First Team Education

2012-01-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!! First Team Education is anxious to get back to work and help you find solutions for your educational needs. One of the greatest moments for us is when someone calls and asks for our assistance. Maybe they need professional books or support for ISTEP+. Sometimes they only have a small amount of money but want to spend it with us. We really appreciate that because you are all important to us regardless of the size of your budget!

People are very anxious to see our Reading Express as a possible remediation for IREAD. It would make a great summer school program for those students who don't pass IREAD. They also like the Finish Line Reading for the Common Core to help get the students ready to take IREAD. If you want to see samples of either of these programs, just call or email me and I will get you a copy.

We wish you all the best in 2012!!!

Common Core materials!

2011-12-13T12:38:00.000-08:00

We are starting to hear more and more about the Common Core Standards that are coming to Indiana and First Team Education is ready! Continental Press has an outstanding series that covers the common core standards for reading, writing and math. Lerner Books has put together some leveled books for common core with teaching notes that cover three standards per book. Heinemann Raintree and Perfection Learning also has some common core packages with leveled books and classroom libraries. Perfection also has an intervention program called Reading Express which offers comprehensive coverage of the common core standards. If you want to know more about any of these programs please contact us! These standards are not going away and it is best to be prepared.

Remember also that Continental Press has the best ISTEP+ program on the market and is used widely across Indiana. So while you are transitioning into Common Core keep raising those ISTEP+ scores with some support from Finish Line ISTEP+

2011-10-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

Browsing books at Indiana Teachers of Writing.

2011-10-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Well it is exhibit season once again! Last week was ISRA, ICASE, and Literocity of Pike Twp. This week is AdvanEd, Valpo Literacy Conference and ITW and next week is ICE. We appreciate you taking time out of your schedules to attend these conferences and hopefully stop by our table and take a look at our offerings. We know that sometimes the organizations that sponsor these conferences don't give you much time to stroll through the exhibits. This is very frustrating for us, because we pay to attend these conferences and we only want you all to see what is available to help you meet your classroom needs. When you fill out your evaluations after attending a conference, please state that designated exhibit time would be nice! Thanks!

2011-08-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

If you belong to the Learning Connection, you saw the call for applications to the Indiana Early Intervention Grant. We have contacted a couple of the companies that we represent and they have put together some packages of materials that would fit into that grant. Road to Reading is a research-based, systematic, sequential reading intervention program. It includes diagnostic testing, mastery tests, hands-on, mulitsensory instruction and detailed lesson plans. They are offering a discount on the price of the kit! So call if you need more info or go to roadtoreading.com.

Another company we are working with is Lerner Books. They are offering a 6 pack of leveled books along with the digital interactive version of the book. This would work great as a read aloud, then small group work followed by the student going to the computer to read or listen to the book. Again, contact me for more information!

2011-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

By now you are probably back at school and have totally forgotten about your relaxing days of summer! So let's start thinking about how we can assist those kids that haven't picked up a book for the last 3 months. We know that parental involvement is so important to your student's reading habits. First Team Education is working with two different companies to come up with School to Home packages. This is a great idea for Title I schools! You will receive a plastic bag with one to three leveled books plus notes for parents on how to ask questions about what their child is reading. Parents really do want to help their children but don't always know how to go about it. These packages can be used in a Parent Lending Library so kids can take home a package, read for a few days and then return for another package. If you don't have anything like this in your building, just contact us and we can give you a quote.

2011-07-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a conference at Purdue with Katie Wood Ray and Kelly Gallagher. They are both such great speakers! The attendance was pretty low but I think they are doing some good things at CLEAR and hopefully will be able to get that conference back to its glory days! Think about attending next year. Next up will be the ISRA which they have moved to September. I hope that many of you can attend! Check and see if you have any PD $$ left and come on downtown to the Hilton. If you have any questions please give me a call and I will see if I can assist you by getting more information.

Happy Summer!!

