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34 Monday, June 24, 2013 NETSUPPORT SCHOOL VERSION 11.20 WITH WINDOWS 8 SUPPORT Education software specialist NetSupport is delighted to announce the immediate availability of NetSupport School version 11.20, the latest update to its marketleading classroom management solution. With a current install base in excess of 11 million desktops and devices, NetSupport technology is relied on by education institutions worldwide to provide the most feature-rich, intuitive and innovative classroom management and instructional technology solution. Following the recent release of the Tutor Assistant app for Apple iOS and Android devices and the introduction of Google Chrome OS support, this latest update further develops the product's capabilities within different learning environments. Teachscape (Cont'd. from p. 28) broadly impact teaching in classrooms, schools, and districts. Judges praised the platform's teacher friendliness, wealth of information and streamlined time-saving approach for teachers and administrators and said it is, "a great comprehensive system that does everything it says it will." In addition to winning the Golden Lamp Award, Teachscape was named a finalist in two AEP Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs), which honor the best in a range of product types and resources used by teachers, parents and CognitivEdge (Cont'd. from p. 1) the educational space that their optimal effectiveness as educational tools has yet to be determined: who better to develop a tablet's potential than the teachers who use them? With the CognitivEdge Classroom, teachers are relieved of the tedium associated with keeping students on task, and can focus on creative ways to discover the devices' full potential. Control Tablets are powerful devices designed for Internet access, games, communication, and intuitive interaction. Such a device affords obvious educational benefits, but there is no question that when you give a child open access to a device with so many capabilities, the child is likely to succumb to distraction. Managing student attention is the biggest hurdle for School Improvement Network (Cont'd. from p. 1) and master's degrees, American businesses are unable to find qualified candidates to fill highly technical, 21st century jobs. My colleagues and I at School Improvement Network know this dilemma all too well. We build education software, and despite working in Utah, a state with one of the densest populations of college graduates in the country, we struggle to find qualified programmers to join our team. And we're not alone. This work shortage has created a hole that stretches across our entire economy―3 million jobs wide and counting―and is forcing businesses to outsource jobs to Windows 8 Support Adding to NetSupport's existing Windows 8 desktop support, teachers and technicians now have the capability to interact with and control student machines that are running the Windows 8 start screen (Metro), including the ability to manage and control the use of applications on the desktop and apps on the Windows 8 start screen. Teachers can now 'quick-launch' Windows 8 apps on student machines with a single click and also remotely close them. Internet monitoring and control is also extended to include managing students using the Internet Explorer app on the Windows start screen, forcing search engine safe search modes on, as well as extending approved and blocked URL lists. students. Teachscape Learn, a video-rich professional learning system that helps teachers and administrators reflect on practice, collaborate with colleagues, and build relevant skills, was named a DAA finalist in the Professional Development category under Educational Leadership. Teachscape Reflect, a complete observation and evaluation management and reporting system that delivers actionable feedback to teachers and streamlines the evaluation process for administrators, was named a DAA finalist in the Professional Development category under Methodology. Teachscape was formally recognized successfully utilizing tablets in the classroom. With every minute that a teacher pauses his or her lesson to redirect a student's attention, valuable class time is lost bringing the class back into focus. The CE Classroom app is designed to allow students to participate in class activities while giving the teacher the ability to pause/resume class and enable/disable apps and content in realtime from his or her tablet. This ensures that only the pertinent tools and content are accessible at any given time, thus eliminating any potential distractions from the classroom. While the student tablets are locked down to maintain focus, the teacher device remains fully usable. Ed Tech Show Daily Centrally, the NetSupport School Technician's Console has been extended to allow application use policies to include Windows 8 apps and internet restrictions. Finally, in addition to numerous Windows 8-based "tweaks," the network deployment utility provided with NetSupport School has been extended to support Windows 8 specific deployments. Google Chrome OS Support Version 11.20 extends NetSupport School's support for students using Google Chrome OS Chromebooks. With the increasing adoption rates of Chrome OS, NetSupport recognizes the importance of providing educational institutions with a similar quality of instructional technology support as that found within