Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

SMART Technologies Rolls Out Two New Editions of the ONLY True Multi-User Interactive Display

CALGARY, AB – Today SMART Technologies debuts the latest industry-leading SMART interactive displays for education at the 2023 TCEA Convention & Exposition in San Antonio, Texas. This new release includes the new SMART Board® MX (V4) series, and the SMART Board GX (V2) series. These new displays join the SMART Board 6000S series as the only interactive displays that allow multiple users to freely write, erase, and gesture at the same time, across platforms and applications. 

SMART displays provide the best annotation experience on the market, along with other key, unique features that make them a true ‘walk up and teach’ experience for teachers and students. 

“At SMART we care deeply about the ease of use of our products, and we are working tirelessly to make the most advanced and intuitive tools,” said SMART Technologies CEO Nicholas Svensson. “These products are designed for teachers to ‘walk up and teach’ and to make their days easier – reducing lesson prep time and allowing teachers to provide more collaborative and engaging learning experiences for their students with ease.” …Read More

Intelitek Opens the First of 20 STEAM centers in the Republic of Ghana

DERRY, N.H. – In partnership with the Ghanaian Ministry of Education and Israeli government, Intelitek and its parent company, Robogroup T.E.K. Ltd., have opened the first of 20 planned STEAM (Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering and Mathematics) centers in the Republic of Ghana. Located at the Accra High Senior High School, the new center is part of the ministry’s initiative to increase student interest and instructional quality around STEAM. Students ages 6-14 will be trained to use advanced STEAM technology in a modern interactive learning environment.

The Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education held a commissioning ceremony for the Accra High STEAM Centre in November. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Minister of Education, commended all involved for their commitment to the project and called the center a testimony of the government’s commitment to STEAM education.

“We can become a developed nation,” Dr. Adutwum said, “but it is going to emanate from how well we focus ourselves, how we remain determined and focused in the midst of challenges and say to ourselves we can.”  …Read More

Optoma Unveils “Create. Connect. Inspire.” Teacher-Led Technology Campaign with Creative Touch 5-Series Interactive Flat Panel Displays

FREMONT, CA. – Optoma, a world-leading manufacturer of large display solutions and the #1 4K UHD brand and the #1 DLP® brand worldwide and in the Americas,* today launched its new Creative Touch Interactive Flat Panel Displays (IFPDs) for education and corporate environments. Offering intuitive and easy to use software, the new 5-Series Interactive Flat Panel Displays feature Creative Board, an enhanced whiteboard with a floating toolbar and several annotation tools, bringing collaborative thinking and idea-sharing to life. With new tools and added functionality, Optoma’s IFPDs are the perfect cornerstones for educators and professionals to create and connect their way, enhancing learning and remote collaboration in classrooms, lecture halls, boardrooms and other professional environments. 

Optoma’s range of Creative Touch IFPDs are perfectly suited to accommodate the ever-changing needs of educational environments. Designed to support distance learning, the IFPDs allow students to work together in real time from home, in the classroom, or anywhere, maximizing engagement in remote and hybrid learning environments. With the ability to connect to webcams along with Optoma’s unique software, the Creative Touch 5-Series IFPDs provide the ultimate collaboration solution.  

Customization is front and center with the new IFPDs, which feature several intuitive tools that allow users to modify and tailor the display to their specific needs. The quick-launch pen features a dual-tip, enabling teachers to switch between note taking and highlighting in nearly any color – ensuring lessons flow with ease. Simply take the pen from the holder, and the Creative Board app or annotation mode will launch automatically. …Read More

Discovery Education Premieres Haul!: An Interactive STEM Learning Experience that Digs Into Sustainable Copper Production with Freeport-McMoRan

Charlotte, NC. – Freeport-McMoRan and Discovery Education present a new, first-of-its-kind gamified educational experience with Haul!. This immersive, virtual STEM mission is part of Dig Into Mining – The Story of Copper, an educational program for students grades 6-12 that explores the use of metals such as copper in our everyday life.

Releasing September 22 at 1 P.M. ET, this cutting-edge learning experience is designed to give students the opportunity to discover how copper ore makes its way into items that power our day, including cellphones, computers, vehicles, and more. Students must navigate a loaded haul truck through a 3D copper mine to earn their Haul Truck Operator’s Scorecard, while learning how STEM is used in this larger-than-life operation. The learning experience is accessible through web browsers and Chromebooks using a keyboard and mouse or a USB game controller. An accompanying educator guide makes it easy for educators to integrate the hands-on STEM learning adventure into any lesson plan. The accompanying resources also include classroom extensions to engage students before, during, and after they explore the resource. Learn more and register here.

