software & online
Aerohive Networks Hive Updates
(www.aerohive.com)
Aerohive has announced the availability of its HiveOS 5.1 and HiveManager 5.1. These upgraded systems provide enhancements to the Bonjour Gateway and JAMF Software Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems to manage BYOD programs. Bonjour Gateway leverages the distributed intelligence and service-aware capabilities of Aerohive’s Cooperative Control architecture. Aerohive can control Bonjour on any network, limit unnecessary service updates, and filter unwanted services or devices from being advertised across subnets.
Alloy Navigator 6.5 Enterprise
(www.alloy-software.com)
Alloy Software, a provider of service and asset management solutions, has launched Alloy Navigator 6.5 Enterprise. This software provides a comprehensive IT service and asset management suite. Alloy Navigator 6.5 allows users to manage the complex interrelationships, dependencies, and life cycles of workstations, servers, network devices, software licenses, and related information. This suite allows users to gain true visibility and transparency.
Blackboard Collaborate 12
(www.blackboard.com)
The new version of Blackboard Collaborate adds enhanced integrations for leading LMS and user experience improvements. The company also released the Blackboard Collaborate Mobile app in August, which allows students to join live sessions from an iPad or iPhone through a link in the LMS, an email, or a calendar invite that recognizes their device and credentials automatically.
BrainPOP Featured Movie for Android App
(www.brainpop.com)
Samsung and BrainPOP have launched the BrainPOP Featured Movie for Android app on the Samsung GALAXY Tab 2. Through the BrainPOP app, learners will be able to access educational movies and quizzes in a variety of subject areas, including science, math, and social studies. The app is updated daily with timely content.
Compass Learning Expands CompassLearning Odyssey
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Compass Learning expands its Middle School Science curriculum with the latest release of CompassLearning Odyssey. The updated science curriculum includes hundreds of new activities, quizzes, and tasks that empower teachers to engage students in key tenants of science and exploration.
Dell Education Data Management Solution
(www.dell.com)
Dell’s Education Data Management (EDM) solution, a decisionsupport system, helps teachers personalize student learning and increase retention and graduation rates. The solution integrates student performance and operational data with predictive analytics to help educators monitor student progress and intervene when needed.
Desire2Learn Learning Suite 10 and GradeMark
(www.turnitin.com)
Turnitin and Desire2Learn have added enhancements to the integration of GradeMark (an online grading tool) with Desire2Learn Learning Suite 10. Now users have richer grade collection capabilities in GradeMark, and they have the ability to transfer grades to the Desire2Learn Learning Environment.
Digital Passport
(www.digitalpassport.org)
Common Sense Media released Digital Passport, a free Webbased tool to help educators prepare their students to use online and mobile technologies. Based on lessons from Common Sense Media’s K-12 Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum, Digital Passport addresses online issues, including cyberbullying, privacy, and respecting creative work. Designed for students in grades 3-5, it leverages a blended-learning model of classroom instruction with online videos and games.
eScholar CDW
(www.escholar.com)
eScholar has announced version 14.0 of the eScholar Complete Data Warehouse (CDW), a platform that supports data-driven decision making and personalized learning. In addition to 50 diverse categories of data, eScholar CDW v14.0 now includes support for the Common Core State Standards Initiative, analysis of effective teaching techniques, and transportation information to improve operational efficiencies.
icurio, by Knovation, Now Includes SAS Curriculum Pathways
(www.knovationlearning.com)
icurio, by Knovation, now includes SAS Curriculum Pathways interactive curriculum product. Available to icurio subscribers at no additional cost, SAS Curriculum Pathways provides interactive, standards-based resources featuring hundreds of interactive tools, inquiries, Web lessons, and audio tutorials in every core subject for grades 6-12 in traditional, virtual, and home schools.
Instructional Leadership Ac ademy & Institute
(www.evansnewton.com)
Evans Newton Inc. (ENI) has announced a new course called the “Instructional Leadership Academy & Institute.” Delivered in a blended model of on-site and virtual professional learning, the course teaches the knowledge and skills that lead to an effective conversion for data-driven, 21st-century instruction. One of the key lessons shows teachers how to conduct collaborative observations of classroom instruction, also called learning walks, to improve teacher effectiveness, increase satisfaction, and reduce turnover.
MimioReading Software Suite
(mimio.com)
MimioReading is a research-based supplemental reading comprehension program for grades 3-8. The software suite’s design uses both individualized adaptive reading instruction and whole-group reading lessons for interactive whiteboards. The MimioReading programs teach strategies for mastering the four primary components of comprehensio— finding facts, making inferences, identifying themes and the “main idea,” and learning vocabulary in context. These strategies are presented with age-appropriate content and activities.
NetSupport School version 11
(www.netsupportschool.com)
The newest version of NetSupport offers over 200 new and updated features. These enhanced offerings include a Questionand- Answer module, a Teacher Assistant App (compatible with both Apple iOS and Android tablets and smartphones), support for Chrome OS, and an enhanced Technician’s Console.
NEC Interactive Software
(www.necdisplay.com/interactive)
NEC’s Interactive Software is used in conjunction with NEC projectors that have networking capabilities and is compatible with Apple’s iPad tablet. The software update now allows users to record all annotation and audio from a presentation for playback at a later date; share videos on YouTube, Facebook, or via email; connect directly from the iPad to an Apple TV without need for a server; and more.
