EdTech Show Daily

Sony Creative Software Gets Tools, Training to Teachers & Students

Dave Chaimson, Vice President of Global Marketing for Sony Creative Software, presents Sony’s integral applications in the classroom.

ESD: It seems that every day, a strong foundation in technology becomes more important for students preparing for successful futures. What does Sony Creative Software offer to help students develop an understanding of computers and multimedia?

DC: Sony Creative Software applications make professional and entry-level multimedia technology accessible to the new user, so even elementary school students can begin learning about video, audio, music creation and production. No matter which path students choose as they leave school and begin their careers, a foundation in multimedia technology can be a powerful tool to help them communicate their ideas more effectively in a variety of disciplines.

ESD: What differentiates Sony Creative Software applications from other programs teachers may be considering?

DC: Certainly our breadth of products and Sony’s expertise in content creation technology. We have a complete line of software for video, music, audio and DVD creation that’s tightly integrated with Sony’s line of cameras and computers. Also, all of our products are designed to work together and feature a similar interface so it’s easy to move from one product to the next. Our professional applications are used extensively in the video and recording industries worldwide. In fact, Sony Vegas Pro was recently named ‘Best Professional Video Editing Software’ by *Videomaker* magazine and also was selected as ‘Best Choice’ by *Student Filmmaker* magazine at the National Association of Broadcasters show in April.

ESD: Does Sony Creative Software offer support tools and training for teachers?

DC: Absolutely. We have a dedicated Web site for educators with curriculum ideas, case studies and helpful product information. For our professional products, we offer hands-on training DVDs called ‘The Seminar Series.’ We also have a detailed curriculum guide for Vegas Pro software called Digital Video & Audio Production. Additionally, our home studio products feature our exclusive ‘Show Me How’ interactive tutorials that provide step-by-step help that shows you what to do while you work on your project.

ESD: Are these applications currently being used in schools?

DC: Yes. Sony Creative Software applications are currently an integral part of the curriculum for thousands of schools worldwide and adoption is growing daily. One of my favorite stories is about a teacher in Monona, Wis., that uses our Vegas Movie Studio software to teach French class by producing video clips with French subtitles that students can use to practice their language skills. Another way schools learn about Sony Creative Software applications is by participating in our contests specifically designed with schools in mind. The most recent were two video production contests: the Technology in Motion student film contest and the Cyberbullying Awareness Public Service Announcement creation contest.

ESD: Tell us more about the Technology in Motion student film contest and the Cyberbullying PSA development contest.

DC: We’re excited to be announcing the grand prize winner of the Technology In Motion contest here at NECC 2008. The contest was open to all U.S. high schools, with participating schools receiving a free, promotional edition of Vegas Pro 8 software and training materials to create their films. Hundreds of schools signed up for the contest. We asked a panel of multimedia experts to narrow the film submissions down to three finalists and placed the top three films online for public voting. The PSA contest was designed to raise awareness of the issue of cyberbullying and was developed in partnership with the Ad Council and National Crime Prevention Council. Technology literacy teacher Marvin Jimenez was the winner in the K–12 category.

ESD: Where can interested teachers learn more about Sony Creative Software?

DC: Visit us at www.sonycreativesoftware.com/education or stop by booth 9054 here at NECC 2008.

AEC, LearnStar Offer A+ Classroom Student Response System

Here at NECC, the American Education Corporation (AEC) is introducing the A+® Classroom Student Response System™ (A+ Classroom SRS™) which will provide teachers the ability to administer very short and very frequent individual assessments in an engaging whole-class setting, using various classroom response devices, or “clickers.”

Designed by LearnStar, A+ Classroom SRS is compatible with response systems from LearnStar (v24 StarPads and StarLite), InterwriteTM (PRS), Renaissance (ResponderTM and AlphaSmart’s NEO2TM), Pearson (EngageTM), Fourier (NOVA) or any Windows®, MAC® or Linux® based computing device communicating on a school local area network. Here to talk about it is LearnStar President David Camp and AEC President Tom Shively.

ESD: What makes A+ Classroom SRS such a great choice for teachers who want to engage their students?