2011-07-11T08:39:00.001-07:00

Wow! What a summer it has been so far! We had an outstanding time at the All-Write Conference in Warsaw this year! Heard some authors I had never had the pleasure of hearing before and sold a ton of books! We then went to New Albany for the Southern Indiana Writing Project conference and had a great time with Georgia Heard. Tim Rasinski was in Columbus so we went there and sold his books. Unfortunately we were not allowed to attend the Department of Education three day conference at the JW. Dr. Rasinski was a speaker there also and I know that many teachers would have liked to purchase the books he talked about. It would be great if someone would put a bug in John Wolf's ear about allowing professional book vendors to attend. He denied us when we asked him. I understand that you probably don't need every publisher there throwing materials at the teachers, but if a distributor of professional books was there, I don't see any harm. Maybe I'm biased?
Anyway, we will be at Purdue next week with Kelly Gallagher. Attendance is really low again this year, so if you haven't signed up you may want to take a look.

2011-06-17T16:28:00.001-07:00

We just returned from Brandon, Vermont after attending a sales meeting for Visual Learning Systems. This company creates science videos that are very high quality and are offered in DVD format, online, or can be purchased and streamed into your schools. With the science adoption year finished you may be looking for supplemental materials and these videos would be a great addition to your science curriculum. Go to visuallearningco.com to find out more and then give us a call! By the way, if you have never been to Vermont, it is well worth the trip. Beautiful countryside and very friendly people.

2011-06-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Reading the Learning Connection site I see a lot of chatter about The Daily Five and The Cafe book. Both of those books are published by Stenhouse and I can send you a free preview copy if you are interested. I cannot advertise on Learning Connection, but if you or someone you know would like to see the book, please email me at bvanmol@aol.com.

2011-05-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

First Team Education is so pleased to announce that Peggy Eickhoff is now a partner! You may know Peggy from her previous work as a consultant with Houghton Mifflin or Scott Foresman. Most recently she was a sales rep for Sopris West and then Cambium Learning and Voyager. Peggy will be bringing in new business for First Team as Joe and I continue to service our established customers as well as bringing in new. She is already out there working and we know she will be very successful! Welcome Peggy!!!!!!

2011-04-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Amazing that is almost May!!! Some of you may be holding some form of summer school and if you are looking for an easy to use reading intervention program, go to theroadtoreading.com. This is a complete program for students in grades 1-5 that did not master decoding skills at the early levels. And we know that when kids spend all their energy on figuring out a word, comprehension goes down the drain. This program can be administered by teachers or aids. It includes manipulatives, lesson plans, and all for only $495.00 If you are interested, let me know and I will send you a CD to evaluate.

Science Notebooks

2011-03-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

First Team Education is offering a workshop on the basics of science notebooks. If you check the science standards, you will see that writing, discussing, organizing, reading are all mentioned over and over. Using science notebooks in your classroom is a perfect way to help meet those needs in science. If you are interested in knowing more, contact us and I will send you the flyer telling you more.

Is it spring yet?

2011-03-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted anything since October and here it is March! Time flies when you're having fun! January saw the start of the science caravans. Joe worked those with Science Companion as well as showing some of our supplemental science materials. We offer leveled books, trade books, and a great video line called Visual Learning. Let us know if you are interested in any of those for your science curriculum.
The Continental Press ISTEP+ materials are a huge hit in Indiana! If you haven't seen them please contact us for a free sample. Continental also has a new line that focuses on the Common Core Standards and we would be happy to send you a sample of that also.
I know it has been a long, snowy winter and many of you have missed too many days of school and are going to have to make them up. But just think, spring break will be here soon and you can take a much needed break and be ready to finish the school year with a few extra days tagged on!

What a week!

