software & online
365 COMMAND
(www.messageops.com)
MessageOps has launched 365 Command, an easy-to-use, Web-based portal that makes it simple and efficient for anyone to perform common Office 365 administrative tasks without complicated scripting. A hosted service, 365 Command replaces the command line interface of Windows PowerShell with an HTML5 graphical user interface. This interface is easy to navigate and quickly allows you to change mailbox settings, monitor usage, and create reports.
ARUBA WORKSPACE
(www.arubanetworks.com)
Aruba Networks, Inc. has announced Aruba WorkSpace, a new component of the company’s ClearPass Access Management System. With the addition of Aruba WorkSpace, Network Access Control (NAC), Mobile Device Management (MDM), and Mobile Application Management (MAM) systems comprise one solution that secures company data and reduces BYOD help desk costs. Aruba WorkSpace is built on an enterprise network policy system, making it networkfluent. Aruba WorkSpace can also restrict network access if a device is jailbroken or contains unapproved applications.
ATOMIC LEARNING TRAINING ON MICROSOFT OFFICE 2013
(www.atomiclearning.com)
Atomic Learning has expanded its online training library to include extensive training on Microsoft Excel 2013. The additional Excel training series will illustrate how to apply features and functions of this application in the classroom. Atomic Learning has also added in-depth training on other Microsoft Office 2013 applications, such as PowerPoint, Word, and Access.
CLOUD DISASTER RECOVERY SERVICE
(www.earthlinkbusiness.com)
EarthLink, Inc. has launched its Cloud Disaster Recovery service. This cloudbased replication server requires minimal resources and protects valuable data and applications. The operating environment provides a barrier for man-made accidents, power outages, natural disasters, and server crashes. The solution is fully automated, continuously replicating the primary server environment to an EarthLink, next-generation, cloud data center.
COMPASS LEARNING ODYSSEY FOR GOOGLE CHROME
(www.compasslearning.com)
Compass Learning has announced that its educational software, CompassLearning Odyssey, is available for Google Chromebooks and other Chromebased tablets or devices. Using Compass- Learning Odyssey on a Chromebook provides students with anytime access to lessons and activities personalized to their strengths and proficiency levels. Built-in Odyssey assessments let teachers efficiently and effectively monitor students’ achievements and needs.
EDGENUITY CTE COURSES
(www.edgenuity.com)
Edgenuity, a provider of online and blended learning solutions, has announced a new offering of Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses designed to prepare students for job readiness. The new program is structured into a multi-year progression of three phases—explorations, career planning and life skills, and pathways. The suite, aligned to iNACOL standards, includes instructional and elective-blended learning courses that lead students from identifying their career interests in middle school through planning for professional certification in high school.
EDMENTUM AND PLATO COURSEWARE CURRICULUM
(www.edmentum.com)
Edmentum has announced the availability of 30 new semesters of its standards-based, online curriculum for Plato Courseware. Across all 8-12 grade curricula, Edmentum now offers 179 semesters of Plato Courseware content. Educators can customize the Plato Courseware curriculum to their own needs to meet state and Common Core standards, as well as district objectives.
EYESPY 20/20
(www.visionquest2020.org)
EyeSpy 20/20 is an automated computer program that assesses vision while a child plays a video game. The game tests for amblyopia (i.e. lazy eye), strabismus (i.e. eye misalignment), cataracts, and focusing problems (i.e. nearsightedness, extreme farsightedness, and astigmatism). The program also incorporates an analysis of binocular function. The video game format provides automated testing which eliminates the need for training and certification for vision screening.
GRADEBOOK
(www.skyward.com)
Skyward has announced an enhancement to Gradebook, a module in its Student Management Suite. The enhancement allows educators to measure student achievement on national and state curriculum standards. Now teachers can connect academic standards to individual questions within online assessments. This will allow them to easily evaluate students’ understanding of specific standards.
HDFACES GOTOTRAINING
(www.citrixonline.com)
Citrix has released the beta version of HDFaces GoToTraining, its premier online learning tool, for audiences of up to 200 attendees. HDFaces moves beyond lecturestyle presentations based on slide-show visuals to offer a more dynamic experience. Up to six presenters can lead interactive Q&A sessions, host panel discussions, and illustrate concepts with “hands-on” demonstrations, just as if they were in the same room with their audience.
HP CATALYST ACADEMY
(www.catalyst-academy.org)
The new HP Catalyst Academy offers free mini-courses led by HP Catalyst Fellows, who are aiming to extend STEMx education worldwide by transforming teaching practices through their courses. This expansion of the HP Catalyst Initiative offers an online, professional development initiative designed to help teachers prepare students for success in STEMx fields.
