Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/1073940
Oser Communications Group San Antonio Wednesday, February 6, 2019 AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH TCEA An interview with Christian Schmeis, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Code4Bots. ESD: Tell our readers about the Code4Bots after-school program. CS: Our mission is to create a fun and engaging platform where children learn to code, program and be creative using robots. We developed a STEM-based program that blends coding and robotics, making the learning fun and accessible. There's a lot of competition for robotics in after-school programs, but what makes us different is that we provide a high-quality building and coding experience, and pro- gram participants get to take their robots home. That's important to kids, because over time they develop relationships with their robots. ESD: How did you first hear about UBTECH Education? Code4Bots After-School Program Makes Learning Fun & Accessible HoverCam, an innovative technology leader in the education market, is debuting the new Pilot X Wireless Digital Podium at TCEA. The latest addition to HoverCam's award-winning Pilot Series that puts the most often used devices — tablet PC, document camera, key- board, audio capture and control — at educators' fingertips, the Pilot X features a 13-inch multi-touch tablet that can be removed from the podium, so educators can walk around the room to interact with stu- dents and teach lessons without being tied to their desk or turning their back on students to work at a screen. "The evolution of classroom technology is picking up pace with new devices and capabilities being introduced at an alarming rate. But even with all these advance- ments, they still impose limitations, both from a usability perspective and from a budg- etary assessment," said Felix Pimentel, Product Manager, HoverCam. "When we intro- duced our Pilot series, for the first time, educators didn't have to grapple with technol- ogy that was hard to operate or limited where teachers were in the classroom. With the 360-degree video is an impactful tool for storytelling, learn- ing and making connections. When wearing a virtual reality headset, the viewer becomes fully immersed within a real- time environment, gaining the ability to view their surround- ings in their entirety. Currently, this technology is most prominently used in journalism and filmmaking, to show a fuller scope of experiences. Virtual reality's power rests in its inherently organic design; the medium uses the same spatial views we are accustomed to when viewing our world. This technology elevates learn- ing and brings content to life. 360-degree video and virtual reality content allow edu- cators an illustrious new tool to give context, build understanding and entice students to engage with curricula. "Genius Plaza believes that technology has a pivotal role to play in democratizing education," says Ana Roca Castro, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Genius Plaza. Through this emerging medium, the company has created and curated 360-degree Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (TX) implemented ClassLink to create fast, easy and secure access to digital learning resources for the district's 117,000 teachers and students. With more than 6,000 single sign-on connectors and the comprehensive use of open technology standards, ClassLink is the most inclusive single sign-on platform in education today and is now available to everyone in the district. Frankie Jackson, Chief Technology Officer for Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, shared the impact on users. "ClassLink is a tool that brings together all of our district's digital resources and provides our teachers, students and users with access to the systems they use." Jackson continued, "Our community, parents, students and staff can now use the technology and tools we've worked so hard to provide for them." Jackson added, "Plus, this is the first time we've been able to gather usage analyt- ics from a single product. We are now able to get statistics on application usage and use Continued on Page 17 Continued on Page 17 HoverCam Unveils Pilot X: The Wireless Digital Podium for Every Classroom Genius Plaza Innovates Educational Content through Immersive 360-Degree Video VR ClassLink Continues Texas Expansion, Partners with Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Continued on Page 17 Continued on Page 17 BOOTH #1673 BOOTH #1644 BOOTH #1189