Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/626221
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 1 3 , 2 0 1 6 2 0 and banners to support the material being delivered orally. One example would be a lesson on the bones of the body. A large poster of the skeletal sys- tem would be displayed, with blank lines for the instructor to fill in as the lesson proceeds. ESD: Do you have any other examples? RH: Let's say you are teaching a unit on the solar system. Having a large poster-sized template of the solar sys- tem would certainly be helpful for the students to visualize the solar system. If you were teaching a unit on a math concept, a large poster template of the concept with formulas would reinforce the subject. ESD: How can the Learn OnDemand poster maker help specifically with this? RH: The Learn OnDemand poster maker comes with more than 1,200 curriculum- based templates to choose from. The Presentation Systems South (Cont'd. from p. 1) poster templates are divided by subject, including (but not limited to) reading, writing, math, science and character edu- cation. All a teacher needs to do is select the template, click once and the poster tem- plate prints in about two minutes. The templates are fully editable. ESD: Do you have any new additions to the templates? RH: Yes. We have now converted more than 100 templates into Spanish. We also have a new section called administrative templates. The templates allow school administrators to track progress of stu- dents in a large visual environment. ESD: How can our readers learn more? RH: Please come by our booth #1562 and request a free sample pack to be sent to your school. For more information, visit www.carolina posterprinters.com, call 800.729.2836 or stop by booth #1562. and students in developing 21st-century skills – namely creativity, critical think- ing, collaboration and communication – while leveraging the personal and shared tools already in the classroom. ESD: What makes collaboration with the Span system different? NK: When you see how students take to the Span system immediately, you just know that it is different from other approaches. With little direction or inter- vention, students can get on with the work of creating and debating. Using the system, students begin generating ideas by using their individual devices, giving everyone the chance to participate. Then they send these ideas to an expansive 40-foot (12.2 m) virtual canvas that's projected onto a 10- or 20- foot (3.1 or 6.1 m) interactive surface. Everyone's contributions can be dis- cussed, grouped, even argued over – stu- dents take the lead in the process. After the session is done, the work can contin- ue anywhere by accessing the canvases in the cloud. ESD: What have been the student reac- tions to the Span system? NK: They seem to come alive in this environment. They are engaged in their work and on task. Even the quieter stu- dents become more actively involved. Nureva (Cont'd. from p. 1) It's remarkable to see the ownership that students take for their learning. ESD: What have you heard from teachers? NK: Teachers are excited by the possibil- ities for their students. Everything they tell us has to do with how much more engaged their students are using the Span system. It's the combination of students contributing on their personal devices and then collaborating at the interactive wall, critically evaluating contributions and communicating with their classmates that seems to be the magic. ESD: It's been 25 years since you intro- duced the first interactive whiteboard to the world. Now you're bringing the Span classroom collaboration system to stu- dents. What changes have you seen in that time? NK: The use of technology isn't new anymore. Teachers, students, administra- tors and parents expect it to be a funda- mental in education, just as it is in life. Teachers' skills are elevated, children are digital natives and the cloud offers unpar- alleled opportunities to collaborate. Technology products, like our Span classroom collaboration system, that leverage other technology products are delivering the learning experience stu- dents and teachers need. Visit Nureva at booth #235. For more information, go to www.nureva.com. implement sweeping initiatives only to get rid of some of the technology when the data doesn't show immediate impact on student achievement. Often, though, teachers are given the basics on what technology does without training on how that translates in a classroom to benefit instruction. There's a mixed message: "use the technology," but teachers aren't provided with a frame for best instruc- tional practices. ESD: What advice do you have for teachers initially incorporating technolo- gy into the classroom? RS: One thing I've learned is humility – that it's okay not to know everything yourself. In fact, I would argue that it's better to work with your students, to become co-learners in the technology. Here's a story: at the end of a school year, I had my students create webpages to summarize the content they'd learned. Some students who hadn't been as engaged throughout the