Fremont, USA – February 1, 2012 – Blackmagic Design today released Desktop Video 9.2 beta 1, a software update for its capture and playback products that adds broadcast monitoring support with the new Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3 update.

Desktop Video 9.2 beta 1 for Mac OS X is available for download now and is free of charge for all Blackmagic Design customers. This update includes support for all current DeckLink, Multibridge, Intensity and UltraStudio models.

Broadcast monitoring in Final Cut Pro 10.0.3 allows video output to external monitors and other equipment using the SDI, HDMI or analog video outputs from Blackmagic Design video hardware.

Desktop Video 9.2 beta 1 includes a new control panel for selecting the video output format from Final Cut Pro X for output to devices such as broadcast quality monitors, HDTVs and projectors, so you can see exactly what your master will look like in television colorspace.

Desktop Video 9.2 beta 1 also includes Media Express 3.1 beta. Media Express provides capture, logging and management of video files to Final Cut Pro X compatible formats including ProRes and uncompressed video. Media Express features timecode accurate video capture from professional VTRs with RS-422 control, the ability to log additional metadata and to create custom bins for managing all project video media.

Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3 includes XML 1.1 for exporting primary color grades to DaVinci Resolve. This improved XML support makes it easier to move projects from FCP X to Resolve as any primary color changes carried out during editing can now be imported and applied automatically within Resolve. Once a project has been color graded with DaVinci Resolve it can be reopened simply within Final Cut Pro X for any further editing.

“We are extremely pleased to provide immediate support for the new monitoring feature in Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3,” said Grant Petty, CEO of Blackmagic Design. “Now working with Final Cut Pro X is even better since our customers can accurately view projects on whatever monitor they choose and can ensure that their final output meets crucial broadcast standards.”

Availability and Price
Desktop Video 9.2 beta 1 for Mac OS X is available now free of charge from the Blackmagic Design support page at www.blackmagic-design.com/support.

Press Photography
Images of all Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagic-design.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and film restoration software for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability, while the company’s DaVinci EmmyTM award winning color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including stereoscopic 3D and 4K workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore, and Australia. For more information, please check www.blackmagic-design.com.

Rules and Guidelines:
Any student in grades K-12 who attends school in a United States or Federal Territory is eligible to enter a digital video of 1-3 minutes in length. Students are to portray a historical character and will be judged on presentation performance, character and content accuracy, and content quality. Winter competition entries are due March 31, 2012, spring competition entries are due June 30, 2012, and fall competition entries are due November 30, 2012. One student winner will be selected per competition and will receive $500. In addition, a SAMCAM 860 document camera will be given to their class. Students just need to go to www.samsungk-12.com to enter. The MSRP of the Samsung SAMCAM 860 is $799.

For more information about Samsung Techwin America’s Electronic Imaging Division and its full line of affordable and innovative document cameras, call 877-213-1222, ext. 3306 or go to www.samsungpresenterusa.com.

About Samsung Techwin America – Electronic Imaging Division
Samsung Techwin America is a market leader in document cameras for use in the education sector, ranging from K-12 to universities, courtroom applications, as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. Every Samsung document camera provides the quality and innovation that has built the Samsung name─ quality optics, a robust feature set, a wealth of user-friendly features, and state-of-the-art digital imaging technology. Additionally Samsung Techwin markets a full line of security products under the CCTV Division. Samsung Techwin America is the U.S. subsidiary of Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd. in Sungnam Kyungki-Do, Korea. Samsung is the world’s 11th largest company. www.samsungpresenterusa.com.

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CHANDLER, Ariz. – Jan. 31, 2012 – With national, state and regional education leaders seeking learning resources with a proven track record of improving student performance, efficacy reports pointing to measurable gains are critical. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan reiterated the need for data in education recently, saying, “Research is the compass for education reform – guiding us forward and showing us when we’re headed in the right direction.”

As part of its ongoing research and efficacy initiatives, Pearson today released a new independent research report on SuccessMaker Reading, a digitally adaptive program for grades K-8 that personalizes reading and math instruction for students. Conducted by Gatti Evaluation, Inc., the study confirms that elementary and middle school students learning with SuccessMaker significantly outperformed their peers relying on print materials on a nationally recognized assessment of reading skills.

