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.

How the 4 Cs prepare students for the real world

As our world continues to become more connected through technology, today’s students have boundless access to a wealth of information. But, to effectively leverage these resources, students need to be able to make meaning of them.

According to educator Thomas Hoerr, the very notion of intelligence has changed. We no longer rely on the limits of our single mind to access the information resources we need to solve problems. Problem solving has always involved teamwork and cooperation. Today, however, open source programs, wikis, blogs, and other Web 2.0 technologies enable total strangers divided by space and time to collaborate.

Successful problem solving in the 21st century requires us to work effectively and creatively with computers, with vast amounts of information, with ambiguous situations, and with other people from a variety of backgrounds.…Read More

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How to use technology to address vaccine gaps in the classroom

Though it’s not the end of the school year, academic institutions across the country are already thinking about reopening their doors this fall due to vaccine rollout. Yet, many — including parents — are worried about how schools will address vaccine gaps in this new learning environment.

Institutions will address these gaps by implementing a series of safeguards and leveraging technologies to bring teachers back to the workplace safely, even if they’re unvaccinated. Savvy institutions are investing in digital contact tracing tools, which provide schools with the data needed to plan, prevent, and react precisely to mitigate risk to faculty and students.

Each school’s return strategy is unique depending on student composition, state mandates, and overall risk tolerance. Administrators need to determine which tools meet their needs, the processes required to roll out the technology, and how to meet safeguards that ensure the safety of students and staff, all while easing the minds of parents.…Read More

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A guide to choosing the right edtech partner

Based on the sheer amount of marketing emails and sales calls received on a weekly–or even daily–basis, district leaders can surely attest to the seemingly countless number of technologies on the market today. But just how big is the edtech industry? To put it in perspective, there were nearly 1,400 edtech companies in the United States alone last year, according to a report from RS Components. That’s a lot.

With so many technologies and providers out there, how can district leaders choose the right edtech partner or partners? Below are four questions to consider during the procurement process.

Does the company understand my goals? It is important that any edtech partner or prospective partner understand what the district is trying to accomplish, as well as share the district’s vision in reaching those goals. This involves honest and straightforward conversations from the start about where the district is at, where it is looking to go, and how the edtech partner can help.…Read More

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6 strategies for better K-12 cybersecurity

The education sector has had to rapidly adopt and scale new technologies to enable remote and hybrid learning as a result of the pandemic. This has created an expanded threat landscape, and malicious actors have taken this opportunity to target academic institutions to an even greater extent.

In mid-March, the FBI issued a warning about an increase in specific ransomware targeting education institutions in 12 U.S. states and the United Kingdom. This alert follows a steady wave of cyberthreats facing educational institutions in recent months. We first saw a spike when remote learning kicked off last fall.

Education leaders must take a proactive stance to mitigate risk. Remote school, and the hybrid approach many districts have switched to in recent months, have placed new challenges for network security that cannot be ignored. Cybersecurity posture must be baked into educational IT infrastructure in this ever-evolving threat landscape.…Read More

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Hall Technologies Announces the Launch of HIVE Control



Hall Technologies, a leading designer and manufacturer in the AV industry, announces their latest leap in technology innovation, HIVE Control. This scalable and affordable AV solution leverages the best in modern IoT, legacy control, and automation. HIVE Control will offer major improvements to the industry’s three major pillars of AV control technology: software, interface, and hardware.

HIVE Control is comprised of three key elements:

  • HIVE Cloud Control provides users with 24/7 control to configure, manage, and service multiple clients from anywhere in the world. This subscription-based asset management platform allows users to connect an unlimited number of rooms under one subscription for quick and easy integration and infinite scalability.
  • Unlike other AV control systems on the market, HIVE Control utilizes a node-based architecture that does not require the need to maintain a centralized server or the purchase of gateway devices. Instead, the HIVE Touch and HIVE Node are designed to directly connect to all existing AV hardware, including legacy devices without the need for programming.
  • The HIVE Touch is an all-in-one, elegant touch panel display engineered to seamlessly control any ProAV hardware and automation devices in a room. The HIVE Touch is adaptable to any space and application.


