The ViewSonic® CDE31 Series is a line of turnkey, commercial-grade 4K UHD displays designed to anchor communication across the entire educational campus. Ranging from 43” to 98”, these displays offer stunning 500-nit brightness and a high-haze anti-glare coating to ensure clear visibility in brightly lit classrooms and hallways.

Engineered for 24/7 reliability, the CDE31 serves as a versatile alternative to traditional projectors or interactive boards, allowing teachers to instantly connect and share content via a single-cable USB-C solution or wireless AirSync™ casting. With a lightning-fast 7-second warm boot and a future-ready Android 14 platform, the CDE31 Series provides schools with a high-performance, sustainable visual hub that supports both active instruction and campus-wide digital signage.

Build A Unified Communication Network

In the classroom, the CDE31 is increasingly used as the primary front-of-room display. Teachers utilize its "plug-and-play" USB-C connectivity to instantly mirror laptops, eliminating the setup time and dim lighting requirements of traditional projectors. Beyond the classroom, schools and districts deploy the CDE31 for immersive digital signage in high-traffic areas like lobbies, hallways, and cafeterias. It functions as a dynamic bulletin board to build community, share real-time announcements, and display digital menus.

Administrators use these displays, alongside ViewSonic Manager and Manager Advanced software to create a unified communication network across multiple buildings, ensuring that vital information, from daily schedules to emergency alerts, is synchronized and visible to students, staff, and visitors in both landscape and portrait orientations.

Integrated Deeply Into School Infrastructure

The CDE31 stands out due to its "future-ready" architecture and commercial-grade durability. Unlike consumer TVs often repurposed for schools, it is rated for 24/7 continuous operation, features a 7-second warm boot, and offers a high-haze (25%) treatment that rejects ambient light reflection critical for student eye comfort and conceptual clarity. This, combined with ViewSonic Manager or integrated Pro-AV compatibility (Crestron, Extron, AMX), ensures it integrates more deeply into school infrastructure than standard digital signage.

For IT administrators, the CDE31 Commercial Displays supports community engagement initiatives by transforming static walls into dynamic hubs for sharing real-time school spirit, diverse cultural recognitions, and emergency alerts, ensuring every student and their families feel informed, safe, and represented within the school ecosystem.

Paired with the cloud-based ViewSonic Manager™ software, administrators can also remotely monitor device health, push software updates, and broadcast urgent messages to every screen on campus from a single dashboard.

GO HERE FOR MORE ABOUT VIEWSONIC CDE31 COMMERCIAL DISPLAYS

Actual performance may vary depending on system configuration, usage environment, and other conditions; programs, pricing, specifications and availability are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

Must See at ISTELive 2025: AristotleK12

The ViewSonic myViewBoard 3 is a powerful, inclusive digital whiteboard platform built for today’s dynamic classrooms. Recently awarded the prestigious ISTE Seal, it meets the highest standards for digital pedagogy, usability, and student engagement.

“MyViewBoard delivers a compelling digital whiteboarding platform that transforms how educators create interactive learning experiences.”
— ISTE Seal Review Findings Report, April 2025

Designed for K-12 educators, myViewBoard 3 empowers teachers to create interactive lessons, assess student understanding in real time, and support diverse learning needs with tools such as Irlen Filters, immersive reading, and multilingual support. The new version delivers a seamless, intuitive experience across Windows, Android, and macOS—making it easier than ever to teach, collaborate, and personalize instruction. Backed by the world’s No. 1 interactive display brand (outside of China), myViewBoard 3.0 reflects a global commitment to making technology meaningful, equitable, and effective in education. It’s trusted worldwide to enhance—not replace—great teaching.

“Students can engage with authentic problems, use design thinking strategies, and submit work in diverse formats, supporting multiple assessment types and learning needs.”
— ISTE Seal Review Findings Report, April 2025

Powerful Support For Teachers

With myViewBoard 3, teachers don’t have to change how they teach—they just gain better tools to teach their way. Whether it’s importing existing slide decks, annotating over videos, or guiding group discussions with live polling, myViewBoard fits seamlessly into daily routines. Teachers use it to build on their own proven methods, while enhancing student engagement through multimedia, collaboration, and real-time feedback. It’s built to meet educators where they are—and take them further.

“These thoughtful design elements help teachers quickly master the platform and focus on teaching rather than managing technology.”
— ISTE Seal Review Findings Report, April 2025

myViewBoard adapts to how teachers already work by supporting their files, their materials, and their classroom flow. Even with already-created lessons—whether in PowerPoint, Google Slides, or even other interactive whiteboarding platforms—myViewBoard makes it easy to bring them to life with interactive elements.

Read the full ISTE Seal Review Findings Report for myViewBoard

Scalable and Secure

myViewBoard 3 solves the everyday challenges of time, training, and teaching consistency. For teachers, it’s a time-saver—allowing them to import their favorite lessons and platforms, then layer in interactivity and accessibility features such as live polls, text-to-speech, and Irlen Filters with minimal effort. There’s no need to rebuild content from scratch or change teaching styles—just enhanced lessons, their way.

“The accessibility features, including closed captioning and playback controls, demonstrate a commitment to inclusive design.”
— ISTE Seal Review Findings Report, April 2025

For administrators, myViewBoard delivers what district leaders need most: a scalable, secure platform that supports diverse learning needs while staying compliant with data privacy standards. It enables equity at scale without sacrificing teacher autonomy.

And with the ISTE Seal and global trust behind it, myViewBoard is more than just a classroom tool—it’s a strategic foundation for modern instruction.

DISCOVER MORE ABOUT MYVIEWBOARD 3 HERE

CTL is set to make a significant splash at ISTELive 2025 with the unveiling of three groundbreaking products designed to elevate the educational technology landscape.

Get ready to experience the next generation of learning with the NL73 Gen 2 Series, an evolution of CTL's popular 11.6" Chromebooks, boasting new enhanced performance with Google AU now until 2035. Also debuting is the brand new PX121E, a versatile 12.2" Chromebook that offers students an expansive display and robust performance for today's immersive learning. Finally, CTL introduces the Chromebox OPS OPx1-3, a powerful and compact Chromebox designed for plug-and-play integration into interactive flat panels, transforming any classroom display into a ChromeOS powerhouse and simplifying IT management.

CTL's new product lineup is poised to revolutionize classroom environments. The NL73 Gen 2 Series 11.6-inch clamshell and 2-in-1 convertible Chromebooks (above), with their enhanced performance and proven durability, will be ideal for everyday student use, from individual research to collaborative group projects. A rugged 180-degree worldview camera makes classroom collaboration and learning easy.

The new CTL Chromebook PX121E 12.2-inch clamshell (above), with its larger and more immersive display, will facilitate richer content consumption and creation, perfect for engaging multimedia lessons or design-focused tasks.

Lastly, the Chromebox OPS OPx1-3 (below) will transform interactive flat panels into dynamic learning hubs, enabling seamless integration of ChromeOS with existing classroom displays. This will empower teachers with greater control over content sharing, real-time collaboration, and simplified device management, ultimately fostering a more engaging and productive learning experience for all.

CTL Helps Schools Maximize Investments

These three new devices carry distinct advantages in the education technology market. What truly sets the CTL Chromebook NL73 Gen 2 and CTL Chromebook PX121E products apart is CTL's singular focus: they are a vendor that specializes exclusively in ChromeOS devices with the industry's most comprehensive set of lifecycle services. This dedicated expertise translates into meticulously optimized hardware and a deep understanding of the Chrome ecosystem, ensuring unparalleled performance, service, and ease of lifecycle management for schools and businesses. Plus, as the only Chromebook manufacturer certified as a B Corporation(TM), CTL focuses on ensuring the entire experience of school technology is as waste-free and recycling-friendly as possible.

"Everyone at Bandera ISD involved in our Chromebook initiative is very pleased with the NL73 CTL Chromebooks and support,” says David Brown of Bandera ISD. “Jason has been superb, often going the extra mile to meet our needs. ZTE has saved countless hours for my department. Warranty repair, replacement parts, and in-house repairs are a definite plus. We found a winner with CTL to meet our future Chromebook needs."

Beyond that, CTL's Chromebooks offer unique hardware innovations. They feature two USB-C charging ports on a mother/daughter board design so if one port gets damaged, the device can still be charged, a crucial detail for active classroom environments. Plus, these Chromebooks are equipped with advanced Intel N150 processing, providing robust performance for today's tasks and ensuring long-term viability with an automatic update expiration date of 2035. This longevity is a significant benefit for schools looking to maximize their technology investments.

CTL Supports Teaching Smarter, Not Harder

CTL's new products at ISTELive 2025 directly address common pain points for educators and IT staff. For teachers and students, CTL's NL73 Gen 2 Series and PX121E Chromebooks offer robust, reliable tools for student learning. Teachers can focus on instruction, not technical glitches.

For IT administrators, these features translate into significant time and cost savings. The durable hardware reduces repair cycles and replacement needs. The extended automatic updates simplify fleet management by postponing costly hardware refreshes. And, the Chromebox OPS OPx1-3 can breathe new life into classroom display technology by providing a dedicated, easily managed ChromeOS solution for interactive flat panels that may no longer be supported. IT staff can deploy, update, and secure displays centrally, minimizing individual troubleshooting and extending their lifetime across the school.

Customers also enjoy working with CTL. "The customer service is exceptional,” says Nate Luoden of the Ambrose School. “In this day and age, to get a reply to an inquiry within four hours or less is nice. For most times it's under two hours. It keeps things moving along to receive a product that outshines other brands."

