Software & Online
ACHIEVE3000 & ICIVIC
(www.achieve3000.com) & (www.icivics.org)
Achieve3000 and iCivics are partnering to offer middle and high school students government and civics lessons designed so that students can learn the fundamentals of American democracy at their own individual reading levels. Achieve3000 will add 30 of iCivics’ best-in-class student readings to its platform. Achieve3000 will apply its online differentiated instruction to the content, helping students to digest critical material so they can read, discuss, and debate core U.S. civics and government topics.
ASSIST EDUCATION & APEX LEARNING
(assisteducation.com/) & (www.apexlearning.com)
ASSIST Education and Apex Learning enhanced their partnership with the addition of adaptive content and digital tutorials into the ASSIST Integrated Education Management System for K-12 schools. The adaptive Apex Learning Tutorials for intervention, remediation, and preparation for high-stakes assessments were proven to improve students’ performance on the Tutorials from pretest to posttest by more than 50% and by an average of 23 to 26 percentile points during the 2016–2017 school year.
BLOOMZ FREE PREMIUM APP OFF
(bloomz.net)
Bloomz announced that it will be providing a free year of its Teacher Premium subscription to educators across the country, with the opportunity to get a free subscription for their school as well. The promotion allows teachers and schools to test out the Bloomz Premium subscription, which offers exclusive tools to communicate and coordinate with their parent community, such as unlimited storage for teachers and administrators, engagement reports, premium calendar, and more.
CASIO CLASSPAD.NET
(classpad.net)
Casio’s ClassPad. net is an all-inone web-based mathematics resource geared for K-12 mathematics and beyond. The software takes advantage of Casio’s Natural Display technology for input and output of mathematical expressions. ClassPad.net helps kids brush up on their math skills all year-round by offering digital scratch paper students can use to help them solve problems.
CODE.ORG ADVOCACY COALITION
(advocacy.code.org)
Since January 2018, 20 states have passed legislation and funded $49 million to expand access to and diversity in K-12 computer science, according to the Code.org Advocacy Coalition, a group of over 60 industry, non-profit, and advocacy organizations working together to make computer science a fundamental part of K-12 education. Coalition members include Microsoft, Amazon, Computer Science Teachers Association, College Board, and Excellence in Education Foundation, and other local tech and education organizations.
CAROLINA BIOLOGICAL SUPPLY COMPANY BUILDING BLOCKS OF SCIENCE 3D
(www.carolina.com/help/pressreleases/2018/building-blocks-of-science-3d)
Carolina Biological Supply Company launched the new Building Blocks of Science 3D hands-on unit kits for students in grades K to 5. This complete, inquiry-based program integrates engineering into every grade and includes everything teachers need for their entire class for every lesson and activity with hands-on materials, print, digital simulations and components for one comprehensive price. The series provides an entire school year’s science curriculum, enabling teachers to teach science daily with 30-minute lessons.
CLASSLINK ONESYNC
(www.classlink.com)
ClassLink announced the release of OneSync during IMS Global’s Learning Impact Leadership Institute. OneSync is a comprehensive account provisioning platform designed to streamline the synchronization between disparate data systems faculty and student directories. ClassLink has OneSync not only automates account provisioning, but it also provides bidirectional account syncing, enabling schools to maintain accurate reports and quickly and securely eliminate old or out of date accounts from their directory.
CLEARONE COLLABORATE SPACE
(www.clearone.com)
ClearOne unveiled COLLABORATE Space, a video collaboration app that connects hundreds of users joining from any device, anytime, and anywhere, and includes messaging, calling, and meeting functions. COLLABORATE Space provides persistent space to store messages, documents, whiteboards, recordings, meeting minutes, or anything else exchanged on a specific topic or project during a call or meeting at anytime, and is accessible from any device, whether it be a mobile, desktop, or room appliance.
DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND MCREL INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON STRATEGIES
(www.discoveryeducation.com) & (www.mcrel.org)
Discovery Education announced it has aligned its popular Spotlight on Strategies content to McREL International’s six-phase model for learning. The alignment of this popular series of digital professional learning resources to McREL’s model helps educators choose the appropriate classroom tactics for aiding the acquisition and recall of information. Available in all Discovery Education Techbooks and Streaming services, the Spotlight on Strategies series offers creative, research-based instructional videos and supporting materials developed for teachers, by teachers.
D2L EMERALD RELEASE
(www.D2L.com)
D2L launches its Emerald Release — the newest version of its Brightspace LMS — which provides a social, mobile-friendly teaching and learning experience for people around the world. The Emerald Release features additional socially driven capabilities, including a professional learning offering for K-12 and higher education teachers and staff, a feature that lets parents participate in their child’s learning via activity feeds, assignment insights and more, and other options that connects parents to the classroom.
EDGENUITY WORLD LANGUAGE LIVE LESSONS
(www.edgenuity.com)
Edgenuity is implementing live lessons for its virtual World Language courses. Beginning this summer, the new “World Language Live Lesson” add-on will allow students to access virtual Extended Learning Teachers –provided by Edgenuity– that teach live, weekly lessons alongside Edgenuity’s existing courses and virtual instruction. The Extended Learning Teachers provide an engaging learning experience in which students can interact with teachers and fellow students, practice speaking the language and receive real-time feedback from expert professionals.
EDMENTUM EXACTPATH
(www.edmentum.com/products/exact-path)
Edmentum Exact Path utilizes adaptive diagnostic assessments paired with targeted student learning paths to ensure academic growth in K-8 reading, language arts, and math. This summer, the program will receive new enhancements to benefit administrators, teachers, and students, including a new data dashboard, introduction of Quantiles, a Renaissance Star assessment integration, simplified onboarding and classroom management, curriculum additions, navigation improvements, and more.
FRONTROW MOBILE APP
(www.gofrontrow.com)
FrontRow has released a mobile app that lets staff at schools using the Conductor paging, bells, and alerting system activate critical functions like a lockdown, evacuation warnings, all-clear, or other announcements from any Android or Apple mobile device. This can be extremely useful for school administrators who may be moving about campus and can’t always be near a Conductor console. The application is free to download from the App Store or Google Play.
FOLLETT AND KIMONO
(www.follettlearning.com) & (web.kimonocloud.com)
Follett and Kimono announced they have renewed their partnership. The partnership, entering its fifth year, enables Follett customers to enjoy seamless integration with their Destiny solution, and lets students begin their library experience without delay, saving district staff from having to carry out time-consuming updates. Recently, Kimono launched a hosted version of the solution, offering Destiny users a cloud-based option that is faster and more reliable.
FULL SAIL LABS ONLINE COURSE EXPANSION AND SUBSCRIPTION PLANS
( fullsaillabs.com/FreeLessonsCourseCatalog)
Full Sail Labs announces the expansion of its online courses and new subscription plans to help teens explore their creativity through storytelling, art, and technology. The subscription plans include courses in Game Design, YouTube Creation, and music production. These self-paced courses were strategically created for teens to broaden their scope of interest in a creative, interactive way. Each course includes informative experiences in media providing teens with hours of guided learning to develop new skills.
GALE DIGITAL ARCHIVE
(www.gale.com/c/amateur-newspapersfrom-the-american-antiquarian-society)
Gale is introducing a digital archive that gives students and researchers a unique inside look at how teens and young adults of the period expressed themselves and their opinions to the world. Amateur Newspapers from the American Antiquarian Society provides authentic newspaper writings published by the youth of the 19th century, giving an unprecedented look at how youth viewed themselves and the world around them, drawing researchers into the world of America’s first youth subcultures.
HITACHI AMERICA ONEVISION KIDS PROGRAM
(www.hitachi-america.us/)
Hitachi America, Ltd. announced the OneVision Kids Program for K-12 Education Facilities. The new program provides a quality-projection solution for every projector application on K-12 campuses, and provides members with specialized pricing, premium warranty, enhanced service and direct access to Hitachi experts. Program benefits include product and program updates, specialized Hitachi promotions and pricing for Hitachi projectors and accessories for K-12 environments, and a 5-year projector warranty on select models and extended lamp warranty.