The study looked at the achievement of students in third, fifth and seventh grade. Findings revealed that these SuccessMaker students statistically significantly outperformed students learning with print materials on the norm-referenced GRADE (Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation) for Total Reading score. Seventh-grade SuccessMaker students realized greater gains in reading achievement than 60 percent of their peers using a print program. Third-grade SuccessMaker students achieved greater gains than nearly 60 percent of their peers in reading achievement; fifth-grade SuccessMaker students achieved greater gains than 53 percent of their peers using a similar program.

Further findings show that SuccessMaker users across multiple high-risk groups, including Hispanic students and students of low socioeconomic status, outperformed those in the comparison group.

Guido Gatti, principal investigator at Gatti Evaluation, commented on the results of the study: “Our research tells us that students learning with SuccessMaker Reading, including at-risk students, were more successful in vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. Furthermore, the study indicates that SuccessMaker users experience greater gains in achievement with increased usage.”
In addition to accelerated student achievement, teachers’ responses to the program were “overwhelmingly positive,” according to the Gatti Evaluation research report. Specifically, teachers said the program’s adaptive nature and alignment to state and local standards provided well-differentiated learning activities for high- and low-achieving students. They also firmly believed that their students liked using SuccessMaker Reading and that the program made the learning process more fun for students.

Cherie Steadman, peer reading coordinator at Kruse Elementary in Pasadena, Texas, was among the educators participating in the study and saw both accelerated achievement and increased student engagement in learning. “Even our struggling learners showed significant growth from beginning to end. The students enjoy the games and aren’t even aware they are gaining skills as they play. Teachers truly appreciate the feedback the reports provide as they allow for immediate input to support Response to Intervention in their classrooms.”

Her colleague, Phillis Christeson, peer facilitator at the district’s Stuchbery Elementary, also saw high levels of student engagement when learning with SuccessMaker Reading. “Our students wanted to spend time learning with SuccessMaker Reading because they were making progress and having fun at the same time. This resulted in an improvement in their literacy skills as well as contributed to the development of a love for learning that
will serve them well across the curriculum throughout their education, careers and in life.”

Meeting the What Works Clearinghouse’s “gold standard” guidelines for academic research, the study included 80 diverse third-, fifth- and seventh-grade classrooms from eight urban and suburban school districts in seven states during the 2010-11 school year. It involved a large study sample of 1,711 students.

Pearson’s Director of Academic Research Marcy Baughman, said, “We require the independent research companies evaluating our programs to employ rigorous research methods to provide solid evidence that our products, programs and services enhance and further academic achievement. Research-based instruction with embedded assessment, coupled with our efficacy studies conducted by leading educational research organizations, provides education decision-makers with the information they need to choose the learning tools that will best support their students’ needs.”
“Every day, tens of thousands of students around the country build their reading skills with SuccessMaker,” said Chris Dragon, President of Pearson Digital Learning. “This new efficacy study further confirms what teachers tell us: Students at all levels are more engaged in learning and are improving their literacy skills with SuccessMaker Reading.”

About SuccessMaker
SuccessMaker identifies and addresses individual learning needs quickly and efficiently through embedded assessments that determine each student’s unique starting place and continuously analyze each student’s actual performance. The program utilizes the data to automatically create a personalized path through the curriculum, based on a learner’s strengths and weaknesses, pinpointing specific areas of struggle, difficulty, advancement or mastery. Nearly 3 million students in kindergarten through eighth grade have logged in to SuccessMaker globally to date. Learn more at http://www.successmaker.com.

About Pearson and Pearson’s Efficacy Research
Pearson has as its mission to work side by side with states, districts, teachers, students and parents to ensure that every child is prepared for college and career (NYSE: PSO). http://www.pearsoned.com.