“Copper is a critical mineral in the renewable energy transition and one essential to our sustainable futures. At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to the highest standards of environmental stewardship and social impact. In this new interactive virtual experience created with Discovery Education, students discover first-hand the STEM activities and skills behind this resource powering our world,” said Tracy Bame, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Freeport-McMoRan. “The gamification of learning engages students in exciting ways, while the accompanying educator resources and activities make it easy for teachers to connect the classroom to the wider world.”…Read More

Schools Across the U.S. and Around the World Partner with VHS Learning to Open a World of Opportunities to Students

Boston — Schools across the U.S. and in eight countries have started or renewed partnerships with VHS Learning this year to provide teacher-led, high school online courses in a variety of disciplines. Some have been partnering with the nonprofit organization for over 20 years.

“Online learning is a valuable tool that can help schools provide students with greater course variety and options for learning,” said Carol DeFuria, President & CEO of VHS Learning. “Schools around the world value our 26 years of experience educating students online, and many partner with us year after year. They trust our program to support their schools’ instructional needs and provide their students with comprehensive, interactive, and engaging online courses led by certified teachers.”

New international school participants this year include BIS in the Republic of Korea, Kingham Hill School in the United Kingdom, and Shanghai SMIC Private School in China. Returning schools include American Community School Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates; Asia American International Academy in Taiwan, Province of China; Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte in Brazil; Qatar Academy Sidra in Qatar; and International School of Kigali in Rwanda.

In addition, many U.S. schools have continued their long-time partnerships with VHS Learning. Schools that have utilized VHS Learning for 20 years or more include three Massachusetts districts: Abington High School in Abington, Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton, and Northbridge High School in Whitinsville. Schools that partnered with VHS Learning over 15 years ago include Hampden Academy and Falmouth High School in Maine, and Bromfield School and Hopkins Academy in Massachusetts, Newmarket Junior-Senior High School in New Hampshire, and Hackettstown High School in New Jersey.…Read More

Promethean Announces the All-New ActivPanel with ActivSync, Delivering a Transformational and Intuitive User Experience

SEATTLE, WA and NEW ORLEANS, LA–June 27, 2022– Promethean, a leading global education technology company, has announced the all-new ActivPanel with ActivSync that delivers the most robust, seamless, and secure user experience yet. With the new interactive panel, Promethean meets the needs of teachers and IT administrators with intuitive, cutting-edge technology that enables a seamless classroom experience. With its easy, secure sign-in options, streamlined connection to content, flexible lesson delivery software, and personalized user experience, ActivPanel 9 offers the tools needed to transform how teachers use technology.

After listening to more than 1,300 customers across the globe, Promethean designed the interactive panel to facilitate navigating a changing environment. The only interactive panel with ActivSync, Promethean’s patented technology, eliminates digital barriers between devices and enables increased connectivity, customizable settings, and enhanced mobility so that teachers can move around the classroom freely. Furthermore, Promethean redesigned the user experience, providing a solution for instructional models, such as hybrid, synchronous, and asynchronous learning that integrate hardware and software in all scenarios.  

“With our commitment to providing educators the ability to transform learning and collaboration, ActivPanel 9 is our most innovative release to date,” said Lance Solomon, chief product officer at Promethean. “We addressed the challenges teachers, IT administrators, and district officials face by creating an interactive panel that is more secure, easier to use, and works better with other technology in their classrooms.”…Read More

Galaxy Next Generation Offers G2 Visual Alerts to Every School in the U.S.

TOCCOA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / June 4, 2022 / Galaxy Next Generation, Inc. (OTCQB:GAXY) (“Galaxy” or the “Company”), a provider of interactive learning technology solutions, has offered a complimentary one-year (school year) subscription for its G2 Visual Alerts security solution to every school and school district in the U.S.

G2 Visual Alerts, part of the larger G2 Secure platform, is a cloud-based solution that can send visual alerts or announcements to any internet-enabled device within the school or district, disseminating a lockdown message throughout the building within seconds of an indicated threat.

“With the rise in school violence continuing across the nation, we felt compelled to make an impact on the education community by providing any schools with a proven security solution at no cost,” said Magen McGahee, Chief Financial Officer of Galaxy. “The majority of our employees are either parents or grandparents of school age children, so it is a personal mission for all of us at Galaxy to make our schools safer for this generation of kids and beyond. Since most of our costs for the development of G2 Visual Alerts has already been accounted for in previous years, we are able to offer a solution to our community in a time of need without a large impact to us financially.”…Read More

How to make the most of your COVID relief funds

School district leaders across the country are cautiously optimistic about post-pandemic teaching and learning–and they’re also tracking what may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to upgrade their technology infrastructure and classrooms with next-gen solutions like interactive displays, laptops, and more.

In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed three COVID relief packages that added up to over $190 billion for public and private schools. Billions more are slated to arrive shortly.

The potential for this funding is great. How to effectively secure and implement it can be daunting. Join eSchool News and a panel of the country’s most insightful analysts as they discuss the state-of-play of federal and state edtech funding programs and what districts can do to take advantage.…Read More