's the Indiana Department of Education, Oxford University, or Britannica.com, educators at all levels appreciate the value of the resources offered by CTCWeb and encourage their members, staff, colleagues, and students to make use of the site," Owens said.

According to the latest data, educators are using CTCWeb resources in classrooms from Ireland to Singapore, from a high school in Australia to a university in South Africa. CTCWeb resources are used in a wide variety of cross-disciplinary courses taught at the middle and high school levels and at public and private colleges and universities. "Since the Classics are the knowledge base for many subjects, we are seeing CTCWeb resources used in numerous courses beyond Greek and Roman studies," Owens said. "These include philosophy, medicine, law, mathematics, communications, and English, among other subjects."

"CTCWeb is an educational resource that permits teachers to teach teachers," Owens said. In 2000, teachers and students from CTCWeb's growing global community contributed everything from treatises on ancient medicine to instructions on how to play ancient Roman board games. "Our teachers and students continue to help us expand CTCWeb's resource base because they know we have staying power," Owens said. "CTCWeb will continue to add substantial value for teachers, students, and others interested in ancient civilizations to our expanding repository of educational resources through the generous support of our sponsor."

Outstanding contributions to CTCWeb are recognized by AbleMedia Chalice Awards. CTCWeb, which does not charge users or sell advertising, uses these awards to recognize the teachers and students who contribute to the Center. AbleMedia underwrites the operating costs of the CTCWeb site through its corporate outreach program.

This year's AbleMedia Gold Chalice Award winners are Raymond M. Koehler, a Latin teacher at the Brunswick School, Greenwich, Connecticut; Jennifer Powers, a Ph.D. candidate in Information Science at SUNY Albany, New York; and Dr. Dainis Zeps, a researcher in mathematics at the University of Latvia in Riga. "Our greatest hope was that someday we'd be able to share what we did with others for use in their classrooms," Koehler said. "Alone, I was not able to make that happen in any meaningful way. Now, through the efforts of the staff at the Classics Technology Center, this dream is real. I cannot think of a greater service for teachers than this."

In the coming year, CTCWeb editors plan to expand the scope of CTCWeb to include ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Middle Ages. "We have proven that our model works for the Classics and we are now ready to broaden our offerings," Owens said. "The expansion into ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia is natural to support our current offerings in the Classics. Adding resources on the Middle Ages is vital to extend the educational continuum from Egypt through Greece and Roman, and into the next historical era."

For an extended version of this news release, please see http://ablemedia.com/pr011701feature.html.