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E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y S u n d a y, J u n e 2 9 , 2 0 1 4 1 4 THE EVOLUTION OF HOW KIDS ARE READING By Randal Heise, Mackin Educational Resources If you live and breathe by the phrase "there's no better time than the present," then you will surely be able to appreciate the amazing and revolutionary times we are living in. The digital revolution within edu- cation is now in full motion, and the epic wonder of eBooks, audiobooks, databases and video content delivered to a student's tablet, smartphone or computer has begun. Classrooms, school libraries and the delivery of educational content have been changed forever. Providing fresh and varied material to students at the speed of light has already proven to be the great- est innovation to make its way into the classroom since the chalkboard. In fact, over the past two years alone, our company has seen the sales of eBooks to schools using our free MackinVIA platform triple. The second quarter of 2014 already promises digi- tal sales growth at the same meteoric pace. While print book sales have begun to show signs of waning, the interest and conversion to digital has taken center stage. As of this printing, of the titles that have been downloaded to our customer's MackinVIA accounts, 40 percent are ele- mentary titles, 20 percent are middle school and 18 percent are high school level. The remaining 22 percent were dis- trict/consortium orders. It appears that younger readers are the ones who have adopted and adapted to the digital platform in greater num- bers. Most likely driven by policies and mandates to educate the younger stu- dents in a more digitally friendly envi- ronment, this is clearly an indicator of the shape and direction education is tak- ing for the future. Why are we seeing such an ener- getic transition? From our perspective, it's simple. The free MackinVIA eResource management system is con- venient, offers close to 300,000 digital titles and 40,000 audiobook titles for every grade level from PK-12, and requires only one user name and pass- word, making it extremely easy for stu- dents and educators to master. Mackin's robust digital eReader is accessed by nine different free apps and has a cache of powerful and versatile fea- tures. The app boasts a keyword search option, bookmarking and annotations. Users can highlight text in multiple col- ors and take notes. There are three levels of the popular Merriam-Webster diction- ary available as well as citations by EasyBib. Students can also take Accelerated Reader Quizzes within MackinVIA online. Through the use of the app, users are able to download eBooks hosted within the MackinVIA cloud for online or offline reading. Best of all, the MackinVIA digital resource management system is a free service to all schools. With solid experience and longevity in the education industry, and a track record of multiple successes and exem- plary customer satisfaction, Mackin is well positioned to lead the way on this new frontier. Visit Mackin Educational Resources at booth 3220. For more information, go online at www.mackin.com or call 800- 245-9540. BOISE STATE OFFERS ONLINE MASTER'S PROGRAM An interview with Jerry Foster, Admissions Adviser, Boise State University. ESD: What makes your online master's program different than others? JF: A 20-year tradition of innovation. Boise State's online master's program in educational technology is one of the first such programs in the nation to offer all classes online, to teach effective online teaching, to teach in virtual worlds and in teaching game-based learning. ESD: What differences would teachers actually see if they reviewed your program? JF: They'd experience a great deal of customization. Electives make up half of their coursework, so they can learn what's important to them. They can also choose a specialization within their mas- ter's program, and those specialization certificate programs don't cost any more time or money. They'd also see one of the most innovative curriculums available any- where, coast to coast. We offer a great deal of depth in technology integration, educational games, online teaching, and various kinds of design, from instructional design to mobile app design. That's why we urge people to compare our curriculum with that of any other program. ESD: Any other differences? JF: Sure. Applicants would also see a no- hassle admissions process – no standard- ized exam and no out-of-state tuition. All applicants need is a reasonable GPA from a regionally accredited bachelor's pro- gram and a reasonably well-written per- sonal essay. And everyone pays the same, no matter where they live. ESD: What do classes look like? JF: Courses are very interactive with lots of threaded discussions and projects. ESD: How does tuition compare with other institutions? JF: It's about the same or lower. I used to say that our tuition is about what you'd pay for a used car, but I quit saying that when an auto shop teacher told me he generally pays about $300 and fixes them up, and others started quoting the prices of used SUVs that were way more than our tuition, so it's just easier to say $12,518, no matter where you live. Then someone will ask me if that's per year. Nope, that's the whole thing. ESD: Do teachers need to be state certificated to qualify for your program? JF: No. They don't even need to be K-12 teachers. Most are, but many of our students work in career col- leges, community colleges and four-year institutions. After graduation, many of them become instructional designers and trainers in higher education and in the corporate world, and a few work for edu- cational vendors. ESD: Have we missed anything? JF: Yes, we have. The EdTech program at Boise State has a partnership with a university on the southwest coast of Taiwan. Students can earn degrees at both institutions in about three years because some of the credits earned at Boise State apply toward the degree at National University of Tainan (NUTN), and vice versa. Dual degree classes at NUTN are taught in English, although one course in basic Mandarin is required. Unmarried students get a free dorm, but apartments for married students are extremely affordable, and so is tuition. It costs about $750 per semester. Visit Boise State University at edtech.boisestate.edu, call 208-426-4008 or email jfoster@boisestate.edu. permanently saved while security is on, no configuration or security downtime need- ed; perfect for 1:1 computers because no security downtime is needed leaving the computers vulnerable to security risks; zero-day rootkit and master boot record (MBR) protection; antivirus updates run properly and are permanently saved while security is on, no configuration or security downtime needed; works well with third party administrative software while secu- rity is on (SCCM, LANDesk, Altiris, Zenworks); computer security is disabled, enabled, and altered on the fly—no time is Clean Slate ( Cont'd. from p. 6) wasted rebooting the computer to make security changes; can easily restrict exe- cutables running from flash drives with the flexibility to still allow saving to the drive; free technical support. For more information, visit www.fortres- grand.com or call 800-331-0372.