LearnCentral Offers Free Social and Professional Networking, Real-time Online Meetings, Live Online Events, Peer-rated Resources, and More

Pleasanton, California (June 29, 2009) –

News Facts:

* Elluminate, Inc. is expanding its role as the leading provider of web, audio, and video solutions for real-time online learning and collaboration by launching a new social learning network for education. More than a social network or learning community, LearnCentral(TM) is an open environment that enables those who are passionate about teaching and learning to connect with like-minded colleagues to share, collaborate, inspire, and be inspired on a global level.
* LearnCentral is free and open to professionals in the global education community, not just Elluminate customers. In addition to providing the social networking tools that enable members to find and connect with others to share content and best practices, LearnCentral also provides collaboration tools for meeting in real-time virtual rooms and holding and attending events. Upon joining LearnCentral, each member receives a free Elluminate vRoom(TM), a virtual meeting room for up to three participants or locations.
* The network is moderated by Elluminate’s Social Learning Consultant Steve Hargadon, founder ofClassroom 2.0, director of the K12 Open Technologies Initiative at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and a columnist for School Library Journal. Hargadon is a frequent blogger, podcaster, and webinar host who covers a wide variety of topics, including Web 2.0, educational technology, and social networking.
* LearnCentral is an opportunity to connect on a global level, enabling educators to be more productive and effective. Studies show that professional networking and development leads to improved student outcomes, increased teacher job satisfaction, and higher teacher retention, saving institutions cost of professional development and new hire programs. At a deeper level, it is a call to action to help bring about positive change within the education community worldwide.
* The network provides tools that enable members to:
o Connect with peers worldwide
o Share ideas, discuss issues, solve problems
o Meet with colleagues in real time with Elluminate vRoom
o Develop and share standards-based curricula
o Access a library of peer-rated resources
o Discover relevant content for the classroom
o Improve skills and increase effectiveness
o Create and maintain a portfolio of learning content
o Join and create groups
o Collaborate on projects and best practices
o Mentor and be mentored
o Increase visibility of an academic institution
o Conduct professional development training
o Attend events with thought leaders in education community
o Participate in global dialogue to help transform education
* A custom-branded community, LearnCentral Private Edition enables academic institutions and industry organizations to use their own logos and colors, provide single sign-on to a private community, access searchable public/private content, schedule community-wide events, and facilitate real-time meeting, teaching, and learning with Elluminate web collaboration technology. In the future, the company plans to integrate this social learning component with its core suite of web collaboration products.

Source: Elluminate