As a B Corp, CTL is very concerned with the circularity of electronic devices and avoiding waste wherever possible. "I was very impressed with the (bulk) boxing,” an employee of Quality Network Solutions recently said unsolicited. “Having spent untold hours unboxing hundreds of Chromebooks each in their own box like you'd find at a Walmart, I can't tell you how much we appreciate such a simple, common sense approach."

Visit CTL's booth #2049 at ISTE 2025 to discover how these innovations are shaping the future of education.

GO HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CTL’S NEW PRODUCTS

ClassDojo for Districts offers one unified platform for districts that offers secure two-way messaging, single sign-on, automatic rostering, and full message histories—backed by white-glove support and industry-leading privacy practices. It’s designed to help districts improve family engagement, reduce chronic absenteeism, support teacher retention, and build trust in their communities.

ClassDojo for Districts works across pre-K through high school, integrates easily into existing systems, and is free for partner districts.

“As we wrap up our first year as a ClassDojo for Districts partner, one of the biggest benefits has been the ability to create a more unified communication experience across our schools,” says Will Herring, Assistant Director of Technology, Moore County Schools in North Carolina. “ClassDojo was already widely used and well regarded in our classrooms, so it made sense to build on that foundation at the district level. Just as important is the data—we’re no longer sending messages into a void. Now we can see when families are engaging—and that insight is shaping everything from parent engagement strategies to our broader school improvement plans.”

ClassDojo for Districts is the only platform that combines massive adoption, district-level control, and world-class privacy—at zero cost.

The ClassDojo Everyone Already Trusts–And So Much More

ClassDojo for Districts gives administrators full control over school-to-home communication—without adding complexity for teachers.

Many districts rely on fragmented tools that lack oversight or create privacy risks. ClassDojo solves this with secure, centralized messaging that scales across pre-K to high school.

District leaders get full visibility, automated rostering, message history access, and real-time control over staff permissions. Data is protected with bank-grade encryption, verified logins, and independent security audits.

Teachers continue using the ClassDojo they already know and love—no new systems to learn or manage. Communication remains simple, inclusive, and instantly translated into 130+ languages.

ClassDojo also helps safeguard classroom communities. Kids can only connect with people they know in real life, and only with teacher or parent permission. All communication is visible to adults.

Best of all, ClassDojo for Districts is completely free for schools, teachers, and districts.

ClassDojo Case Studies

• ClassDojo boosts engagement at Spring ISD
• ClassDojo sparks Alisal Union’s Communication Revolution

ClassDojo: A Trusted Partner

ClassDojo is the leading communication and engagement platform in K-12 education, trusted by teachers and families in 90% of U.S. schools and 180 countries, and is trusted by more than 45 million teachers and families.

“When I took over as principal, my first major initiative on day one was to adopt ClassDojo,” says Brian Heidenreich, principal at H.D. Berkey Elementary School, who as an instructor had been using the communication platform to connect teachers, students, and families to build positive classroom communities. “We were able to reinforce positive behavior with ClassDojo and good communication with parents.”

ClassDojo has had an extremely positive effect on the H.D. Berkey’s suspension rates, which have plummeted to just two—from the previous 69—within just two years. Heidenreich says the school continues to run and review its attendance reports to measure the impact of ClassDojo on those metrics but adds that the lower number of behavior and suspension days is a true testament to the platform’s contribution.

READ MORE ABOUT H.D. BERKY’S CLASSDOJO EXPERIENCE

ClassDojo holds the Common Sense Privacy Seal (93% rating), iKeepSafe COPPA Safe Harbor Seal, and FERPA Certification, and was an early signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge. Unlike other platforms, ClassDojo doesn’t allow targeted ads or sell data. It is used daily by teachers, principals, and district leaders to keep school communities connected, informed, and engaged.

Most tools serve either classrooms or central IT. ClassDojo bridges that gap.

In classrooms around the world, teachers use ClassDojo to message families, share photos and updates from the school day, and build stronger relationships through real-time communication. Today, 80% of families read their ClassDojo messages the same day they're sent.

“Partnering with ClassDojo has helped bridge these gaps by providing an instant translation feature, allowing teachers to communicate with families in their native languages,” says Brian Prybil, Deputy Superintendent, Moline-Coal Valley School District. “This has enabled more effective engagement, as families can easily access real-time updates about their children’s academic and behavioral progress. For a district with a 10% to 15% mobility rate, ClassDojo offers a consistent communication channel to keep families connected even during school transitions.”

At the school level, principals send out announcements, coordinate events, and keep families in the loop about key happenings. Message histories and read receipts ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

District leaders use ClassDojo for systemwide updates, compliance messaging, and engagement campaigns. They can manage access, monitor usage, and ensure all communication is secure and consistent—across every school.

District leaders also get centralized oversight with automatic rostering, message history access, and the ability to manage staff permissions securely. Everything is protected by best-in-class privacy measures including encryption, verified logins, and independent audits.

With more than 20 million messages sent daily, ClassDojo is not just a tool, it’s how school communities stay connected.

GO HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLASSDOJO FOR DISTRICTS

Frontline School Health Management is a single solution for school nurses, guidance counselors, social workers, administrators and other service providers to schedule, document, report and comply with state and federal standards for physical, mental and behavioral health. By bringing this information into one place, data can be used to assess and address population and individual needs, and collaboration between providers can occur to best meet the student needs.

And now Frontline School Health Management with new Disease Case Management functionality helps districts keep students and staff safe with health checks, test results, vaccine tracking, case management, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine data, and statistics for more than 30 communicable diseases.

“I don’t know what I would do without it,” says Becky Garrett, school nurse for the Everett Area School District in Pennsylvania. “It’s part of my daily routine. I love the user-friendliness of the program.”

The newest offering under Frontline’s School Health Management program, Disease Case Management’s functionality enables users to collect timely, accurate, and secure data, both in and out of school settings, and share it with key stakeholders to quickly identify and respond to emerging trends, all while keeping districts compliant and schools safe.

With Frontline School Health Management with new Disease Case Management functionality, K-12 organizations can:

• Import student vaccine information using Immunization Registry Connection.
• Easily track and report on student vaccination status.
• Monitor staff compliance of state testing requirements for communicable diseases.
• Support school-focused contact tracing, quarantine, and reentry procedures.
• Proactively monitor critical data with specific reporting and analytics in a dashboard for 30+ disease types to get ahead of an outbreak.
• Collect and report on health data and trends (symptoms, testing, immunity, and more).
• Securely perform daily health checks with a mobile health screening app.

Frontline School Health Management offers the most comprehensive K-12 Electronic Medical Records for school nurses on the market. School nurses can use it to track student health trends for physical, mental, and behavioral health, document student encounters, ensure health documentation is secure and compliant, conduct and manage regular health screenings, track immunizations, and administer medication and track medication inventory.

“The consistency and the efficiency that it provides cannot be matched,” says Sadie Kirell, Director of Nursing for Rock Hill Schools in South Carolina. “I am big on being efficient and not double documenting, not creating processes that make the job of the school nurse hard. This makes it pretty seamless.”

Never has monitoring the individual and collective health of students and staff been more important. Yet this seems like a monumental task on top of everything else school districts are facing – surging teacher and school health provider shortages, unprecedented staff transitions, intensifying mental health concerns, and formidable learning gaps.

“Before electronic records, you would have to rely on what someone told you, or we would have it in the file, but you’d have to go hunt for it,” says Laura Garrett, Director of Nursing, Greenwood School District 50 in South Carolina. “To me, that’s the most important thing: It has made it a lot safer for all the nurses when they’re trying to take care of children.”

Visit Frontline School Health Management for more information

More resources about Frontline Health Management:

• Case Study: A User-Friendly School Health Management System
• Case Study: Using Electronic Health Records at Greenwood School District 50
• Case Study: Why Rock Hill Schools Uses Frontline School Health Management Instead of Their Student Information System to Maintain Health Records

When done right, project-based learning (PBL) has proven to help students develop the soft skills they need to succeed for a variety of future careers. Instead of just memorizing and regurgitating facts, the hands-on experiences offered in PBL programs give students unique experiential opportunities to really dig into a variety of academic concepts.  

Centric Learning has long been at the forefront of the PBL movement, offering live and asynchronous courses, as well as tutoring, AP courses, and accelerated credit recovery options. 

With Centric Learning's PBL curriculum, students work on a project over an extended period of time – from a week up to a semester – that engages them in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. They demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience. 

New for 2024, Centric is offering Advanced Placement (AP) courses for English Language & Composition, Microeconomics, and Environmental Science. Additionally, Centric is releasing a new accelerated high school credit recovery option with pre-testing.

Public, private, and charter schools use Centric's curriculum (and even certified teachers) for grades 3-12. Some schools utilize a single subject area and take advantage of hands-on blended projects with their own school staff, while others utilize Centric's full program for traditional and at-risk student populations. 

Centric offers everything from AP and Honors courses for traditional and advanced students, to accelerated credit recovery courses with pre-test options. The PBL and competency-based assessment formats make Centric's curriculum unique and engaging.

Both the new AP courses and the credit recovery options will complement the existing Centric PBL curriculum available to students around the world. For example, are your students interested in civil engineering? In the project “Making Our Community Accessible,” middle school students learn about right triangles and the Pythagorean theorem while designing an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp for their community.

Centric Learning’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Maidie Baker says, “We are excited to offer three new AP courses as part of our PBL curriculum. Engaging in AP coursework not only offers a competitive advantage for students, these courses also allow students to develop critical thinking skills, improve time management, and better prepare them for the academic challenges they will face in college.”

