Oser Communications Group

FETC17.Jan27

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EdTech Show Daily 2 1 Friday, January 27, 2017 product for users in education. We also have a free funding source for schools and libraries called "Mackin Funds." Hundreds of schools utilize this program because it is a hassle-free, online donation program that allows schools to collect donations and spend 100 percent of the proceeds on any resource Mackin sells. ESD: What trends are you seeing in the library and classroom market? RH: Today's school library market is presently enduring the largest paradigm shift it has experienced since the intro- duction of the stand-alone online auto- mated catalog. PK-12 school libraries are being challenged to remain relevant in a world that is quickly transforming into a digital platform, and I believe that this is the biggest opportunity ever for school libraries and professional school librari- ans to showcase their importance and rel- evancy within the educational process. Teacher Librarians must seize the moment and take the lead as purveyors of knowledge and vital information sources and resources that will serve to accelerate and increase the ability of every class- room teacher and administrator to improve and enhance learning. With the inclusion of Makerspaces within the classroom and library, Mackin is curating an expanding collection of print and dig- ital Makerspace titles, along with kits and Mackin (Cont'd. from p. 1) supplies to support this movement. ESD: How do you view your role as an educational resource vendor in today's market? RH: Our role is more crucial than ever as we provide schools and libraries with the most economical and versatile resources they need. Mackin has taken that involvement a step further with the for- mation of Transform Your School Library (TYSL). We have assembled an accomplished board of professionals who are fully engaged in providing support to librarians focused on transitioning their library to meet the educational chal- lenges of the future. Librarians looking for support and information can learn more at www.mackintysl.com. ESD: In addition to visiting the Mackin booth, how can people learn more about your company? RH: Visit our website at www.mackin.com for full information about Mackin or to start a live chat. Find us on Twitter, @Mackin_Talk and @MackinVIA, and on Facebook (Mackin Educational Resources). For additional questions, email us at mackin@mackin.com, or call us at 800.245.9540. Every phone call is always answered in person – 24 hours a day, every day. Visit Mackin at booth #723. There are fourteen total staffed positions, and a student-producer over- sees the production. RaiderTV has been recognized both locally and nationally for its high production value and professionalism in its broadcasts. Challenge In the beginning, Cleveland Middle School needed a way to produce its daily news show and tried using various streaming solutions. Unfortunately, the programs were unreliable, used too many system resources and struggled to main- tain audio and video sync. In addition, the pixelation on high motion video was too great and lowered the production quality. Solution In the end, Cleveland Middle School implemented Telestream Wirecast live streaming production software. In addi- tion to providing excellent streaming sta- bility, Wirecast allowed them to use com- plex graphics during the production of the show without expensive or complex graphics systems with alpha channels, and it was easy to use. "We consistently produce high qual- ity broadcasts with Wirecast, and the best part is that it's so easy to use that the stu- dents just click a button to start the stream," says Cody Raper, Telestream (Cont'd. from p. 1) Communications Instructor at Cleveland Middle School. The Setup A 2012 iMac with an Intel i5 processor is located in the master control room next to the soundboard. Four Canon XF-105 cam- eras are run over HD-SDI to send camera feeds from three different sets back to the master control room. The soundboard is a PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 digital mixer, and there are five Shure SM93 lavalier microphones. Non-keyed graphics and packages are provided from the iMac run- ning RenewedVision's ProPresenter. Results By implementing Wirecast to produce RaiderTV, Cleveland Middle School has seen an increase in student engage- ment. Students now have an enhanced awareness of special events and extracurricular activities through the special features on the show. Additionally, RaiderTV is used for triv- ia questions and content refresher seg- ments, which helps prepare students for standardized testing. In a nutshell, the daily live stream has unified the school, enhanced school pride and provided an avenue to effectively communicate information. Visit Telestream at booth #845. For more information or to download a free trial, go to www.telestream.net/wirecast. SC: Yes and