HP EXPERTONE ACCREDITED TECHNICAL ASSOCIATE CERTIFICATION
(www.hp.com)
HP has announced the new HP ExpertOne Accredited Technical Associate (ATA) – IT for Business certification. This program will help business students prepare for a job market in which technology insight is critical to achieving business objectives. The certification empowers the next generation of business professionals with an understanding of IT concepts to help address skill gaps.
INSIGHT 360 INTEGRATION WITH DNA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
(www.einstruction.com)
eInstruction has announced the integration of its Insight 360 classroom instruction system with Illuminate Data & Assessment Management System (DnA) to offer educators a seamless way to upload rosters, assessments, and results. There is no longer a need to import or export class rosters or results using .xml or .csv files, making instruction, assessment, and analysis a more streamlined process.
LAUNCHPAD MY FILES
(www.classlink.com)
ClassLink’s latest enhancement to LaunchPad and My Files provides unified access to files on a school network or within Google Drive, Dropbox, Skydrive, and others. All important documents are easily available from any computer, tablet, or smartphone. LaunchPad delivers personalized instructional technology with a single sign-on to Web and school resources from any device.
NAIKU PARTNERS WITH GRADECAM
(www.naiku.net)
Naiku has announced a partnership with GradeCam, integrating a new feature into the Naiku classroom assessment platform. With GradeCam integration, teachers can scan printed bubble sheets in situations where students don’t have access to a Web-enabled device. Teachers can also integrate scores from Naiku into any gradebook.
NETSUPPORT SCHOOL 11.20
(www.netsupportschool.com)
NetSupport School has updated its classroom management solution to leverage the product’s capabilities within different learning environments. Teachers can now interact with and control student machines that are running the Windows 8 start screen. It also gives them the ability to “quick launch” and remotely close Windows 8 apps on student machines in a single click. Internet monitoring and control is extended to include managing students who are using the Internet Explorer app, forcing safe search modes, and extending approved and blocked URL lists. Version 11.20 expands NetSupport’s Schools’ support for students using Google Chromebooks and Android tablets.
PENDA LEARNING
(www.pendalearning.com)
Penda Learning, a STEM standards mastery tool for grades 4-10, is now fully aligned to the new NGSS standards. Additionally, the company has added a curriculum pacing service. Pacing Assistant Service (PAS) helps teachers manage and utilize data to drive instruction, to ensure that students are attaining proficiency in the new standards.
SHMOOP MATH SHACK
(www.shmoop.com)
Shmoop has released a new SAT Math preparation tool, Math Shack. Instantly accessible inside Shmoop SAT Test Prep, the online resource features over 200 types of problems that hone a user’s skills in all test areas—numbers and operations, algebra and functions, geometry and measurement, and statistics and probability. A student can learn a concept in Shmoop’s SAT Math test prep section, then head over to the Math Shack to test out that newfound knowledge with sample problems.
STRAIGHTACE ENGLISH: GRAMMAR AND VOCABULARY
(www.straightace.com)
StraightAce English: Grammar and Vocabulary is a language arts platform for middle school students that was created to improve grades and make learning manageable. The platform complements classroom lessons and supports assessment through high-quality content aligned to Common Core State Standards in English. The learning system is available on any Web-connected device, and the cloud-based system saves progress between devices for seamless, mobile learning.
TREERING SOCIAL YEARBOOK
(www.treering.com)
TreeRing provides schools with a yearbook that parents and students can customize online. Now the resource has incorporated the popularity of social networking with the safety of a private network for schools. The entire school community can share, like, and comment on photos, memories, and events from the school year. Parents and students are then able to personalize their yearbook by choosing the photos and memories they find most important, and having those photos and memories printed in their unique copy of the school yearbook.
VINCI BLENDED LEARNING PROGRAMS
(www.vincieducation.com)
Rullingnet Corporation has launched VINCI Blended Learning Programs equipped with cloudbased analytical tools. The fully-integrated learning programs support the ECE, Common Core, and Head Start standards. In addition, thanks to the cloud-based VINCI Play & Learn learning management tool, teachers receive real-time analytics about each child’s learning status.
VISION AND VISION PRO 8
(www.netop.com/education)
Netop, a provider of classroom management software, has released version 8 of Vision and Vision Pro. Now, educators can use their Vision or Vision Pro classroom management software solution across all Web-enabled smart devices, including iPads, Androids, Chromebooks, Macs, and PCs.