“Centric Learning’s new accelerated credit recovery options offer an affordable and flexible solution for meeting high school graduation requirements,” says Michelle Hucal, director of sales and marketing. “Students start by taking a pre-test to determine what standards they are already proficient in, and then Centric automatically designs a personalized sequence of projects to guide the student.”

With Centric Learning’s Live Online Classes, schools and districts can provide uninterrupted, top-tier online project-based learning. The combination of certified expertise, assured engagement, flexible scheduling, and cost-effectiveness makes Centric Learning a valuable partner in shaping the future of education.

Discover more about what makes Centric Learning unique here and schedule a demo with their team to learn how their PBL educational solutions – along with their tutoring, AP courses, and accelerated credit recovery options – can help provide your students with a unique opportunity to succeed in their education and in their future careers. 

GAT+ by GAT Labs, a comprehensive security and management platform for educational institutions, recently secured the Best of 2023 Award of Excellence from Tech and Learning in the Secondary School category. This recognition is a testament to GAT+'s innovative approach to enhancing the digital educational experience through deep integration with Google Classroom and pioneering developments in monitoring student assignments.

GAT+ unveils several new features, including:

• Deep integration with Google Classroom. This groundbreaking integration provides automatic classroom awareness and extends to detailed reporting capabilities at all levels of the educational hierarchy, including a global overview valuable for Principals. This allows for a more cohesive and insightful understanding of classroom dynamics and student engagement, streamlining administrative duties and enhancing the educational process. 
• Monitor Student Assignments When Off-Line: This new feature revolutionizes how teachers assign and monitor student work. Through it, educators can now monitor a student's real-time progress on assignments or tests in Google Docs, even in their absence. This development not only bolsters academic integrity but also ensures that students receive the necessary guidance and support, regardless of the physical presence of their teachers. 

Designed with Google Workspace for Education in mind, GAT+ seamlessly pulls live metadata through Google’s API, offering deep insights into user activity, email traffic, and document sharing. This ensures a secure digital learning environment and empowers educators and administrators with advanced monitoring and analysis tools. The platform's ability to provide real-time insights into student engagement and performance is particularly beneficial for remote teaching scenarios, allowing for a tailored educational experience that meets individual student needs.

2023 also saw GAT+ introduce features to enhance digital security and privacy, reduce administrative workloads, and provide insightful analytics for personalized learning. These features include managing drive-sharing expirations, securing communication channels, and optimizing cost through efficient license management.

GAT+ stands out for its diverse functionalities, including audit and reporting, advanced security and data management, educational tools and workflow integration. Continuous updates and Chromebook insights ensure that GAT+ remains at the forefront of educational technology solutions.

Go here to learn more about GAT+ 

As technology expands its footprint in the classroom, determining which tools are right for your teaching is critical. Recognized by Tech & Learning’s Best of 2023 awards for its A30 all-in-one camera and U50+ document camera, AVer provides high-quality and reliable devices for any educator. 

First up, the A30 is a multi-functional classroom tool that combines a document camera, web camera, microphone, and speaker! With easy-to-use plug-n-play connectivity, it connects to computers, IFPs, and monitors to provide clear classroom audio up to 20 feet away. Teachers can pivot between doc cam and webcam modes without having to switch technology devices, while the built-in microphone and speaker minimize set up time and can support small classroom work groups and hearing-impaired students. 

The A30 empowers teachers to effortlessly navigate remote and in-person teaching, while also facilitating content creation for future lessons. It streamlines the educational process and allows valuable time to be reclaimed for both teachers and students. Its multifunctional capabilities contribute to an enriched educational experience.

Not to be overlooked, the AVer U50+ FlexArm USB Powered Document Camera is a cutting-edge solution that can transform the learning experience. It offers an impressive 8MP display resolution and 16x digital zoom to provide vivid and detailed image to make every lesson visually engaging.

The U50+ features plug-and-play functionality, a user-friendly design, and multiple easy-to-use functionalities that resonate with both students and teachers. It can heighten visual presentations and live demonstrations, while also providing document scanning, interactive learning opportunities, and hybrid instruction —all within a compact and flexible form factor. It helps to create an environment in which technology enhances education without complicating it.

 Go here to learn more about AVer products 

The Lincoln Content Bank, powered by Amazon Web Services, is a highly secure LMS add-on tool that gives educators access to discover and add enterprise-level curriculum content into their courses. The tool, which recently was recognized as one of Tech & Learning’s Best of 2023 in both the primary and secondary divisions, contains nearly 110,000 Early Kindergarten through 12th-grade vetted learning objects from the accredited Lincoln Empowered curriculum.

The Lincoln Content Bank supports educators and fuels learning experiences at any grade level by providing an affordable repository of learning objects, which are autonomous blocks of educational content aligned to specific learning objectives meeting specific national and/or state standards. Content is presented via multiple modalities, such as asynchronous instructional text, videos, games, or other online and offline activities, allowing educators to supplement learning in a variety of styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) to meet the needs of all learners. 

The tool integrates with any LTI 1.3 capable LMS and is currently fully supported in popular LMSs such as Instructure Canvas, Schoology, and Agilix Buzz. It also offers perceptive and rapid search capabilities, relative search results, intuitive tooling, customizable material for full classes or individual students, streamlined access to learning objects, and cross-curricular learning opportunities.

Designed by teachers for teachers, the possibilities for using the Lincoln Content Bank are only limited by an educator's imagination. Content can be utilized within a traditional classroom with whole group instruction through the administration of activities, presentation of videos, or discussion of instructional material. Examples include a flipped-classroom approach to lesson content or additional resources for homework activities. 

With its extensive selection of carefully curated materials, the Lincoln Content Bank simplifies lesson preparation, creating more space for educators to direct their energy toward shaping a more engaging and tailored learning journey for their students. It is an invaluable tool in helping educators close the gap in student understanding, aligning resources with educational accommodations, and promoting standards mastery.

Go here to find out more about the Lincoln Content Bank

Teachers today have access to many teaching resources but often it is difficult to determine which are safe, reliable, and effective for students. That's where the Lincoln Content Bank comes in. Designed for EK to 12-grade learners, the accessible content hub is home to nearly 110,000 rigorously vetted, carefully -curated, and standards-aligned educational assets.  Teachers can tailor these resources for individual student needs, group dynamics, or even for entire classrooms. 

LMS Integration and Multi-Modal Offerings  

To make things quick and accessible for teachers, the Lincoln Content Bank can be smoothly integrated into an existing LMS an educator uses. Teachers can then pick and choose the resources they need. The learning objects available are autonomous blocks of educational content aligned to specific learning objectives meeting specific national and/or state standards. They present content via multiple modalities, such as asynchronous instructional text, videos, games, or other online and offline activities allowing educators to supplement learning in a variety of styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) to meet the needs of all learners. 

Lesson Planning Made Easy 

The robust Lincoln Content Bank platform integrates curriculum content effectively, liberating teachers from the demands of generating materials from scratch and allowing them to enrich their classroom offerings exponentially.  The Content Bank features objects from core and elective courses spanning grades EK-12. This allows teachers to infuse new learning material into their existing course loads for supplemental learning, remediation, enrichment, tutoring services, or individualized learning. 

After using the Lincoln Content Bank, Mrs. Beasley, a high school science teacher in Kansas, said the product was one-of-a-kind. 

"The Lincoln Content Bank is ahead of its time.  I have not seen or heard of anything like it.  The depth of information, variety of topics, and wealth of resources will add to any classroom."

Flexible Implementation

Educators can craft a full lesson from Lincoln Content Bank’s learning objects or incorporate singular objects within lessons in ways that best fit the learners’ needs. They can also leverage the Lincoln Content Bank to supplement and add high-quality curriculum content to existing courses within their LMS platform. This content can be presented in person or remotely for classroom enrichment or asynchronous extended learning opportunities. The content is there to serve teachers and students in whatever ways best suit their needs. 

The Lincoln Content Bank makes learning customization easy and straightforward, smoothly integrating into your LMS. With its extensive selection of carefully curated materials, the Lincoln Content Bank simplifies lesson preparation, creating more space for educators to direct their energy toward shaping a more engaging and tailored learning journey for their students. 

Don Lamison, CEO and Director of Operations for Urban Green Education, said the flexibility this tool provides is unbeatable. 

“I don’t think anyone can match them in terms of the quality,” Lamison said. “There are so many companies available, but nobody has the flexibility Lincoln does.”

The Lincoln Content Bank is an invaluable tool in helping educators close the gap in student understanding, aligning resources with educational accommodations, and promoting standards mastery.

Join the educational revolution: lincolnlearningsolutions.org/lincoln-content-bank

One common critique of remote learning is that it can sometimes feel impersonal. The CA Essential Webcam Flex is designed to counteract that by making learning more collaborative, effective, and, of course, personal. The multi-function webcam helps teachers do this by living up to the term “Flex” in its name. The webcam camera is mounted on an easy-to-swivel arm that can move to the middle of a monitor or extend out to support the lesson and instruction. This facilitates eye contact with students on video calls and can help teachers share instructional materials. Here’s how. 

Center View

A key feature of the CA Essential Webcam Flex is Center View. This feature allows teachers to easily move the camera’s eye into the center of their screen while minimally obstructing their view of the screen. This makes maintaining eye contact with students watching class easier. Maintaining natural eye contact makes the virtual environment feel more like real life and research suggests it makes participants in video calls more comfortable. Center View users can also position the camera exactly where they want it between a multi-monitor display 

Table View

This feature lets teachers position the camera looking down directly above their desk. In this way, the webcam functions as an overhead projector and can capture notes or other materials the instructor wants to share with students. For example, if a teacher is doing a math lesson, Table View allows the teacher to walk through step by step, showing students how to complete the task without having to hold papers up or use special software. 

