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Wednesday, June 26, 2013 Ed Tech Show Daily BRIGHTLINK PRO LETS EDUCATORS SHARE WITH STUDENTS, COMPUTER-FREE Epson has expanded the ability for interactive projectors to provide just-in-time collaboration in the classroom with the ultra short-throw BrightLink Pro 1410Wi. The software-free, PC-free technology allows teachers and students to instantly begin writing, adding pages and inserting images in whiteboard mode. Then educators can easily print, save, open and e-mail class notes without a PC. In addition, users can project and annotate on images from other devices, such as PCs, DVD players, iPads or USB devices, and then capture those notes into whiteboard mode. BrightLink Pro can be used on any light smooth surface, such as an existing whiteboard, wall or tabletop. Unique to the BrightLink Pro is a control panel that comes standard in the box. This panel acts as a convenient access hub, as well as a remote control unit for the projector. It provides easy access buttons for the major functions of the projector, including: power on/off, whiteboard mode, source search, capture, print and save. STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN TEACHER EVALUATION With 50 schools and more than 1,800 educators, Hartford Public Schools in Hartford, Conn. is a large urban school district that is committed to the success of both its students and educators. To ensure that each of its schools is led by an effective leader who has the support needed to develop and retain highly effective teachers, from recruitment to induction and ultimately through development of career paths, the district has embarked on a technology-enabled teacher evaluation and professional learning initiative. Dr. Scott Nicol, Executive Director of Performance Management at the district, spearheaded the adoption and implementation of Teachscape's web-based observation, evaluation and professional learning tools to help meet this goal. According to Dr. Nicol, it is a foregone conclusion that every district will implement a technology-based teacher evaluation system, and districts can learn from his experiences to make the transition a smooth one. Set goals and timelines. With any technology implementation, it is important to outline what your district hopes to accomplish and set deadlines and delivery dates. However, understand that with any large-scale undertaking, needs and deliverables can change throughout the process, so be prepared – and comfort- COMCAST NETWORK + SCHOOLS = WINNING COMBINATION By Tomás Yanez, Director of Enterprise Marketing, Comcast Business I joined Comcast Business about a year ago, and what a fast-paced year it's been. What attracted me about the group was that it was a little like an entrepreneurial, high-energy start-up, while being attached to one of the largest brands in the United States. It's a great combination, not just for employees but for the customers we serve. Schools in the United States are on the cusp of a technology renaissance that's totally changing the way teachers teach and students learn. The more innovative school districts are integrating interactive, multi-media subject matter into the classrooms, making the learning environment totally different than it was only 20 years ago. Students in some of our customer school districts have watched a kneereplacement surgery, talked with ENCOURAGE GREATER INTERACTION AND ENGAGEMENT WITH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE NetSupport School is the class-leading student instruction and monitoring software solution, providing teachers with the ability to visually/audibly monitor and instruct as well as interact through a variety of devices with their students, individually, as a pre-defined group, or to the whole class. Today's students have an broad range of computing options to choose from, presenting brand new challenges for teachers who have to efficiently manage, support, and observe the students and the technology being used. With NetSupport School, there's no need to worry about monitoring computer activity and keeping students on task within your classroom. The latest version of NetSupport School v11 further extends the product's ability to help teachers regularly assess student progress. Features such Additional features of the BrightLink Pro include: WXGA resolution (1280 x 800), 3100 lumens of color brightness, 3100 lumens of white brightness, image size of up to 100" diagonal, HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA, USB and LAN inputs, split screen function (side by side), multi-PC projection that allows four computers to share the screen at the same time, wireless networking, it supports wireless PC interactivity (no USB cable is needed), it supports up to four remote locations to collaborate over the network, and multiple mounting options, including walls, tables and carts. As a leader in innovation and partnership, Epson also offers the Brighter able with the fact – that some of these goals and timelines could change midstream. Have open lines of communication with all stakeholders. From teachers to administrators to union leaders, it is important to use a multi-faceted communication and professional training approach to keep all stakeholders informed about what's happening and what their expectations are as a result of a technology implementation. Open communication builds trust and helps lead to buy-in from all the necessary stakeholders. Develop strong relationships with partnering companies. These types of open, communicative relationships are essential in ensuring that your district's needs are being met. With Teachscape, for example, it is not uncommon for me to work closely with many different members of their team, from their engi- NASA scientists, met Iditarod sled dogs, and collaborated with students in England and Australia – all without leaving the friendly confines of their classrooms. Still other customers have almost completely phased out traditional textbooks in favor of tablets and hand-held devices. Those same electronic accessories that have, until recently, been the bane of teachers are now being used to funnel educational content to ready audiences. It's an exciting time in education, especially for a company that's helping to enable those leaps with our network services. However, we see that there is a digital divide among districts: those as instant student surveys and the customizable test designer are joined by a new and unique question and answer module, built around current teaching practices for continual assessment of learning. This module allows teachers to verbally ask questions to the whole class, gauge student answers and understanding, introduce new questioning styles to the lesson and develop peer assessment opportunities, as well as track rewards against both the individual and teams. NetSupport School v11 confirms its up-to-the-minute significance for use in schools by introducing support for not only Google Chrome OS, Windows 8 and Windows 8 (Metro) app, but also tablet 15 Futures® program – a unique sales and support initiative available specifically for schools. Designed to help educators select and implement the best products for their classrooms while making the most of their budgets, Brighter Futures offers special pricing, extended Epson limited warranty coverage for three years, dedicated education account managers, and toll-free technical support for all Epson projectors and associated accessories. For more information, visit www.epson.com/blpro or www.epson.com/education, call 562-2905063, email sean_gunduz@ea.epson.com, or stop by booth 10196 at ISTE. neers to their product managers. Make sure providers are willing to customize programs to meet your needs. Each district has its own unique needs, so work with companies that have flexible, customizable systems. Also, ensure the company is open to working with you to customize features to ensure your district's needs are being met. Don't be afraid of growing pains. Implementing major change is a process and requires the time and dedication of multiple stakeholders. By choosing a quality technology provider, however, the ongoing benefits of the technology should outweigh the amount of time the implementation may take to be fully integrated. For more information, visit www.hartfordschools.org, or www.teachscape.com; contact Dr. Nicol at nicos001@hartfordschools.org; or stop by booth 8079 at ISTE. that are far ahead of the technology curve, and those that struggle to keep up. Comcast works with community leaders, the FCC-funded e-Rate program, and our own Internet Essentials program to help bring broadband services to schools and communities in our footprint. We are well positioned to help schools harness the power of technology with our network services. We hope to get a chance to discuss the possibilities at the show. For more information, go online to www.business.comcast.com, call 866429-0258 or stop by booth 5293 at ISTE. and smartphone technology for teachers and teaching assistants. This means that teachers can now monitor and collaborate with their pupils continuously while having the flexibility to move around the classroom. In addition, NetSupport School is designed to work flawlessly with wired or wireless networks in a Windows, Mac®, or Linux environment. To see classroom management software in action or to discuss any one of NetSupport's other educational solutions, including IT Asset Management, Service Desk, and Emergency Notifications, stop by booth 9254 to talk to experienced educational solutions specialists or visit www.netsupportschool.com.