“HIVE Control’s advanced design and features make the system truly unique in the AV industry,” said Jason Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Hall Technologies. “With this cutting-edge technology, we are the first to bring REST API to the Pro AV industry, and feel proud to offer a world-class solution that sets a new standard in AV control and integration.”

The innovative HIVE Control system is a solution to frequent issues seen in education, corporate settings, hospitality settings, and everyday life. For more than three decades, Hall Technologies, formerly known as Hall Research, has designed state-of-the-art, pro AV products to solve problems seen in various applications and meet the needs of a continually evolving industry.

HIVE Control is the first of many holistic solutions the brand will launch over the course of the year, including their newest presentation switcher, the EMCEE200 that also launches today. The
EMCEE200 is HIVE compatible and gives presenters and educators the ability to confidently
present their content at up to 4K@60 with zero latency, and in multiview form, record to an
external storage device or capture it in 4K to stream live.

The suite of HIVE Control products and the EMCEE will start shipping in early Q2.

For more information on HIVE Control, visit www.halltechav.com.

About Hall Technologies
Founded in 1984, Hall Technologies is a leader in the Pro A/V industry with a longstanding
reputation for providing top-quality, highly-reliable end-to-end solutions. From its research and
manufacturing headquarters located in Tustin, California, Hall Technologies provides the next
generation of A/V technology across many applications and has been trusted in thousands of
installations worldwide.

Learn more online at www.halltechav.com.
…Read More

Bolstering cybersecurity with Zero Trust

Like all other sectors, the pandemic expedited digital transformation in education. School districts and universities around the globe found themselves making years’ worth of changes rapidly, as the coronavirus shutdown resulted in a mad dash to a new, fully remote “normal.” As schools continue to make sense of distance learning strategies, it is imperative that they factor long-term cybersecurity considerations into their plans.

Each day since the pandemic began, educators and administrators are forced to confront systems that have seen an overwhelming and tremendous surge in usage. The process of implementing new e-learning technologies at scale created significant gaps in security. In fact, according to one report, “the average number of weekly attacks per organization in the academic sector increased by 30 percent July through August of 2019.”

Given the number of individuals involved in, and affected by, the education system, the idea of “move fast break things” may leave those who lack a proper cybersecurity infrastructure at a particularly high risk from cyber threats. Prioritizing cybersecurity in education has never been more pertinent.…Read More

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Hall Technologies Announces the Launch of HIVE Control

HallTechnologies, a leading designer and manufacturer in the AV industry, announces their latest leap in technology innovation, HIVE Control. This scalable and affordable AV solution leverages the best in modern IoT, legacy control, and automation. HIVE Control will offer major improvements to the industry’s three major pillars of AV control technology: software, interface, and hardware.
HIVE Control is comprised of three key elements:

  • ● HIVE Cloud Control provides users with 24/7 control to configure, manage, and service multiple clients from anywhere in the world. This subscription-based asset management platform allows users to connect an unlimited number of
    rooms under one subscription for quick and easy integration and infinite scalability.
  • ● Unlike other AV control systems on the market, HIVE Control utilizes a node-based architecture that does not require the need to maintain a centralized server or the purchase of gateway devices. Instead, the HIVE Touch and HIVE Node are designed to directly connect to all existing AV hardware, including legacy devices without the need for programming.
  • ● The HIVE Touch is an all-in-one, elegant touch panel display engineered to seamlessly control any ProAV hardware and automation devices in a room. The HIVE Touch is adaptable to any space and application.

“HIVE Control’s advanced design and features make the system truly unique in the AV industry,” said Jason Schwartz, Chief Executive Officer of Hall Technologies. “With this cutting-edge technology, we are the first to bring REST API to the Pro AV industry, and feel proud to offer a world-class solution that sets a new standard in AV control and integration.”

