A new survey finds teachers’ use of technology is driven by access to devices and positive learner outcomes

Technology use is increasing, with 4 out of 5 teachers saying they will use classroom technology more frequently during the 2015-2016 school year, according to a survey from Front Row Education, a company that provides adaptive, gamified and data driven education programs.

The largest driver of this increase appears to be access to devices, with more than three-fourths of 1,000 surveyed teachers noting that the availability of classroom technology resources at their school is either good (40 percent) or great (37 percent).

Second to access to devices, teachers are embracing classroom technology further as a result of the positive impact they have seen to-date.The survey results indicate that for teachers, a key driving force in this increased use is superior learner outcomes.

When choosing which software to use, the most important factor surveyed teachers cited was the advancement of student learning, followed by the availability of valuable information on a student’s progress. Aligning to the Common Core and ease of use came in third and fourth, respectively.

When surveyed teachers were asked how classroom technology has changed the way they teach, determining the skill level of their students more efficiently topped the list–followed by determining a student’s skill level more deeply.

Cloud-based solution leverages student devices, collaboration to develop 21st-century skills

Nureva, a collaboration solutions company, is launching two models of the Span classroom collaboration system, the WM210e and the WM220e.

Designed for use in classrooms, media centers and innovation labs, the Span classroom collaboration system draws upon familiar, simple and flexible tools already widely used in paper-based creative processes in the classroom including sticky notes, sketches, images, and flip charts.

The system uses a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model to enable collaboration on an expansive 40′ (12.2 m) digital canvas. Students create their input on their personal devices, either a computer or a tablet, and share it on the digital canvas in the cloud.

The single-projector WM210e model or dual-projector WM220e model transforms classroom walls into a 10′ or 20′ (3.1 m or 6.1 m) interactive panoramic workspace for small-group or whole-class collaboration on the digital canvas.

The Span system can aid in developing 21st-century skills including creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. Students use their personal devices to capture their thoughts and when ready, they add these ideas to the shared virtual canvas that is accessed online and projected in panoramic view on a wall. A group or an entire class can then work together to classify, discuss, debate and refine ideas. Everyone’s contributions are visible, enabling all students to actively participate in discussions and learning. Best of all, collaboration doesn’t end when class does. One session can easily lead to further exploration, and students can continue to work on the canvases in real time from other computers, tablets or large-format interactive displays anywhere.

“Educators today are looking for solutions that make the most of the technology already in place in their schools,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “The Span system addresses these needs while giving students the means to actively collaborate anytime, anywhere.”

Additional product details

Shared canvas

The canvas offers 40′ (12.2 m) of digital space (10′ [3.1 m] visible on the WM210e model and 20′ [6.1 m] visible on the WM220e model) that can be panned horizontally. Students and teachers contribute content in the form of notes, sketches, flip charts and images, and organize content by moving and grouping.

Devices and displays

A variety of apps are available for students and teachers to access the service using Span hardware as well as tablets (iOS 8.1+, Android™ 4.4+), laptops, Chromebooks™ and a variety of large-format displays, such as interactive whiteboards, interactive projectors and interactive flat-panel displays connected to computers (Chrome™ v.44+ and Windows® 8.1+).

Digital artifacts

Multiple types of digital artifacts can be created on a personal device or at the canvas:
Note – A digital 5″ x 3″ (12.7 x 7.6 cm) note allows students to enter up to four lines of text
Sketch – A digital 12″ x 9″ (30.5 x 22.9 cm) page for sketching comes with three different ink colors and an eraser

Flip chart – A large digital 30″ x 42″ (76.2 x 106.7 cm) flip chart for capturing notes and questions comes with three different ink colors, a highlighter and an eraser. One flip chart can contain multiple pages.
Image – Any screen capture, photo or stored image can be contributed to the canvas

Panoramic projectors

The HD panoramic projector creates an ultrawide display in a 16:6 aspect ratio at 3000 lumens. A contrast ratio of 1800:1 (native)/10,000:1 (APM) provides consistent, high-performance color and a rich viewing experience. Solid-state illumination (SSI) means instant-on/off and no costly bulbs to replace, delivering the same 25,000 hours of useful life as most flat-panel displays. Touch and pen interactivity are provided by a touch module at each projector, supporting simultaneous multiuser and multitouch activities.

Image-alignment module

The image-alignment module joins the two images of the two-projector WM220e model together through an on-screen alignment process performed at the time of installation to create one seamless 20′-wide (6.1 m) image.

Availability and pricing

Both the WM210e and the WM220e models are available today. Schools and districts that are interested in learning about pricing options for the service plan and hardware can email Nureva at sales@nureva.com, or call direct at 587.774.6647.

To learn more about the product features and specifications, visit www.nureva.com/span-classroom-collaboration-system.

Material from a press release was used in this report.

With new feature from Participate Learning, educators have free, online space for collaboration around lesson plans and more

A newly launched collaboration feature from Participate Learning (formerly called appoLearning) gives educators a way to invite colleagues down the hall or across the country to discuss and share their Collections in real time.

With Participate Learning’s Collections, teachers can find and curate educational websites, apps and videos for improving student outcomes and place these in a digital folder.

Educators are asked constantly to focus on personal professional learning. While Twitter chats, class blogs and conferences are valuable for finding resources and ideas, the depth of collaboration on these channels is limited by either medium or time. Educators can compile spreadsheets of resources to take advantage of the burgeoning number of internet-connected devices in their classrooms.

But most say handmade lists are cumbersome to share. And when educators with a cache of best practices hand out or email their resources to colleagues, they rarely come with sufficient explanation.

Instead, Participate Learning’s new collaboration feature lets educators post comments back and forth in real-time as they make suggestions for improving one another’s Collections. One teacher likened the features available on Participate Learning to “Google + Pinterest + Dropbox.”

Through Participate Learning’s collaboration and Collections, educators recommend apps or websites or videos to one another on topics ranging from ADHD to zoos. Or they can build Collections together on shared topics of interest such as Common Core State Standards.

“Teachers are demanding answers for how best to use the technology filling their classrooms; many are overwhelmed by what they get when searching the internet for resources,” said Alan Warms, chief executive officer of Participate Learning. “We deliver thousands of apps, videos and websites, which expert educators have already vetted, for teachers to search and build Collections with; once a Collection is built, collaboration can happen immediately.”

Participate Learning’s team of educational experts review and comment on numerous devices and platforms including thousands of iOS and Android applications, videos from YouTube and Vimeo as well as virtually any online resource accessible on a connected device like Chromebooks, Microsoft tablets, and laptop or desktop computers.

For more information, visit https://www.participate.com/about.

Material from a press release was used in this report.