Compass Learning Odyssey Website
[Compass Learning (800) 678-1412]

       Compass Learning has long been a leader in the online education business. The company offers a comprehensive suite of learning solutions, Compass Learning Odyssey, for students in grades K-12. We were pleased to feature an early version of the product in our 2009 Showcase (Summer Issue, ComputED Gazette).
       The Odyssey suite supports scaffolding, spiraling, and enrichment, and promotes exploration, cooperative learning, problem solving, reflection, and real-world connections in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Content is aligned to state and national standards, and the product lends itself to intervention/grade recovery or college readiness. We note that the interface has been upgraded, and elegant (interactive) contemporary cartoon animations make the lessons compelling for today's students, across all grade levels.
       For administrators and teachers, the Content module is the gateway to Odyssey's curriculum and assessment resources. It contains the Curriculum Index, which permits browsing all Odyssey material by grade level, subject, chapter, lesson or state correlation. A useful tool, the Course Manager, makes it easy to add, edit and manage courses, and there is the option of browsing pre-built Odyssey Courses, or building custom courses by grouping together any set of assignments.
        Compass Learning Odyssey is winner of this year's BESSIE Award in the category Multi-Level/Multi-Subject.




The World Almanac for Kids Online
[Infobase Learning/Facts On File (800) 322-8755]

       Entertaining is not a word usually applied to reference works...but for The World Almanac for Kids Online, the adjective fits.  In addition, the product is a reliable resource for homework and projects, and helps kids learn research skills in a safe and trusted content site.
       Continually expanding, the Almanac currently consists of eleven subject areas, including American History, The 50 States, and U.S. Presidents.  Coming soon will be Holidays & Celebrations, and Sports.  Most appropriate for elementary and middle school students, The World Almanac for Kids delivers kid-friendly, interesting and, yes, even entertaining content, including fun facts, interactive games, quizzes, and search results.  Google Translate is available for every article, and supports 53 languages, as well as persistent record links and citations in both MLA and Chicago Manual of Style formats.  There's even Homework Help to help students write better papers, prepare for tests, use a dictionary, thesaurus, and more.  And for teachers, there are curricular handouts and product support.
       Winner of this year's BESSIE for Middle School Database Website, The World Almanac for Kids Online deserves to be in every school library, and should be made available to every teacher and student.