District Administration - January 2010 - (Page 12)

Healthupdate It’s not only the treatments of viruses that can have side effects. The h1n1 epidemic itself has created a variety of “side effects” around the country, as well as in nearly every school district. among them have been opportunities for companies to cash in with new products and services. not all are legitimate: to date, the Food and Drug administration has sent letters of warning to the makers of some 143 fraudulent consumer products with flu-related claims, ranging from vitamin supplements to shampoo. school systems in particular have been the target of marketing efforts from a wide array of companies with h1n1-related products, since they have become both one of the main sources of the spread and the front line in fighting the virus. From Web Sites to Sanitizers Pearson has unveiled a new Web site called Continuity of learning, which offers various resources for students, parents and teachers to “continue education if attending school is not an option due to the Br iefings By Kurt eisele-Dyrli Companies Seize Swine Flu Opportunity ing a new air filter for classrooms, which “removes up to 50 percent of the viruses that cause influenza.” terraboost has offered to donate hand sanitizer dispensers and a one month supply of its tazza product to schools, and spectrasan assures school administrators that “the swine flu is no match” for its “truly groundbreaking” type of surface disinfectant. H1N1 has caused a new marketing focus on schools, many of which are vaccinating students, like here in Newcastle, Okla. flu.” microsoft has designed an h1n1themed office live Workspace page for teachers to “continue the learning online.” Virtual ed link has added an “interactive swine flu prevention and safety course” to its school security resources. argus1 is a newly launched online “medical decision support system” for school administrators, that the company describes as having been designed “with particular attention to the swine flu virus.” alen Corporation has responded to the epidemic by design- Marketing the Flu Angle The flu has also given companies a new marketing angle for existing products. The classroom health instruction kit from Back enterprises called “Germy Wormy,” which includes an instructional DVD and a spandex sleeve for students that has a cough and sneeze target at the elbow, is now described as “helping teachers fight back against h1n1.” schoolWires points out that its school Web site designs help “communities stay informed about the h1n1 virus.” and emergency notification company alertnow provides a guide on its Web site for schools using the system “to address swine flu inquiries.” Online Learning Industry Spurred On by H1N1 Online leArning prOviDers hAve long touted a variety of advantages of their solutions. But the h1n1 epidemic has given new reasons for schools to invest in such technology. “We must make sure the learning continues if the flu virus spreads,” secretary of education Arne Duncan said in August. “There need to be online resources for students to learn from home.” The international Association for K12 Online learning has created a Web site of free resources to help districts design an online plan for dealing with the pandemic. “The recent outbreak of swine flu in schools has prompted the need for continuity of learning using online learning,” says susan patrick, president and CeO. “Online learning offers solutions for helping to prepare schools.” There is no shortage of choices. Aventa learning claims that its goal “is to support you in educating students throughout the flu season” by using its product as a “contingency plan.” K12 describes its solutions as a “safe zone for an outbreak such as the flu.” school Town assures administrators that “many technologies can help” address the virus, but that “online learning is the best approach.” learn360 CeO Chris sanborn says the company’s online multimedia learning resource “has become increasingly useful in light of the h1n1 threat.” Wimba has written a set of guidelines for schools “in response to the large number of customers that include the Wimba Collaboration suite in their h1n1 pandemic preparedness plans.” new Dimension Media announced that its new education videoconferencing solution, Classroom live, has “answered secretary Duncan’s call for technology solutions to school closures.” And schoolCenter has added an online learning component because of the flu so that “teachers and students can stay connected using the Web site as a classroom environment.” 12 January 2010 District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2010

District Administration - January 2010
Table of Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Health Update
Curriculum Update
District Profile
The Feud Over Food
Discipline Gets the Boot
Cutting Technology Costs with Refurbished Computers
Will Pensions Bankrupt Your District?
Tech Disruptions
Crisis Response
Supervisor’s Opinion
Product Focus
New Products
Online Edge

District Administration - January 2010