Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/626224
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y T h u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 1 4 , 2 0 1 6 2 0 While curriculum modernizations create opportunities for teachers and stu- dents to use the classroom space more effectively, traditional classroom furni- ture does not. In order for the classroom to truly evolve, teachers, principals and district administrators need to address the entire classroom environment. It may not always be the first priori- ty, but classroom furniture at the most foundational level should enhance the educational tools and technology it's sup- porting. At an aspirational level, it should also support the teachers' curriculum, the students' health, comfort and learning styles. This requires a fundamental change in thinking as schools adopt 1:1 technology, requiring analysis of what else is changing in association with the technology. Facilitating the move from tradition- al lectures to more group-based, collabo- rative and active environments requires adjustable and highly mobile furniture for both students and teachers. Stationary desks do not lend them- selves to an active classroom, nor do they facilitate a group-dynamic or mobile learning environment that has become so prevalent in today's educa- tional system. A desk that is both height-adjustable and mobile will foster an individualized learning environment that addresses these issues and offers a Ergotron (Cont'd. from p. 1) myriad of benefits to teachers, students and the school. Access to adjustable furniture has been proven to help reduce fidgeting dis- tractions, give teachers more time to teach, increase student engagement, improve academic performance and enliven curriculum. In addition, the ris- ing concerns about childhood health issues are addressed when students are given an alternative to sitting all day; introducing standing into the classroom is an effective means to break up seden- tary behavior. Input from surveys, interviews and case studies have all demonstrated that teachers prefer desks that facilitate movement and that students adapt to them intuitively. These types of desks foster collaborative learning while satis- fying a child's need for motion and allow for the teacher to use every inch of the environment for instruction. Given today's intersection of tech- nology and education, the classroom set- up is at a crossroads. Classroom furniture can play a critical role in making today's classrooms healthier, more collaborative and more conducive to learning even as schools prepare for the next wave of dig- ital instruction. It is time to "stand up" for important and fundamental changes for today's classroom and the classroom of the future. Visit Ergotron at booth #623. and Volume Purchase Program (VPP) at deploy.apple.com. Consider your Apple ID strategy and choose whether to deploy apps to a user's Apple ID or directly to a device. Ensure enough bandwidth to handle your new devices. Once the strong con- nection is in place, link the Casper Suite to DEP. What is the Casper Suite? The Casper Suite is a collection of Mac and iOS management tools. The core of the suite is the JAMF Software Server (JSS) that acts just like a web server. The JSS can be hosted on any existing OS X, Windows or Linux server on-premise or via the JAMF Cloud subscription. Step 2: Configure With the Casper Suite installed, you can begin to build your Configuration Profiles. These are XML files that act like a recipe for your device settings, and are deployed via the Casper Suite. Devices will need to be supervised in order to receive profiles. This can be done with DEP and configured in the JSS. Step 3: Purchase Apps and Books Decide your method for purchasing and distributing content: either Managed Distribution or redeemable codes. If choosing user-based deployments, which require an Apple ID, invite users via a VPP invitation to gain access to the con- JAMF Software (Cont'd. from p. 1) tent you have assigned them. If you'd like users to be able to install approved apps on their own, without IT assistance, you can use the Casper Suite Self Service app. What is Self Service? Self Service is an app that acts like an internal App Store for your school. Self Service can contain apps linked to VPP, free apps, eBooks, PDFs and Configuration Profiles. Step 4: Deploy When handing out devices to students, consider multiple stations in the gymna- sium that offer a logical flow. Next, enroll your devices through DEP, user- initiated enrollment or Apple Configurator. Step 5: Manage Update Self Service with new content and encourage usage. You can also lever- age Push Notifications to send communi- cations directly to devices. Casper Focus can now be set up for streamlined class- room management. What is Casper Focus? Casper Focus is a free app that comes with the Casper Suite and runs on the teacher's iPad. Casper Focus allows teachers to focus student's iPads to a sin- gle app or website to help streamline transitions. Visit JAMF Software in booth #959. For more information, visit www.jamf software.com or call 612.677.7075. THE HUNT FOR THE BEST