Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/446930
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y 9 T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 2 2 , 2 0 1 5 RECORDEX SIMPLICITYTOUCH REVOLUTIONIZES CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY By Shea Michelle Allen Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) displays are growing in popularity as schools look to replace aging whiteboards and projector systems with a more streamlined and simplified solution. One of the newest to hit the market is the Recordex SimplicityTouch. The product is gaining a lot of momentum as word has begun to travel about its ability to provide all the interactive classroom tools without the ongoing maintenance or short life span. "For school system leaders there is peace of mind knowing that this is a solid investment that has a longer life than traditional interactive classroom technology and virtually no ongoing maintenance requirements," said Recordex Executive Vice President Jason Ulmer. Ulmer explains that unlike other IFPs on the market, the SimplicityTouch makes the technology accessible to any- one in the room. He says doing so meant it needed to be usable with or without the teacher's computer. That is when he says developers decided that integrating Android into the panel would provide the accessibility they were after. "Using the Home Screen you can access apps that will browse the web, play music and movies, show images, open PDFs, PowerPoint files and even annotate and markup over live document camera images. Plus its still compatible with Chrome OS, Windows and Apple OSX," said Ulmer. "It definitely has a WOW factor in the classroom." A growing number of school system leaders are turning to IFP's because of their ability to combine classroom audio, interactive boards and wireless capabili- ty. But Ulmer says choosing the right system's integrator is just as important as the right product. "In EDCO we have found a systems integrator with the same laser focus on innovation and customer service. EDCO has the technical expertise needed and the knowledge that comes from tens of thousands of classroom installations to do the job right." But most importantly, Ulmer says, is EDCO's customer service, product training and devel- opment that sets them apart. "We see higher cus- tomer satisfaction rates from EDCO's customers and this is why we have chosen to offer our SimplicityTouch interactive flat panel exclusively through EDCO Education," he said. "Its really going to make a big impact at FETC this year. I'm excited for people to see what our product and EDCO's integration can do in their class- rooms," said Ulmer. Industry experts agree that IFPs are the next generation of "must have" class- room technology and leaders looking to make a solid investment on a revolutionary product are excited about what's to come. For more information, visit www.edco education.com or stop by booth #1121. NEW REPORTING TOOLS IN THE LATEST RELEASE OF NETSWEEPER For any school network administrator, useful reporting and statistics tools are critical to the daily management of a web filtering system. The reports are impor- tant to see the internet activities of the students and ensuring that the time spent online is educational, productive and safe. In the latest release of Netsweeper, it has enhanced its Quick Reports tool to allow the network administrator to customize the display and get an overview of the graphs that is important to him/her. Netsweeper Quick Reports Tool Netsweeper also added new reporting templates to the Quick Report which includes: Request Rate (Per Hour); Estimated Time Online (Per Hour); Top 10 Groups (allowed); Top 10 Users (allowed); Estimated Time Online (IP); Top 10 User Agents; Porn Requests By Country; Estimated Time Online (User, Group, Category); Top 10 Search Terms (all, allowed, denied); Top 10 Users (denied); and Top 10 Groups (denied). Netsweeper captures data on all web usage and filtering activity, offering a comprehensive array of reports to meet your needs. You can understand what is being accessed (and by whom) so you can troubleshoot problems and adjust poli- cies. You can see what's being blocked, see when teachers apply overrides and evaluate popular sites or content. Sophisticated Policy Controls N e t s w e e p e r empowers you to define filtering policies based on group membership, time of day, location, IP and many other factors. For instance, you could block social network- ing during the day but permit at lunchtime. Integration with directory sys- tems gives you highly granular control over how these policies are applied across teachers, staff and pupils. To find out more, visit the Ontario Delegation booth #1237 or visit www.netsweeper.com. AG IREPAIR – REPAIRING LAPTOPS AND TABLETS FOR OVER 700 SCHOOL DISTRICTS NATIONWIDE As more and more school districts are implementing digital learning initiatives, devices such as iPads, MacBook Airs and Chromebooks are being distributed to students in classrooms all over the United States. One very important piece to main- taining a digital learning initiative is find- ing a trusted repair partner that can han- dle any accidental damage that occurs in the most cost effective and time friendly manner. With any technology, AG iRepair knows accidental damage will occur and repairs will need to be made. There are various options available such as self- insuring, purchasing an insurance policy or purchasing a warranty. With the industry average for accidental device damage being at a relatively low 5.5 percent, purchasing an insurance policy or a warranty for each one of your devices can add substantial and unnec- essary costs to the sustainability of your digital learning initiative. If you're a school district that self- insures your devices or is switching to a self-insure model, selecting the right repair partner is a very imperative part of your digital learning ini- tiative. Quality, repair cost, turnaround time and shipping costs are some of the most important factors to consider. AG iRepair is currently part- nered with more than 700 school districts that outsource their device repairs to the company because it offers the highest quality, the best educa- tional pricing, free inbound and outbound shipping, and a one to two day turn- around time. Another important factor to consider is the ability to handle high-vol- ume repairs. AG iRepair supports indi- vidual school districts with over 40,000 iPads and handles large volume with ease. It understands how important it is to ensure your devices are repaired correct- ly and back in your student's hands as soon as possible, all while having the comfort of knowing your repairs are backed by the industries longest one-year warranty. AG iRepair also offers to perform your first MacBook Air or iPad screen repair for free so you can experience the simple online work order process for sub- mitting repairs, but more importantly, to experience the quality of its work, turn- around time and customer care. If you are interested in learning more about a partnership with AG iRepair, visit booth #358 at FETC. For additional information, visit www.agirepair.com or call 888.325.5713, ext. 120. PROTECT YOUR HEARING AND LISTEN FOR A LIFETIME The American Speech-Language- Hearing Association's Listen To Your Buds campaign wants everyone to be able to "listen for a lifetime" to the music they love. But that may not become the case for some if they listen to personal audio technology too loudly, for too long and too often – behavior that can cause permanent hearing damage. The Buds campaign, which encour- ages safe listening, has strong support from musicians – a group who knows something about the importance of being able to hear. Leading music education organizations are campaign partners. What's more, the campaign employs musicians to go into schools and spread the word about safe listening through their music. Reviews of Buds "safe lis- tening" concerts from kids and educators alike are always very positive: "Best assembly we've ever had," "please come back, "the message is so needed." Such comments appear repeatedly in follow up surveys. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), which is perma- nent and irreversible, can profoundly limit a stu- dent's ability to succeed academically and socially. For musicians, NIHL can lead to limited careers. Studies show that 37 per- cent of rock musicians and 52 percent of classical musicians show signs of hearing loss. Meanwhile, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2010 reported a five per- cent increase in teen hearing loss, and cited exposure to loud music as a risk factor. How can you encourage safe listen- ing to music with ear buds if you're a parent, or practice safe listen- ing yourself? Model safe listening for the young; taking care of your own hearing will set a good example. Listen at volume lev- els set no higher than halfway. Avoid pro- longed exposure to loud music by taking listening breaks; taking a break every 30 minutes is a good idea. For more information, go to www.asha.org.