Pearson is a company with a strong sense of purpose, focusing on three key issues of social and economic importance: literacy, efficacy and competitiveness. By providing substantive, verifiable studies reflecting the effectiveness of our preK-12, higher education and assessment programs, we are able to shine a spotlight on the deep connection between our commitment to excellence and demonstrated student success. Pearson commissions independent third-party research organizations to work with school districts across the United States to conduct randomized control trial efficacy studies that use the same rigorous scientific model that the Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse requires. These studies inform the next generation of our programs, providing continuous data for enhancing teaching and learning.Visit http://www.pearsoned.com/research/ to learn more.

“We built this new Web site specifically to meet the needs of educational technology professionals,” says Anthony Cortes, Director of Sales and Marketing, K-12 Classroom Systems for Extron. “As we continue to develop extronclassroom.com, we will include even more informative resources and useful tools to help with technology planning and decision making.”

Extron Electronics is the leading manufacturer of classroom audio and video solutions for the K-12 market. Since 1983, Extron has pioneered computer video interfaces, setting standards for matrix switching, signal processing, and transmission, and simplifying the control, installation, and set-up of AV systems. These efforts have resulted in the development of classroom AV solutions that meet the unique performance and price point requirements of the education market. The three primary classroom AV solutions developed by Extron are its PoleVault®, WallVault®, and VoiceLift® Systems.

Extron’s aggressive Classroom Technology Grant Program is another example of our commitment to enhancing the K-12 learning environment. To date, we have granted more than $5.5 million worth of equipment to over 900 classrooms in U.S. school districts.

Visit the new site at www.extronclassroom.com for our latest product and classroom technology information.

“Last fall, we asked our readers to give their top picks for school hardware, software, websites and services. Nearly 1,400 readers responded via one of our three websites: eSchoolNews.com, eCampusNews.com, and eClassroomNews.com. In nominating their favorite products, we asked readers to tell us how they’re using these products to improve teaching, learning, or school administration—and to what effect. We then chose the 50 best responses, which appear alphabetically by product name and grouped into two categories: K-12 and higher education.” – said Dennis Pierce, Editor, eSchool Media

“It’s indeed a proud moment for Raptivity to be ranked among the Top 50 Education Technology Products in the K-12 category. We are excited to receive this recognition of being a 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards winner” said Seema Chaudhary, President of Harbinger Knowledge Products Inc. “Raptivity team is always on fore-front to serve customers and meet their changing eLearning needs. eSN Readers’ Choice Awards confirms that our customers value the services provided by Raptivity team. We thank all our Raptivity users for expressing their satisfaction through their votes.”

To read more details about the award visit: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2012/01/03/our-readers-top-ed-tech-picks-for-2012

For a PDF copy of the award publication, visit: http://www.eschoolnews.com/files/2012/01/eSMRCA2012.pdf

About eSchool Media Inc

With an audience of more than one million education decision makers, eSchool Media Inc. is the parent organization of three robust print, digital, eMail and video networks providing breaking news and vital information to brand-specifying buyers at every level of the education field. These three leading education-technology publication networks are – eSchool News (K-20), eCampus News (Higher Ed) and eClassroom News (Teachers).

About Raptivity

With Raptivity, users can create interactivity rapidly and add it conveniently to their eLearning content. With interactive content, learning experiences become memorable and drop-out levels go down.

Raptivity provides a pre-built library of rapidly-customizable interaction models. The library consists of interactive exercises, diagrams, games, simulations, 3D virtual world interactions, videos and 170+ such pre-built interaction models based on best practices in instructional design. Users can customize them to create any number of variations. The content published by Raptivity is a single flash file so it fits right into hundreds of eLearning tools and can be used anywhere. With its patented technology and open architecture, Raptivity is at the forefront of rapid interactivity technology.

Raptivity has won numerous awards in various categories, including the e-Learning Guild Platinum Award for highest user satisfaction in the simulation tools category and LearnX Award for best rapid e-Learning tool. It has also been voted number one by users in various categories usage and usability categories. In 2011, Raptivity has won the 17th Annual Best Educational Software Awards (Bessie) 2011 in the Online Technology Tool category. For more information on Raptivity, visit www.raptivity.com.

About Harbinger Knowledge Products

Harbinger Knowledge Products is recognized as a global leader in interactivity solutions for knowledge-sharing applications including learning, presentation and web development.