TEMPERED GLASS SCREEN PROTECTOR Since its introduction in 2007, the iShieldz ® brand of premium screen pro- tectors has long been considered "best in class." Its innovative and patented appli- cation method has been the envy of the industry and has even been featured in some of the world's most notable brands. "We at iShieldz believe very strong- ly that nothing protects touch screen devices better than our hybrid material," says President John Martinez. Its top layer, which is the basis for all three of its film products, offers among the best scratch and abrasion protection on the market and the material's composition continually heals itself from bouts with keys, pens, nail files, coins and whatever else may be lurking in your purse or pocket. From the start, iShieldz has been manufactured from only the highest qual- ity raw materials available. Its complete line, HD – High Definition, KO – Impact Resistant and RX – Antimicrobial, are proudly 100 percent made in the United States. iShieldz's products have always been made from specially formulated, proprietary PU, TPU and hybrid films; that is, until now! For the past year there has been a shift in the consumers' appetite when it comes to screen protectors. The shift is from plastic (PET) and film (PU) to tem- pered glass. It may seem funny when you think about protecting a piece of glass with another piece of glass, but that's what's happening. "Because of this shift, iShieldz is launching its own premium tempered glass screen protector," says Martinez. "Though we maintain our posi- tion that nothing protects better than our hybrid material, our brand loyal cus- tomers are demanding an iShieldz glass screen protector and I would be remiss not to listen." That said, iShieldz set out to part- ner with a true glass manufacturer, which for the category of screen protec- tion, there are only a handful of rep- utable companies on the planet. Testing glass from the world's best known glass companies became an evangelical and necessary mission for iShieldz, as it is not willing to put its name on a product that does not meet its exacting manufactur- ing and quality stan- dards. After several months and testing of dozens of glass samples, iShieldz finally inked a deal for what it believes to be the strongest, best fitting tempered glass available. In January, iShieldz is announcing and will begin showing off its iShieldz TGXtreme tempered glass screen pro- tector. "Though we are not a foundry and we do not make glass, we are still confident enough in the iShieldz TGXtreme product that we will stand behind it with our industry leading, no hassles 'Lifetime Replacement Warranty,'" says Martinez. The iShieldz TGXtreme will initially be available for Apple and Samsung flag- ship devices, and be on the lookout for a form-fitting 3D curved version as well. JS: From the beginning, we designed Solo 8 to be high-resolution and fast over USB without any lag or blurring. This had never been done before. We re-invented digital zoom by replacing bulky and expensive optical compo- nents found in traditional document cameras with a high resolution sensor that allows super clear images and zooming without degradation in a com- pact form factor that doesn't take a lot of space. Solo 8 is an intelligent docu- ment camera – it's an extension of the teacher's computer with multiple uses: document scanner, digital camera, HD webcam and grading camera. It records full-motion HD video directly to the computer over USB, which is easier to share than video recorded to an SD card. We received several patents for technologies inside Solo 8. ESD: What about schools that don't want to use computers with their document cameras? JS: We listened to customers asking for HDMI and VGA output and created the Ultra 8, now shipping in volume. Ultra 8 has HDMI and VGA connectivity and we included a USB 3.0 port – so it can still be used with a PC. We even added an LCD viewing monitor to make it easier for teachers to use. ESD: Your products incorporate cutting HoverCam (Cont'd. from p. 1) edge technology, but are still expensive for some schools and many teachers. What are your plans for addressing the low end of the market? JS: We recognize there's a segment of the market that can't afford to pay more than $99 for a document camera. At FETC, we'll unveil the first HoverCam with a $99 price tag, the Z5. ESD: What are your thoughts about the iPad as a document camera? JS: I'm one of Apple's biggest fans. Chief Information Officers of our largest customers tell us one of two things. They say the iPad doesn't work well as a doc- ument camera, or they see a place for both products in the classroom. Our Solo 8 costs half as much as an iPad with a stand, is more rugged and allows the teacher to remain mobile with their tablet. Plus, the image clarity of our Solo 8 is amazing. ESD: What's next for HoverCam? JS: Schools should expect cutting-edge technology from us, not just in docu- ment cameras, but in other classroom products and services. We aim to make teaching and learning fun and bring great technology to schools that's affordable. For more information, visit www .thehovercam.com or stop by booth #323.