Plug and Play

Despite these advanced features setting up the CA Essential Webcam Flex is no extra work. The tool operates like a traditional webcam and is plug-and-play with no additional software required.

A Powerful Tool for a New Mode of Teaching

While most students returned to school following the pandemic, a small but significant group of students have remained virtual, leading many districts to expand their virtual schooling options. Overall, virtual learners are on the rise, with K-12 seeing one of the biggest bursts in enrolment. Now that online class is becoming a permanent, longer-term option for families to consider it's crucial to evaluate where improvements can be made and the CA Essential Webcam Flex can provide a lot of support for this mode of teaching. 

Learn more about the CA Essential Webcam Flex here. Available on Amazon and from CyberAcoustics.com

Education leaders recently met at an event sponsored by Lightspeed Systems in Sacramento, California, to discuss AI in education, including its implications for students, teachers, workflow, and data privacy.

“There was a diverse set of philosophies around the use of AI in districts,” said panelist Jason Borgen, Chief Technology & Innovations Officer (CTiO), Santa Cruz County Office of Education. Some districts are treading lightly around AI use, either banning or discouraging it, while Borgen and the districts he works with are taking a different approach. “We're in the mindset with the schools that we serve and support, ‘Let's try it out and pilot it and test the waters with it,’” he said.

In the past, teachers have had concerns about using search engines, spellcheck, and email with students, but over time they have learned how to navigate these once-new technologies. To do that with AI, Borgen said educators have to get used to experimenting. “Life sometimes is R&D, and in our work as educators we need to research and develop how things can work for our own use and our own programs,” he said.

Protecting Data Privacy While Using AI  

When using any technology at schools protecting students’ data privacy is paramount. Even though AI tools often save questions and inputs to add to their data training set, Borgen said that interacting with these is not all that different from inputting information into a search engine.

“It comes down to just digital literacy,” he said. “Don't share personally identifiable information about yourself or students.” That goes for any digital tool that isn’t vetted and doesn’t meet your district's privacy requirements, whether it's a generative AI tool or a search engine.

Even so, Borgen says it is okay for teachers to input student work into an AI model as long as that work does not contain identifiable information regarding that student.

Use AI Effectively With Students 

Teachers who work in different subject areas often have different views of utilizing AI technology. For example, “The high school English teachers are somewhat conservative around their use and are concerned about cheating,” Borgen said.

The trick is figuring out how to utilize AI in a manner that familiarizes students with this important new technology and prepares them for careers that will likely require them to interact with AI, all while also protecting academic integrity.

For those English teachers worried about cheating, Borgen advises against using AI detection tools due to the unreliability, and instead suggests building assessments that are more AI-proof.

“Evaluate small chunks of information rather than large summative approaches to writing because then you can really tie in student voice to that,” he said. “Make sure students build connections to their life, because, obviously, AI cannot get into a student’s body to understand their life and mind. So when creating assignments, make sure there are those variables that AI cannot generate.”

Use AI to Save Teachers' Time 

Several AI tools are already being used by teachers Borgen works with to increase efficiency. These tools can do things such as watch YouTube or other videos and then create transcripts, questions, and instructional activities based upon the video, Borgen said. Others can help teachers generate lesson plans, create IEDs, and more.

Borgen stresses that teachers need to curate the use of these tools. “Treading lightly though, these are all brand-new tools, so spend some time making sure it's valid and correct,” he says. “The idea is not to replace the human, but really give the human a catalyst to consider ideas that they may have not thought of before.”

Go here to find out more about Lightspeed Systems

Alternative preschool options such as Kindergarten Prep use a variety of interactive and hands-on materials to prepare students academically and socially in a safe and controlled environment. This mode of learning is not only beneficial to the long-term development of students, it can add district enrollment and long-term retention earlier by appealing to parents seeking flexibility when choosing a path for their young learner.

“For many families, the challenges of learning in a brick-and-mortar environment vary widely,” says April Warren, Head of Schools at California Virtual Academies (CAVA). “The option to learn at-home in a supportive environment may be the most appropriate for their lifestyle, goals, and/or needs.”

Flexibility for Parents = Students for Districts

For many families, a preschool or pre-K program is the first outside influence to which their children will be exposed. Being able to participate in the program with their child can ease anxiety and offer a reassuring sense of confidence that the program will create a positive experience that aligns with their values.

“With pre-K and kindergarten being the first time students experience structured learning, it can be overwhelming,” says Ryder. “In the online format, teachers and parents ease the process by consistently meeting with students to help facilitate the foundation of friendships by recognizing and greeting classmates by name, as well as sharing and discussing common interests. This also includes providing a platform to safely and comfortably learn about others who share different interests and values.”

For some parents, this controlled environment relieves a great deal of stress or concern about potential bullying or other tricky and unfamiliar social situations young learners might not have the tools to negotiate. Some children who could benefit greatly from an online preschool program such as Kindergarten Prep might have developmental delays that could lead to inappropriate behaviors and a negative first school experience. Participating in a program with a parent or caretaker allows all students the ability to freely learn in a comfortable environment.

“When preschoolers hit, kick, scream, use harsh language, or refuse to follow adult instructions, their peers don’t feel safe. This is why school administrators, teachers and child-care professionals often resort to suspending or expelling a child who behaves in aggressive or harmful ways,” says P. Gail Williams, MD, who authored a recent report about the harm of early age expulsion 

Modern learning uses collaboration via built-in caregiver support. A high-value program engages young learners in an accessible way, creating an option for parents who want early childhood learning but need or want their child home (for medical, safety or other reasons).

“We believe students learn best through hands-on activities in a supportive environment that fosters learning,” says Warren. “For some students, families who can share in that learning at home is the preferred option, due to the safety, privacy, and comfort it provides. Some families need alternative solutions to help support their child in their learning journey.”

Offering online personalized options gives all parents the flexibility they need to choose the right path for their child without changing districts. By creating this type of comfortable environment, schools can earn parents’ trust. Building this trust through online and blended learning can encourage families to keep their learners enrolled to ensure younger siblings have access to that same successful outcome. In particular, Kindergarten Prep’s versatility is key, offering integration as a grade level to an existing full-time school, as a pre-K program to a custom online school or as a standalone product to a school district.

“The need for families in some districts to have access to free Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is urgent,” says Warren. “Many of our local parents are forced to spend thousands of dollars per month in childcare for their young children. In this case, our tuition-free program is a viable option for them. Last year, 88% of our TK graduates stayed in-district, re-enrolling in the kindergarten program.”

Online Pre-K is Social and Interactive

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important element of creating a well-rounded student. These interpersonal lessons start early and despite preconceptions, do not require a physical game of duck-duck-goose or shared box of crayons to impart. Many of the social skills practiced in a traditional classroom are just as present, if not more so, when a student is learning from the comfort of their own home.

“A big element of SEL is empathy,” says Cheryl Ryder, SEL Instructor and Elementary Director K-2 at Friendship Charter School Online. “Children using the online format learn valuable lessons about teamwork and cheering for others. Children learn patience as they wait for their turn to speak and share information. In the online platform, students are encouraged to express their feelings using appropriate vocabulary and are provided with useful tools to help regulate their emotions. Students are not face-to-face, however the importance of learning other's names is highly regarded.”

Ryder observes that recognizing familiar letters and sounds has led students to bond over commonality between their names. Insight into their home life and everyday recreational activities can also offer opportunities for connection.

“With use of various manipulatives (supplied by the Kindergarten Prep curriculum) and everyday items in the home, children are involved with hands-on learning,” says Ryder. “A perk of the online platform is as children learn, lessons can be extended by visiting libraries, museums, parks, etc. Educational videos further enhance learning, encouraging the use of imagination.”

Interactive formats featuring vibrant visuals and creative guided activities offer access to young learners of all abilities. Online or offline, customized plans using physical resource elements such as hands-on resources and video environment connection opportunities allow educators to provide support to students at a flexible pace – matching individual progress and developmental goals. The online format allows more control over social situations, keeping young minds from wandering and staying on-task for best outcomes.

“Our program focuses on building essential skills for problem solving, implementing language in learning and age-appropriate collaborative social skills,” says Warren. “We incorporate puppets, songs, dance, and more to inspire our littlest scholars. We then break out into smaller academic learning sessions that focus on achieving milestones in math, language, science, social studies, fine motor skills, music, and art based on the preschool learning foundational standards.”

Prep for Kindergarten and Beyond

Created by developmental psychologists and academics, Kindergarten Prep is cutting-edge and national award-winning online solution. The program empowers children ages 3-5 with skills that will serve them long after they move their tiny tassels to the side and head on to elementary school. Programs which personalize learning and adapt to each child’s own pace of learning not only offer a safe and flexible entry into the world of education, but in an age of endless digital opportunities, teach invaluable tools for the future.

“The increased use of technology can not be denied,” says Ryder. “Students as young as four easily develop the skills to navigate online technology, thus establishing a foundation for the future. Students can learn about themselves, their community and the world, right at their fingertips. Face-to-face encounters are important, however the ability to learn in a safe, inspiring, informative, interactive, environment has lasting benefits and positively affects self esteem.”

The true value in a program such as Kindergarten Prep is the versatility to help not only students and their families, but districts by offering a robust range of learning solutions to help all children achieve success.