no. There are definitely plenty of students that have a difficult time understanding the meaning of an 'in- side voice' but there are also those 'quiet talkers' that everybody strains to hear. One of the reasons I created the Qball was because I was a very shy student, with a tendency to sit at the back of the class. This meant that a lot of times when my fellow classmates asked questions, especially the ones up front, I had a diffi- cult time hearing what was said. Being a shy kid, I certainly wasn't going to raise my hand and ask them to repeat the ques- tion. So I would spend the next two min- utes trying to figure out what had been asked based on the teacher's answer. The usual outcome was that I would get so completely lost that I would just give up and zone out. ESD: What equipment do teachers need to set up a Qball system in their class- room? SC: Just a simple set of speakers. The Qball (Cont'd. from p. 1) Qball system is super easy to set up, and will work with interactive whiteboard speakers, classroom audio systems, portable Bluetooth speakers or even plain old desktop computer speakers. As long as it has an AUX input, it'll work. Each Qball system consists of a microphone, receiver and the Qball. Simply plug the receiver into your speakers, turn the microphone on and pop it into the Qball. You can even use the microphone as a dedicated teacher microphone, to help save those precious vocal cords. When you are ready for a classroom discussion, pop it back in and you're ready to roll. ESD: What other applications are there for the Qball? SC: Rather than connect the Qball to speakers, you can plug it into the 'Mic In' on your computer and use it for mystery Skype/Hangouts and remote field trips, and the Qball is a must for assemblies and professional development. For more information and to enter to win a free Qball, visit booth #1158. MagicMount Charge products will ensure maximum compatibility with both current and future Qi devices. Now that's getting your Qi on for sure. Both units incorporate an open design that permits full user access to all the ports and controls on the mobile devices you place on the mounts. Further 360-degree viewing flexibility is achieved via the four-axis adjustable angle of each unit, and the locknut ensures secure positioning. Scosche (Cont'd. from p. 1) Both units come with a large and small metal mounting plate with 3M adhesive. These plates accommodate the varying sizes of mobile devices from smartphones to tablets. You can place the plate onto the back of your mobile device, which permits it to then be mounted to the magnetic MagicMount Charge. Or, you can attach it to the outside of your device's case. Or, you can place it in between the device and case without adhering it to either. For more information, go to www.scosche.com. WITH ITPROTV, STUDENTS CONSUME CONTENT RATHER THAN ENDURING TRAINING For those wanting excellent IT training that is as entertaining as it is content-rich, discover ITProTV. The company, head- quartered in Gainesville, Florida and in place since 2013, offers an affordable sub- scription-based training that keeps users up-to-date through access to a constantly expanding course library. This format pro- vides a connection with the real world experience for self-study users who are career Information Technology (IT) stu- dents and gives them a solid and enter- taining path to success. Because ITProTV's shows are streamed live every day, the content portfolio not only stays fresh but continues to be current. The shows cover the latest information on each topic geared toward IT candidates who desire to validate their skills and knowl- edge through vendor certification exams. Tim Broom, ITProTV's Chief Executive Officer, notes that the goal for the show is to contact those schools and students who are seeking the kind of streaming educational study programs that ITProTV offers. ITProTV students have the ability to learn wherever they are. Students can watch from a desktop, a tablet, a smartphone or ITProTV's dedicated Apple TV and Roku channels. The company is very proud of being able to remove barriers and empower members through effective content that is also entertaining. The company's tar- get customers are staff and students in grades K-12 as well as those in higher education venues who are interested in a technology education that has a delivery platform for IT programs. There are many options for online technology education available, however none of those competitors make content that is as com- pelling and entertaining as that provided by ITProTV. ITProTV's members find the information so interest- ing they want to consume the content rather than merely endure the training. The company is launching its Single Sign On integrations for client Learning Management Systems at FETC in Q1 2017. For more information, stop by booth #1855, visit www.itpro.tv or call 352.600.6900.

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