DC: The presentation format utilized by LearnStar creates a highly motivating, inclusive environment in the classroom that generates an intensively engaging event for students. What’s more, as recent studies and white papers have described, very short and very frequent formative assessment is recognized as a highly effective method of increasing understanding and retention. The optional competition format of A+ Classroom SRS contains 'pre-announcement' feedback to the students in the form of clues or coaching points that correct or confirm the students’ thoughts. This formative feedback, provided to the student even before the correct answer is revealed, is the most immediate feedback and direction available in classroom response systems. This makes A+ Classroom SRS one of the most effective tools available to provide formative assessment for learning.

TS: What will really separate A+ Classroom SRS from other response programs on the market today will be the ability for teachers to evaluate student learning data from A+ Classroom SRS and then assign lessons in the A+nyWhere Learning System®, our award-winning K–12 curriculum courseware, in order to remediate knowledge gaps or deficiencies. It’s a win-win for teachers and students. Students get to take part in an exciting learning activity and teachers gain valuable data to inform instruction.

ESD: This all sounds extremely complicated.

DC: Not at all. A key design feature of this product is the ease of use for the teacher. Included with the program is a library containing more than 30,000 questions that are organized by age group/grade level and study topic. A teacher simply navigates to the appropriate library, selects a 10-question activity, and then launches the activity for classroom participation. In addition to the library of activities, teachers can create their own “on demand” activities by searching the question bank by specific standard objective or expectation in order to create custom activities for their class. Teachers can even take it a step further and use the A+ Classroom SRS editor to create custom questions or import questions from Word documents.

ESD: So where can schools buy the A+ Classroom Student Response System?

TS: The A+ Classroom SRS product is available from AEC and its authorized distribution partners. Highly affordable licensing is offered on a site basis and includes unlimited teacher and student use.

For more information, visit www.amered.com and www.learnstar.com.

Flexible, User-Friendly Aspire Software Focuses on Student Learning

Joe Warden, Business Development Executive for Northrop Grumman, discusses diversity and strong interest in the K–12 community.

ESD: Tell our readers a little about your company. What’s your main line of business?

JW: This is an interesting story. Many people who have heard of Northrop Grumman think of a large government contractor or a defense company. What most folks don’t know is that Northrop Grumman is very diversified and has a strong interest in K–12 education. Northrop Grumman has many types of mentoring programs and partnerships with school districts mostly focusing on helping students into careers in math and science. I focus primarily on the ASPIRE assessment system, which is a bit different in that we have developed a flexible and teacher-friendly student assessment software system focusing not only on student learning but also helping teachers in the classroom.

ESD: What makes your company unique?

JW: Northrop Grumman is a technology company that has developed many types of safe and secure software solutions based on customer needs and requirements. With more than 120,000 employees, Northrop Grumman has the depth and breadth of technological expertise and resources to deliver to and support our customers.

ESD: What distinguishes your products from the competition?

JW: ASPIRE was created by teachers for teachers so it is very flexible and user friendly.  We knew that when we started down this path, we wanted to develop a product that would really help teachers with their classroom instruction. Therefore, we worked very closely with teachers and other educators from day one of the development of ASPIRE.  Our belief is that users or practitioners know what type of functionality they need in an assessment tool and we continue to enhance ASPIRE based on customer feedback and suggestions.

ESD: Compare the position of your products and their technology against the current market.

JW: ASCD provides the professional development and educational content for ASPIRE, while Northrop Grumman focuses on what the company does best—deliver cutting-edge technology in a secure environment. 

ESD: Who are your target end-users?

JW: We have a wide range of educators that we want to engage. Of course, we always want to talk with the educational technology folks and also district curriculum staff as well. Also, since ASPIRE has a strong focus on formative assessment and helping teachers in the classroom, we are always interested in talking with school-based folks as well—principals, teachers and school technology staff. Additionally, we always want to talk with districts that have a philosophy of empowering teachers and have implemented professional learning communities at their schools.

ESD: How do you see the next year in terms of economy, sales, technology and product evolution?

JW: Great question. I think that with how the economy is going these next few years will be challenging to say the least. Having said that, with our belief of where education is going in terms of empowering teachers with the tools and information they need in the classroom, Northrop Grumman, in partnership with ASCD, has a very unique and strong solution that many districts will have a need for.

For more information, visit www.northropgrumman.com.

