Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/922334
EdTech Show Daily 2 1 Friday, January 26, 2018 that education is just too hard, and takes too long, but I was a little bit surprised when one of the Sharks dropped out so early. I really started sweating it at that point, but I just stuck to my guns, because education is what I am passion- ate about. It is the area where I feel my product could make the biggest impact. I am always hearing from teachers about how much their students love the Qball and how much it helps to keep students engaged in classroom discussions. I think the Sharks saw that and was pleasantly surprised to get an offer from not just one, but three Sharks. ESD: How did you come up with the idea for the Qball? SC: I worked for about six years doing technology integration in schools around the country. We installed a lot of class- room audio systems where the teacher wears a microphone all day, and saw tremendous benefits to the system. But most of these systems came with a hand- Qball (Cont'd. from p. 1) held student microphone that rarely got used, because teachers were either wor- ried about it getting dropped and broken, or it just wasn't conducive to a free-flow classroom discussion. I saw a lot of teachers using some sort of object (the talking stick) to manage classroom dis- cussions and thought, what would hap- pen if we put the two together. I did some research and found a couple other similar systems on the market, but they weren't really designed with the classroom in mind, so I set out to make a system that was meant for the classroom, at a price point that schools could actually afford. ESD: How can teachers learn more about the Qball, and about your Shark Tank experience? SC: Come stop by booth #1552. I should be there for most of the show and am happy to talk about the Qball, the Shark Tank experience or just entrepreneurship in general! For more information, stop by booth #1552 or go to www.buyqball.com. hours per week! Come by booth #1317, watch a five-minute demo and get a comfy t- shirt. See for yourself the ease of data collection and the seamless connection between ALL In Learning and Focus. Focus School Software (Cont'd. from p. 1) Get your school going with ALL In Learning and you are on the path to more data, less work and a proven approach to engagement and student growth. For more information, stop by booth #1317 or go to www.focusschoolsoftware.com. resources. With the Backpack feature, students can also download eBooks and audiobooks for on-the-go reading on their mobile devices. Mackin is continually updating and expanding its proprietary product, most recently to include the ability for teachers to assign materials to students and give direct access to digital materials pur- chased from other companies from with- in the MackinVIA platform. MackinVIA has also been certified as Section 508 compliant, recognizing its ability to pro- vide access to the resources for those with disabilities. "MackinVIA has been gaining in MackinVIA (Cont'd. from p. 4) popularity and usage as more and more schools are discovering its wide-reaching capabilities aligned with its user-friendly interface," states Mackin's Director of Digital Services, Mesa Heise. "To receive the recognition by the profession- als at Tech & Learning who review edu- cational technology products all the time has been added affirmation." Mackin is providing ongoing presenta- tions of the MackinVIA platform, with classroom and library experts demon- strating how they use MackinVIA in their schools, throughout the conference. Stop by booth #1723 in the exhibit hall and discover how MackinVIA can change your approach to digital product man- agement. Capture lessons through Huddle Space's built in conferencing micro- phone and recording capabilities. Huddle Space will record audio and video input and create a file that can be played back as a video at any time. This gives teach- ers additional insight into how the stu- dents are working together and the ability to review the work process later. Teachers can even record lessons for the students to review before exams and assignments. In 2017, ELMO launched the Pilot School Program as a way of offering K- 12 schools across the country the chance to experience the Huddle Space Collaboration Hub and discover its impact on classroom learning. Thirty ELMO (Cont'd. from p. 4) schools were selected to receive a free 30 day trial of ELMO's Huddle Space G2 and utilize it in the classroom however they want. ELMO is excited to announce that, as an exclusive to FETC, it will be open- ing up applications for the 2018 Pilot School Program. Like last year's pro- gram, Pilot Schools will be given a free 30 day trial of the Huddle Space. At the conclusion of the program, those schools will be eligible to purchase their trial unit for a highly discounted price as well as discounted pricing on ELMO's entire product line. To see the Huddle Space Collaboration Hub in action, stop by booth #723. Learn more at www.elmousa.com or by calling 516.401.1400. balanced manner, free of technological complication. Four out of five of Scripps Networks Interactive