Harbinger Knowledge Products is a part of Harbinger Group, which serves customers in over 57 countries through its offices in Pune (India), Redmond (WA, USA), Pleasanton (CA, USA) and through its partner network worldwide.

For three consecutive years, Deloitte has named Harbinger Knowledge Products among the fastest growing technology companies in its Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific and Technology Fast 50 India programs. Red Herring named Harbinger amongst world’s top 100 private technology companies.

Harbinger’s patented technology and sound thought leadership have resulted in groundbreaking products, including market-leading Raptivity and Raptivity Presenter, innovative YawnBuster, and cutting-edge SiteJazzer and TeemingPod.

For more information on Harbinger Knowledge Products, visit www.harbingerknowledge.com.

Orlando, FL – January 30, 2012 – Sir Michael Barber and Michael Fullan, renowned global experts on school leadership, change management and implementing sustainable systemwide change, will deliver the keynote address at Pearson’s National Summit on School Improvement February 9-11 in Orlando.

Barber, Pearson’s Chief Education Advisor and former Advisor to United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Fullan, Special Advisor to the Premier and Minister of Education in Ontario, Canada, will share the stage in addressing The Importance of Leadership, Collective Capacity, and Delivery Practices for Implementing Sustainable Schoolwide and Systemwide Improvement. Each will discuss his latest research findings, exploring the connections between the skills and practices of successful leaders and the development and sustainability of positive change in schoolwide and districtwide improvement systems.

In commenting on the upcoming Summit, Barber said, “To meet the challenges of the 21st century, we need much higher performing education systems the world over, including in the US. Young people in America will only find fulfillment in their lives if they can be productive in the workplace and community. This means we need to apply systematically across the US all that we know about what makes education systems effective—and we know a lot. Gone are the times when we just had to guess! We know what works; now we need the courage and skill to apply that knowledge. This is what the session will be about.”

And in advance of his participation in the conference, Fullan noted, “I very much look forward to working with you on School, District and System improvement. We have learned a great deal in Ontario and across North America about strategies that serve to increase student achievement, including raising the bar and closing the gap. There is an urgent need to put this knowledge into greater use.”
Allison Wagner, President of Pearson’s School Achievement Services, said, “We are extremely fortunate to offer educators here in the US the opportunity to hear the wisdom of Sir Michael Barber and Michael Fullan, whose work so closely aligns with our own goals. Their presence at our National Summit really heralds Pearson’s commitment to building capacity and sustainable results with district and school leaders around the country and our shared mission of ensuring that all students become college- and career-ready.”
Wagner noted that Pearson will be introducing its new School Improvement Model (SIM) at the conference.

Other experts leading conference discussions include:

• Children’s Rights and Literacy Advocate, Pam Allyn, will be examining Common Core State Standards as a lever and a tool for transforming classroom life as states transition to fewer, higher standards to ensure that students are college- and career-ready. Allyn is Executive Director and founder of LitWorld, a global organization advocating for children’s rights as readers, writers and learners. She is also the Executive Director and founder of LitLife, a national organization dedicated to school improvement.

• Carrie Heath Phillips, Program Director, Common Core Standards, Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), will lead discussions addressing the new Assessments, including the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Phillips will discuss how the two assessment consortia are alike and different, what educators can expect to see in the new assessments, and how they can prepare their school or district for these new assessments.

The conference also includes case study and best practices in school improvement seminars presented by current educators, sessions on implementing the Common Core effectively as well as large session conversations and presentations focused on educator effectiveness, continuous improvement, and increasing teacher engagement. Educator effectiveness sessions will include the latest approaches and technologies for evaluating and collecting classroom observation data to inform decision making. These sessions will address how to tie data directly to a personalized plan for ongoing professional development that includes access to a vast library of on-demand, cloud-based, in-classroom professional development videos as well as social media tools that allow for online collaboration around best practices and lesson modeling.

More than 250 school officials from around the nation have already registered to attend the conference which will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

To register and view the conference agenda, visit https://secure.lenos.com/lenos/pearson/NationalSummit2012/home.htm.