“Learning should be meaningful and should build connections to prior knowledge or experiences,” says Warren. “While children learn differently, all children are able to learn. Therefore, some children and families need alternative solutions to help support their child in their learning journey.” 

Learn more about how Kindergarten Prep can work for your needs at: https://stridels.com/curriculum/stride-sprouts

Passion. 

A simple word that can make a world of difference. The education vertical has always lived among the top echelons of the IT world, but it takes a special person to weave its intricacies and nuances into a new home. 

That is what Kati Thompson did when she joined Starin in September 2021. Combining her knowledge of education as a former substitute teacher and her work within the edtech industry at the manufacturer level, she has elevated Starin’s presence in the education sector.

Starin, based out of Chesterton, Indiana, was acquired by Midwich back in 2020. Considering itself to be a small-but-mighty distributor, it’s the people at Starin that make it unique. As their motto says, “Care More, Be Better.” Although it’s not always about the sale; it’s about the moments and people leading up to it that can genuinely have an impact. Knowing that the products that ship out daily will be used for the betterment of not only boardrooms but classrooms makes all the difference in the end. 

Starin had never dabbled in the education vertical until Kati was hired. In her, they saw someone who could navigate the pressures of the distribution world and a powerhouse willing to teach those around her how best to handle a whole new outlook on the industry. Starin’s knowledgeable internal design team and top-class brand managers provided a solid foundation for easily integrating the education vertical and allowing it to blossom.  

For Kati, education and the needs of students inside the classroom take priority over technology. Attending trade shows, speaking to manufacturers, and meeting with resellers and end users alike, there isn’t anything that will stand in her way of learning everything she can to assist not only her team, but those she talks to on a daily basis. She knew coming to Starin and being at the forefront of a brand-new vertical would be a challenge, but it was one she was proud to pursue. From onboarding education-facing brands, training Starin’s dealers, setting up learning opportunities for the team around her, and persistently pushing to grow the vertical, one may wonder where she finds the time.  

Starin is taking their award-winning consultative approach to unified communications and applying it to a whole new world of possibilities -- honing in on what makes education so special and the people who cultivate its growth. Without passion, it would never have succeeded, but both Kati and Starin have proved time and time again that the education vertical is a strong one and that it’s here to stay.  

Go here to learn more about what Starin can do for you

Gaggle and Tech & Learning surveyed Tech & Learning’s audiences in April 2023 to shed light on the current state of student mental health – and how districts and schools are addressing this growing issue. 

Survey question 1: Do today’s school-based mental health services meet the needs of students? 

Answer:

• 23.1% said they are meeting the needs of more than 50% of their students 
• 35.4% said they are meeting the needs of 30-50% of their students 
• 41.5% said they are meeting the needs of less than 30% of their students 
• 78% of surveyed districts indicate their programs are failing to meet the mental health needs of over 50% of their students 

For more of the survey questions and results, and how Gaggle can empower schools to help keep students safe, please watch this brief video:

Gaggle’s Solutions for Online Safety Help Identify Students in Need of Mental Health Intervention 

Schools of all sizes can learn about the mental health of their students by utilizing Gaggle. With 23 years of experience, Gaggle is the trusted leader in advanced student safety solutions. The combination of human review and accuracy ensures false positives are minimized. Gaggle empowers schools with the ability to prioritize and increase student safety. 

Find out more about Gaggle’s K-12 student online safety solutions. With a student platform like Gaggle, safety is possible. 

Gaggle's Statistics 

- Lives saved: 1,157 

- Districts protected: 1,500 + 

- Gaggle has alerted districts to 526 suicide notes written this school year

- Gaggle has quarantined over 324,210 files this school year

The learning never stops for teachers. Even if continuing education were not required by law, educators would still strive toward deepening their subject knowledge, keeping up with the latest research, sharpening their classroom skills, and learning to use education technology tools.

The following professional development sites for education will help teachers refresh and update their practice, connect with fellow educators and, in some cases, earn continuing education credits. All provide substantial free or modestly priced PD content.   

Top Sites for Educator Professional Development 

Modern Classrooms Project Professional Development
The Modern Classrooms Project’s mission is to help educators implement a self-paced, mastery-based instructional model, supported by technology. To access the free 52-lesson Modern Classrooms Essentials course, simply create an account and start learning. The course covers the principles of the instructional model and how to implement it, lessons, blended instruction, and interviews with teachers and students who have adopted the techniques.  

EdWeb Educator PD Webinars
Looking for a faster way to do professional development? Explore these free one-hour webinars covering topics from AI and misinformation to high-impact tutoring and literacy scaffolding, arranged in order of date/time. Free account required. Continuing education credits available.  

OK2ASK Free Education Technology Virtual Workshops
A modest but practical selection of free professional learning opportunities, with live upcoming sessions focused on feedback for students, questioning strategies, building content, and coding. Convenient on-demand content is also available. Certificates provided for participation in live sessions. Bonus: Save time and hassle by registering for all or multiple sessions at one time. 

Next Gen Personal Finance Virtual PD
Founded by educators and entrepreneurs, the nonprofit Next Gen Personal Finance aims to ensure that all students and teachers have access to high-quality, free financial literacy resources. Browse the selection of free online PD related to finances and math, or check out the free on-demand PD. Self-paced modules are built on the Nearpod platform, but no subscription is required. Teachers can also earn NGPF certification via free certification courses in banking, budget, credit, behavioral economics, and more. Visit NGPF Academy to view all PD options. 

National Geographic Online Courses for Educators
What is the National Geographic Explorer mindset and how can you teach it to your students? These and other key pedagogical concepts are examined via the lens of science, photography, exploration, and experimentation. Create a free account, enroll in PD courses, and start learning how to take your teaching to the next level. 

KQED Teach
Free self-paced online PD focusing on media literacy and creation. Earn eight micro-credentials to become a certified PBS Media Literacy Educator. Bonus: Two free online storytelling workshops, October 25 and 26, 2023.  

Teaching Channel
An online video-based community for teachers, Teaching Channel is a great resource for lesson ideas, video coaching, and earning credits toward PD requirements. The robust social network connects educators with shared interests to one another. Free and premium content.

Annenberg Learner
A rich trove of professional development and classroom resources, searchable by grade and subject. These terrific in-depth videos examine a diversity of topics, from teaching algebra to applying neuroscience research findings in your classroom. Free. 

OER Commons Professional Learning & Teacher Training
Explore tens of thousands of free preK-20 open education resources, curated by the nonprofit OER Commons. Connect with fellow teachers in topic-specific forums and search free OER PD/Training resources by standards, education level, subject, and type of material. 

ReadWriteThink Strategy Guides
Whether you're interested in learning a new teaching strategy or polishing your existing approach, these guides will be valuable assets in your efforts. Each strategy guide includes information about the research basis, classroom implementation, and lesson plans. Topics include writing, teaching with technology, inquiry-based learning, and more. 

Stanford Graduate School of Education Youcubed
Research-based ideas, strategies, and tools to elevate your math instruction to the nth degree. Youcubed provides a multitude of math resources to learn from and use, including lessons, activities, videos, and PD classes. Most important is the focus on growth mindset in the math classroom and task-based teaching to engage and inspire students. Extensive free online resources and paid workshops.

PBS Learning Media
An abundance of free resources for professional development, including standard-aligned videos, lesson plans, interactives, and more. Six elements of PD are explored in detail, from planning and preparation to assessment to learning environment and more. Searchable by grade, type of resource, popularity, and date created.

Tech & Learning’s Professional Development Hub
Check out Tech & Learning’s PD Hub, in which we showcase articles about how to incorporate the latest edtech tools into your classroom instruction and more. 

• 7 Tips For Scaling Professional Development At A Statewide Level
• How It's Done: Building A Video Library For Professional Development
• Best Free Social Networks/Media Sites for Education

Navigating through the bustling hallways of educational institutions, teachers, staff, and students alike are continually absorbing information, eagerly catching up with peers, and preparing for the day ahead. At the heart of it all, smooth communication plays a pivotal role in ensuring a secure, informed, and engaging learning environment. Recognizing this, Avocor introduces the R Series, a dynamic, all-in-one digital signage solution, formulated to streamline communication and enhance security across school premises.

One Device with Seamless Management in a Busy Educational Environment 

Picture the daily operations of Mr. Anderson, an educational IT manager tasked with ensuring smooth technological operations across a busy campus. In collaboration with the communications team, his role extends beyond mere maintenance, intertwining with the crucial task of deploying timely and relevant digital signage to keep the entire campus informed. Avocor's R Series emerges as an invaluable ally in this endeavor, combining a display, media player, and intelligent digital signage software into one streamlined device. Distinct from traditional models, which require separate management for media players and displays, the R Series brings together all essentials into one robust device. This not only alleviates the complexities of managing multiple hardware and software systems but also enables meticulous and centralized remote management through the cloud. Thus, IT professionals like Mr. Anderson can swiftly manage device settings, orchestrate firmware updates, and collaborate seamlessly with communications to deploy campus-wide announcements, ensuring an uninterrupted flow of vital information, all from a single, cohesive system. 

Upholding Safety with Instantaneous Emergency Broadcasts 

Prioritizing the safety of students and staff, the R Series not only ensures efficient day-to-day communication but also acts as a reliable conduit for emergency announcements. The emergency broadcast override feature guarantees that crucial alerts are disseminated instantly, even overriding other inputs or software in use, to provide real-time emergency notifications, ensuring an added layer of safety and security within the school environment. 

