Digication Blog

Davis Publications First to Add its e-Textbooks;Two Public School Districts Already Reaping the Benefits
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Digication™ Inc., a leading provider of e-Portfolios, today announced that it has partnered with Davis Publications, the leader in art education textbooks, to combine the power of e-Portfolios and Web 2.0 technologies with the content found in traditional textbooks. Teachers will now be equipped with an easy-to-use tool to enhance their own teaching and planning, while also showcasing their students’ accomplishments and enhancing their development of 21st century skills.

Davis is the first textbook publisher to offer its art textbooks online through Digication in the integrated e-Textbook format. Educators who choose a combined e-Portfolio and e-Textbook solution will experience a powerful new way of teaching. Teachers can use the Digication platform to access the Davis e-Textbooks, and create and customize their lesson plans and course curriculum based on the material. Lesson plans can be broken out by days, weeks, content, assignments, discussions and more—all pulling from the Davis content library with standard guides. Davis and Digication chose Texterity, the leading provider of digital editions of printed materials, to provide the e-Textbook technology services.

“Digication made it easy to transition our printed textbooks into digital e-Textbooks that are connected directly to e-Portfolios and professional learning communities for teachers and students,” said Wyatt Wade, president of Davis Publications. “Combining e-Textbook content with the e-Portfolio environment allows teachers to showcase the value of their work in the classroom, including the standards and concepts being covered.”

More than 1,500 schools have deployed the Digication e-Portfolio solution. Its Web-based e-Portfolios allow educators and students to share ideas and achievements, improve communication and expand the educational experience beyond the classroom. With Digication, teachers can easily share customized curriculum with other teachers, principals and administrators across the school district. Substitute teachers can even leverage the tools to continue teaching a lesson plan without interruption. Students’ work can be published to the Web to be shared with other students and family members. Lesson plans and resulting student accomplishments can be archived for future reference.

Omaha Public Schools (37 elementary schools) in Nebraska, and Shawnee Mission School District (73 elementary schools) in Kansas, are among the first districts in the United States to deploy the Davis e-Textbook solution on Digication. Administrators and art teachers within Omaha and Shawnee Mission are benefiting from the combined solution. For example, art teachers at Omaha previously loaded carts with 15-20 textbooks and wheeled them from one classroom to the next. Now with the Davis e-Textbooks on Digication, teachers can simply use a laptop and a projector.

“The system is so simple to use that even teachers with limited computer skills are able to customize this high quality e-Textbook curriculum into their own class schedules, then showcase their students’ finished artwork through e-Portfolios for parents, grandparents, friends and district administration,” said Angela Fischer, supervisor of Art Education at Omaha Public Schools.

Teachers are already reporting improvements during the learning process: the Davis e-Textbooks on Digication enable the entire class to focus on a large visual projection of complete pages of the books, distinct areas of the pages or even to zoom in on individual images. This creates a focused environment that can enable students to learn more efficiently as one unit and help deter students from getting distracted. In addition, the digital solution is helping teachers ‘behind the scenes.’ Normally, teachers would only have the opportunity to meet a few times each school year to discuss a mutual student’s strengths and weaknesses. The Digication e-Portfolio solution provides a daily visual snapshot of where a student stands academically and allows teachers to share information seamlessly.

For more information about the Digication e-Textbook solution and a sample/demo of the Davis digital textbook and information about the benefits of this solution, please visit:

http://www.digication.com/about/etextbook.

About Davis Publications

Since 1901, Davis has held fast to its commitment to art education. The company’s philosophy is simple: Davis believes in the abiding social value of art and art education and the company advocates the role of the visual arts in a well-rounded education. Other publishers offer programs for art education, but Davis is the only educational publisher solely dedicated to visual art in all its forms. The company publishes superior and innovative art education programs, studio activities, and a wealth of fine art resources, images, and multimedia support. For more information, visit www.davisart.com.

About Digication, Inc.

Designed by educators, for educators, Digication is a leading provider of easy-to-use e-Portfolio solutions for teachers and students at all levels, from K-12 to higher education. Students at more than 1,500 schools use Digication’s e-Portfolios to easily, flexibly and professionally showcase their work and achievements across schools and districts. e-Portfolios create new opportunities for learning, reflection, communication, assessment and career advancement. Digication is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. For more information, visit www.digication.com.