Going Green: Sharon Campbell's Bicycle Powered Activclassroom

Sharon Campbell, Teacher at Redwood Middle School in Napa, Calif., details her Activclassroom, which is powered by a battery, which is in turn powered by a bicycle which students ride to generate electricity. Energy conservation, science, history and math are all incorporated into the curriculum.

ESD: What gave you the idea of the human-powered classroom?

SC: I thought, if I could just harness the power and energy in these 12 year olds, I could power the whole city! So, that’s what we did. We built a kid-powered bicycle that generates power to a battery that runs the Activclassroom. We found that 15 minutes of cycling powers the Activboard and peripherals for an hour. 

ESD: How has this impacted your students?

SC: They experience the lesson—that motion can be changed into electricity. When they understand that they have the power to make energy, then they understand they have the power to save energy. When they understand that they can save energy, they realize that they can be part of a solution to the environmental challenges they face as they grow up. This is all about giving students power.

ESD: Aside from the energy focus, how do you use technology to engage your students?

SC: We have embedded science, history and math in my classroom and the students work in a hands-on way. They learn that a math class has applications in a science class, and what they learn in an art class has applications in a social studies class.

For example, we often fire up the rockets and go on missions to outer space using the Activboard. We explore other worlds and the ecosystems of other planets. Without technology, I couldn’t always reach the students. If I can create something that makes them curious, I’ve got ‘em!

As teachers, we must meet our children where they are and speak their language. Technology is a major tool in this effort. From there, it’s the unleashed genius, sincerity and idealism of the students that makes the classroom what it is.

ESD: The George Lucas Educational Foundation just completed a film about your students. Stories of the pedal-powered Activclassroom are popping up all over the news. Why do so many people respond to this message?

SC: There is a lot more to what we do than just the technology. Last year our students led the largest youth pledge drive for the EPA’s ‘Change a Light’ program, ever. They distributed thousands of compact fluorescent light bulbs. They also have a recording studio in the back of our classroom that we use to create ‘commercials for the environment,’ which are broadcast on local TV. Each news story focuses on a different aspect of the classroom because there is too much information to cover all of the amazing things these children are doing. But I think what the public likes to hear is that children are being given a structure which enables them to learn, make important distinctions, and most importantly, discover their power in the world.

For more information, visit click here or stop by NECC booth 9104.

Tap into Unlimited K–12 Benefits with 'GroupLink Gives Back' Donation Program

Dave Turner, CEO of GroupLink Corporation, announces a new nationwide K–12 donation program.

ESD: We've been dying to hear about this announcement from GroupLink! Please tell us what the GroupLink Gives Back program is and why this is such a big announcement for our K–12 readers?

DT: The ‘GroupLink Gives Back’ program is brand new, announced first this week at NECC. This program will put much needed cost-saving software in the hands of many well-deserving K–12 districts over the next year.

Each month for the next 12 months, GroupLink and its partners will donate a license or subscription to the everything HelpDesk™ [K–12 edition] software to a pre-qualified district somewhere in the U.S. Even though the value of the software donated is already several thousand dollars, each K–12 district using the software will save hundreds of thousands of dollars, applying best-practices IT and facility support, over the life of its use.

ESD: So this is free software donated once a month to a K–12 district, correct?

DT: That's right!

ESD: The GroupLink Gives Back program sounds great, but could you tell us exactly what the GroupLink everything HelpDesk software does?  What is it used for?

DT: In a nutshell, the software saves K–12 organizations time and money. The everything HelpDesk application saves the district money by increasing efficiency and reducing its IT and facility support costs. In technical terms, it helps the district's IT and facilities departments do three things very well: easily apply best-practices in support services; report on key performance indicators like successes and opportunities for improvement; and quickly automate many support functions. It's very user-friendly because it is Web based and PDA based. Our K–12 users love it and start using it quickly.

ESD: Can you give us an example of how a K–12 organization saves time and money using GroupLink's everything HelpDesk?

DT: The Region 18 Education Service Center located in Midland, Texas is a great example. Region 18 services 33 public schools, covering 38,000 square miles of Texas, making them the largest service center in Texas, as far as land area is concerned. Because of this huge area, Region 18 needed a solution that all of its end-users could access no matter where they were located.

