NetSchools Corp. Announces Its Intent to License Pierian Spring Software's Flagship Product.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 1997--NetSchools Corp., creators of advanced K-12 classroom technologies and the StudyPro student computer, today announced its intent to license Digital Chisel 3 from Pierian Spring Pierian spring fountain in Macedonia, sacred to the Muses, believed to communicate inspiration. [Gk. Myth.: Benét, 787] See : Inspiration Software, makers of software for the networked classroom. With NetSchools' revolutionary solution featuring a notebook computer A laptop computer that weighs in a range from five to seven pounds. The term originated when laptops were routinely more than 10 pounds, and those that became lighter were placed in a special "notebook" category. In practice, notebook computer and laptop computer are synonymous. for every student and teacher, and Pierian Spring's successful track record of identifying and capitalizing on emerging software development trends, the proposed plan brings a unique instructional computing environment to the K-12 educational market. The proposed licensing agreement between NetSchools and Pierian Spring calls for the bundling of Digital Chisel 3 with the NetSchools school server, bringing together the highly synergistic development of the two companies. The combination of NetSchools' Internet-centric computing solution and the Pierian Spring software will allow teachers to create stimulating, imaginative multimedia projects and interactive web pages as an integral part of classroom learning experiences. The NetSchools' team of instructional support specialists, who provide ongoing professional development to NetSchools classrooms, will work on a regular basis with teachers and their students to create software programs promoting exploratory, creative and collaborative student learning, and use the NetSchools Academic Information System (AIS) to align these activities to school objectives, create student assignments and track academic performance. "NetSchools is excited about the opportunity to explore how Digital Chisel 3 can be used by both teachers and students to enhance the quality of teaching and learning experiences," said Tom Greaves greaves cracklings, an edible raw fat from the meat trade. The skimmings from the preparation of this fat are also called greaves. They represent a low grade of meat meal. , president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of NetSchools Corp. "With continuous access to the Internet from both school and home, the unlimited ability to provide rich, motivating learning activities can have a tremendous impact on academic performance." "We are thrilled to work alongside NetSchools to bring solutions into the classroom," remarked Steve Bryan, president of Pierian Spring Software. "Digital Chisel 3 provides students and teachers the tool they need to complete interactive, network-ready projects and share them using NetSchools technology." Digital Chisel 3 Written entirely in Java, Digital Chisel 3 allows students to communicate, collaborate, and connect as they create and publish multimedia projects and interactive web pages. Unlike any other authoring tool, every project created with Digital Chisel 3 will run without conversion on any Java-capable multimedia computer or network -- even the Internet -- making it a snap to share projects with students all over the world. With customizable interfaces and other features, Digital Chisel 3 is appropriate for all ages, skill levels, and classroom curriculum. Digital Chisel 3 includes the following: -- HTML Editor A low-level Web site authoring tool that is essentially a text editor, specialized for writing HTML code. It assists the HTML author by cataloging all HTML tags and common structures in menus and by being able to catch certain syntax errors. - Create and publish multimedia projects and Web pages. -- Internet Browser See Web browser. - Use the integrated Java browser to find resources, conduct research, and preview projects without leaving the application. -- The Workbench - Combine Java Beans See JavaBeans. into interactive simulations, dynamic models, multimedia effects perfect for classroom applications. -- Project View - Organize the pages in a project with drag-and-drop ease. -- Customizable Interfaces - Choose from three interchangeable toolbars for elementary, middle and advanced users to tailor the program features for different skill levels. -- Samples and Tutorials - Explore what others have created and follow detailed instructions to create projects. The NetSchools Solution The NetSchools Solution includes a StudyPro, which is the first notebook computer engineered with the K-12 student in mind. With a rugged, magnesium case and a water-resistant keyboard, and an anti-theft system An anti-theft system is any device or method used to prevent or deter the unauthorized appropriation of items considered valuable. Theft is one of the most common and oldest criminal behaviours. , the StudyPro is virtually "kidproof." The PC notebook connects the student to the school's high-speed LAN server (1) A network operating system from IBM that runs as a server application under OS/2 and supports DOS, Windows and OS/2 clients. Originally based on LAN Manager when OS/2 was jointly developed by IBM and Microsoft, starting with LAN Server 3. with a wireless, infrared system in the classroom or by way of a built-in modem at home. NetSchools designed the StudyPro to be compatible with DOS and Windows educational software programs. The NetSchools Solution also includes a NetSchools Server, which is a Symmetrical Multiprocessor (SMP (Symmetric MultiProcessing) A multiprocessing architecture in which multiple CPUs, residing in one cabinet, share the same memory. SMP systems provide scalability. As business increases, additional CPUs can be added to absorb the increased transaction volume. ) computer running on Microsoft Windows See Windows. (operating system) Microsoft Windows - Microsoft's proprietary window system and user interface software released in 1985 to run on top of MS-DOS. Widely criticised for being too slow (hence "Windoze", "Microsloth Windows") on the machines available then. NT Server 4.0. The NetSchools Solution is bundled with the following software: -- Built-in applications such as Microsoft Works An integrated software package for Windows and the Macintosh from Microsoft. It provides file management with relational-like capabilities, word processing, spreadsheet, business graphics and communications capabilities in one package. , web browser The program that serves as your front end to the Web on the Internet. In order to view a site, you type its address (URL) into the browser's Location field; for example, www.computerlanguage.com, and the home page of that site is downloaded to you. and email -- The NetSchools Academic Information System (AIS) including: -- Curriculum and Resource Manager for accessing various URLs and other learning resources to match school learning objectives -- Instructional Manager for creating lesson plans and managing student assignments -- Classroom Manager giving teachers an attendance recording system and real-time control Real-time control is a popular term for a certain class of digital controllers. For effective digital control, it is critical that sample time be constant. Real-time control achieves nearly constant sample time. See also
StudyPro -- Administration Manager which manages user information and networked peripherals used on the network The NetSchools Solution also includes hands-on professional development for classroom teachers as well as training for school administrators, students and families. Throughout the school year, NetSchools Corp. will provide ongoing technical as well as instructional support for classroom and home use of the StudyPro and network infrastructure. About Pierian Spring Software Pierian Spring Software was established in 1992 and is dedicated to inspiring learning in the classroom. The company is an education software developer and one of the first companies to integrate multimedia authoring, the Internet and curriculum programs across K-12 grade levels. Pierian Spring Software's products include the award-winning multimedia and web authoring tool, Digital Chisel 3, plus curriculum titles that span the subject areas of math, science, language arts language arts pl.n. The subjects, including reading, spelling, and composition, aimed at developing reading and writing skills, usually taught in elementary and secondary school. and social studies. For more information about the company, visit the web site at www.pierian.com, or call 800/472-8578. About NetSchools Founded in April 1996, NetSchools Corp. is headquartered at 4500 Great America Parkway, Suite 110, Santa Clara, California Santa Clara, California (IPA: /ˌsæntəˈklærə/) , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. 95054. NetSchools Corp.'s mission is providing technology solutions to every student, everywhere in order to give each child a 21st century education. NetSchools has regional offices located in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Texas, and Utah. For more information about NetSchools and its founders, visit the web site at www.netschools.net, or call 770/226-5000 or 408/919-7300. -0- NetSchools, NetSchools Solution and the StudyPro are trademarks of NetSchools Corp. Digital Chisel is a registered trademark of Pierian Spring Software. Java is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc. All other company and product names are the trademarks of their respective owners. CONTACT: Candelori Communications Donna Candelori, 650/966-1776 dcandelori@candelori.com |
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