Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/255541
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y Th u r s d a y, Fe b ru a r y 6 , 2 0 1 4 8 SAM ANIMATION BRIDGES 21ST CENTURY SKILLS AND COMMON CORE SAM Animation, a unique product offered by Kaplan Elementary, allows students to easily express their ideas through the hands-on creation of videos. Using anything from classroom resources to household items, students demonstrate their understanding of Common Core content. Videos are then saved to personal albums and/or shared with educators, peers and family through the channel of their choice. The unique aspect of SAM Animation is its origin from university research, which was ultimately brought to market by iCreate to Educate, a part- ner of Kaplan Elementary. Used in a variety of educational settings, the soft- ware fosters learning by allowing stu- dents to easily film scenes that depict concepts they have studied in school. "This software is absolutely amaz- ing . . . It allows students to create a personalized storyline by constructing a physical story with tactile props, stop-motion, music and their voice," wrote Naomi Harm, CEO at Innovative Educator Consulting. "It also rein- forces the seamless infusion of tech- nology literacy skill sets and meeting curriculum standards in a very moti- vating and engaged learning scenario." SAM Animation is designed for students across the K12 grade range and curricular spectrum. Simple icons and navigation make it easy for stu- dents of all learning styles to create a final video they can take ownership of, as well as demonstrate their conceptual u n d e r s t a n d i n g s . Students can slow down or speed up delivery of frames, duplicate frames to lengthen scenes and add music or audio recordings to their video. However, the software is designed in such a way that students spend more time thinking about the content and less time figuring out the technology. "Our software allows students to express their knowledge by easily designing and producing interactive stories, and provides the teacher an opportunity to assess understanding – it's really just a formative assessment tool," said Melissa Pickering, Founder of iCreate to Educate and a former Imagineer for the Walt Disney Company. "The soft- ware helps us further our mission to engage all learners in the K12 classroom by using technology for con- tent creation rather than consumption. We believe in fos- tering active learning environments." Kaplan Elementary partnered with iCreate to Educate in early 2013 as they saw the value in SAM Animation as a classroom tool that has proven to help facilitate in-depth understanding of concepts for students. By having stu- dents plan, explain and create videos, they become authors and producers of their own knowledge, rather than pas- sive recipients of classroom lessons. For more information, visit booth 2528. NORTH PENN SELECTS EXTRON FOR SIMPLIFIED CLASSROOM AV SYSTEM MANAGEMENT The North Penn School District, located 20 miles north of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, is currently home to 14,000 students. The district has plans in place to modernize its 17 schools. Small Staff and Budget Restrictions North Penn identified a need to upgrade several of its schools, and to simplify the management of classroom technology. With only three individuals dedicated to technology and a restrict- ed budget, the district set out to improve the teacher's experience in the classroom and simplify the manage- ment of AV technology. "When you have the right system in place, it makes life easier for everyone," said Chris Doerr, Communications Systems Specialist at North Penn. Finding The Right Solution Extron Classroom AV Systems, including PoleVault, WallVault and VoiceLift Microphone, were described as the most reliable systems available. In addition, Extron Global Configurator software provided an intuitive, step-by-step process for system setup with no special- ized programming skills required. The combination of these factors supported North Penn's goal of finding a solution they could manage themselves. The district made the decision to install the PoleVault System into several classrooms at its one high school. Taking full advantage of Extron's online resources, Doerr's team was able to build a customized PoleVault kit using the online Classroom AV System Configurator, which enables users to cre- ate systems that meet their unique requirements and view the latest education pricing, giv- ing them the tools to set realistic budget expectations. One of the Most Useful Tools in the Classroom What's even more commend- able was the district's decision to install the PoleVault Systems them- selves. Traditionally a job contracted to integrators, the project was tackled by Doerr and his team, saving a substantial amount on labor and installation costs. "The PoleVault kits included every- thing we needed," said Doerr. "There was no waiting for parts or a call back from an integrator." Although the PoleVault kits were purchased from an authorized Extron reseller, North Penn was confident it could use its own staff to install the systems. If anyone had a question during the installation process, North Penn could contact Extron directly on the S3 Support Hotline. In addition to 24/7 on-call sup- port, North Penn staff had access to a complete library of "How To" videos and guides to ensure the equipment was installed correctly. "The installation was easy, and now we know exactly how things are connected and how they should work," said Doerr. "The PoleVault System is one thing that the teachers and support staff can rely on." Teachers have found the PoleVault System to be one of the most useful tools in the classroom, and support staff have the knowledge to be proactive with support and required maintenance. The district expressed satisfaction with every step of the process. Doerr shared that he wouldn't change a thing. "Our experience with Extron has been great and PoleVault is the right solution for any school that needs to be self-sufficient." Visit Extron at booth 533, or go online at www.extronclassroom.com. DISTRICTS SAVE MONEY WITH TOOLS4EVER'S SELF SERVICE RESET PASSWORD MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE James Lozano-Byerly, Enterprise Sales Manager with Tools4ever, discusses how the Self Service Reset Password Management [SSRPM] software is being used by school districts to create savings. ESD: How does the Self Service Reset Password Management software enable districts to save money? JLB: You can read any market research or browse tech help forums on password management, and quickly see that the process for resetting or unlocking direc- tory passwords is both time-consuming and cumbersome for end users and help desk personnel alike. The process is a drain on resources and opportunity for district staff. The Self Service Reset Password Management [SSRPM] empowers end users to reset their own passwords without having to call the help desk for support. ESD: What are some of the concerns with an elevated volume of help desk calls? JLB: Districts face security concerns along with costly employee downtime, increasing frustration and an underuti- lized support staff. The help desk resources should be tackling more criti- cal issues rather than resetting or unlock- ing accounts. SSRPM provides a simple 'Forgot My Password' button on the Windows login screen and/or an ASP Web Interface, prompting the end users to answer a series of challenge questions to reset or unlock their accounts. It is a very simple process. ESD: What do other school districts say about how SSRPM and how it helped them? JLB: Well, SSRPM really touches many areas within an organiza- tion. For example, SSRPM helps with password fatigue and end-user frustra- tion. There are fewer instances of users placing sticky notes under their key- boards. Support for the reset is instant, which means they do not have to wait to be productive – especially when the staff or teachers need access to conduct class- room activities. I often hear how nice it is at the beginning of each school year or after a holiday not to have to reset as many passwords. ESD: How do SSRPM and Tools4ever differ compared to similar solutions? JLB: We have a very solid niche with the educational market. Tools4ever has been called 'nimble, responsive and focused on the client's needs and expectations.' SSRPM meets a very specific need, set- ting the stage for immediate return on investment. It also has optional plug-ins to extend functionality for multi-platform support such as Google Apps or Live@edu password sync or other systems. We are entrepreneurial in nature, which allows us to be incredibly respon- sive to our clients' technical needs. With this elevated level of customer service coupled with value-based price point, Tools4ever is considered the company of choice for school districts seeking user management and password management solutions. ESD: Is it possible to test or review this solution? If so, how? JLB: Network Administrators that are interested can visit our website at www.tools4ever.com. We offer a 30-day evaluation period and conduct WebEx demonstrations. Visit Tools4ever at booth 2427. For more information, visit tools4ever.com.