New Series Empowers Educators to Adapt Teaching Environments to Support Mobile Learning; Based on New iPaper; Begins in February with Mini Sessions at TCEA 2012

CHICAGO — January 27, 2012 — Bretford Manufacturing, Inc., manufacturer of dependable furniture products that improve how people work and learn, today announced its newest series of BRETFORDUniversity (BRETFORDU) webinars that focus specifically on mobile learning. Based on Bretford’s newest iPaper “Mobility & Learning in the Digital Age,” the six new webinars, which are free of charge, are set to begin next month. Bretford will also run mini sessions on mobile learning in its booth (#2365) during TCEA 2012, February 8-10 in Austin, Texas.

“Nearly 1,000 educators participated in our first BRETFORDU webinar series on social learning because they are dedicated to improving the space where teaching and learning occurs – they understand this responsibility,” explained Cindy Weinschreider, senior marketing manager, Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. “This new series will continue to inspire educators by helping them understand the impact that mobile technology has on learning, while providing fresh ideas on how to embrace mobility by creating agile learning environments.”

In cooperation with Bretford, Tim Springer, PhD, president and founder of Human Environmental Research Organization (HERO, Inc.) developed the iPaper and will lead each of the six new webinars on mobile learning. “This series explores the impact of changing technology on the physical environment in which learning occurs,” according to Springer. “Using research evidence, case studies and examples, the webinars describe how mobile technology is changing education and define the requirements for educational spaces that support mobile learning.”

Each live webinar begins at 2:00 p.m. EST and runs approximately 30 minutes, with an additional 15 minutes for questions and answers. Following the live sessions, each webinar will be available on demand in the BRETFORDU section of the Bretford website. The mobile learning webinar topics, descriptions and dates include:
• Mobility and Learning in the Digital Age (February 16). Discusses how learning is changing in response to mobility and digital media. Teaches how to recognize the contexts in which mobile learning is most effective and how to grasp the need to address mobile learning as knowledge-based and physical.

• Mobile Learners: Generation C (March 8). Addresses some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding technology, age and mobile learning while recognizing Generation C and how this generation is changing what we think of as teaching and learning.

• New Technologies, New Learning (March 29). The integration of converging information and communication technologies into smart devices is changing how, when, where and why learning occurs. Participants will develop awareness of the new uses for technology in learning and acknowledge the characteristics of technologies that best support mobile learning.

• Contexts and Convergence of Mobility, Learning & Technology (April 19). Mobile learning requires us to rethink what constitutes learning and in what context it occurs. This session acknowledges how we can rethink learning to encompass important lifelong skills.

• The Learning Ecosystem: Integrating Teaching, Learning, Technology and Space (May 17). This webinar explores how an effective learning ecosystem integrates and leverages the key elements of learning, technology and space. It addresses a multimodal, multidimensional approach to learning and learning spaces.

• Facility Support for Mobile Learners (June 21). Effective implementation of mobile learning requires infrastructure and facility support. This session focuses on the facility requirements to support mobile learning technologies, the challenges of and opportunities for learning infrastructure, and developments that may help realize the full potential of mobile learning.

About BRETFORDU
BRETFORDU is an education vehicle for 21st century learners. Positioned to help educators stay ahead of the curve with live and online seminars and events, BRETFORDU focuses on new teaching methods and technologies in and outside of the classroom. It is designed to help those involved in education take charge of making the learning environment a better place today for the leaders of tomorrow.

To register for a live webinar, visit BRETFORDU, click “Webinars” and register for an available event. For more information about BRETFORDU, call 1-800-521-9614. Bretford can also be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bretfordmanf or Facebook at www.facebook.com/bretfordmanf.
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About Bretford Manufacturing, Inc.
Bretford is a manufacturer of furniture for both classroom and work environments. Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Franklin Park, Ill., Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. holds more than six decades of expertise dedicated solely to the design and manufacture of furniture solutions. With nearly 350 employees and 450,000 square feet of production space, the company offers smart furniture designs that support evolving technology, enabling institutions, organizations and corporations to increase productivity and efficiency. Bretford’s superior workmanship and environmentally compliant manufacturing and operation practices ensure dependable products, many of which are GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®. Bretford products are backed by a 12-year standard warranty and the industry’s best 20-year standard warranty on library furniture.