Region 18 was using open-source help desk software that did not meet its needs. It did not integrate with their current systems, nor was there any support given with the open source solution. With the implementation of everything HelpDesk solution, and its key integration with Region 18’s technology, Region 18 has been able to become much more effective and efficient. More importantly, Region 18 has been able to save valuable time and resources. It is able to support schools that would have never been able to afford a help desk solution. Region 18 now has the ability to service schools no matter where they are located. GroupLink has been able to give back through the savings in time and resources for Region 18!

ESD: This sounds like a great application and contribution to the K–12 community and great GroupLink Gives Back program. You said that a K–12 district must qualify to be part of the GroupLink Gives Back program. How can a district qualify?

DT: Stop by our booth number 5028, or visit our Web site www.grouplink.net for more details and information on how to apply.

ESD: Thank you for your time Mr. Turner. Do you have any last comment or suggestion for our readers?

DT: I just want to say ‘thank you’ to the K–12 community in general. I look forward to meeting many of you! We are thrilled to be working with you all and thrilled to give back in this small way!

LG's Flat-Panel Displays Make Learning in the Classroom Crystal Clear

Jack Flaherty, Director of Channel Markets/System Integrator for LG Electronics, talks up flat-panel products and their importance in the technologically evolving classroom.

ESD: Tell our readers a little about your company. What’s your main line of business?

JF: LG Commercial Products is a division of LG Electronics USA, and serves digital signage, lodging and hospitality, business-to-business [corporate and industrial], healthcare and channel markets [systems integration, education and government]. Based in Lincolnshire, Ill., LG Commercial products furnishes a broad range of products and services tailored to the particular needs of business and educational environments. The company also has a dedicated engineering and customer support team.

ESD: What is the single most important change/trend you’ve noticed in the education market over the last few years?

JF: There is a rather significant movement away from basic projectors toward flat panels in classrooms from K–12 to higher education. With traditional projectors there is a requirement to replace the lamps every 2000 to 3000 hours. With flat-panel pricing becoming more and more competitive, there is a financial advantage to making the switch. Plasmas, for example, will retain their highest level of resolution and contrast specifications for 60,000 to 100,000 hours. In addition, the cost of maintenance and associated downtime is substantially decreased with flat-panel products. The LG product line offers a competitive advantage with our advanced technology and superior engineering expertise. 

ESD: What are the benefits from a tech-enabled classroom?

JF: Interactivity is a key element to the teaching profession. Several of our flat-panel products allow for split-screen viewing, which means teachers can show a digital document on one side and video content on the other. By using two different means of communication, teachers are better able to engage their students.

In addition, whether it’s a plasma or LCD, content displayed on a flat panel will look crisper and more defined than on a projector. The resolution is enhanced, making it much easier for the entire class to view the content.   

ESD: What are some interesting installations you’ve done in the education sector?

JF: We’ve had great success in Kentucky with the Johnson County School District. This school district was looking for a full turn-key digital classroom experience that enabled teachers to have full control over all A/V equipment in the classroom. We worked with our resellers to provide them with a total of 225, 50-inch plasmas [model 50PX2DC] in seven schools. The 1 U Control System offered by our partner, UDI, can digitally record content that goes through the 1 U Control interface for lesson plan and content creation for the ultimate classroom activity experience. The 1 U Control System also allows the operator to select the source device, start the video and adjust the volume.

ESD: Why is interactivity so important?

JF: Interactivity is important when you have a finite amount of time to convey a large amount of information. For most teachers they have approximately 45 minutes to conduct their class and keep the attention of their students. Easy to use functions, such as split-screen, allow teachers to present the lesson plan timely and efficiently while keeping students actively engaged. 

ESD: What does LG bring to the educational channel that other competitors do not?

JF: Through our digital signage applications we use an IP solution that is able to disperse content from one centralized location to multiple screens. This network solution provides an immediate communication tool which can be extremely important in times of an emergency or an untimely event. Our advancements in digital signage, our interactive touch screen and superior flat-panel technology make LG the company of choice in the education market.

SMART Technologies Focuses on New Education Solutions for Everyone

Nancy Knowlton, CEO of SMART Technologies, talks about the company’s diversity and predicts the availability of interactive whiteboards in the classroom of the future.

ESD: SMART seems to be putting a real emphasis on education solutions. What’s this all about?