HUGHESNET & NATIONAL 4-H COUNCIL
(www.hughesnet.com) & (4-h.org/parents/stem-agriculture/youth-stem-activities/)
HughesNet and National 4-H Council announce the launch of STEM Lab to inspire the next generation of scientists. A free resource to parents and teachers, STEM Lab is an online hub that features STEM activities organized by age group for youth ages 4 to 16. Projects include easy-to-follow instructions, project duration, an explanation of the foundational concepts at work, discussion questions and a list of necessary supplies – most often consisting of basic household items.
IXL LEARNING CONTINUOUS DIAGNOSTIC FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
(www.ixl.com/diagnostic/)
IXL Learning announced the release of its Continuous Diagnostic for English language arts (ELA). Available on IXL, the Continuous Diagnostic simultaneously analyzes students’ language arts and math abilities and provides teachers with specific next steps to help learners advance. By expanding to English language arts, the IXL Continuous Diagnostic now offers an accurate picture of each student’s proficiency in language arts, as well as his or her overall reading level.
JIBO BE A MAKER APP
(www.jibo.com)
Jibo, Inc. announced the U.S. launch of Be a Maker, an all-new mobile application that teaches children how to code by allowing them to program their Jibo robot. Children ages 7-12 can use the Be a Maker app to create customized programs for their Jibo robot to perform, including speech and expressions. Users engage in critical and creative thinking in a novel way with the app, while simultaneously growing their interest in STEM.
KAHOOT EDTRENDS REPORT FOR EDUCATORS
(kahoot.com/files/2018/05/EdTrendsreport-May-2018-educators.pdf )
Kahoot! published a new report which addresses latest trends in EdTech in the U.S. K-12 market. Key findings of the report discuss Google being the top choice in classrooms for hardware and software, data-driven instruction being mainstream in K-12 classrooms, the unpopularity of VR and AR tech in schools, the issues schools face concerning connectivity, insufficient funding and training obstructing teachers from implementing tech into their programs, and more.
LEARNPLATFORM IMPACTREADY DESIGNATION
(learnplatform.com)
LearnPlatform has announced the launch of the new IMPACT-Ready designation, a way for edtech companies to demonstrate their commitment to driving positive student outcomes in several key areas. IMPACTReady is designed to encourage all product providers to attain the basic qualifications and enable them to clearly indicate their commitment to providing education organizations with utilization information. This helps schools and districts to work with providers more easily and save time in the procurement process.
MILESTONE MATH APP
(itunes.apple.com/us/app/milestone-math/id1212424824?mt=8)
The Milestone Math App launched in the iTunes App Store around the world to ensure that students enter their school exams and standardized tests prepared and confident, and that their scores reflect it. It is intended for 4th-8th graders and is flexible enough to challenge and engage students at any skill level. The app will be free to educational non-profits and schools with a majority of students below the poverty line.
PITSCO EDUCATION KUBO ROBOTICS
(www.kubo.education)
KUBO Robotics, a screen-free coding solution for emergent readers, is now available in the US exclusively through Pitsco Education. A fun, puzzle-like way for K-2 students to experience coding for the first time, KUBO comes with activity mats, coding TagTiles, and the KUBO robot – and is available in a single set and four-packs that serve up to 12 students at a time. Teachers can access support through KUBO Education, an online community.
PROMETHEAN CLASSFLOW SOFTWARE COMPLIANCE WITH CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT
(www.prometheanworld.com)
Promethean was recognized by iKeepSafe, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, for the compliance of ClassFlow with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). As part of the achievement, the cloud-based lesson delivery software ensures that parents remain in control of the personal information that websites and other online services can collect from their young children. iKeepSafe conducted a thorough manual and technical review of ClassFlow to assess its compliance with iKeepSafe Privacy Assessment guidelines.