year suddenly became my technology helpers, and I said, "I don't know how to do that, but Mentoring Minds (Cont'd. from p. 1) you do. Will you teach me?" The dynam- ics just changed. ESD: How can teachers adapt instruc- tional strategies to incorporate technolo- gy without starting over with their lesson plans? RS: We don't want teachers to throw out the good things they're doing. Rather, it's taking a look at how tech- nology can augment instruction in new ways. It's saying, "Okay, where can we provide quicker feedback? Foster more student engagement? Involve experts and collaborate with people outside of the school?" We can take those really great instructional strategies that we know – group work and collaboration, for exam- ple – and take advantage of technology to extend that. One of my colleagues con- nected their classroom with a classroom in China. Both classes were studying the same concept, and they would meet together virtually to share their learning. It's a great way to form an authentic con- nection. Visit Mentoring Minds at booth #759. WIRELESS PROFESSIONAL WEATHER STATION WITH LIGHTNING DETECTOR La Crosse Technology ® 's Wireless Professional Weather Station allows you to monitor your home and backyard weather – all on a colorful, easy-to read LCD dis- play. This station allows you to monitor up-to-the-minute forecast, temperature, humidity, wind and rain data to help you plan your day with confidence. The new lightning detector tracks EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulses) emitted by lightning strikes up to 25 miles away. The weather station also features customizable alerts for lightning detection, rainfall amounts, wind speed, temperature and humidity. The alerts provide peace-of-mind and help keep your home and family safe. The new wireless multi-sensor trans- mits wind, rain and lightning data and includes an integrated solar panel to extend the sensor's battery life. The multi-sensor features a new, easy-to- mount bracket and an integrated level to ensure the sensor is mounted correctly. In order to deliver the most accurate read- ings possible, the separate thermo-hygro sensor allows for appropriate placement and more accurate temperature and humidity readings. The separation of the sensors allows the multi-sensor to be placed in a high, non-obstructive area, whereas the thermo-hygro sensors can be placed under an eave or roofline to ensure temperature readings are not affected by direct sunlight. This station also features atomic time and date as well as a colorful forecast display. Atomic time automatically synchronizes to a radio signal called WWVB that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) broadcasts continuous- ly from Fort Collins, Colorado. Never worry about setting the time on the station; it even automatically updates for Daylight Saving Time. The colorful forecast display is based on your own backyard weather; the station analyzes barometric pressure and updates the weather conditions for the next 12 hours based on changes in pressure. Just like its entire line of products, the new Wireless Professional Weather Station is designed, developed, tested and used by its team of weath- er enthusiasts. Its small town team takes pride in the quality and value of every product it produces. Its faithful commitment to its cus- tomers and employees helps it continuously develop user-friendly products and provide excellent, in-house customer service to its satisfied customers. La Crosse Technology is based in La Crosse, Wisconsin on the banks of the Mississippi River. La Crosse Technology – your back- yard weather solution. For more information, visit www.lacrosse technology.com. popular consumer electronic devices – like laptops, tablets and smartphones – through their backlit screens, is changing our circadian rhythms and causing dis- ruption to our natural sleep patterns. In the evening, the pineal gland in the brain will normally begin to release melatonin, a hormone that reduces alert- ness to help induce sleep, a few hours before we drift off. Scientists have found that absorbing large quantities of blue light from digital devices in the evening will suppress the release of melatonin, leaving people more alert and awake, struggling to fall asleep and feeling tired the next day. As well as causing problems with sleep, artificial blue light is causing con- Adlens (Cont'd. from p. 9) cern among eye doctors. Emerging research has suggested that cumulative and constant exposure to blue light can also damage retinal cells. The retina processes light and color, and as its cells cannot be replaced, degradation could lead to long-term vision problems. Adlens has created Adlens Interface to protect eyes from blue light. Adlens Interface is a continuously adjustable pair of eyewear, designed with yellow tinted lenses to filter out 80 percent of the most harmful blue light in order to pro- tect against its impacts and relieve the symptoms of digital eye strain. For more information, visit www.adlens.com. To reach a sales repre- sentative, call 888.459.9793 or email customerservice@adlens.com.