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E d Te ch S h o w D a i l y W e d n e s d a y, J u n e 2 9 , 2 0 1 6 4 8 with nonfiction text. ESD: What is AR 360? DG: Accelerated Reader 360 (AR 360) supports independent reading practice as well as the close reading of nonfiction articles. These elements work in tandem to bring actionable insights across inde- pendent and instructional reading prac- tice into an educator's hands. ESD: How are you using AR 360 in your classroom? DG: One way is in homogenous read- ing groups. Depending on what we're working on, I locate articles that already exist in AR 360 or I pull them off the web and into AR 360. Another way is through the content. For exam- ple, my classroom finished a read aloud where the main character had cerebral palsy. I pulled in a few web articles about the condition so students could get a better understanding. I've also used it to supplement our social studies and science textbooks. We haven't been able to adopt new books for several years, so it's wonderful to be able to easily locate recent articles on a partic- ular subject to support the textbooks. ESD: What is the greatest benefit you've experienced with AR 360? DG: The most rewarding benefit has been seeing a large increase in student engagement – both with the text and with each other. At the beginning of the year, we talk about academic commenting, and that teaches them to really engage with the text. That type of student discourse is powerful to witness. A R 3 6 0 (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) ESD: What is your students' reaction to AR 360? DG: They love it, because they have a voice. Students are anxious to have an audience other than a teacher, and for that reason, they start reading closely from the beginning. Students say, "I'm not sure where to comment or what to say." That's fantastic – it indicates that they're trying hard to connect with the text and make meaningful comments for their peers. ESD: What do you think about the selec- tion of nonfiction articles? DG: I appreciate the wide variety of arti- cles that aren't time sensitive. Another read aloud our class did was The Watsons Go to Birmingham, and being able to go into AR 360 and select resources on the Civil Rights Movement was invaluable for providing additional context. ESD: What data is most important to you? How do you use it? DG: We also utilize STAR™ Assessments, and being able to look holistically at all of this data allows me to see students as "full readers." In inde- pendent reading, my students know their range for a particular timeframe, and when they're selecting books, I'd like it to be in or above their range. The STAR data, combined with AR book quizzes and AR 360 nonfiction short quizzes, allows me to get an understanding of my class as a whole. Dena Glynn is an ISTE conference pre- senter, offering a session on redesigning literacy in a 1:1 classroom. She'll also be in Renaissance Learning's booth #2911 for short demonstrations on how she uti- lizes AR 360 in her classroom. Learn more at www.renaissance.com. school. YS: I'm a first grade teacher at Polk Avenue Elementary in Lake Wales, Florida where more than half my students are ELL. One of my favorite technolo- gies in my classroom is Tiggly – a learn- ing system that combines physical play and manipulatives with tablets. ESD: What was your first impression of Tiggly? YS: After discovering Tiggly, I pur- chased it immediately for my son. Seeing how quickly he learned the sounds and words was amazing. I knew that I needed to have that same WOW factor in my classroom. I have been using Tiggly in my classroom for almost two years now. ESD: How does Tiggly's technology appeal to you as an educator? YS: Many of my students are not exposed to tech at home. Those who are often have limited ways to use it as an educational tool. Tiggly is a technology I knew I had to expose my students to – they were immediately drawn to it because it's fun and tactile, but Tiggly also hits the core standards in a way that my students can relate to. ESD: How has Tiggly supported devel- opmental milestones in your students? YS: The tactile aspect of Tiggly triggers a deep level of engagement. In early edu- cation, there's a small window to draw Tiggly (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) the students attention, and Tiggly does that. I brought Tiggly into my classroom for my ELL students to help support the learning of their letters, sounds and understanding of math. What's great is that I have even seen my highest students benefit from Tiggly. It never becomes boring because each time my students play they have something new that grabs their attention. I have also seen Tiggly grow with my students because the cre- ative possibilities are endless; it's always a new adventure. ESD: Can you provide a concrete exam- ple of how Tiggly has impacted your stu- dents learning? YS: Shortly after bringing Tiggly into my classroom, I welcomed a new stu- dent who had just arrived to the U.S. and I was responsible for teaching this young girl the alphabet, phonics and numbers while trying to support her in learning a new language. Tiggly was the piece that she desperately needed. She was able to fit in with her peers and join in the same games and skills they were working on, because it was something that she understood, and went at a pace she could decipher. This did wonders to her confidence and success in first grade. ESD: Would you recommend Tiggly to other educators? YS: Absolutely – I already do! For more information and to see Tiggly connected technology in action, visit booth #4223 or email educators@tiggly.com. necessarily evolved at the same pace. The tablets and devices that are trans- forming the learning process still sit on top of the same style desks from the 1950s. The blackboards and chalk may have been replaced by interactive white- boards connected to a computer or pro- jector, but far too often students still sit in stagnant rows looking up in the same direction at the teacher for the daily les- son. 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 Ergo tro n (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) 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 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. For more information, visit education .ergotron.com or stop by booth #1515. heavy textbooks, which all too frequently are either obsolete the moment they are published, or contain entire chapters that are not part of the curriculum. The "digital conversion" of schools will only grow. E-learning devices sup- port game- and project-based learning, create a collaborative environment, reduce costs and can improve the quality of teaching and learning. But in order to realize these benefits, the devices must be kept safe, secure and ready to go at a moment's notice. Committing to the right charging and storage solution for your school's tablets, laptops, netbooks, notebooks or e-readers is an important decision – one that can result in tens of thousands of dol- lars and hundreds of hours of cost sav- ings, depending on deployment size. That's why it's crucial to ask the right question when making buying decisions. Black Box, a charging and storage solution provider, has worked closely with thousands of IT administrators, teachers and principals. Based on Black L apto p C art (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) Box's experience, the company recom- mends you ask these 12 questions when choosing a charging and storage solution for 1:1: Is the cart adaptable and flexible, now and in the future? Will your devices fit? Does the cart have good cable man- agement? Is the cart safe? Will the cart's size work for your application? Will the cart stand up to years of daily use? Does it look sturdy? Can the cart easily and safely be moved from place to place? Does the cart allow convenient access to devices and power? Does the cart have a design that can dissipate heat from the stored devices? How will you provide power to the devices stored in the cart? Is the cart secure? Does the cost of the cart accurately reflect its quality and features? What is the warranty? For more information, go to www.black box.com/tabletcarts or call 800.355.8004.