NEW YORK, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon & Schuster Children's
Publishing and Ball State University today have announced an unprecedented
partnership to bring S&S authors and illustrators into more than 30,000
schools nationwide through live, interactive Web broadcasts. Too few
students today have had the opportunity to engage with authors and artists
on a firsthand level, but Electronic Author Visits (EAV) utilize the BSU's
groundbreaking Electronic Field Trips program to allow students and
teachers to interact directly with authors and illustrators through live
video, discussion forums, and downloadable learning activities.
"At Simon & Schuster we strongly believe that every student should have
an opportunity to interact with our award-winning authors and illustrators-
regardless of the school's location or budget," said Rick Richter,
President and Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. "We are
extremely proud to partner with Ball State University on the MyVisit
virtual classroom to bring this state-of-the-art programming to millions of
children."
S&S has formed an exclusive three-year agreement with Ball State
University and plans to host three EAVs each year. Andrew Clements, the
bestselling author of classroom favorites FRINDLE and NO TALKING, will kick
off the program as the first EAV author on March 18. D. J. MacHale, the #1
New York Times bestselling author of the Pendragon series and Margaret
Peterson Haddix, national bestselling author of the Shadow Children series,
have signed on to participate as well.
"We at Ball State take great pride in our role as pioneers in the use
of technology to enhance the education of young people," said Ball State
University President Jo Ann M. Gora. "For the last decade, our Teachers
College has partnered with the nation's best museums, historic sites, and
parks to produce Electronic Field Trips for millions of students. We are
excited to join with Simon & Schuster on the Electronic Author Visit
project, which should prove to be just as popular and educational. This is
a wonderful way for students and teachers to interact with some of the
finest children's authors in the country without leaving the classroom."
An Electronic Author Visit is a unique experience that makes the rich
content of S&S's bestselling and award-winning authors accessible to
children and teachers. Each visit is a combination of several components.
First, a website is created specifically for each EAV and serves two
purposes: to provide teachers with background information that can be used
to help students prepare for the author's visit and to offer interactive
material that relates to the subject discussed in the author's or artist's
book. In preparation for the EAV, the program also offers a series of
classroom activities and curriculum binders. Simon & Schuster and BSU
provide the author's books to a select group of teachers who then develop
grade-appropriate activities for other teachers to use before the live
broadcast. Booksource has signed on to be the sponsoring book supplier. To
facilitate preparation for the EAV, Booksource will assist participating
teachers with book orders through a convenient link to their site and
ordering information.
The live Web broadcast is the culmination of the EAV experience. As a
live broadcast, it has the potential to be much more interactive than a
static television program and much more far-reaching than a typical
Webinar. This 45- minute segment includes a presentation from the author, a
reading or excerpt from the book, and a question-and-answer session in
which the author fields questions from the students. Teachers can sign up
for the first EAV with Andrew Clements by visiting the MyVisit website:
http://www.bsu.edu/myvisit/
ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, one of the leading children's
book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints:
Aladdin Paperbacks, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Libros para ninos,
Little Simon(R), Little Simon Inspirations(TM), Margaret K. McElderry
Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, Simon
Scribbles, and Simon Spotlight(R). While maintaining an extensive
award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and
bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous
Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster
publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia,
Raggedy Ann & Andy(TM), Henry & Mudge(R), The Hardy Boys(R), Nancy Drew(R),
The Spiderwick Chronicles, Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts(R), Nickelodeon's(R)
Dora the Explorer(R), Blue's Clues(R), SpongeBob SquarePants(R), and Mirage
studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles(TM). For more information about Simon
& Schuster Children's Publishing, visit our website at
http://www.SimonSaysKids.com.
Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in
the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best
in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed,
electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult
Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio,
Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada,
and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at
http://www.simonsays.com
ABOUT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
Ball State University is a state-assisted doctoral institution located
in Muncie, Indiana, a mid-sized Midwestern city one hour northeast of
Indianapolis. The dynamic residential campus is home to more than 20,000
undergraduate and graduate students from across the country and abroad.
As a comprehensive university, Ball State offers a wealth of academic
opportunities, including 170 undergraduate majors and preprofessional
programs, and more than 100 master's and doctoral degrees. The university's
programs in architecture, telecommunications, landscape architecture,
education, and entrepreneurship, as well as its online master's degree in
nursing, are consistently ranked among the best in the nation.
Ball State believes that for an educational experience to be
successful, it should be just that -- an experience. Consequently, the
university has made a unique commitment to immersive learning programs that
incorporate research, internships, and capstone experiences into the
curriculum, preparing bright students for professional careers and
leadership roles in many specialized fields.
More than 90 percent of classes are taught by professors -- almost
unheard of at an institution of Ball State's size.
The university's numerous community projects throughout the state also
help to spur economic development and advance the quality of life in
Indiana. In addition to preparing the state's entrepreneurs, teachers,
health care providers, scientists, designers, artists, and media and
technology professionals, Ball State conducts projects and research that
drive innovation in the state. At the same time, its Building Better
Communities initiative partners students and faculty with local leaders
throughout the state on development projects that make Indiana a better
place to live, work, and do business.
Ball State University launched their Electronic Field Trip program in
1996. Now more than 230,000 classrooms are registered with the program, and
as a result, each EAV has the potential to reach 11 million students.
ABOUT BOOKSOURCE
For more than 30 years, Booksource has been an ideal source for
educators seeking the best literature for the classroom. With our extensive
selection and services designed with educators in mind, Booksource makes it
easy to choose literature matched to your curriculum and your students'
interests and reading levels. For more information on any Booksource
product or service, call 800.444-0435 or visit http://www.booksource.com
SOURCE Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
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Related links:
http://www.simonsays.com
http://www.booksource.com http://www.bsu.edu/myvisit
CONTACT:
Paul Crichton, Director of Publicity of Simon
& Schuster, +1-212-698-2809, Paul.Crichton@simonandschuster.com
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