Welcome

If you ask Blackboard employees what they like most about their job, you will most frequently hear about how enjoyable it is to work at a place that strives to make a difference in the world through enabling education. Last Friday, I was one of about 20 Blackboarders having a great time at Spring Hill Lake Elementary School for the Greater DC Cares 2011 SERVATHON. The Servathon gave us an opportunity to make a difference in a way that was a little different from our day jobs, and we had a blast doing it. And, this service day was the inaugural event for Blackboard Education Corps, a new initiative to give employees the opportunity to have a positive impact on education through volunteer opportunities in their community. Over the course of the year, every Blackboard employee will be given a full day off to participate in similar community service events.

It’s time to start mapping out your trip to BbWorld. The full program is now live, online and fully searchable by time, date, product, format, type and role. This year, we have over 140 client led sessions for you to choose from on topics including:

• Student and engagement and success
• Learning Analytics
• Pedagogical best practices
• Mobile
• Professional development
• Openness and ways to extend Blackboard

I’m very excited to share with you more news about BbWorld. Prepare to be inspired by Sir Ken Robinson, best-selling author, internationally recognized leader in development, creativity, innovation and human potential, who will deliver the Day 3 keynote address at BbWorld 2011. Robinson has authored several books on his unconventional ideas about how education can support – not stifle – the creativity and passion in everyone.

Last year at BbWorld, we announced that Blackboard was forging a partnership with McGraw-Hill. In December, we kicked off a Limited Field Trial of a ground-breaking, integrated solution.  And now, Blackboard is excited to tell you that the launch is finally here! As of, April 14, Blackboard Learn^TM, Release 9.1 clients are now able to download a FREE Blackboard Building Block^TM to take advantage of the integrated McGraw-Hill Connect® and Create^TM solution.

Earlier this week, we were notified by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) that we were selected as finalists for the 2011 CODiE Awards. Blackboard has been selected as a finalist in a number of different categories, including six Education Technology categories and one Business Software category, with representation from many of our platforms including Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Mobile and Blackboard Collaborate. With the voting underway, we’re hopeful that we’ll bring home a few trophies when winners are announced in late May.