The CP-A301N, CP-AW251N and CP-A221N all combine compact size, light weight (8.6 lbs) and versatile features with total ease of use. Their ultra-short-throw lens design enables them to be mounted close to a projection screen or whiteboard, which prevents obstructed images and shadows and avoids light shining in the presenter’s eyes. Adding to their value, the new projectors offer extended 5,000-hour lamp life (in Eco mode).

All three models can also be used with an optional tabletop stand that enables images to be projected directly onto a tabletop—ideal for small group presentations or rooms where space is at a premium. The projectors’ Perfect Fit 2 image adjustment system corrects for any geometric image distortion and precisely fits the images to the screen or tabletop.

All three projectors feature network connectivity. All include an RJ-45 Ethernet jack for connection to a local area network (LAN), allowing content to be sent directly from a computer to the projector via the network, and facilitating monitoring and maintenance via the LAN. Hitachi’s PJMessenger function allows text messages and audio alerts to be sent on all networked projectors, an effective way to send announcements throughout an entire campus or facility.

The projectors provide XGA and WXGA resolution with up to 3,000 ANSI lumens brightness (depending on model), and include a host of inputs and outputs including HDMI, S-Video and composite video inputs, USB and RGB computer connections, RCA, stereo mini-jack and microphone audio inputs, and audio and video monitor outputs. In addition, an RS-232 port enables integrated system control when used with control systems including Crestron® and AMX®.

The CP-A301N, CP-AW251N and CP-A221N provide a host of convenience features. All include a built-in 10-watt audio amplifier that eliminates the need to connect external speakers, and the mic input operates even if the projector is in standby mode. Hitachi’s exclusive Template function projects four types of line templates, making it easier to write on a whiteboard. In addition, the optional TB-1 wireless drawing tablet and pen enable users to write over the projected image for more engaging presentations.

Hitachi’s unique Input Source Naming feature lets the user customize the names of input sources instead of using the factory default settings, and the supplied remote controls have customizable MyButton and MySource and Document Camera keys to create shortcuts to frequently used functions and sources. The operating frequency of the projector’s remote can be changed to avoid conflict with fluorescent lights or IrDA IR signals from notebook computers. Additional useful features include a security sensor that disables the projector if it is moved without authorization, a power saving Eco standby mode, an improved hybrid filter that provides up to 4,000 hours between maintenance, two optional wall-mount arms and more.

For more information on Hitachi visit www.hitachi-america.us/digitalmedia

Follow Hitachi on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hitachi-Projectors/131067323636829

Follow Hitachi on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/HALProjectors

ABOUT HITACHI
Hitachi America, Ltd., headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies offer a broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and services, automotive products and consumer electronics with operations throughout the Americas. For more information, visit www.hitachi-america.us. For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United States, please visit www.hitachi.us.

Hitachi America, Ltd., Digital Media Division, Business Solutions Group markets LCD projectors, interactive panels and whiteboards and security and observation system products through value added resellers, system integrators, distributors and OEMs.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hitachi.com.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Hatch®, a leading provider of technology for early learning, unveiled today WePlaySmart™, a research-based content solution for the multi-touch SMART Table™ that provides early learners with an engaging environment to build crucial social and emotional skills against a backdrop of cognition. WePlaySmart is an intuitive tool for social-emotional development, skills that are shown to directly impact long-term academic achievement, and complements Hatch’s proven-effective products for cognitive skill development – TeachSmart® and iStartSmart™ – to round out Hatch’s suite of 21st Century Classroom products for success in early learning.

“Our new WePlaySmart system capitalizes on innovative multi-touch table technology to revolutionize how we teach and monitor the development of social and emotional skills vital to child development and success,” said Ginny Norton, president of Hatch. “WePlaySmart combines leading-edge technology from SMART with the most recent research on social-emotional development to produce an innovative tool that facilitates child engagement in learning, fosters positive peer relationships and provides authentic data over time that teachers have never had at their fingertips before.”

