WriteToLearn Wins 2007 Best Educational Software Award
Web-Based Learning Tool Recognized as "Superb Learning
Environment" for Building Literacy Skills
BOULDER, Colo. - May 8, 2007
- WriteToLearn™, the innovative Web-based learning tool for
developing writing and reading comprehension skills, is the winner of a
2007 Best Educational Software (BESSIE) Award. WriteToLearn from
Pearson Knowledge Technologies was recognized as the best language
arts Web site in the "Upper Elementary" category.
This is the thirteenth year that ComputED Learning Center, San Diego's
leading computer education resource, has presented the BESSIE awards,
recognizing innovative and content-rich programs and Web sites that
provide parents and teachers with the technology to foster educational
excellence. Winners are selected from titles submitted by software
publishers from around the world.
With WriteToLearn, students practice essay writing and summarization
skills, and their efforts are measured by the state-of-the-art Knowledge
Analysis Technologies™ (KAT) engine, which automatically evaluates
the meaning of text by examining whole passages.
WriteToLearn was one of 10 winners selected by the judges for a
written review. Praising the learning tool, the reviewers said,
"If every fourth and fifth grade teacher in the country used
WriteToLearn across the curriculum, we would have far fewer literacy
problems in secondary schools, and much happier students."
Concluding, they said, "When students spend extensive time
practicing and perfecting reading and writing skills, test scores
dramatically improve - and this 2007 BESSIE winner offers a superb
learning environment for achieving that goal."
"As an increasing number of schools adopt WriteToLearn to help
their students build critical literacy skills, it is exciting to have
our product recognized by the education leaders at ComputED,"
said Lynn Streeter, president, Pearson Knowledge Technologies.
This honor for WriteToLearn falls closely on the heels of the launch of
its newest update. Debuted in late April, WriteToLearn 3.0 now provides
students with expanded feedback on their essays and gives teachers a
tool for targeting their students with ability-appropriate reading
passages. WriteToLearn 3.0 gives students a score for each of six
traits of writing: ideas, organization, conventions, sentence fluency,
word choice and voice. WriteToLearn 3.0 also offers students expanded
feedback on how to improve their essays and their scores on each of
the traits.
For more information about ComputED and the 2007 BESSIE Awards, visit
www.computedgazette.com. More information about WriteToLearn is
available at
www.WriteToLearn.net.
About Pearson Knowledge Technologies
Pearson Knowledge Technologies is the developer of products and services
based on a unique automated text analysis technology that evaluates the
meaning of whole passages. The company's Knowledge Analysis Technologies
(KAT) engine immediately measures writing and content in a way that
simulates a skilled human grader and encourages better subject
knowledge. Pearson Knowledge Technologies' writing and reading skills
products, such as WriteToLearn, Intelligent Essay Assessor and Summary
Street, use the KAT engine to help improve writing, reading and
comprehension skills as well as build content knowledge for education
and other markets. For more information, visit www.PearsonKT.com.
Pearson Knowledge Technologies is a
business of Pearson Education, the
world's largest integrated education company, which in turn is part of
Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. Pearson's other
primary operations include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin
Group.
For more information, press only:
Lisa Wolfe, L. Wolfe Communications, 773-325-9935, lwolfe@lwolfe.com
|