WRITETOLEARN
(www.writetolearn.net)
Earlier this year, WriteToLearn added Pearson’s text complexity measure, the Reading Maturity Metric, to its nearly 1,000 informational reading passages. This program also incorporates Common Core State Standards’ text complexity grade bands to its literacy tool. This additional information is now available to teachers to help them select the most appropriate readings for their students using Common Core criteria. The Reading Maturity Metric offers 30% improvement over previous reading formulas.
apps
KROWDS VIDEO
(www.krowds.co)
Pixorial introduces Krowds Video, a mobile video app that lets people quickly discover, contribute, and join in shared video experiences with high-quality videos of any length. The Krowds app lets anyone with an iOS or Android device discover, view, and share videos of the same event in their original duration and quality.
NAVIANCE STUDENT
(www.naviance.com)
Hobsons recently launched Naviance Student, a free iPhone app that helps students organize tasks associated with college searches and communicate with school counselors, teachers, and families. Students can browse over 4,200 college and university profiles. They can also manage tasks and to-do lists associated with the college admissions process, such as application deadlines and planning college visits.
NET TEXTS
(www.net-texts.com)
Net Texts is a free, Web-based system that provides teachers with access to a library of over 21,000 Open Educational Resources (OER), which they can combine with their own resources to create and publish lessons directly to students’ iPads, Android tablets, or computers. Teachers can customize multimedia courses using content from providers like Curriki, Khan Academy, and top universities.
SCOREBOARD
(www.mheducation.com)
McGraw-Hill recently launched SCOREboard, an AP exam preparation tool. SCOREboard uses adaptive technology to adjust to students’ individual learning needs, providing personalized learning plans that help them master course material. SCOREboard also supports the latest AP standards released by the College Board.
SEE.TOUCH.LEARN. IPAD
(www.brainparade.com)
Brain Parade has updated its free version of its See. Touch.Learn. iPad app, including multiple enhancements and access to the new Brain Parade Community. Now users of the free version can subscribe to a community of over 330,000 users to share libraries and lessons. The visual learning and assessment tool makes it easy to create custom picture card lessons for students with special needs. It also includes the option to record audio prompts for increased customization options. Additional updates to the app include features for editing lessons, creating folders for easy access to content, and facilitating new modes of play to manage student interaction.
SOFTEST
(www.examsoft.com)
ExamSoft now offers an offline application for securely delivering important exams on iPads in the classroom. The SofTest app combines the usability of the iPad with the security and cheating prevention features of ExamSoft’s offline, computer-based testing solution. Students can use their technology of choice for exams, without the common connectivity or reliability issues associated with Wi-Fi dependency.
Hardware
Panasonic (www.panasonic.com) has announced a new 12,000- lumen 3-Chip DLP projector series. The PT-DZ13K Series offers a combination of high brightness, a compact, lightweight body, and professional features, making it ideal for large venues, such as auditoriums and lecture halls.
Kensington (www.kensington.com) has introduced a series of aluminum finish and gel cases, as well as a new security Proximity Tag, for the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone. Existing accessories featuring the Kensington 360º protection strategy are also available, including car and wall charging solutions, a water rescue pouch, and an app-enabled monitoring system.
Lenovo’s (www.lenovo.com) new ThinkPad X131e is built especially for students, with technologies to enhance classroom learning. The full-sized keyboard and 11.6-inch screen make it ideal for digitized testing, and the 8.5-hour battery life is useful for students working on assignments that involve research and interaction.
Belkin’s (www.belkin.com) new Store and Charge system offers an affordable mobile device management solution designed to optimize digital learning. With the ability to store and charge up 10 devices simultaneously, the station makes it easy to keep tablets, laptops, and e-readers organized, available, fully charged, and ready for classroom use. The solution is compatible with standard AV carts for ease of transport between classrooms. It also offers 10 surge-protected AC outlets that fit most charging adapters.
AmpliVox Sound Systems (www.ampli.com) and Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. (www.bretford.com) have teamed up to create an interactive mobile whiteboard, complete with topquality sound amplification. Bretford will now offer a customized AmpliVox Line Array Speaker to provide sound capability to Bretford’s EXPLORE Mobile Interactive Whiteboard, increasing the utility of the whiteboard for larger audiences and improving listener comprehension.
Infocus (www.infocus.com) recently unveiled the new version of its PC/video conferencing unit that comes with interactive whiteboard capabilities, MS Office, and Mondopad. The improved Mondopad features a smaller bezel, allowing for a wider touch area and improved sensitivity across its 55-inch display. The touch capabilities have been improved as well, with the newest version boasting a five-point touchscreen and enhanced application compatibility for current and future software releases.
eInstruction (www.einstruction.com) has expanded its line of student response devices with the addition of Ping, a budget-friendly device used to gauge student comprehension and capture real-time assessment data. The new RF technology clicker features a unique, ergonomic shape for use by students of all ages. The Ping clicker is lightweight, compact, and equipped with a long-life lithium battery. It works in a common RF environment with Pulse and Spark.
