Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/629673
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y F r i d a y, F e b r u a r y 5 , 2 0 1 6 1 4 NEW ZORTRAX INVENTURE 3D PRINTER RELEASED Zortrax S.A. is a Polish 3D printing com- pany that took the market by storm when it launched its maiden product, the M200 desktop 3D printer, in 2013. The M200 boasted professional quality at an afford- able price, and customers were not disap- pointed. In fact, 98 percent of Zortrax owners today say they would recommend the Zortrax M200. Now, in the ever- growing wake of the M200's success, Zortrax launches a brand new machine, the Zortrax Inventure, available February 2016. The Inventure reports the same or better quality than customers have come to expect with the M200, but is smarter and more versatile than the M200 in sev- eral ways. The printing environment is more controlled, and therefore produces even more astonishing results. First, the Inventure printing chamber is completely enclosed. This allows the filament to fuse together layer by layer in a completely controlled environment, ensuring maximum quality and finish. The ambient temperature within the printing chamber is also controlled to prevent peeled or cracked prints. Second, the filament used is a specif- ically engineered professional material, dedicated exclusively to the Inventure. It is called Z-Ultrat Plus, and is pack- aged in unique cartridges in order to prevent any dust or impurity from introducing itself into the print. The Z-Ultrat Plus allows the user to print very complex parts – even those with multiple moving pieces – all in one print. In addition, Zortrax has incorporated a material consumption control into the Inventure that enables the user to monitor filament usage, and determine needs for specific prints. This is a key factor in determining material needs, managing print time and calculating costs. Finally, the Inventure offers DDS (Dissolvable Support System) technolo- gy in order to print complex parts and easily remove support mate- rial after the print is finished. The support removal system is based on ultrasonic station and support material (Z-SUPPORT) that dis- solves in a water-based fluid. That means the user can print a detailed or complex print, and instead of spending hours cleaning it up, simply rinse it and let the support materi- al dissolve away to reveal a polished final product. Meet with the company or use the coupon code TCEA2016 when purchas- ing the M200 through the website to receive educational pricing. For more information, visit booth #115 or go to www.3dproshare.com. THINK THOUGHTFULLY By Sandra L. Love, Ed.D., Director of Education Insight and Research, Mentoring Minds, former elementary principal and recipient of the National Distinguished Principal Award Critical thinking. Creativity. Collaboration. Communication. How can educators inte- grate these 21st century skills in class- rooms? An authority in the field of think- ing, Edward de Bono, shares a concept in his book "Six Thinking Hats" that can serve as a unique strategy for teachers to engage students in whole- and small-group discussions about the real world. Six hat colors signal different types of thinking required by the students. A poster representing the six colors may be displayed in the classroom with descriptions that explain the thinking required when a particular hat is called upon to 'speak.' White Hat – information, facts Red Hat – emotions, feelings Yellow Hat – benefits, advantages, pluses Black Hat – critical viewpoints, disad- vantages, minuses Green Hat – new ideas, creativity, innovation Blue Hat – overview, summarization, process organizer During a discussion, the six hats may be repeatedly used in any sequence. White Hat thinkers present objective facts or the information they know about the topic; Red Hat thinkers share their emotions about the topic; Yellow Hat thinkers are optimistic and share positive points; Black Hat thinkers tell why an idea might not work or what obstacles might arise; Green Hat thinkers generate solutions or creative ideas; Blue Hat thinkers are active listeners and move the discussion for- ward. The teacher may ask certain thinking hats to con- tribute again, before the Blue Hat thinkers summarize what has been shared by each of the groups and form a conclusion. The hat strategy maintains produc- tivity during a discussion while also serv- ing as a classroom management tool to keep students on topic. Discussion topics might relate to content areas or connect to today's world inside and outside the classroom. An example might be: Should students be allowed to bring cell phones to school? Option 1: Students participate in a whole- or small-group discussion about the topic, communicating only the thoughts associated with the thinking hat designated by the teacher (e.g., Let's begin our discussion with White Hat thinking. I want to hear your Red Hat thoughts, but this is not the appropriate time. Next, I would like to hear Yellow Hat thinking.). Once students under- stand the thinking process, a Blue Hat thinker may facilitate discussions. Option 2: Students are divided into six groups, with each group assigned a dif- ferent color of the six thinking hats. After the teacher selects a topic, each group collaborates using the assigned hat to focus their thoughts. Then, each group member shares an individual perspective or the group's designee may present the collective ideas that emerge from the dis- cussion. The Blue Hat thinkers offer an overview, orchestrate the thinking process and conclude the discussion. For more information, visit booth #734. WHAT BRANDY GIER DID IN HER CLASSROOM WITH $10,000 OF TECH For anyone who's ever put their name in a hat to win a major raffle, you know your chances of winning can be slim, but the payoff if you do would be huge. Second-grade teacher Brandy Gier of L.D. MacArthur Elementary School in Pensacola, Florida knew the stakes when she entered the FETC Best Buy ® Education $10K tech giveaway. When Brandy was announced the winner, she knew her teaching style would change forever. "It was a moment when [I knew] this was going to change everything in the classroom," she said. 21 Tablets Later With the money she won, Brandy decided to purchase 21 Samsung tablets, a charging cart and digital cur- riculum for her students. It was impor- tant to her to "have something in every- one's hands. Everything we do in the classroom is centered around using the tablets." Being able to work with a brand-agnostic ed-tech provider was a huge benefit for Brandy and her stu- dents. "Having Best Buy as a partner was a huge deal because they know the technology and I know education." That's why working in partnership with educators and schools is so critical to the success of Connected Classroom implementations. Empowering Students with Disabilities For students with learning disabilities, conventional teaching methods often miss the mark. But according to Christin Love, Exceptional Student Education Teacher at L.D. MacArthur, "When you put [curriculum] on colors and it's moving around and there's fun characters, it really brings their learning to life. I can say, hands-down, their excitement for learn- ing is the highest it's ever been." It's All About Partnership In partnership with Brandy and L.D. MacArthur Elementary School, Best Buy Education outfitted her classroom with an ed-tech solution that is having dramatic effects on the energy in her classroom, and the excitement of her students. Technology supervisor Jennifer Beal also weighed in on the suc- cess of creating a Connected Classroom at MacArthur: "It's the grown-ups who are nervous about getting tablets in the room and using them for authen- tic learning. The stu- dents are wild about it." Educators and students agree: a Connected Classroom is an exciting, col- laborative, educational place to be. Watch the $10K Winner's Classroom video case study at bestbuy.com/educa- tion. For more information, visit booth #129, go to www.bestbuy.com/education, call 800.373.3050 or go to www.twitter.com/bestbuyedu. CASE STUDY: MESA (AZ) PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHOOSES SCHOOL ASSET MANAGER FROM TROXELL COMMUNICATIONS Mesa (AZ) Public Schools (MPS) is the 52nd largest public school district in the U.S. and the largest in Arizona, with more than 63,000 students populating 87 schools throughout the district. After uti- lizing a labor- and time-intensive asset management system in years past, administrators sought a more complete and overall cost-effective solution for its faculty and students for the 2015 to 2016 school year. MPS is in the process of issuing devices for all of its secondary school students in phases as part of its 1:1 initiative. After participating in a live demon- stration for local Arizona school dis- tricts hosted at Troxell Communications headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, offered by officials from Troxell, Summit Integration Systems and School Asset Manager (SAM) parent company Results Squared Limited, MPS agreed to partic- ipate in a free system trial that is offered to any interested school administration. Continued on Page 19