The innovative HIVE Control system is a solution to frequent issues seen in education, corporate settings, hospitality settings, and everyday life. For more than three decades, Hall Technologies, formerly known as Hall Research, has designed state-of-the-art, pro AV products to solve problems seen in various applications and meet the needs of a continually evolving industry.…Read More

Nureva receives Frost & Sullivan 2020 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award

Nureva Inc., an innovator in advanced audio conferencing solutions, announces it has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2020 Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the award to the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies that deliver significant customer value. The prestigious award recognizes Nureva’s Microphone Mist technology as a high value innovation in audio conferencing. Nureva’s advanced audio systems leverage the technology to provide consistent full-room microphone pickup, continuous autocalibration and intelligent sound targeting to eliminate unwanted sounds, like HVAC, making them an ideal match for today’s hybrid meeting and learning spaces. The product line includes the  HDL200 for small rooms,  HDL300 for mid-size rooms and  Dual HDL300 for large rooms, featuring easy DIY installation.

The Global Technology Innovation Leadership Award is part of Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards that recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets that have accomplished an innovative or disruptive breakthrough in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research.

“Our rigorous selection process highlighted the extent of Nureva’s technology leadership, and we are thrilled to honor the company with this award,” said Roopam Jain, senior director ICT, Frost & Sullivan. “We see Nureva as a forward-thinking company that has the potential to disrupt the meeting-room audio experience with products powered by its Microphone Mist technology.”…Read More

FSR Receives US Patent for Smart-Way Raceway Wire Management System

FSR, a leading manufacturer of a wide variety of products for the Pro AV and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) markets, has announced that it has been issued a patent by the US Patent Office for its Smart-Way Raceway wire management system. Smart-Way houses electrical and connectivity cables in a track configuration that can be adapted for use on or embedded into different flooring. The US Patent No. 10.862.283. B1 is the latest of numerous patents FSR holds which confirms the Company’s leadership role in bringing inventive infrastructure solutions from drawing board to market.

The Smart-Way raceway system is a simple, affordable, and effective way to organize messy cables and wires, and get them across the floor to where they’re needed for connectivity, power and communications signals. The Smart-Way is the only floor Raceway system that provides in-feed options to transition power and low voltage cables from the wall, ceiling or below the floor. Designed to fit today’s working, educational, commercial, residential and retail environments, the Smart-Way greatly reduces the trip hazards inherent in loose wiring,  and prioritizes functionality without sacrificing design or aesthetics.

FSR manufactures audio and video switching, control products, connectivity boxes and collaboration systems from its headquarters in Woodland Park, NJ.…Read More

LenelS2 Announces Strategic Agreement with Bosch Building Technologies

LenelS2 today announced a strategic agreement with Bosch Building Technologies to resell Bosch IP cameras in North America and Europe. As a result of the agreement, end users will have access to the complete Bosch IP camera portfolio through LenelS2’s Value-Added Resellers (VARs). The Bosch IP camera portfolio integrates with all LenelS2™ video management solutions to enhance critical video analytics capabilities that help protect people and assets and optimize building health and efficiency. The integrated solution joins the Carrier Healthy Buildings Program suite of offerings to help deliver healthier, safer, more efficient and productive indoor environments. LenelS2, a global leader in advanced security systems and services, is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.

The relationship provides a convenient, single source for LenelS2 VARs to procure and build their video surveillance solutions. VARs will be able to leverage a unified support infrastructure for products across both company product lines. LenelS2 and Bosch are developing tighter integrations between products to enable advanced features for future product releases. Bosch cameras integrate with all LenelS2™ OnGuard® and NetBoxÔ ecosystem video management solutions including LenelS2 NVR (LNVR), UltraView, VRxÔ, and NetVRÔ. Bosch cameras also integrate with Milestone XProtect® in support of LenelS2 and Milestone’s distribution agreement.

“Bosch Building Technologies is a longtime partner and member of the LenelS2 OpenAccess Alliance Program (OAAP), so this was a natural step to take,” said
Jeff Stanek, president, LenelS2. “This alliance further supports our commitment to providing open platforms and comprehensive Healthy Buildings solutions, enabling our customers to select the best solutions for their security needs.”…Read More