Simplicity and Engaging Content Creation with Rise Vision 

Teachers and staff can effortlessly create and manage vibrant, engaging content thanks to the partnership with Rise Vision. The R Series comes preloaded with over 500 customizable templates, enabling educators to seamlessly generate announcements, notifications, and alerts that resonate with students and staff. This ensures that important information, whether regarding upcoming events, policy updates, or celebratory news, is not just seen but is also engaging and memorable. 

Vision from the Executive Suite 

Scott Hix, CEO of Avocor, expresses, “In collaboration with Rise Vision, we’re sculpting digital solutions aimed to redefine how educational entities communicate internally and externally. The R Series not only provides unmatched tools and a straightforward installation process but also alleviates the burdensome tasks associated with managing various separate systems.” 

Additional Features and Future-Proofing Your Institution 

Available in 43” and 55” variants, the R Series ensures your content is displayed prominently and is adaptable to various spatial requirements. Auto-restart after power outages, power on/off scheduling, and over-the-air firmware updates are but a few additional features that make this solution a robust choice for schools focusing on future-ready infrastructure.

Moreover, the forthcoming hardware-as-a-service subscription model will provide an alternative acquisition method, ensuring schools can integrate the R Series without hefty initial expenditures. This includes software and firmware updates, advanced replacements, regular display upgrades, and prompt support, providing a comprehensive package while maintaining predictable costs.

In Conclusion 

The Avocor R Series stands out as a formidable ally in fostering a culture of positivity, informed alertness, and enhanced engagement across educational institutions. By ensuring vital messages are not just communicated but also engaged with, it promises to be an invaluable tool in the toolkit of modern educational establishments.

Discover a new horizon in educational communication with Avocor’s R Series. Learn more at www.avocor.com/products/r-series/ 

Epson PowerLite 810E

As more classrooms are transformed into flexible learning spaces and have one-to-one devices, more content is being shared to the classroom display, so it’s important to have a large, bright display from which students throughout the room can view the content being shared.

The Epson PowerLite 810E, recently awarded the Tech & Learning Best for Back to School Award, is an ideal solution for today’s collaborative learning environments. Teachers can fill their whiteboard space or any light-colored, smooth wall with vibrant, colorful content sure to engage the learner. 

The large 4K enhanced display has many uses in the classroom, from featuring multiple students’ screens to sharing their assignments and investigations with the class, to having students work collaboratively on large-scale, high-definition digital art projects. It brings stunning clarity to presentations and educational content. 

The PowerLite 810E is also lightweight, allowing schools to move it easily from room to room while fitting seamlessly into nearly any learning space. It’s also compatible with many other common classroom devices to wirelessly display content, from PCs, Macs, tablets, iOS, and Android devices, so students can easily share what they are working on. 

Other features of the new PowerLite 810E extreme short-throw include:

• Bright 5,000 lumens of color/white light output powered by Epson 3-chip 3LCD
• An impressive .16 throw ratio that can display up to 160 inches merely inches from the wall
• In addition to a standard 16:9 display, the PowerLite 810E supports an ultra-wide 21:9 and 16:6 display
• A wide range of connectivity options, including HDBaseT, HDMI, USB, RS-232
• Built-in wired/wireless networking
• Free Epson iProjection app with a built-in Moderator feature that allows teachers to connect up to 50 devices, then manage and display content from up to four students at a time.

With the PowerLite 810E and the included Epson iProjection app, teachers can easily share content from devices to help make lessons more engaging.

Learn more here.

TouchMath PRO

Many students struggle in a variety of unique ways with mathematical concepts, but personalizing the needed support for each and every student can be a challenge, especially in large classrooms. 

TouchMath has designed a system to help teachers offer this personalized intervention and remediation using a multisensory approach and sequential strategy to improve student math comprehension and mastery. From students with dyscalculia to those with situational learning loss, TouchMath is designed to support every learner and is proven effective in every setting.

 Two TouchMath collections recently won Tech & Learning’s Best for Back to School Awards: TouchMath PRO and TouchMath DySc, Dyscalculia Screener. Read more about these award-winning products below.  

TouchMath PRO supports students who are experiencing math difficulties with evidence-based, individualized digital intervention. Platform highlights include:  

• The program adapts to student responses using a proprietary algorithm that automates suggested progressions based on student scores. 
• Clear math progressions are highlighted on the visually distinct Skills Rainbow, providing educators with a clear understanding of foundational and prerequisite math concepts.
• Data-driven reports help educators build a digital portfolio of student work, providing educational teams with the data necessary to drive individualized instruction with data-based instruction.
• Lessons to be completed digitally or through printable activity sheets, promoting generalization across all settings and delivery modes.
• Flexible modes empower educators to customize learning experiences and receive recommendations based on student progress. 

Watch a demo of TouchMath PRO here.

TouchMath DySc, Dyscalculia Screener

Dyscalculia is often underdiagnosed and underserved. If individuals who experience math difficulties do not have access to high-quality early intervention, they potentially can experience lasting deficits across all key domains of dyscalculia. TouchMath’s DySc can help. 

DySc is a comprehensive dyscalculia screener and individualized intervention guide aligned to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). The DySc screener includes key questions to help identify weaknesses in the four primary domains of dyscalculia:

• Number sense
• Arithmetic facts
• Accurate and fluent calculations 
• Accurate mathematical reasoning 

Following the screening, a report is automatically generated and will include a score that indicates the presence or lack of potential risk factions, plus an action plan based on the score. The report can be shared with qualified professionals to determine whether or not a formal diagnosis is needed.

Learn more here. 

There is certainly no shortage of data for schools, but Otus empowers educators to curate this data to help every student reach their full potential through an all-in-one platform with integrated tools to gather, visualize, and act on student growth data. 

Otus, a recent winner of the Tech & Learning Best for Back to School Award, makes every step of the learning process more efficient for teachers, administrators, students, and families by integrating:

• Grading: Customize grading scales and view performance by various calculations. Track the performance of individual students on each standard over time. Navigate between points and standards for flexibility. 
• Assessment: Utilize thousands of premade questions and ready-to-use assessments from top curriculum providers aligned to standards. Use built-in AI to generate custom auto-grading assessments. 
• Progress Monitoring: Set milestones that guide students toward academic, behavioral, and social-emotional goals. See the whole child and make data-informed decisions that support student goals. 
• Data: Easily import and compare data from benchmark and third-party assessments. Define custom criteria using behavior, performance, and demographic data. Discover trends in student populations.

Otus was created to give time back to educators by incorporating all the tools they need so that everything is in a single, organized location. No more jumping from program to program, manually recording scores in messy, disjointed spreadsheets, and trying to make sense of the information you’re gathering. With a single login, teachers have access to both prebuilt assessments and their own custom-built assessments, traditional and standards-based grading, individualized goal setting and progress monitoring, and a wealth of data that can be searched, filtered, and visualized to identify student trends. 

Not only are teachers linked with other teachers in their building or district able to share and collaborate on assessments and data, but they’re automatically sharing student information with all other stakeholders. Students complete assessments within Otus, families see student progress reported in real-time and communicate with teachers in Otus, and administrators enjoy a birds-eye view of everything happening in their classrooms and can use Otus to make data-driven decisions to improve their schools. 

With Otus, educators not only have the tools they need to act on meaningful student data, optimize learning and maximize student outcomes, but the time it takes to do it, too. 

Here are some specific examples showing how Otus helped these school districts drive student success:

• How One of the Nation’s Top-Performing Schools Uses Personalized Learning to Drive Student Success: An Interview with Dr. Paul O’Malley, Superintendent of Butler School District 53
• Driving Change with Data: How Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District Launched PLCs to Focus on Student Growth
• Interview with Sheri Peacock, Associate Superintendent for Student Achievement at East Moline School District

The Learning Without Tears pedagogical approach to reading readiness continues to be a classroom favorite because of its focus on solidifying foundational skills through research-based practices. Using the Learning Without Tears curriculum, children begin a path to literacy featuring a journey that moves through the following steps: readiness, handwriting, phonics, and literacy. 

Two of the Learning Without Tears collections recently won Tech & Learning’s Best for Back to School Awards: Handwriting Without Tears and Phonics, Reading, and Me. Read more about these award-winning products below.  

Handwriting Without Tears 

There is ample research that shows the importance of handwriting fluency to literacy success. When a child recognizes the lines they are drawing are letters that have names and a sound, the crucial phonemic connection is made. Using explicit, direct handwriting instruction, Handwriting Without Tears (HWT), a K-5 supplemental curriculum, builds foundational literacy skills to support reading automaticity and comprehension. 

HWT’s multisensory tools engage visual, audio, and kinesthetic learners while building vocabulary, fine motor, and alphabet knowledge prior to writing letters. The student editions foster success with a clean, simple, and intuitive design that is left-handed friendly. HWT includes a digital teaching tool that provides videos, demonstrations, student engagement, and teacher professional learning for handwriting success. 

Handwriting Without Tears' student editions are designed to impart more than fluent writing skills. Embedded activities in each edition help students connect handwriting to grade-appropriate math, social studies, ELA, and science topics. The digital teaching tool helps to support effective handwriting instruction in the classroom. Many new teachers just entering the profession are not taught how to teach handwriting so the tool helps to support their instruction by providing consistent and proven effective instructional methodologies for handwriting success.

Watch a demo of Handwriting Without Tears 

Phonics, Reading, and Me 

Core instruction often does not include enough explicit, systematic phonics, and word study instruction, or students are not provided the opportunity to practice their new skills with authentic reading and writing experiences. Phonics, Reading, and Me helps solve this problem. 