READING HORIZONS PODCLASSED PODCAST RELEASE
(www.readinghorizons.com)
Reading Horizons announced its new podcast, Podclassed. The podcast is hosted by Reading Horizons’ education specialist Laura Axtell, who explores current educational topics with distinguished educators and leaders whose practical solutions will improve the future of education. Podclassed shares the perspectives of educational stakeholders to identify solutions to relevant issues on professional development. Episode one covers teacher preparation for reading with guest Rob Rickenbrode, senior managing director for the National Council on Teaching Quality.
RENAISSANCE & LEARNING A-Z
(www.renaissance.com) & (www.learninga-z.com)
Renaissance announces Learning A-Z as its latest Renaissance Growth Alliance partner. The companies are collaborating to provide personalized reading instruction to help educators increase students’ literacy comprehension and proficiency. Raz-Plus, the blended learning platform from Learning A-Z, which contains thousands of technology-enabled resources for personalized reading practice, will be integrated in Renaissance Flow 360, enabling educators to use Renaissance Flow 360 to assign and add Raz-Plus resources to their students’ lesson and assignment plans.
RENAISSANCE & TEACHING CHANNEL UPDATED RENAISSANCE-U PLATFORM
(www.renaissance.com) & (www.teachingchannel.org)
Renaissance and Teaching Channel are working together to provide an enhanced learning experience to educators who use Renaissance-U, an online professional development solution from Renaissance. Renaissance-U will now be housed on Teaching Channel’s online professional learning platform Teaching Channel Plus, allowing educators greater interaction with other educators on the platform, as well as the ability to upload their own classroom videos. The companies will roll out the updated Renaissance-U platform in August 2018.
SAM LABS BLOCK-BASED PROGRAMMING
(blockly.samlabs.com)
SAM Labs launched SAM Blockly, a solution that helps students progress from visual flow-based programming to block-based programming. Created in partnership with Workbench, SAM Blockly is a complete classroom solution that provides access to a combination of content, the SAM Blockly app and SAM blocks. SAM Blockly enables progression from SAM Labs’ visual flow-based coding environment SAM Space, to the Blockly environment, preparing students to advance to script-based coding languages as they develop their skills.
TRIANGLE INTERACTIVE READ-ALOUD EBOOKS
(bookbuddymedia.com/triangleinteractive-llc/)
Triangle Interactive LLC announced the launch of their first 1000 English and Spanish read-along eBooks. Triangle eBooks are enhanced with embedded audio, synchronized to offer automatic page-turn functionality. All audio narrations are professionally performed by talented voice actors, and each word is highlighted as the audio is read aloud. Triangle eBooks are designed for beginning, developing, and striving readers, as well as English language learners.
TYPING AGENT 5.0
(www.typingagent.com)
Typing Agent, the leading online K-12 keyboarding solution, announced the launch of its completely upgraded version TA 5.0. Set to be launched in the summer of 2018, Typing Agent 5.0 will include a fresh new look, upgraded adaptive keyboarding curriculum, more gamification for students, a Digital Citizenship curriculum aligned to ISTE standards, more Learn to Type Code, ADA Compliance Features and much more!
VEGAS PBS AND NEVADA LEARNING ACADEMY STATEWIDE ONLINE CAREER PATHWAY COURSES
(VegasPBS.org) & (nvlearningacademy.net/academy/)
Vegas PBS, through a state grant for distance education, has partnered with Nevada Learning Academy (NVLA) to provide additional opportunities for students to prepare for industry-recognized certifications in Health Science, Information Technology, and Business Management. This initiative enables students to enroll in online career pathway courses, some provided by Fuel Education, through NVLA at an affordable, greatly reduced cost of $75 per course, per semester. To enroll, visit NVLearningAcademy.net/admissions.
WORDPERFECT OFFICE X9
(www.wordperfect.com)
Corel introduces the latest version of its office suite, WordPerfect Office X9, that prioritizes productivity and control over your documents. Work faster than ever with user-suggested workflow enhancements that give easy access to essential tools and functions. Updates to favorite tools, such as Reveal Codes and Macros, provide even more ways to take control of your documents. In addition, a Quattro Pro spreadsheet program, a Presentations slideshow creator, and more, are included.
