WeatherBug(R) Achieve Debuts Groundbreaking ''Live'' Interactive Lessons to Captivate K-8 School Teachers and Students, Boosting Classroom Morale and Performance.

GERMANTOWN, Md. -- Standards-based Science Lessons Use Live Weather Data and Familiar, Real World Interactivity So Students Can Relate To and Fully Grasp Even Complex Science, Math and Technology Concepts in Half the Time

WeatherBug(R), the leading provider of live, local weather information services, today debuted its newest version of WeatherBug Achieve. Since its initial launch in 1992, the dynamic, interactive standards-aligned program has consistently captivated teachers and students, boosting classroom morale and performance. With 24 new lessons that combine live, real-world information with engaging interactivity, WeatherBug Achieve takes interactive learning to a new level. Using its time-proven student learning and performance track record, WeatherBug Achieve now engages K-8 teachers and students with fun and easy science, math, geography and technology lessons using innovative computer animation.

"We are excited to be rolling out the pilot program to 27 new area schools, as it proved so successful last year," said Morgan Crimmins, a teacher at Brooklyn PS 104 in NYC Region 7, where the successful WeatherBug Achieve program was documented in a recent case study. "We were so pleased by how Achieve boosted our classroom morale and performance, and we're optimistic that the new lessons will be even more successful at engaging and educating our students."

Features & Benefits

"Search & Select" tools based on all 50 states' standards and curriculum units enable teachers to choose WeatherBug Achieve lessons that work for their classroom's specific needs and requirements. Because the program is a dynamic, Web-based application, the lessons can be self-taught or instructed by the teacher to the entire classroom, cutting the "time to teach" in half.

Allowing the students to learn at their own pace and interact on their own with the lessons, WeatherBug Achieve gives today's teachers the rare opportunity to work with individual students or to teach the entire class. Each child works differently, and many times the range of different levels of learning in one classroom makes it challenging for teachers to plan lessons to meet the needs of each child, while still maintaining test scores. Consequently, selecting the right supplementary program to complement classroom text books is crucial and fulfills the promise of "No Child Left Behind".

Because classroom concepts are reinforced through repetition, teachers are constantly challenged with the task of balancing repetition with new information and lessons that will both engage the students while educating them in the process. By using live and historical weather data and colorful computer animation, the same WeatherBug Achieve lessons can be used over and over again, yet seem new every time, because the different seasons and times of day generate completely different sets of data and camera images. Each lesson concludes with a student quiz, offering students instant feedback and positive reinforcement. Test results are automatically emailed directly to the teacher.

"The sky is the limit with WeatherBug Achieve," said Bob Marshall, President & CEO of WeatherBug. "As a Web-based program, WeatherBug Achieve offers unlimited access to the program, no preset number of teachers or students and limitless lesson possibilities for the kind of enthralling student-teacher experiences that school administrators and teachers only dream of. Once school teachers and administrators realize the scope and impact of WeatherBug Achieve, they learn to appreciate the program's value and ROI. As an added incentive, we offer interest free payment plans for up to six months."

In addition to being fun and practical, WeatherBug Achieve is also easier to navigate than other programs. The new FLASH-based lessons are intuitive, with context-sensitive navigation to ensure a time-saving, user-friendly experience for teachers and students alike.

"I love the new WeatherBug Achieve interactive lessons," said Shannon Paschall, a teacher at Beach Tree Elementary School in Falls Church, Virginia. "My students love the hands-on approach, and I love the fact they they're able to learn at their own pace in an exciting, interactive way. The best part is that they are real instructions on the standards I need to teach. They are easily differentiated to meet the needs of my class and are so simple to use. I enjoy seeing how my students used the WeatherBug Achieve maps they've created on our school's morning news show. This lets them enjoy their experience as a 'real world' meteorologist."

About WeatherBug Achieve

From 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations across the U.S., WeatherBug Achieve streams live, neighborhood-level weather data to schools. Each classroom becomes part of the WeatherBug Network, sharing live weather information and experiences with schools across the nation. Teachers and students connect with classrooms and weather conditions in neighborhoods, becoming part of a WeatherBug "community", sharing their experiences and, in some cases, their humanity. After monitoring the storms' approach and aftermath, numerous classes reached out to fellow students and families who were affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

Some WeatherBug Achieve schools and teachers reacted with new plans for dealing with severe weather by instituting school-wide emergency plans, fire drills and evacuation programs and encouraging families to make their own emergency plans.

About WeatherBug

WeatherBug (weatherbug.com) ensures that individuals, schools, businesses and government agencies receive the most precise live weather information, the most relevant weather reports, and the earliest weather warnings to safeguard property, lives and to plan with confidence. With 8,000 WeatherBug Tracking Stations and over 1,000 cameras primarily based at neighborhood schools and public safety facilities across the U.S., WeatherBug maintains the largest exclusive weather network in the world. The live, local weather conditions are delivered to millions of consumers via the Internet and mobile devices, more than 100 state and local government agencies including the National Weather Service, and to broadcast television stations, schools, and businesses. WeatherBug's data is unique as it is the only live, neighborhood weather available anywhere. WeatherBug is a brand of AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. www.aws.com.