2010-10-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

First Team Education was everywhere last week. Monday you might have seen Joe working the NCA conference at the Hyatt downtown Indianapolis, or Brenda at the IMLEA at Franklin Middle School. On Tuesday Joe again went to NCA while Brenda drove to Valpo to set up for the Lester Laminack workshop on Wednesday. Brenda had more fun than Joe because she, Lester, and Connie Farrell went out to dinner on Tuesday evening. Always a fun time with those two! Brenda sold books at the workshop on Wednesday and then drove home while Joe attended the state department meeting on the adoption process for Science and then set up for IASCD at the Sheraton at Keystone. Joe worked that meeting on Thursday while Brenda stayed in the office and prepared for the set up on Thursday evening for ITW. After setting up, they had dinner with Dr. Kevin Sue Bailey from the Southern Indiana Writing Project. They always like to add some fun to their work day. Friday was the Indiana Teacher's of Writing conference, which both Brenda and Joe attended. Guess what happened Friday night? A big glass of wine and early to bed!

Barry Lane!

2010-10-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we just had! We were invited to attend the Northwest Indiana Writing Project 15th Anniversary Bash featuring the author Barry Lane. The event took place at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. Friday night included cocktails, dinner and a cabaret featuring, who else?, Barry! Afterwards many of us went into the casino and danced and some of us gambled, not very successfully I might add. Then on Saturday Barry held a day long workshop on writing. We sold his books and we always enjoy listening to him speak. This is what makes our career so rewarding! Hanging out with educators that really step up to the plate and constantly are improving themselves with professional development. If you want to know more about Barry Lane go to his website discoverwriting.com or contact us if you would be interested in having him visit your district.

Heinemann Raintree - Red Brick Learning update

2010-08-05T07:09:00.001-07:00

I wanted to give you an update on two of our companies; Heinemann Raintree and Red Brick Learning. The owner of RBL, Capstone, recently purchased HeinemannRaintree and although the company word always is that they would remain two separate companies, they have now gone together. Surprise! (ha) The new company name is Heinemann Raintree Classroom including Red Brick Learning. What this means for customers is that you can now purchase materials from both companies under one Purchase Order. Also if you belong to either rewards program, you now belong to both and can earn points faster. There will be new catalogs arriving in your buildings soon. You will receive one for science and social studies and another for reading/language arts. If you have any questions please give us a call.

2010-07-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year when reps for publishing companies attend sales meetings, so we are off to Charlotte, North Carolina for an ETA meeting and next week we go to Chicago for Heinemann/Raintree-Red Brick Learning. We already had a meeting for Science Companion and luckily the other companies we represent are not holding meetings!
We have been trying to stop by as many of the science pilot trainings as we can. We want the pilot teachers to be aware that we are the local reps for Science Companion and will be here for them as they run their pilots. We are really excited about this opportunity and think that Science Companion is a great program!

2010-06-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Penny Kittle and Brenda at the Indiana University Southeast Writing Project conference.

2010-06-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

I just fininshed listening to Penny Kittle speak at the IUSE Writing Project conference. She is so inspiring! If you are looking for a speaker for writing for any grade level, she is your gal! I also heard J. Patrick Lewis this week. He is a children's author and writes poetry. He is a very interesting man. He originally taught economics at a university and later in life turned to writing poetry. You may recognize him as the author of Bury Me in the Library. Earlier in the week we were in Shipshewana and saw the authors Lester Laminack, Katie Wood Ray, Sharon Taberski, Franki Sibberson, and Smokey Daniels. We are so fortunate to be able to attend professional conferences and meet these people that do so much for the educators in our state.

New Representation for Science Companion

2010-06-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

We are so pleased to announce that First Team Education has been hired to represent Science Companion. As you may be aware, the state of Indiana is running some pilots next year for inquiry based science curriculum and Science Companion is on the list of programs to be piloted. So, if you are involved in those pilots, we will be your contact for Science Companion and will be working closely with you to make sure all goes well. You can find out more about the company by going to sciencecompanion.com.

2010-05-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's May so we are in the last inning of the school year. We can't believe how fast it has gone. We will be at several summer workshops this summer so look for us at Mishawaka, Shipshawana, New Albany, and Purdue Calumet. If you find yourself with last minute orders to place, give us a call and we will do our best to push them through for you or if you need an invoice we can do that right away. We appreciate all you do for us and are ready and willing to return the favors.

