Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/255541
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y 4 5 Th u r s d a y, Fe b ru a r y 6 , 2 0 1 4 JM: Edsby provides an integrated suite of services for teachers, including a social class space for each class they teach, a great gradebook, a very easy-to- use attendance feature, tools for building course plans, a way to track and submit reporting period data and a host of other features. Best of all, Edsby makes it easy for teachers to get started, since Edsby automatically sets up all classes and maintains the class rosters through its tight integration with the district's stu- dent information system. ESD: Can Edsby tie in to a district's 1-to- 1 or BYOD initiatives? JM: Absolutely. Edsby works great on all modern browsers, so for users on lap- tops, netbooks and Chromebooks, Edsby is perfect. In addition, Edsby has a free app for iOS and Android smart- phones and tablet devices, so it works great as a mobile solution. Edsby's key value for district-wide device initiatives is in the way it provides a great 'back- bone' that enables student-teacher com- munications and student-student collab- oration. Edsby delivers benefits far beyond running standalone apps on a device. ESD: How does Edsby differ from other social learning platforms? JM: One key differentiator is our inte- gration into the district's IT infrastruc- ture. This wasn't easy to build, but it is Edsby ( Cont'd. from p. 1) crucial to the success of the rollout of this kind of technology across a district. It is true that some teachers will jump through hoops to configure up a self-serve web service to get access to some social learn- ing tools, but districts need a way to roll this out to 100 percent of the teachers. Edsby makes that happen. A second key differentiator is Edsby's ability to be customized to meet the unique needs of a district. There is no single universal approach for tracking assessment data and reporting results. This often changes state by state, or even district by district. Edsby is easily cus- tomizable to fit in with a district's approach to assessment so it works the way they need it to. ESD: What is the parent experience like? JM: Parents love how Edsby provides them with such convenient real time access to the latest information about their child and their progress at school. Dad can check whether or not his son has homework or an upcoming test on his smartphone right at the soccer field to know whether his son should be heading home to do homework. Mom can use a tablet at a café to easily find a good day to take her daughter out of school for a dentist appointment. Edsby provides the same sort of fast and convenient access to information that we've come to expect in this mod- ern world. For more information, or to arrange for a trial of Edsby in your district, visit Edsby in booth 1925. necessary for best practice learning. What schools across the world have started to learn is that the effective implementation of tablet technology in the classroom is about the value of the incorporated tools. The LearnPad solu- tion allows any teacher or school to safely and effectively deliver unlimit- ed, digital curriculum and instruction. ESD: What do you anticipate to be your greatest challenge in the year ahead? KL: We still hear tragic stories of dis- tricts making a significant investment in standalone tablets, only to then realize their mistake later down the line. We are working hard to support schools' desire for success in this new one-to-one para- digm, by sharing our experiences of achieving successful mobile technology implementation. There are a large num- ber of high quality, device manufacturers. However, there are very few 'solution' providers. LearnPad stands alone as the premium brand focusing on device, instruction and content management in a single solution. ESD: Compare the position of your products and their technology against the current market. KL: Quite simply, LearnPad has been created exclusively for the school envi- ronment. Our products are in more than 95 percent of districts in the U.S. In developing LearnPad with our teams in the U.S. and the U.K., we leveraged an intimate understanding of the classroom to provide an instructional solution rather than just a 'device.' We are dedicated to designing innovative solutions that enhance, support and simplify classroom LearnPad ( Cont'd. from p. 1) instruction. While today we are the lead- ing global education solution based on Android, we are also producing LearnPad solutions for customers who choose to work with Apple i-OS and Microsoft Windows 8 Pro. ESD: What is your outlook in general for this product line? KL: The U.K. education sector trade association recently carried out research revealing that the adoption of mobile technology within schools is rising faster than any previous technology. Taken together with schools actively moving 'shared' implementations toward true 'one-to-one' student/device environ- ments, tablets are supporting an era of textbook replacement. These growth fac- tors mean schools must move to establish the foundation of their mobile learning infrastructure now, in order to ensure future success. ESD: What is the nature of your distribu- tion? KL: LearnPad Group is an international organization with offices in the U.S., U.K. and Latin America. We will always ensure that the LearnPad solution reflects the spe- cific localized requirements of