The new WePlaySmart system accommodates two to four children and promotes social and emotional school readiness through interaction during cognitive-skill-based games. The system presents activities across four skill areas shown to be essential for social and emotional development including: behavioral control, social competence, emotional control, and executive function. Each of the more than 275 research-based activities provide a fun, cooperative environment of interactive opportunities for children to practice and develop capabilities to make their own decisions, solve problems, and collaborate in a variety of familiar and new environments.

WePlaySmart is designed for pre-readers to independently access the system using a patented photo login and audio prompts for child-directed play. The adaptive learning system tracks each child’s participation and purposefully walks children through the spectrum of social-emotional skills. WePlaySmart includes built-in automated progress monitoring that captures authentic data through periodic audio recordings of actual language and interaction with peers. The system includes proprietary individual and class overview reports to track social-emotional competency, provide unbiased reporting for parent conferences and help teachers and administrators support instruction in the classroom.

Hatch officially unveiled WePlaySmart at the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) in Orlando, Fl. on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. This is Hatch’s fourth education technology product roll out during the past 12 months and rounds out Hatch’s suite of 21st Century Classroom products for early learners.

“It is imperative that we make the development of key social and emotional competencies a priority for early childhood learning if we are to overcome the rise of behavior problems in our classrooms and build a successful foundation for our young learners,” said Ginny Norton, president of Hatch. “By obtaining age-appropriate social-emotional skills, children reduce their risk of long-term behavior problems, are buffered against a myriad of mental and physical health risks and are more likely to achieve greater success academically and experience fewer learning problems.”

WePlaySmart Features
WePlaySmart by Hatch features social-emotional skill-building content, records actual audio clips for progress monitoring and provides individual and class reporting, in one comprehensive system:
• Research-based content
• Designed using best practices (real photos, rich vocabulary)
• Aligned with nationally recognized early childhood development standards
• Independent access for pre-readers using patented photo login and audio prompts
• Supports visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learning styles
• Child-directed play in fun, game-like environment for increased student engagement
• Encourages cooperation between two to four children to develop four critical skill areas: behavioral control, social competence, emotional control, and executive function
• Social-emotional activities set against a backdrop of cognitive skill development
• Audio samples capture actual language and interaction with peers for authentic monitoring
• Administrators and teachers can view objective individual detailed reports and class overview reports
• Plug and play – comes pre-loaded with activities, progress monitoring and reporting tools

About Hatch®, The Early Learning Experts:
Since 1984, Hatch has been committed to supporting the needs of students and enriching early education. From classroom supplies and education materials, to interactive whiteboard content, to adaptive learning and mobile technology, Hatch® is the innovative solutions leader and most widely-used early learning technology provider nationwide. Hatch technologies combine child-appropriate hardware, research-based content tied to standards, and individualized progress monitoring tools, to create complete classroom solutions proven to increase math, literacy and social/emotional development. For more information, please visit http://www.hatchearlylearning.com.

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“This partnership with The Green Schoolhouse Series is part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the K-12 learning environment,” says Anthony Cortes, Director of Sales and Marketing, K-12 Classroom Systems for Extron. “Extron PoleVault, WallVault, and VoiceLift Systems demonstrate how the right classroom AV technology can be used to empower teachers and students, as well as be environmentally friendly.”

Ranging in size from 6,000 to 15,000 square feet, every Green Schoolhouse replaces portable classrooms with a permanent, multipurpose, educational facility. Each Green Schoolhouse model has its own theme or focus and offers a central multipurpose room, an outdoor learning space, a library, a computer lab, a kitchen, and a lounge. Extron will provide complete audio, video, and control integration for classrooms within two LEED-Platinum designed Green Schoolhouses slated for construction in Phoenix, Arizona. The Green Schoolhouse Series expects to build many similar multipurpose schoolhouses across America over the next five years.

Visit our Web site at www.extronclassroom.com for more information.

For more information on The Green Schoolhouse Series, visit http://greenschoolhouse.homestead.com/index.html