NK: SMART is best known for its SMART Board interactive whiteboard. However, educators who really know SMART know that we offer so much more to create an engaging learning experience for students and a great teaching experience for teachers. We offer a full range of hardware and software for the classroom, content and resources, professional development, user communities, services and support. It is the sum total of these elements that produces the experience that our customers love.

ESD: Beyond products, tell us what SMART offers.

NK: SMART is committed to providing all the resources and support for teachers to fully utilize SMART products and create dynamic learning activities for students. For example, we recently launched SMART Exchange, an online community that helps educators share information, connect with colleagues and collaborate on various topics. We continue to add to the content and resources available through SMART Learning Marketplace, a Web-based subscription service which provides more than one million pieces of disaggregated content, the largest repository of online education content available in the world. We also offer a variety of free online training options.

ESD: SMART seems to be on a real growth spurt. What’s happening to cause this?

NK: The interest in interactive whiteboards and other interactive products in the classroom are accelerating in the U.S. and around the world. We see adoptions continuing at an intense pace and predictions are that one in six classrooms globally will have an interactive whiteboard by 2011. There is strong evidence about the positive impact that these products are producing in the hands of skilled teachers—increased student engagement, motivation and attendance, better behavior and improved test scores. Teachers are also reporting that they are more productive as they add technology to their classrooms.

ESD: And how is SMART doing as a company?

NK: At the end of 2007, we held just under 47 percent of the global interactive whiteboard category share and our category share rose to just under 57 percent in the first quarter of 2008. In the U.S. our share is even stronger at just under 60 percent. We know that our overall offering is hitting the mark with customers.

We continue to grow the company across all functions. We have more people in the field for great customer support, and we have really been investing in people to create entirely new products and upgrades to our current products. We are upgrading our business systems to allow us to keep pace with the growth for years to come. In short, the company is in great shape.

ESD: What new products is SMART showing at NECC?

NK: Well, we are showing the newest version of our Notebook collaborative learning software, a new version of our Senteo interactive response system software, our new document camera, our new audio reinforcement system and a new application focused on students. There’s something new for everyone.

Benchmark Scanner Makes Assessment Scoring Quick, Easy & Affordable

Abel Garcia, Vice President of Marketing for Apperson Education Products, talks about Apperson’s new BenchMark™ 3000 test scanner.

ESD: Tell us about your new auto-feed BenchMark 3000 test scanner.

AG: We recently introduced the BenchMark 3000 as the newest member of the Apperson line of test scoring products. The BenchMark 3000 was developed in response to many Apperson customers asking for a test scoring scanner with an auto-feeder. The BenchMark 3000 scans an impressive 3,500+ sheets per hour. It also has an integrated barcode reader, which is ideal for reading pre-slugged answer sheets.

ESD: Aren’t there plenty of other auto-feed test scanners on the market?

AG: Yes, but nothing comes close to the BenchMark 3000. Our scanners offer comparable value, flexibility and superior customer service that Apperson customers have come to know and expect. Competitors’ scanners with comparable scanning speeds and features are likely to cost more than fives times as much, with forms costing almost double. At $1,495, we know we’ve got the perfect scanner for district-wide periodic assessments and it even gives you reports and/or data easily and quickly.

ESD: Tell us more about this barcode reader for pre-slugging.

AG: Pre-slugging, a very popular process today, is a way of pre-printing variable student and test identification information on answer sheets in order to minimize data errors caused by incorrect bubbled forms. Using a barcode is the easiest way to pre-slug information to be read by our BenchMark 3000. The way we designed our BenchMark 3000 scanners and forms is to make it easy for a district to pre-slug their own answer sheets. Apperson also offers pre-slugging services for districts that are more inclined to outsource this process.

ESD: Earlier you stated that you feel the BenchMark 3000 is perfect for district-wide assessments. Can you explain why this is?

AG: Two simple reasons: price and features. The BenchMark 3000 boasts features that are often needed for district-wide assessments [speed, connectivity, bar code reader, etc.] without the extra bells and whistles that are often not needed yet contribute to driving the overall costs up. Because we’ve priced our scanner at $1,495 [including the DataLink™ software, ink, cables, warranty and shipping], many customers have found they can place a scanner at the school, allowing teachers and students to get their test data immediately, instead of having to send the tests to the district for scanning.