Phonics, Reading, and Me (PRM) is a supplemental print and digital program that sequentially and systematically helps students acquire the range of skills they need to become proficient readers. It prioritizes phonics and word analysis skills that can be difficult to learn but make a big difference for students along the path to reading. It supplements the gaps in core literacy programs with foundational skills learned through rich, connected text. 

PRM can also support teachers who don’t have the time to differentiate and personalize the teaching of phonics. Using systematic, explicit reading instruction, PRM sequentially moves from simpler to more complex skills to lead to reading comprehension. Explicit instruction in each lesson efficiently integrates new skills instruction with recursive review. Decodable text sets are organized by theme to build knowledge and content vocabulary, including 50% non-fiction science and social studies topics.

PRM can also help teachers as schools shift from Balanced Literacy to Science of Reading. 

 Watch a Phonics, Reading, and Me demo 

BenQ Board RP03

The BenQ Board RP03 with InstaShare 2, recently awarded the Tech & Learning Best for Back to School Award, is designed to support student engagement and collaboration to create an engaging learning environment. As a smart board, it provides teachers with the most advanced way to encourage active learning while still being intuitive to learn and use from the first day.

“The BenQ Board is easier than I thought it would be,” said Lisa Paprzycki, instructional technology coach at Citrus County School District. “We even had a substitute using it in 3 minutes.”

BenQ Board smart boards feature integrative and intuitive features including single sign-on, cloud access, screen sharing, split-screen, screen recording, and annotation tools using a certified germ-resistant interactive display. Designed as a central hub for learning, collaboration, and engagement, BenQ Boards offer personalized settings, cloud storage, and app compatibility. 

The BenQ Board RP03’s unique built-in InstaShare 2 wireless presentation system enables advanced collaboration opportunities, including:

• A “touchback” feature that allows teachers to control their students’ shared screens, while annotation lets them highlight and draw over important points. 
• Teachers can enable the floating windows feature so they can use other apps on the board while sharing content. 
• The session management features give teachers the power to set permissions for each of their students and control who among them can share content at any given time. 
• Teachers can enable the “do-not-disturb” mode to prevent unwanted interruptions during class. 
• The InstaShare 2’s smart controller, which is accessible on the teacher’s mobile device, lets them use these controls as well as other BenQ Board apps and features from anywhere in the classroom. 

BenQ Board RP03 Demo 

Other features include license-free EZ Write whiteboard and annotation software; germ-resistant screen, pen, and remote; split windows for multitasking; array microphones, 16W speakers, and 16W Dolby Digital Plus surround sound; InstaShare 2 wireless screen sharing; and Eyesafe technology for decreasing blue light emissions.

The RP03 BenQ Board is the culmination of BenQ’s pursuit to create comprehensive classroom ecosystems that are intuitive for teachers and students while eliminating hours of training, annual licensing fees, and complex IT maintenance and monitoring. 

Learn more here

See the BenQ Board RP03 in Action at Kankakee School District 

See the BenQ Board RP03 in Action at the University College London 

Looking for content to add to your lessons, but don’t have the time to search for the ideal, appropriate resource? Enter The Lincoln Content Bank, a secure LMS add-on tool that gives educators access to discover and integrate enterprise-level curriculum content into their courses. 

Recently awarded Tech & Learning’s Best for Back to School Award, The Lincoln Content Bank integrates with any LTI 1.3 capable LMS, such as Instructure Canvas, Schoology, and Agilix Buzz. The tool contains nearly 110,000 Early Kindergarten through 12th-grade vetted, standards-aligned learning objects from Lincoln Learning’s accredited Lincoln Empowered curriculum. 

Features include rapid search capabilities, relative search results, intuitive tooling, customizable material for full classes or individual students, streamlined access to learning objects, and cross-curricular learning opportunities. Teachers can leverage the Lincoln Content Bank to supplement and add high-quality curriculum content to existing courses from within their LMS platform. 

The learning objects within this tool are autonomous blocks of educational content created to meet specific learning objectives aligned to distinct national and/or state standards. They present content via multiple modalities, such as asynchronous instructional text, videos, games, or other online and offline activities, allowing teachers to supplement learning in a variety of styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.) to meet the needs of all learners. 

With standards-aligned learning objects from core and elective courses spanning from grades EK-12, teachers can infuse new learning material into their existing course load for supplemental learning, remediation, enrichment, tutoring services, or individualized learning. Teachers can craft a full lesson from these learning objects or incorporate singular objects within lessons however they feel best fit the learners’ needs. Additionally, The Lincoln Content Bank content can be presented in-person or remotely for classroom enrichment and asynchronous extended-learning opportunities. 

The Lincoln Content Bank helps create a more inclusive, adaptable, and effective educational environment, addressing the multifaceted challenges that educators and students face today. The wealth of supplemental materials in the Lincoln Content Bank ensures that each student's unique learning needs are met, promoting better understanding and retention of concepts.

Learn more here 

Watch a demo of The Lincoln Content Bank 

This post is sponsored by Follett School Solutions.

Districts should feel confident that their assets are accurately allocated toward their biggest investment — students. 

Follett School Solutions program director Don Rokusek explains how Follett Destiny Resource Manager – used by more than 25,000 schools – covers all aspects of resource management, including: 

• Tracking every aspect of inventory with an easy-to-use PreK-12 asset management system. From technology devices to textbooks Destiny Resource Manager tracks the distribution of assets from checkout to check-in. Keep tabs on everything with digital signature agreements, maintaining accountability among students and staff. 
• Never struggling with an audit report again. Destiny Resource Manager can automatically complete a physical inventory of assets to ensure compliance. 
• Easily integrating data from Follett Destiny Library Manager to seamlessly upgrade your inventory management. 

As educators head back to school, what pain points should they be aware of in regard to managing classroom assets and technology? 

It’s critical to know what resources you have on hand, where they are in your locations, and what you need by understanding any changes in the demographics of students and staff at each location. Your resource management system should make all of these key data points easy to access. If you have this information at your fingertips, you can reduce your new purchases and replacement costs each school year and get everyone all the resources they need to succeed as easily as possible. 

How can Destiny Resource Manager help education leaders work smarter and not harder when managing classroom assets and technology? 

Follett has been helping districts and schools to manage resources for decades. Our Destiny solutions are proven to ensure accountability and minimize costs. Resource Manager has easy-to-use workflows for distribution and collection of resources, periodic inventory or audit processes, and powerful reporting to answer your resource questions. Resource Manager also integrates with other systems in your district/school to minimize redundant data and processes. 

What are the other benefits of having a single management resource system such as Destiny Resource Manager? 

Districts and schools have many challenges each school year – changes in leadership, turnover in staff, and the ongoing need to do more with less budget. Destiny Resource Manager uses the same platform as Destiny Library Manager – the library management system used in more districts/schools than any other solution. This makes it easy, economical, and convenient to also use Destiny for resource management. It can satisfy the key requirements of inventory management for any department – from technology devices and assessment kits to sports equipment and musical instruments.  

My district has a lot of unique assets – how can Destiny Resource Manager accommodate this? 

Destiny Resource Manager has flexible resource templates so you can define what data elements are important for you for each resource type. Also, Destiny supports role-based access levels that can vary for each resource type – so you can ensure that staff with responsibilities for a limited type of resource only have access to that resource type in the system. This security structure allows for multiple departments/teams to all use the same system but ensures that they can manage policies/processes independently and based on needs associated with their respective resource types. 

What general advice do you have for districts looking to organize and manage their classroom assets and technology? 

Stretch your systems dollars as far as possible. Implement a solution that supports all the different types of resources that you need to manage. Make sure the vendor is focused on supporting the unique needs of PreK-12 districts and schools. Finally, make sure any solution is proven at districts and schools, both large and small.   

How can Follett help create efficient processes for handling challenges and needs beyond what the district staff can support, such as when districts receive an influx of curriculum materials and technology assets that need to be barcoded and inventoried?

Follett has a Managed Services Team that can help districts with getting past “special” short-term staffing needs – such as those required to barcode and inventory a large number of resources in a short period of time. We have assisted many districts along the way and are equipped with best practices in this area to get you on the right path as quickly and as easily as possible. 

Why is it important for schools to verify that they have the necessary scanners and barcoding materials necessary to support their processes? 

Destiny Resource Manager uses barcode labels and scanners to make tracking resources simple and easy. It’s critical that you have adequate and correct scanners and labels on hand to keep staff as productive as possible with the system. This makes distribution, collection and inventory processes easy and accurate. Our teams can help you to ensure you have these essential tools in place to support your usage of the system.

 Go here to learn more about Follett Destiny Resource Manager. 

At the recent ISTELive23 conference, generative AI was definitely the hottest topic on the agenda. Microsoft presented their take on this provocative topic at their packed session on “Unlocking AI’s Potential: Transform Learning Experiences and Prepare for the Future.” 

The conversation was facilitated by Lydia Smyers, Vice President of U.S. Education for Microsoft, who invited a series of speakers to the stage to share their experiences with generative AI.

Find highlights of this fascinating conversation in the video above, which included: 

• Zeeshan Anwar (Chief Product Officer) and Tara Carrozza (Director of Digital Learning Initiatives) of New York City Public Schools discussed how the nation’s largest school district has embraced generative AI, presented the early work they are doing in the district, and offered a sneak peek at the future plans the district has with Microsoft. 
• Sean D’Arcy, VP of School and Home at Kahoot!, presented the impressive results they have already seen by integrating generative AI into their product suite to save time for educators.
• Devendra Singh, PowerSchool’s CTO, reviewed the new features to help deliver personalized education pathways made possible through their collaboration with Microsoft.
• Mike Tholfsen, Principal Group Product Manager at Microsoft, demonstrated new AI-powered features including passage generation in Reading Progress and tools like Bing Chat. 

