From Jim Metrock: Above is a press release from Channel One. No company is better at making a little thing sound like a big thing. Below I have copied the press release word for word. To make it more readable I broke the content up as if it was going to be read on a teleprompter.
What is Channel One announcing in this press release? First, they are offering a three-part curriculum tied to the controversial Common Core State Standards. Second, they are announcing a future video database. I took the liberty of emphasizing the key word in the press release: subscription. That word is a killer for the marketers at Channel One. Few schools are going to pay for what they describe. Yet Channel One has to try to create a new stream of revenue to replace the diminishing classroom commercial revenue.
Fewer and fewer students watching Channel One News means fewer and fewer companies advertising on Channel One News which means less and less cash.
Check out this press release and see if you agree with me that there is a lot of fluff and buzzwords here, but not much substance.
Channel One News Launches Standards-Aligned Curriculum Offering
NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —
Channel One, LLC,
the digital educational content provider
and producer of Channel One News,
today announced a standards-based subscription offering
to develop nonfiction literacy and critical thinking skills
for students in grades 3-5 and 6-8.
Channel One News’ curriculum is
a three-part instructional routine
that uses nonfiction video
and text
as a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary
teaching resource.
Each activity is tied
to Channel One News’ daily news show,
already seen in
more than 200,000 classrooms around the country.
These student-centered activities
integrate English Language Arts
with core subject areas,
like science, geography
and college and career readiness,
and are supplemented with
vocabulary, discussion questions,
quiz questions and
information about the standards
that align to the activities.
The instructional routine includes:
- Review: Based on the foundation of the Common Core State Standards,
these activities provide engaging, media-rich
differentiated instruction for students
through explicit scaffolds.
- Write: The writing prompts
are focused on nonfiction
and expository writing,
which helps students practice
a variety of nonfiction writing types
such as lists, informational text,
persuasive arguments and captions.
- Assess: Students are asked to complete
short, formative assessments
to showcase their understanding
and to help inform teachers’ ongoing instruction.
Additionally, this fall,
Channel One News will introduce
a user-friendly,
searchable database
of nonfiction video
and supplementary assets
to the curriculum offering
including:
- 2,200 Channel One News video segments,
searchable by grade,
subject area,
and keywords - 1,200 video transcripts for close reading
- Alignment to Common Core State Standards (CCSS),
individual state standards,
ISTE Standards
and 21stcentury skills framework - Themed content bundles
covering significant and historical
news events,
including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina,
the Constitution,
and the life and death of Nelson Mandela - “Digital First”
interactive content including timelines,
slideshows, discussion questions,
writing prompts
and quizzes tied to specific video segments
This digital archive
will enable teachers
to develop their own lesson plans
and playlists
based on authentic news topics
that are tied to Common Core
and other curriculum standards.
As educators increasingly adopt BYOD
and blended learning,
the archive will also provide
digital video and related multimedia content
for tablets
and one to one programs.
Additionally, the archive will support
multiple learning styles
through its varied video,
slideshow, multimedia,
visual support
and text content.
To make the digital archive easily searchable,
content will be tagged
by subject,
grade level
and topics,
like geography,
college and career readiness,
the environment,
STEM,
politics
and health.
Educators will also be able
to filter results
by relevant skills and strategies
such as critical thinking,
compare and contrast,
problem solving
and cause and effect.
Channel One News Chief Executive Officer CJ Kettler, said:
“Educators tell us on a daily basis
that they are looking for relevant,
nonfiction video and text
to help them teach
critical thinking skills
based on the Common Core State Standards.
Recognizing this need,
we invested heavily in
developing
standards-based curriculum activities
tied to the day’s top news stories
and a searchable digital video archive
to make that content available
anytime, anywhere.
Now, educators will be able to search for video
and multimedia content bundles
about authentic world events
and seamlessly integrate them
into their daily lesson plans.”
Channel One News’ curriculum
is currently available
for grades 3 – 5
and 6-8
through all web-based devices.
For more information
on the activities
and resources available,
please visit:http://www.channelone.com/subscribe/.
_________
About Channel One News
Channel One, LLC,
a ZelnickMedia company,
is a digital content provider
focused on encouraging
young people to be informed,
digital-savvy
global citizens.
The Company’s primary offering,
Channel One News,
is a daily news program
with supplementary educational resources,
aligned to Common Core State Standards (CCSS),
to help students,
teachers and parents
interpret the news of the day
and spark
important conversations.
The award-winning
Channel One News program
is broadcast to
approximately
5 million young people
in upper elementary schools,
middle schools and
high schools across the country.
Alex Honeysett (917) 634 -5731