each dis- trict, state or country wherever we work. Accordingly, our chosen partners are com- mitted to our methodologies expressly designed to ensure instructional efficacy. At the current time, we are focusing on the rapid growth of the LearnPad brand in the U.S., U.K. and Latin America, however, we are working to meet demand globally. Visit LearnPad at booth 831. For more information, go to www.learnpad.com, call 800-624-2926 or email cklein@learnpad.com. power components (fire hazard) or even pinch points are unacceptable. Since products used in schools are exposed to non-technical and non-experienced users, a higher level of safety is inherently required, and finding charging carts that meet industry electrical safety standards is not necessarily a given. Some products are made with non UL-certified compo- nents, unsafe daisy-chained power strips and questionable electrical grounding. This leaves the burden of safety on the educational facility. Designing a truly safe product requires that manufacturers incorporate redundant safety features. It also requires special abuse tests, and compliance with both component and full system level standards to ensure the product meets all government requirements. "Skipping certification means skip- ping crucial fire safety, electrical safety, EMI and mechanical safety testing," said Sheila Veschusio, Education Industry Manager at Ergotron. "To be a good consumer and to ensure the highest safety standards of the products adopt- ed, don't be misled by statements that hint at certification." Statements like "tested to UL Standards," "designed to UL Standards," or "constructed of UL Components," is Certification ( Cont'd. from p. 1) not the same as having a UL or other reg- ulatory label on the outside of the prod- uct. Take the time to determine if full UL certification truly exists for the product under scrutiny. "UL Listed or UL Certified language means a UL label and certificate have been earned," said Cathi Vergin, Senior Product Manager for Ergotron's Device Management products. "If you know your device management carts have met the OSHA and FCC requirements, you can feel confident that you, and all that come in contact with the system, will have the safest possible experience." Ergotron is a strong proponent of responsible product design. Every product in its full line of device management prod- ucts has been UL certified for components and systems. Learn more about the full line at devicemanagement.ergotron.com. With devices at the forefront of tech- nology expansion within education, it behooves educators and IT staff alike to be informed about the associated risks inherent in electrical products. Stop by Ergotron's booth for more information on device management safety, and to learn more about how Ergotron is empowering smart learning. Visit Ergotron at booth booth 717. For more information, go to device management.ergotron.com. loved the software, and the kids love the interactive functions on the BrightLink." The recent collaboration between Epson, Promethean and SMART Board ® ensures that all of the products work seamlessly together. "I wish we could have them in every classroom, but we're not quite there yet," Gavitt explained. "But we're making strides, and because our district focuses on digital learning, our early adopters are becoming facilita- tors for other teachers. We're building, Epson ( Cont'd. from p. 4) and we're growing—and the kids love it." "I'm glad Epson interactive projectors are compatible with Promethean ActivInspire and SMART Notebook soft- ware," Gavitt said. "It allows our teachers to truly adopt and integrate technology into the classroom, and by doing so we get our students to be creators and producers. The passive learner is gone; it's active learning now. And you must have technology in the classroom to make that happen." Visit Epson at booth 2359. For more infor- mation, visit www.epson.com/education. blended and flipped concepts. Beginning with the TabCam, AVer's wireless streaming camera, live video of physical content is streamed directly to an iPad, Android, Windows tablet or PC/MAC. TabCam keeps your tablet mobile, allowing interactive lesson development while delivering live con- tent and full lesson recording. The recorded lesson can be immediately uploaded to the cloud for student review or as lessons for substitute teachers—or the lesson can be flipped for student con- tent development. The TabCam offers tools to support the traditional, blended or flipped classroom content creation and delivery needs. Next are AVer's line of Sync and Charge carts. These carts are built for the rigors of the classroom and are ideal for AVer ( Cont'd. from p. 4) syncing, charging, storing and securing iPads, tablets and Chromebooks. AVer provides a full line of carts, from simple charge and store-only carts, to those with iPad sync, programmable timers and self- monitoring power systems. All are easy to set up and use. AVer's cart solutions are affordable without sacrificing fea- tures or security. AVer has a dedicated history in sup- porting education through solutions that help teachers more effectively create and deliver curriculum. As present and future revolutions in teaching pedagogy occur, AVer will continue to lead inno- vation in education technology to pro- mote, foster and maximize curriculum effectiveness. Visit AVer at booth 1445. For more information, call 408-263-3828 or visit www.averusa.com/education.