We suggest that schools with less scanning volume look at using our GradeMaster™ 600 or Advantage™ 1200 test scoring machines which start at only $525. All Apperson scanners offer a risk-free, 30-day trial.

All NECC attendees are invited to stop by booth 1190 to view a demo of their GradeMaster 600 and DataLink reporting software. Take the “Guess Quiz” for a chance to win a free gift and enter to win one of two free scanners Apperson is giving away following the conference. For more information, call 800-827-9219 or visit www.benchmark3000.com/go/necc.

Engage, Motivate & Collaborate With New mimio Studio 6 Software

mimio Director of Research and Development, Manny Perez, discusses the applications of new Studio 6 software.

ESD: What makes Studio 6 different from earlier versions of the software?

MP: This is the biggest upgrade since we first introduced the software. It focuses on creating and presenting engaging lessons with rich interactive multimedia content. We also streamlined the interface to make it even easier to use.

ESD: How did you improve Studio 6?

MP: Our goal was to create an all-in-one tool to help teachers create, store and share dynamic, interactive lesson plans. Now you can easily add and control rich multimedia content such as video, audio and Flash animations. You can also easily incorporate a variety of document formats, such as PowerPoint, Word and PDF files directly into Studio.

ESD: What is your favorite feature?

MP: It's the content gallery. We preloaded educational content covering a wide range of subjects and grade levels. The live search function means you have quick access to images, movies and lesson plans putting content at your fingertips at all times.

ESD: Do these features make Studio 6 hard to use?

MP: The challenge for any software developer is to make feature-rich software easy to use. With a lot of feedback from our existing users, we tested and refined our application to be intuitive. The software has been designed to have a very small learning curve, but offer a lot of depth. One example of this is our new tool bar, which now offers more functionality, but has been reduced in size to fit nicely on the left side so you can keep tools available without minimizing and resizing. mimio has also put a lot of effort into its training resources.

ESD: How do teachers get Studio 6?

MP: The new version is available free to all Windows users of Studio 5 through the software updates menu.

For more information, visit www.mimio.com or stop by booth 2254.

Plasco ID Develops Efficient, Automated System to Discourage Truancy

Alan Mendelson, President of Plasco ID, addresses the need for an automated system that makes students accountable for their actions.

ESD: Tell our readers a little about Plasco ID.

AM: Plasco ID is a value-added integrator and custom developer of unique identification solutions and has been serving the educational market since 1983. We provide solutions that help school administrators be more efficient and decrease truancy in their schools.    

ESD: What makes your company unique? 

AM: We have a completely customer-centric focus in our company. All enhancements to our products are a direct result of listening to our customers’ needs and addressing them. 

ESD: What products do you see as being hottest this year?

AM: One of our products, PlascoTrac, is truly revolutionary for school administrators. PlascoTrac completely automates the process of issuing passes and managing a school’s student discipline policies. We have successfully reduced tardiness in schools using PlascoTrac by up to 80 percent. This system truly makes students accountable for their actions.

ESD: How does PlascoTrac work? 

AM: Using barcode scanners connected to a workstation or on a mobile PDA, the administrator scans the student’s ID badge and immediately prints a pass that allows the student to return to class. At the same time, the system is tracking how many violations a student has and will automatically issue disciplinary actions such as detentions, letters to parents or suspensions, at predetermined intervals. Schools also have the option to integrate PlascoTrac with many of the leading student information systems, so student information, tardy information and class schedules are automatically synchronized between the systems.

ESD: Does PlascoTrac require significant IT resources for installation and training?

AM: No, the installation is very straightforward and most customers are up and running with PlascoTrac within hours. Furthermore, we offer a 30-day free trial to anyone that expresses an interest in trying it out. No purchase order or upfront payment is required to participate in our trial program. We will ship, install and train on the product at no charge. If the product does not meet their needs, we will take it back.

ESD: Describe your current marketing strategy. 

AM: During 2008, we are participating in more than 15 educational trade shows and have sales representatives visiting schools all around the country. We truly believe that our biggest challenge is exposing educational administrators to our company and our technology.

Once exposed, we are confident that administrators will recognize the value of our products and make them an essential part of their school’s student management program.

For more information, visit www.plascoid.com.