NetSupport's traditional Windows, Mac and Linux versions. As well as discreetly monitoring student screens, on June 4, 2013 at the Annual AEP Content in Context Conference in Washington, DC. About Teachscape Teachscape uniquely combines innovative technology, engaging content and expert services to develop great teachers. From its classroom observation training and technology to its powerful web-based content delivery platform, Teachscape's award-winning products and services have been inspired by its dedication to sparking transformative change in teaching practice. Since 1999, Teachscape has worked with schools and school districts, charter net- Teachers can distribute documents, photos, video, music, websites, and even Android applications to student devices in real-time during class. All content is stored in the cloud and accessible for viewing and editing from any device with an Internet connection. The goal of CognitivEdge content distribution is to allow teachers to incorporate new as well as existing content into his or her lesson plan. This includes any documents that would normally be printed and photocopied, and any scanned documents or digital material obtained from the Internet. By distributing content digitally, teachers can save time at the copier and schools can cut back on the cost of printing supplies. Content CognitivEdge is designed to provide ease and flexibility in content distribution. Management Although the CognitivEdge Classroom solution was designed as a teacher tool, qualified workers from countries like China and India. The only way we can hope to fill this hole and compete globally is to revolutionize the preparation we give our children for college and career. This means two things: First, we must train our students the right way. We must reevaluate and restructure our education system to prepare students for the jobs that the 21st century market has produced. For example, if algebra and geometry are required learning―math that most of us rarely use―it is hard to understand in 2013 why every child in America isn't taught programming code. Code is quickly becoming the dominant language on our planet and will continue to grow in importance as advances in digital technology overtake every aspect of our lives. Second, we must prepare all of our students for college and career. Many millions of workers are now competing with Americans for the same jobs, so every single student needs to be prepared. Our famous achievement gap is a burden we can't afford. 50 percent graduation rates will not fill our need anymore. 90 percent won't do it. These are last-century numbers. We need 100 percent of our students college and career ready, and we need them now. For this to happen, we must focus on the single most powerful, widely proven method of elevating student achievement: increasing teacher effectiveness. Teachers teachers can now interact directly with the students' desktops with real-time remote control, deliver quick surveys, send messages, create a student attendance register and, of course, show their screen in real time to all selected student Chromebooks. Optimizing NetSupport School for a Wireless Environment NetSupport School uses advanced techniques to limit the effects of an unreliable wireless network, and the latest version introduces additional configuration options that will help you improve wireless performance. Log on to www.netsupportschool.com for an in-depth overview of the latest updates and to download a free 40-PC trial copy. For more information, visit booth 9254 at ISTE. works, archdioceses, universities and state education departments to measurably and continuously improve the effectiveness of educators to produce gains in student achievement. Teachscape's partners include Charlotte Danielson, ETS, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Stanford University, and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to help shape its vision, its products, and its strategies. To learn more about Teachscape and its complete collection of professional development offerings, go to www.teachscape.com. the bundled IT administrator console provides all of the basic monitoring and management tools an IT admin might need to confidently oversee the health of the devices in use. The cloud-based architecture of the solution allows the management utilities to be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection, so on-the-go management is a breeze. CognitivEdge Classroom is an inexpensive, teacher-centric solution that enables teachers to leverage the power of tablets in the classroom. With the CognitivEdge Classroom solution, schools are finally within reach of an affordable and successful one-to-one tablet deployment that will harness the educational potential of mobile devices. For more information, visit booth 10049 at ISTE. are the creators of the workforce, and to get the workforce we need to be competitive, we must have the world's most effective teachers. Creating effective teachers is the only education reform that can solve every challenge we struggle with in our schools, from dropout rates to achievement gaps; core proficiency to school choice―you name it. Despite our best efforts to resolve the economic crisis in America, every initiative we implement will come up short until 100 percent college and career readiness becomes the unconditional priority of our leaders. For more information, visit booth 12104 at ISTE.