Three Hot Keys to Help You Pause, Stop, or Get Loud

Hot keys are quick commands you access on your keyboard to make everything go faster. With the press of a button, you can switch from one browser to another, copy all the text on a page, or tell your printer to start printing. 

There’s a hot key for just about anything, and Imagine Learning English has its fair share of hot keys to help you function faster. Read on to find the secret steps of how to pause the program, stop a session, and bring up the volume.

ELs and the Common Core State Standards

With Kentucky’s official acceptance of the forthcoming Common Core State Standards just last week, national curiosity about the standards is rising. Governors and education leaders from every state save the two largest landmasses, Texas and Alaska, have committed to develop common standards for grades K-12.

The committee tasked with creating these standards is made up of education experts from organizations like ACT, the College Board, and the National Association of State Boards of Education. Their goal is to develop standards that will align with current research, international benchmarks, and expectations from universities and the work field.

Though the finals standards are still in revision, we’ve taken a look at the drafts to see what these new standards have in store for English learners. Here's a brief look at some of the resources English learners will need access to under the current draft of the Common Core State Standards:

A New Home for Imagine Learning, Inc.

January 2010 was more than just the beginning of a new decade for all of us here at Imagine Learning.  It was the beginning of a new chapter in our company history.  After five years of incredible growth, we packed our boxes and moved out of our original headquarters location and into a new building. And what a building it is, too-- more than twice the size of our original location!

Language and Literacy Conferences to Attend

This week, we've been at the 39th Annual Conference of the National Association for Bilingual Education in Denver, Colorado. If you couldn't attend this year, stay tuned for our report on the latest news in bilingual education. And if you are attending, be sure to stop by our booth to say hi!

Look for us at the following conferences across the US:

February
NCLB, Chicago, Illinois, Feb 9-11
The No Child Left Behind Statewide Conference is held annually in Chicago.

AASA, Phoenix, Arizona, Feb 10-12
This National Conference on Education is sponsored by the American Association of School Administrators. The theme is Build a Stronger Future.

ETC, Modesto, California, Feb 27
The Education Technology Conference theme for 2010 is Content Standards + Effective Technology Integration = Student Achievement!

March
ASCD, San Antonio, Texas, Mar 6-8
The 2010 Annual Conference and Exhibition Show is sponsored by ASCD and is titled Critical Transformations.

CABE, San Jose, California, Mar 10-13
This statewide conference is sponsored by the California Association for Bilingual Education.

TESOL, Boston, Massachusetts, Mar 24-27
The 44th annual convention boasts the world's largest gathering of TESOL professionals. This year's theme is Re-imagining TESOL.

April
NSBA, Chicago, Illinois, Apr 10-12
This 70th annual conference is sponsored by the National School Board Association.

IRA, Chicago, Illinois, Apr 25-28
This 55th annual convention is sponsored by the International Reading Association. The theme is Reading in Many Languages. 

NETC, La Vista, Nebraska, Apr 29-30
This conference is sponsored by the Nebraska Educational Technology Association. The theme is Creative Journeys to Learning.

AERA, Denver, Colorado, Apr 30-May 4
This conference is sponsored by the American Educational Research Association. The theme is Understanding Complex Ecologies in a Changing World.

Hope to see you there!