Updated AP Tests in the Testing and Education Reference Center (TERC)

To continually enhance alignment with current best practices in college-level learning and help students develop the knowledge and skills essential for college majors and subsequent careers, AP is redesigning several courses in each discipline.

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Keeping It Fresh – Learning Resources for Teachers

Loretta loves teaching sixth grade science. In fact, she’s been teaching for more than 25 years and hopes to stay in the Resources for School Teachers at Public Libraries classroom for another 20 years. Students are drawn to her high energy and creative approach to teaching. But, as she likes to tell her incredulous students, “The Interweb wasn’t even invented when I got my teaching degree!” To keep her skills and knowledge fresh, she reads the latest journals and attends conferences. But she’s always looking for other resources to learn more about new techniques and approaches.

Loretta and many other teachers are on the hunt for professional development resources to support their lifelong learning in the field of education. Now you can provide them with easy-to-use electronic resources that give them instant access to content that will support their professional development.

Consider supporting teachers with resources that can help guide their development and enhance their teaching skills.

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Commemorating VE Day with the Smithsonian

By Jennifer Albers-Smith

This Friday marks the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) day.

My grandpa was hardly more than a boy when his brother (my great-uncle) was shipped off to fight in WWII. He enlisted in the navy and served as a fireman aboard the U.S.S. St. Lo. On October 25, 1944, his ship was hit by a Kamikaze, and he went down with the ship.

I recently asked my grandpa if he still remembered his brother all these years later, and he started to cry. He says it’s like no time has passed at all. He still remembers the telegram sent to his parents letting them know their son had been declared missing in action. He remembers the telegram that arrived a couple months later to officially declare his death, and the letter from one of his shipmates remembering the great man my great-uncle was.

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New Gale Courses on QuickBooks, Photoshop, and More

Gale Courses Product Update
Great news for Gale Courses customers and potential customers. In an effort to be constantly improving our offerings, 8 new courses have been added to Gale Courses.  In addition to these new courses, the product is sunsetting 5 courses due to obsolescence and/or low enrollments.

Read moreNew Gale Courses on QuickBooks, Photoshop, and More

In Other News: Nepal

A look at a current news item through the lens of different Gale electronic resources.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Oh Nepal… This week’s earthquake, the following tidal wave of repeated avalanches and mudslides, and the heartbreak of loss has shown a new light on this little-known part of the world. Such a tiny country, the majority of the world know Nepal as merely the home of Mt. Everest. As with most of the world, the history of Nepal is marked with conflict, evolving borders, and the quest for singular identity. It is the birthplace of Buddha and the home of about 28 million people. Its beautiful and full of prayer flags and industrious sherpas. Beyond that, what do you know?

Fundamental life in Nepal is drastically different from the U.S., and many of these differences are key in making the recovery from the recent earthquake and subsequent mudslides, avalanches and other suffering dramatically more difficult. It is slightly larger than the state of Arkansas (with a scant 3 million residents), and divided into 3 regions. A Nepalese resident will use 99.28% LESS electricity, 98.9% LESS oil, and make 97.16% LESS money than the average American. They will be more likely to be unemployed, die sooner (if they make it through infancy) and have more children. Life in Nepal is difficult (source). Nepal ranks 121st (of 158) in this year’s world happiness report. Some comparisons: Canada, 5; Australia, 10; United States, 15; United Kingdom, 21. (source)

In many ways, Nepal is the cultural center of finding yourself. Whether its through the physical dedication to a life-threatening climb, or through the mental dedication of peace and wisdom of Buddhism. Serendipitous these two activities occur in the same location? Probably not.

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Product Updates: GVRL and Academic OneFile

In the weeks since the April 2 updates to GVRL and Academic OneFile, which included the launch of a responsive, mobile-friendly experience, we’ve received some great feedback. Based on this information, four specific improvements were identified to make the experience even better. As of today, April 30, the following changes are live in your resources: The … Read more

Putting Preschoolers on the Path to Academic Success

Online Learning for Preschoolers

Whether or not they agree on the funding and implementation of programs, nearly every parent, teacher, and general citizen agrees that preschool education promotes learning at an early age and helps prepare children to be better learners.  Studies have shown that, “these early years before children ever show up for the first day of kindergarten are crucial for their brain development, and for fostering the very kinds of cognitive and social skills — concentration, impulse control, emotional stability — that help them do well later in school and in the job market.”1

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Happy National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day!

By Melissa Rayner

April 30 is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, a cause that is near and dear to this writer’s heart. To celebrate, you’ll find many people extolling the virtues of opening your home to an animal in need, and many others sharing personal stories of how rescue pets have improved their lives.

I’d like to take a different approach.

Today, I’d like to take a moment to thank the hard-working volunteers who help make this day possible by giving of their time and money to help take care of animals in need. While humans’ fascination with animals dates back pretty much to our origins, formal animal shelters (as we know them today) are a far newer construction.

We went to the archives to highlight some of the top reasons to recognize shelter staff and volunteers in honor of National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day.

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In Other News: McDreamy

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Some things are sacred. Maybe not any of the characters on Game of Thrones… but for 11 years, Grey’s Anatomy heartthrob, Dr. Derek Shepherd. The social media response Thursday night was, well, huge. Not to be glib, but you would have thought an actual person died. But when you spend time with someone every week for more than a decade, they can start to feel kind of real. Especially when their nickname is McDreamy, and he’s supposed to be the man of your dreams. I get it. And in case you didn’t get enough of the craziness on Friday, ABC has put together a 2:34 montage of clips sure to get you sad and angry again. I’m sorry.

Read moreIn Other News: McDreamy

Miss Humblebee’s Academy Gives Libraries an Outcomes-Based Program to Support Kindergarten-Readiness

Early Literacy at the public library

By Kristina Massari

Supporting public libraries’ life-long learning initiatives, Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, is pleased to announce Miss Humblebee’s Academy, a new early literacy product that will assist the library’s youngest learners in building foundational literacy skills. Partnering with Miss Humblebee LLC., Gale has co-developed a robust product tailored specifically to the public library user, which includes the assessment tools libraries need to measure their impact on early literacy development in their communities.Studies show that participating in quality early learning can boost children’s educational attainment and earnings later in life, underscoring the importance for public libraries to provide resources that serve this young audience.

Read moreMiss Humblebee’s Academy Gives Libraries an Outcomes-Based Program to Support Kindergarten-Readiness