Vacation Time

2010-03-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the Indiana State Reading conference is over. It was really a disappointment this year. Very few attendees and very little time for the ones that were there to visit the exhibit area. Hopefully next year the economy will be better and more people will attend and the committee will build in some time for attendees to visit the exhibits.
Joe and I are leaving on vacation next Friday and will have limited access to email or voicemail. We are going to Italy for a week and then on a Mediterranian Cruise for a week. Hopefully anything any of you have going on, can wait until we get back! While you are all on spring break have a great time and come back recharged and ready to finish the school year!

Discount and free book!

2010-03-19T06:51:00.000-07:00

If you are attending ISRA and attend the Sunday session titled "Choosing and Using Mentor Texts", you will receive a coupon for an additional 10% off your purchase at the First Team Education booth! In adddition, during that session you will receive a free children's book! So check your schedule and see what you had planned for 12:45 on Sunday of ISRA. See you there!

ISRA and IRA conferences

2010-03-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

It is time for Indiana State Reading Association's yearly conference! It starts on Sunday, March 21 and runs through Tuesday, March 23. We will be there with all of our curriculum lines, our professional books, and children's books. Come by and see us in booths 46-51. You can purchase books from most of the presenters that will be speaking; Cris Tovani, Lester Laminack, Jan Brett, Will Hobbs and of course, we will be offering discounts!

In April, IRA is in Chicago!! We will be there working in the ETA Cuisenaire booth. If you are attending IRA, please let us know. There are several companies that are looking for educators to be on panels and of course there is always some free food and drinks being offered by the various companies.

Everyday Math Users!

2010-02-17T08:48:00.001-08:00

If you are an Everyday Math user, you should contact First Team Education about purchasing manipulatives at a discount. You can get those through ETA Cuisenaire and save quite a bit of money. Also, First Team Education has two options for purchasing the trade books that go along with Everyday Math. They can be purchased through BMI at a 25% discount and free shipping or through ETA with additional books added as a value added. Call us with your needs and see how we can help.

Poor Colts!

2010-02-08T07:56:00.001-08:00

It's a sad day for all the Colts fans out there! But work must go on. Brenda is headed to East Noble today for a workshop with Jeff Anderson tomorrow and Joe is headed to the southern part of the state for the last week of the math caravan. We have been very pleased with all the interest in ISTEP+ Finish Line Math and the ETA Cuisenaire math materials. Please contact First Team Education if you have not seen these great products.

Math Caravan

2010-01-19T08:55:00.001-08:00

If you are attending any of the math caravan sites, please stop by the First Team Education booth and pick up your free sample of ISTEP+ Finish Line Math! This program is based on the spring ISTEP+ and the newest math standards for Indiana. Many schools are already using these materials and you don't want to be left out! Just stop by the table, tell us what grade level you are interested in, and we will give you a free sample.

While you're there, take a look at the ETA Cuisenaire materials we will have on hand. The ETA Cuisenaire manipulatives can be used with any core math program. We will also have an Algebra Readiness and Algebra 1 programs available.

Caravan stops:
Indianapolis, Mariott East
West Lafayette, University Hotel
Hammond, Purdue Calumet
Plymouth, Swan Lake
Fort Wayne, IU campus
Muncie, Horizon Center
Clarksville, Holiday Inn
Jasper, Jasper Conference Center
Terre Haute, Holiday Inn

New 2010 Representation for First Team Education!

2010-01-09T15:14:00.000-08:00

And we're off!!!! The new year of 2010 is here and First Team Education is proud to announce two new companies that they will be representing: ETA Cuisinaire and BMI.

ETA is the leader in manipulatives, both math and reading. (Think Versatiles and Reading Rods.) We just returned from our first sales meeting and were very impressed with the product this company has. You can see First Team Education on the caravan exhibiting some ETA materials.