Hardware
LEGO Education (www.legoeducation.com) and FIRST (www.firstinspires.org) unveiled two new exclusive space sets to inspire participants in the 2018-2019 FIRST LEGO League Jr. and FIRST LEGO League season. The programs for the new season are themed “MISSION MOON” and “INTO ORBIT” to help build students’ curiosity around space exploration and scientific discovery, tasking students with completing a space challenge designed in partnership with astronauts and space experts, using a variety of LEGO Education solutions including the aforementioned sets.
littleBits (shop.littlebits.com/pages/hall-of-fame-kits) announced the release of its Hall of Fame Kits, a new line that feature four electronic block kits. The Crawly Creature kit lets users build an electronic pet or a Moving Collage, an interactive poster. Bubble Bot features a bubble-blowing robot or a Fan of Fortune, a prediction game. Night Light features a night light or a Megablaster wrist cuff. Arcade Game Hall features a pinball machine and a catapult.
MakerBot (www.makerbot.com/3d-printing-certification/) has announced a comprehensive 3D printing certification program for educators—available now. Teachers can become certified in one of two ways. The first is a series of online, self-paced courses that trains users to become operators first, then curriculum creators. The second covers the same material as a blended workshop that combines online coursework with an additional 5 hour hands-on training session, led by 3D printing experts at MakerBot HQ.
The Misty II robot (www.mistyrobotics.com) is an easily programmable and affordable personal robot made for developers, makers and STEM educators/students. The Misty II helps students to advance beyond Lego Mindstorms into learning to program a prebuilt robot with more advanced skills, using simple Blockly and Javascript language. Misty II is a fun, simple way for kids to explore advanced tech, get comfortable with it, and grow along with it from middle school through grad school.
Nureva (www.nureva.com) just announced the release of its Nureva Wall WM408i system and the Dual HDL300 audio conferencing system.The system supports large dynamic spaces up to 30’ x 50’ (9.14 x 15.24 m) and is the second model in the HDL300 audio conferencing system product line, first introduced in June 2017. Powered by breakthrough Microphone Mist™ technology, the Dual HDL300 system fills a room with up to 16,384 virtual microphones that pick up sound throughout the space, regardless of where in-room meeting participants are standing or the direction they are facing.
NEC Display Solutions of America, Inc. (www.necdisplay.com) announced the launch of two 27-inch desktop monitors, the MultiSync E271N and the MultiSync EA271F. Both models are designed for multi-monitor configurations and the EA271F also includes NEC’s exclusive ControlSync, which keeps settings in sync when using more than one monitor. Both models are also effective for small signage uses (less than 24/7) and are supported by a 3-year warranty.
Spectrum Industries Inc. (www.spectrumfurniture.com) introduced a new locking feature on the Collectiv8 Charging Pillar. The Collectiv8’s new optional feature is a security door that was created to help protect tablets, notebooks, laptops, Chromebooks and more. The compact design of the Collectiv8 allows it to fit under standard-height cabinets and be hung, stacked, or mounted to a work-surface. A metal wall shroud, another optional piece for the Collectiv8, is ADA compliant.
Premier Mounts (www.premiermounts.com) created three distinct audiovisual solutions for the Samsung FLIP which can be used in collaborative work and educational environments. The Fixed Floor stand has a heavy flat steel base to minimize potential trip hazards in heavy traffic areas; the Mobile Stand kit features an office door friendly mobile base, and the Rotating Wall mounting bracket offers the perfect digital drawing and note taking canvas.
TabPilot (www.techpilotlabs.com) Learning Systems has changed its company name to TechPilot Labs. The company’s cloud-based MDM for Apple platforms takes on a new name, SchoolMDM. The company also launches ChromeTools as a companion to the Google Admin console providing teachers with classroom tools to view and control Chromebooks. The company introduced the name change to reflect the more broad focus of the company while still keeping a familiar name and look. The company’s ownership remains unchanged.