Under One Roof panel members agree that "making my home convenient for daily tasks" is a benefit that smart home technology offers. (Under One Roof is an internet- based community hosted by Scripps Networks Interactive that includes approximately 20,000 U.S. residents ages 18-64. The community is comprised of a national sample of consumers who are "lifestyle enthusiasts," recruited based on their interest in the home, food and travel categories. The community is not intend- ed to be representative of the U.S. gener- al population.) Household resets are key opportuni- ties to integrate new technology at home. Life stage transitions like moving to a new home, bringing a baby into the household or having an elderly parent move in help consumers justify smart home technology upgrades and new pur- chases. Each of these "resets" is an opportunity to grow an individual's IoT and build systems that not only work hard to keep the household running at maximum efficiency, but also enhance the emotional satisfaction gained from our homes. There is a slow simmer on investing Technology in the Home (Cont'd. from p. 1) in technology for the kitchen. It may be that we like to go analog in the kitchen and create with our own hands. Consumers view kitchen- and bath-relat- ed technology as "nice-to-have," but not a top priority. These devices haven't proven their value yet in terms of money, time and countertop space, but they have the potential to deliver big on the biggest challenge – delivering efficiency that ultimately contributes to our emotional satisfaction at home. Since friends and family are the No. 1 resource for smart home technology recommendations, a gift of a smart home product feels like a personal endorse- ment. When products are received as a gift, consumers can easily get over the hump of owning, installing and using technology in the home. A gifted smart home tech product acts as a gateway to curating a house full of technology that launches the homeowner into a well-run life. Frustrations arise when technology disengages individuals, or their loved ones, from each other. Camouflaging and enabling seamless flow of technology in the home guarantees we can maximize the sense of connection through minimiz- ing technological distractions. For more information, go to www.scripps networksinteractive.com. Your Weather Anytime, Anywhere Introducing La Crosse Technology ® 's new Remote Monitoring Professional Weather Station system that offers a combination of quality engineering, design and functionality. The innovative system's display receives and transmits data wirelessly for optimal accuracy with built in Wi-Fi by connecting to multiple sensors and has enhanced features when connected to the La Crosse View ® App. Sensors in this system include a wind speed sensor, a rain sensor and a temperature and humid- ity sensor, bringing you your backyard weather anytime, anywhere. The display acts as a command center for all elements of the system, featuring a large LCD panel with brightly colored numbers and graphics and an adjustable kickstand, making the display easy to read from any angle in the room. The intuitive button design, located at the top of the sta- tion, allows you to effortlessly navigate through the display for adjustable screen brightness, easy setup, sensor data and set- ting alerts. The built in Wi-Fi module is programmed to send all sensor and display information directly to its servers, which is maintained by a team of skilled techni- cians, quickly processed and sent to you and your network of friends via the La Crosse View App. While gathering, pro- cessing and sending your systems data, the Wi-Fi module also communicates directly with the NWS servers for weather information and NIST servers for precise time and date informa- tion, based on your zip code. Through exten- sive research and ded- ication by La Crosse Technology's knowl- edgeable and experienced product design team, this system provides an advanced feature set not found in conventional weather stations. Each sensor was created with a specific function in mind and to sustain a long battery life, while with- standing the elements of Mother Nature. Considering that the sensors all have sleek, modern designs, their function was not sacrificed. The wind speed sensor was made so that debris and snow can easily slide off, and features easily replaceable wind cups. The self-emptying rain bucket has a large opening and level indicator to ensure the optimal set up and accuracy, and the temperature and humidity sensor has a design new to La Crosse Technology that allows it to be hung or freestand- ing with the battery compartment on the front for easy accessibility. Aside from the sleek designs and user friendly features, La Crosse Technology incorporated a high quality antenna, trans- mitting at 915 MHz, allowing for out- standing performance in signal reception so each sensor can transmit up to 400 feet. The new connected Remote Monitoring Professional Weather Station is a must-have for any home or office, bringing your weather to the palm of your hand anytime, anywhere. For more information, go to www .lacrossetechnology.com.