NoDropouts
(www.nodropouts.com)
The American Academy is expanding its NoDropouts program, which provides online learning, 4G laptops, and social, emotional, and educational support for at-risk students in more than 50 districts. The program, which recruits, enrolls, and educates students who cannot or will not attend traditional school, will expand into Utah and Arizona.
Observation 360
(www.schoolimprovement.com)
The School Improvement Network has updated Observation 360. The solution integrates ondemand training resources and a wide array of reporting capabilities into the teacher observation process. Now, administrators can create and manage highly personalized professional development plans for every teacher in their school system. Observation 360 automatically compiles year-end reports when observations are completed.
Providence eLearning
(www.providenceelearning.org)
Providence eLearning launched a new series of digitally enhanced iBooks. Titles for these video-enhanced classics, available at Apple’s iBookstore, are: Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and The Poetry of William Blake. Providence eLearning delivers an average of two hours of digitally enhanced content in each iBook, streaming video from YouTube to reduce storage constraints.
Rally.org
(Rally.org)
Rally is a social fundraising platform that helps anyone with a cause raise money, share their story, and connect with supporters. Schools can use this platform to finance education like the Omaha-based Mary Our Queen (MOQ) Robotics Team, who used Rally to support teams of 6th-8th graders who design, build, and compete with robots.
SAFARI Montage IMS Global Learning Tools
(www.safarimontage.com)
SAFARI Montage has announced its IMS Global Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) v 1.0 conformance certification. LTI is an international K-20 sign-on standard for accessing Web-based resources. SAFARI Montage users will be able to employ a federated search across any cloud-based content or application that is IMS LTI certified, providing for greater access to educational resources.
SAS Curriculum Pathways Free Algebra Course
(www.sas.com)
SAS Curriculum Pathways has launched a free Algebra 1 course that provides teachers and students with all the required content to address the Common Core State Standards for Algebra. Available online, the course engages students through real-world examples, images, animations, videos, and targeted feedback. Teachers can integrate individual components or use the entire course as the foundation for their Algebra 1 curricula.
SMART Meeting Pro Connector for Microsoft Lync
(www.smarttech.com)
SMART Technologies Inc. is enabling Freestorm visual collaboration solutions for Microsoft Lync 2010 users through the release of the SMART Meeting Pro connector. The software connects Freestorm solutions with Microsoft Lync to create an immersive audio, video, and data sharing experience in meeting rooms.
Splashtop for eno iPad App
(www.polyvision.com)
With the Splashtop for eno iPad app, teachers can challenge their students, roam the room, and create one-on-one time with specific students. The app turns an iPad into an interactive whiteboard. Teachers can annotate anything, jot down ideas using background templates, and use all of their favorite desktop apps without adding new software.
TabPilot
(www.tabpilot.com)
The new Android tablet management system TabPilot is a cloud-based Android management system that allows teachers to control which apps are available on Android devices used in their classrooms. Students are locked out of system settings and specific apps that are not enabled for use during that class. The system also features an app distribution feature for pushing new apps wirelessly to groups of tablets.
Teaching in a Blended Learning Model
(www.flvsglobal.net)
Florida Virtual School (FLVS) and FLVS Global introduced a new professional development course for out-of-state educators. Teaching in a Blended Learning Model is filled with best practices for virtual school and classroom environments and can be accessed 24/7.
Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network
(www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE)
Verizon Wireless announced that its 4G LTE network will cover more than 75 percent of the U.S. population when it introduces the network in 34 new markets and expands in 38 other markets last August. The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network will be available to customers in 371 markets across the country. The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network enables customers to upload images on their social channels, download documents, all at speeds up to 10 times faster than before.
hardware
Fujitsu (www.shopfujitsu.com) has introduced the STYLISTIC Q702 business hybrid tablet and LIFEBOOK T902 tablet PC, designed for use with Windows 8. The STYLISTIC Q702 hybrid tablet is designed to accommodate work in and away from school. The LIFEBOOK T902 convertible tablet PC has been redesigned with enhancements for best-in-class performance.
HP (www.hp.com) recently announced the HP Compaq Pro 4300 All-in-One, its most cost- and space-efficient offering to date. The 20-inch diagonal, widescreen LED display, all-in-one PC offers the latest Intel processors and Intel HD Graphics.
ViewSonic (www.viewsonic.com) has launched the eco-friendly, short-throw, PJD6 Series projectors. The PJD6353s, PJD6383s, and PJD6683ws 120Hz/3DReady projectors deliver multimedia presentations in clear surround sound and feature embedded Crestron e-Control to allow users to remotely monitor and control the device. The projectors also offer realtime monitoring capabilities for up to 250 networked projectors at once.
Lenovo’s new IdeaPad U310 and U410 Ultrabooks are powered by 3rd Generation Intel Core processors. Lenovo Ultrabook devices combine powerful processing performance, large storage capacity, and rich audio, with the aesthetics and qualities of tablets, such as fast boot-up, instant resume, and all-day battery life.
MimioBoard (mimio.com) is a fixed whiteboard powered by MimioTeach interactive technology. The MimioBoard is interactive, dry-erasable, and easily transfers created interactive lessons to other classrooms via its removable bar. The MimioBoard, which integrates with all MimioClassroom teaching technologies, comes fully equipped with the MimioStudio classroom software and supports both wired and wireless operations.