The new Vernier Thermal Analysis Plus for FLIR ONE app from Vernier Software & Technology (www.vernier.com/products/software/thermal-analysis/) allows students to use the latest versions of FLIR ONE cameras—the FLIR ONE Pro Thermal Camera and FLIR ONE Gen 3 Thermal Camera—as they study thermal energy concepts. With a FLIR ONE camera, available for iPad and iPhone, students can observe temperature changes on the skin, illustrate convection, track heating due to friction, compare heat conduction in different materials, and more.
Wonder Workshop (www.makewonder.com) announced Sketch Kit, a new accessory for its Dash and Cue robots that lets kids create artwork by programming robots. Sketch Kit attaches directly to the robots, coming with six color markers, drawing missions, and an optional whiteboard drawing surface. The marker tip is placed at the center of the robot’s base, providing accurate control and mobility. Sketch Kit lets the robots utilize the pen on command, resulting in unlimited capabilities for design.
Promethean’s (www.prometheanworld.com) ActivPanel is the premium interactive display for immersive learning, providing a tablet-like experience at the front of the classroom. Providing highly-accurate touch detection, ActivPanel’s unique technology creates a smooth pen-on-paper writing performance with no script-lag, enabling teachers and students to collaborate easily. The technology automatically detects differences between pen, touch, and palm erase, allowing teachers to teach efficiently without switching between software tools. Dual, front-facing stereo speakers, an Android module, and more are included.
Boxlight Corporation (mimio.boxlight.com/mimioframe-touch-board-kit/) announced it has two new touch technology products ready to ship to classrooms. One, the MimioFrame touch board kit, is a front-of-classroom interactive solution that turns conventional whiteboards into touch boards in less than 15 minutes. Next, the ProColor 490 Touch Table, enables small-group instruction by allowing up to four students to work on interactive lessons; it can also be used to develop fine motor skills in special needs classrooms.
AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection (ESP) announced the new SurgeX Defender Series line of power protection products. Designed to safeguard everyday applications, the Defender Series provides cost-effective, comprehensive power protection and conditioning to increase uptime and ensure connected equipment functions properly. The 1-outlet SX-DS-151 model is small enough to be deployed in environments with constrained space. The 8-outlet SX-DX-158 and SX-DS-208 models are rack mountable and ideal solutions for a variety of environments with limited budgets.
Dante Domain Manager (www.audinate.com/products/software/dante-domain-manager) is network management software that enables user authentication, role-based security and audit capabilities for Dante networks, while allowing seamless expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. Dante Domain Manager brings IT best practices to AV, making audio networking more secure, more scalable and more controllable than ever before.
Casio America, Inc. (www.casioprojector.com/) showcased its expansive lineup of LampFree projectors at InfoComm 2018. Casio showed its XJ-L8300HN 4K UHD projector. This projector comes equipped with a 4K DLP chip that projects images of approximately 8.3 million pixels, reproducing the true color and beauty of images at a much higher level than conventional projectors. With its high brightness of 5,000 lumens, the XJ-L8300HN is great for brightly lit rooms and larger venues.
Belkin (www.belkin.com) announced its 2018 portfolio of enterprise products including the BOOST ↑ CHARGE 8-Port Charging Station, a versatile power solution for multiuser conference rooms and public spaces, a multiport to HDMI Digital AV Adapter that provides plug-and-play connectivity, support for both Ultra HD 4K and backwards compatibility for lower resolutions, and the BOOST ↑ UP Wireless Charging Spot, a device available in three installation styles that can power up to four units via one outlet.
Hitachi America, Ltd. (www.hitachi-america.us/) showcased the LP-AW4001 at InfoComm 2018. The new 3LCD laser projector line features WXGA 1280x800 resolution, 500,000:1 contrast ratio, and is equipped with Long Life 2 Mode allowing for up to 50,000 hours of virtually maintenance-free operation. With one HDMI and one HDMI/MHL digital inputs, the projectors offer a larger, flexible display at lower cost versus large flat panel displays.
