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AEP News ArchivesAEP Awards for excellence in educational products now open, revamped to reflect today's educational products marketRevised entry categories and visibility in online product databases just a few changes to 2009 program LOGAN TWP, NJ--Nov. 10, 2008--Educational resources have come a long way in the past decade. A short time ago rudimentary learning programs delivered via CD in the computer lab were considered cutting edge educational technology; in today's schools, it is not uncommon to find interactive whiteboards in place of overhead projectors, laptops on the desks of every teacher--and in some cases every student--and entire software suites that handle everything from attendance to assessment. The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) is pleased to announce it has restructured its annual educational products awards program to better reflect the resources being developed for and used in the 21st Century classroom. Additionally, AEP has partnered with a number of organizations to increase AEP Award winners' visibility in searchable product databases such as Amazon.com, Bowker's Books In Print, and DedicatedTeacher.com. As in the past, the 2009 AEP Awards program consists of three main entry categories--the Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs), recognizing the year's top classroom products according to subject and grade level; the Golden Lamp Awards, honoring the year's best overall book, periodical, professional development resource, and technology product; and, finally, the Beacon Awards for excellence in education marketing. It is the subcategories and evaluation guidelines that have undergone the biggest makeover. The most obvious change within the DAAs and Golden Lamp Awards is the addition of the Technology Innovations category for products such as websites, portals, social media, or administrative tools. The Professional Development and Curriculum categories also boast new additions, and the Periodical category has been streamlined. Finally, the DAA entry process now includes an Early Childhood grade level designation and the ability to specify the product media, which will be taken into consideration during the judging process. The Beacon Awards have also been brought up to date this year featuring entry categories for Digital Marketing, Social Media Optimization, and Webinars & Podcasts, among others. "We're in the midst of a very exciting time for the educational products industry," said Charlene Gaynor, CEO of AEP. "Publishers and product developers have really come into their own in terms of finding new and innovative ways to use technology not just create new products, but to integrate new tools into existing products that have already proven their meddle in the classroom. These companies are building the future of education and with our revamped awards program AEP is doing our part to support and promote this development." AEP has also concentrated heavily this year on increasing the value of entering and winning an AEP Award. Everyone who enters the Distinguished Achievement and Golden Lamp Awards this year can choose to have their products' data automatically entered in Bowker's Books In Print database, which is shared with--among others--Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Follett and used by over 10,000 retailers and librarians to make book buying decisions. DAA and Golden Lamp winners will receive special recognition as an AEP Award Winner on Amazon.com, Books In Print, and a number of other leading educational product databases. According to Michael Johnson, former Chief Operating Officer at Follett Digital Resources, "award winner" is consistently one of the top considerations in purchasing decisions. "We know that when it comes to spending marketing dollars in today's economy, companies need to see the ROI," said Gaynor. "These fantastic new incentives we're able to offer, on top of existing benefits like product evaluation and media outreach, clearly spell out the value of entering and winning an AEP Award." To
find out more about the AEP Awards and to enter, visit www.AEPweb.org/awards.
AEP Award winners are honored in June at the Annual AEP Summit in Washington, DC. Beacon winners receive their framed certificates during the Beacon Luncheon; DAA and Golden Lamp winners are honored at the black tie-optional AEP Awards Banquet & Gala. About AEP AEP's thought leadership and market insight have created ground-breaking opportunities for its members to collaborate, network, and partner with each other as well as to acquire a voice in the development of government education policy. Founded in 1895, AEP now assists its members in navigating the global realities of educational publishing in the 21st Century. For more information, please visit www.AEPweb.org. | ||
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