EdNET’s Best Leaders to Watch

Recognizing leading business professionals for their significant contributions to the education industry. Community voting for the top five spots took place in mid-April based on peer nominations and guidance from the EdNET’s Best panel.

Top Five List for 2011 – in alphabetical order:

• Larry Berger, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Wireless Generation
• Nick Gaehde, President and CEO, Lexia Learning
• Paige Johnson, Government and Education Strategist, Intel
• Mark Nieker, President, Pearson Foundation
• Jessie Woolley-Wilson, CEO & President, DreamBox Learning

EdNET’s Best Shining Stars

Recognizing products and services that have the potential to be “game changers” in education. This list of leading education products and services were shaped by the EdNET community, and final selections were made by the EdNET’s Best panel.

Top Five List for 2011 – in alphabetical order:

• DimensionU™ Learning System, Tabula Digita
• Discovery Education Science Techbook, Discovery Education
• The Geometer’s Sketchpad, Key Curriculum Press
• SPARK Science Learning System, Pasco Scientific
• Teachscape Reflect, Teachscape

EdNET’s Best Teachers Select

Recognizing teacher-recommended free online classroom resources. This list identifies free online resources that classroom teachers recommend, and nominations were provided and voted on by hundreds of educators from the WeAreTeachers online community.

Top Five List for 2011 – in alphabetical order:

• BrainPOP Free Stuff – Animated online curriculum-based content
• Donors Choose – An online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need
• Glogster – Collaborative online learning platform for teachers and students
• Google Docs – Anytime, anywhere collaboration on research papers, spreadsheets, presentations, and surveys
• Verizon Foundation’s Thinkfinity – Teaching and learning materials

EdNET Impact Award (formerly known as the HERO Award)

The EdNET HERO Awards were given to the organizations having made the most significant, positive impact on education through educational technology and telecommunications.

Starting in 2006, the HERO Award was eliminated and the Impact Award, recognizing positive impact on education, was introduced. Separate categories for for-profit and non-profit organizations were eliminated as well as the emphasis on awarding only those organizations in the educational technology and telecommunications markets.

2010 – NetTrekker
2009 – Lexia Learning Systems
2008 – Key Curriculum Press
2007 – Inspiration Software
2006 – Florida Virtual School

EdNET Pioneer Award

The EdNET Pioneer Awards recognize the organizations contributing most significantly to the growth of the markets for educational technology and telecommunications during the previous year.

Starting in 2006, separate categories for for-profit and non-profit organizations were eliminated as well as the emphasis on awarding only those organizations in the educational technology and telecommunications markets.

2010 – Wireless Generation
2009 – SMART Technologies
2008 – MIND Research Institute
2007 – Florida Virtual School
2006 – Library Video Company

EdNET Rookie of the Year Award

The EdNET Rookie of the Year Awards honor a small or start-up organization (possibly within a larger, older unit), either a for-profit or non-profit, with the most promise for becoming a major future force in the educational technology and telecommunications industries.

Starting in 2006, the emphasis on awarding only those organizations in the educational technology and telecommunications markets was eliminated.

EdNET Special Judges' Award

In 1997, the judges awarded special recognition to the Family Education Network for its work in encouraging parental involvement with schools.