The Center for Applied Linguistics Adopts 'it's learning' to Enrich the Online PD Experience of Language Educators

BURLINGTON, Mass., June 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In order to expand access and collaboration for teacher trainers and the language educators that they serve across the globe, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), a private, nonprofit organization working to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture, is implementing it's learning The Individual Learning Platform™, an online learning platform designed to support individualized and collaborative online programs for academic achievement.

The it's learning platform, with its built in audio recording, video conferencing and multimedia tools, will allow for increased communication and collaboration among teacher trainers at CAL and ease of access for language educators in the U.S. and in other countries. CAL is partnered with EdTek Services, Inc., a value-added reseller of the it's learning system and a provider of accreditation and education consulting, instructional design and course development services, faculty recruitment and training services and hosted eLearning technology, and 24/7 staff, instructor and student support services for small and mid-size colleges and education providers.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CAL has earned a national and international  reputation for its contributions to the fields of literacy, English as a second language, and foreign language education, as well as dialect studies, language policy, refugee orientation, and the education of linguistically and culturally diverse adults and children. CAL has provided language and cultural orientation services to educators, service providers, and businesses for more than 50 years.

"We wanted to find a way for our instructors and the language educators that we serve to stay better connected when working or accessing training remotely since many of them are located across the United States and overseas," said Lynn Thompson, Research Associate, Foreign Language Education Division at the Center for Applied Linguistics. "it's learning provides a platform and resources that promises to make this increased communication, collaboration, and training a reality. The language educators we serve can receive quality professional development training and the ease and convenience of accessing that training online."  

"As we have served nearly 2 million students, teachers and teacher trainers around the globe over the last 10 years, it is obvious that online collaboration is a key to success for achieving any organization's academic objectives," said Jon Bower, President of it's learning North America.  We go to great lengths to not only provide native tools for collaboration, but to provide an open platform for developers to add their own communication tools as well."  

About The Center for Applied Linguistics

The Center for Applied Linguistics is a private nonprofit organization working to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture. Established in 1959, CAL has earned a national and international reputation for its contributions to the fields of bilingual education, English as a second language and foreign language education, literacy education, dialect studies, language policy, refugee orientation, and the education of linguistically and culturally diverse adults and children. CAL's staff of researchers and educators conduct research, design and develop instructional materials and language tests, provide technical assistance and professional development, conduct needs assessments and program evaluations, and disseminate information and resources related to language and culture. For more information about CAL, visit www.cal.org.

About EdTek Services, Inc.

EdTek partners with small to medium-size education providers and offers consulting, training, hands-on administrative support and technology solutions that enable its clients to focus their resources on instruction and learning.  By offering solutions for Online Learning Software, Instructional Design, Course Development, Faculty Recruitment and Training, Enrollment Marketing, Retention, Program Management & Program Accreditation, EdTek helps smaller colleges deliver the same quality of education and experience as the leading education providers.  Based in Toronto, Canada, the company supports clients across Canada and the United States.  Further information is available at www.edtekservices.com.

About it's learning, Inc.

Since 1999, the company has provided it's learning – The Individual Learning Platform™ to European clients in K-12 and higher education. In order to provide more effective service to North American schools and universities, in the spring of 2009 it added a North American headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts.  In additional to its global headquarters in Bergen, Norway, the company has offices in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Spain. Investing in the future of education, in 2009, it's learning dedicated more than 40 percent of its revenue to the design and development of its products. The company's goals are to offer the best learning platform and related services worldwide and to be the most innovative organization within the education market. For more information visit, www.itslearning.net.

SOURCE it's learning, inc.