BMI is a company that sells trade books. You can contact us with a list of trade books and BMI will give you a quote that offers a 25% discount and free shipping. BMI is a family owned business and has been in business for around 40 years. They are known for their great customer service. If you have used other companies in the past for trade books, I would suggest you give BMI a chance. Diana Hall will be working with First Team Education on promoting BMI.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-12-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

First Team Education would like to thank all who have helped make this past year a very successful one for us. We couldn't do it without your loyalty and support. We hope you are all enjoying a must needed break! On Monday we are going to start regrouping; organizing the warehouse, plowing through stacks of paper, and thinking about what all is needed for the upcoming math caravan. Have a nice relaxing holiday and we'll be back in touch after January 4, 2010!

2009-11-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

Continental Press has the hottest test prep program in the market! If you have not received your ISTEP+ Finish Line Math or English/Language Arts sample yet you need to contact First Team Education. This test prep program is the only program available that meets the new standards and replicates the spring test. Free teacher's guides are available for 25 or more student books and for orders over $1000 you receive free shipping!

Conference Schedule

2009-09-29T11:32:00.003-07:00

October is going to be a busy month for First Team Education. If you are going to be attending any of the following conferences, please stop by and say hello!
ICASE - Oct. 1-2
NCA - Oct. 5-6
ITW - Oct. 9
ICTM - Oct. 25-26

We will also be at the All-Write conference with Cris Tovani on Oct. 15 and at the SWITCM in Evansville on Oct. 29.

See you there!

Mentor Texts

2009-09-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Remember when reading aloud a book to your students was something you did right after lunch? Now children's books are used to teach all kinds of skills and strategies and they are called mentor texts. First Team Education sells children's books at a great discount; 25% off and free shipping! We have lists of recommended titles, such as 6+1 mentor texts, recommendations from Katie Wood Ray's Study Driven and Wondrous Words, Linda Dorn's list from Teaching with Deep Comprehension to name a few. If you have a list of children's books that you would like to get a price quote for, please contact First Team Education at bvanmol@aol.com.

New Test Prep Materials Available

2009-09-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well summer is almost officially over! Although for teachers the summer usually ends the first day of school; which is coming earlier and earlier. Most of you have been in school now for 2-3 weeks. You have gotten to know your students and the ISTEP scores have been issued. Now is the time to look for a good test prep program for those kids that can benefit from some practice. Continental Press has just come out with a brand new test prep program for ELA, Math, and ECA. Since there recently was a change in the math standards, they have gone back and made some changes but the finished product should be out early October. Otherwise, the ELA materials are ready and if you would like to see a copy, contact First Team Education or Continental Press.

Web Based Programs for ESL and Math Intervention

2009-08-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

First Team Education offers two web based curriculum programs for you. If you are an ESL director, coordinator, or teacher please visit the ESLreadingsmart.com web site. This program is for ESL students up through high school. Visit the site, click on Trial and you will be sent a password for a free two week trial. If you need a math intervention program, ILearn.com is the place to go. This program offers a placement test in order to be sure your student is placed in the correct level, instruction in the math concepts, and a fluency component. Contact First Team Education to receive a temporary password so you can review the program. Web based programs are the way to go!

Special promotion from Lerner Publishing

2009-08-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

Lerner Publishing has some great deals going on right now! Free books with purchases as small as $100.00. Contact First Team Education to find out the details.

Indiana big on professional development!

2009-08-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

The state of Indiana was ahead of the pack this summer in professional development opportunities! As a company, First Team Education attended and exhibited at several locations around the state. There were many top notch presenters conducting workshops for Indiana's educators including: Tim Rasinski, Lester Laminack, Barry Lane, Katie Wood Ray, Penny Kittle, Jeff Anderson, Kelly Gallagher, Carl Anderson, Aimie Buckner, Jim Burke, Franki Sibberson, Frank Serafini, Brod Bagert, Jacqualine Woodson, and others. If you are interested in finding out about other professional development opportunities, contact Brenda at bvanmol@aol.com. First Team Education can also assist you in getting a presenter for your school or district. Let them know how they can help!