Lydia Smyers concluded the discussion with a link to a new course designed to help educators navigate the world of AI in education by covering essential AI concepts, practical applications, and Microsoft AI technology. Find it here: aka.ms/AIforEducators 

More here: Collaborating to bring AI innovation to education | Microsoft EDU

At ISTE Live 23, Tech & Learning Content Director Christine Weiser spoke with Gintas Bradunas, Senior Product Manager at Gale, part of Cengage Group, about Gale In Context: Literature, the new resource for literature instruction and learning that helps high schoolers engage and thrive in English language arts (ELA). 

Designed with high school students in mind, Gale In Context: Literature provides learners with the context they need to engage and form personal connections with a wide variety of literature from traditional texts to diverse new voices. Educators can easily connect students to standards-based resources that provide the literary context necessary to ensure student understanding of the texts they’re reading in ELA lessons. This sparks greater interest in literature, enabling teachers to facilitate meaningful interactions that inspire more compelling classroom discussions. 

Gale In Context: Literature organizes an array of high-quality literary resources into one easy-to-use, searchable platform, complete with accessibility and navigation tools. Topic pages offer scaffolded, age-appropriate overviews of literary works including primary sources from the author’s world. Among the materials are more than 750 essential question prompts that stimulate student curiosity, frame the content, and offer a launching point for student research. Users will also find a robust multimedia collection of videos, images, infographics, podcasts, and more. By helping students connect with a wide variety of literature, Gale In Context: Literature creates deeper learning experiences that deliver better ELA learning outcomes.

The typical K-12 school day in 2023 may be unrecognizable for some. Digital textbooks, virtual classrooms, and online assignments are a far cry from handwritten notes on wide-ruled paper. But that’s okay. In fact, research shows it may even be better for learning. 

According to ASCD, interactive whiteboards have contributed to a 26% gain in student achievement since hitting the market in the early 2000s. What does this tell us? EdTech has value. To bring that value into the classroom, schools turn to trusted brands like LG Business Solutions. 

One of the world’s leading technology innovators for over 70 years, we’re committed to empowering teachers with easy-to-use, versatile solutions like LG Createboard™— a purpose-built interactive classroom solution designed to engage and inspire the next generation of thinkers, creators, and go-getters. 

LG CreateBoard™ is Top of the Class at Indian Creek 

Indian Creek School is a private institution focused on using EdTech to enhance teaching and learning. But their interactive displays weren’t meeting expectations. 

“Our classroom smart boards were so complicated”, said Sara White, Director of Educational Technology at Indian Creek School. “It felt like teachers were given a chef’s kitchen when they only wanted to make mac-n-cheese”. 

The educators at Indian Creek needed a solution with excellent quality, reliability, intuitive operation, and connectivity, all for a budget-friendly price. According to Sara, LG CreateBoard wasn’t even on the school’s radar—until she saw an ad that caught her eye. 

“After performing hands-on evaluations of many interactive display board products, LG CreateBoard checked all our boxes”, said Sara. By choosing LG CreateBoard, Sara and her team at Indian Creek also gained access to our white-glove service and support. “I’ve been doing EdTech for a long time,” Sara noted, “and I’ve never had a cell phone number for the vendor technician.” 

To learn more about Indian Creek’s experience with LG Business Solutions, download the full case study here. 

The New Way to Create, Manage, and Share in Class 

LG CreateBoard™ features a tempered glass multi-touch screen and front-facing speakers; but what truly sets this solution apart is the innovative software that powers seamless creation, sharing, and management. 

• LG CreateBoard Lab makes it easy for teachers to create high-quality interactive lessons with user-friendly templates, graphics, and design tools. 
• LG CreateBoard Share powers wireless screencasting via native Airplay, Chromecast, or Miracast to ensure everyone can connect and participate in real-time, regardless of device. 
• LG ConnectedCare simplifies schoolwide display management with cloud-based features and a broadcasting function for communicating important messages to all students, faculty, and staff. 

LG CreateBoard is designed to power the classroom of the future. But don’t just take our word for it. Keep reading for first-hand insights from Indian Creek School in Crownsville, Maryland. 

Request a Demo Today 

Choosing LG CreateBoard is more than a purchase. It’s an investment in student success. To see our solution in action, contact an LG Business Solutions representative to request a demo LGSolutions.com/CreateBoard. 

This panel of education leaders shares the reading intervention strategies their districts used to help students meet grade-level literacy objectives. 

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Dr. Kecia Ray talks with experts about specific ways school district leaders can easily integrate STEAM programs into their schools and support their teachers with lessons that engage and inspire our future innovators and problem solvers. 

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Intel showcased its latest innovations at Bett 2023, focusing on the Intel Skills for Innovation program. The program aims to provide teachers with the resources and support they need to prepare their students for the "fourth industrial revolution." It offers modules that cover four main skill sets: AI and machine learning, programming and coding, data science, and simulation and modeling, as well as computational thinking and design-thinking mindsets. 

At Bett 2023, highlighted activities included hands-on robotics, which allow students to see the results of their work immediately on the screen. 

"We're seeing coding with just using an Android phone," said Director of U.S. and Canada EDU sales strategy Snow White. "Students can program a car to follow a track. Not only is it a tangible thing for them, but it's building skill sets that are going to be critical to get that job when they graduate."

The program has been implemented in over 40 countries, with some adopting it country-wide. Teachers can become certified and Intel continually provides updates to reflect technological advancements. Educators who would like to learn more can register for a free trial on the Intel Skills for Innovation website Once they've thoroughly tried it out, they can reach out to Intel to open the program for their entire district. 

"We're excited for teachers to try it and let us know what they think," added Snow White. "Hopefully one day we'll see it in every school in America."

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At Bett 2023, Philips showcased its display solutions for education, including the E-line interactive touch screens with built-in features such as an interactive whiteboard, wireless screen sharing, mirroring, casting, display chaining solutions, Android app compatibility and web browser. 

Patrick VanTreese, Educational Sales Manager for North America, describes Philips' approach to interactive technology for the classroom. "We really want the teacher or the educator to have the ability to turn it on and immediately start to make an impact," he says. "That's why we made it so it's compatible with many of the other software options and peripherals out there on the market today."

"With distance learning and hybrid learning being a massive focus," VanTreese continues," having a camera and microphone allows kids outside of the classroom to be part of the classroom and that's huge. Our E-line accomplishes all of that."

Philips is a "total solution display house," providing everything from desktop monitors to digital signage, interactive whiteboards and large format video walls. One of its newest products showcased at Bett 2023 is the Tableaux, a digital display board ideal for environments without close access to power. Tableaux can be positioned and repositioned, displaying colorful static content in the same way as paper posters, requiring a power connection only when loading new content. This e-paper 25" tablet features 60,000 colors, 16GB internal memory and connectivity via USB, LAN, WiFi and electric power. Remember, power is only required when loading new content! Use the Tableaux for everything from menu boards to paper-free directional signs and posters.

The Microsoft Learning Accelerator Initiative comprises tools and devices within Microsoft that help accelerate progress in the classroom, boosting learning for students of any age. The Learning Accelerator tools allow teachers to personalize learning for students, no matter what their skill level. 

• Reading Coach
  Students practice with gentle guidance through pronunciation, syllabification, reading speed, and vocabulary recall. Reading Coach is particularly helpful at supporting students with a range of learning differences.
• Reading Progress
  Reading Progress tracks students’ reading skills, gives educators actionable insights quickly, and focuses students on specific areas for improvement. By streamlining the reading assignment creation, review, and analysis process, teachers can spend more of their time on active instruction.
• Reflect
  Microsoft Reflect is a tool within Teams that helps students identify and express how they feel. Students can learn how to navigate all kinds of emotions with the Feelings Monster, who helps find the right words to describe their feelings.  
  

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Catherine Coleman is a big fan of the Microsoft Learning Accelerator Initiative tools. 

"I think what's really important is seeing a smile on a child's face when they've done something that they never thought they could do," she says. "For example, when they are looking at how to break down a problem that they have found so difficult for a long time and then all of a sudden that light bulb goes on they've got that huge smile on their face and they're like 'Miss, I did it, I get it, I can do it.'"

Coleman relates a story about another child whose reading accuracy ability shot up with only four days' practice, saying "Within four days listening to herself read back and my video feedback she's progressed [from a starting rate of 6% accuracy] to a 67% accuracy rate."

Coleman highlights as well the benefits of Microsoft Reflect, describing the positive effects on a young child who was crying and afraid initially, but progressed to a smiling, confident young learner through the use of Microsoft Reflect. 

Dr. Kecia Ray talks with wellness experts about the importance of taking a holistic approach to student wellness through a proactive, rather than reactive approach.

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This webinar series explores ways in which educators can harness data to support the whole child, all while maximizing student outcomes.

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Dr. Kecia Ray talks with thought leaders about using “expanded learning” to move beyond remediation to accelerate student learning and mastery. 

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The days when a student’s backpack could serve as her portfolio are over.

In today’s classroom, assignments are fulfilled not only with pen and paper, but also with computers and cell phones. How to best present, distribute, and preserve such digital endeavors is an important question for teachers and students alike. 

The following top digital portfolio platforms offer a broad range of functionality. Most are multimedia, easily handling a variety of file types -- text, image, links, video, audio, social media embeds, and more. Many allow collaboration and communication, as well as educator controls. Most importantly, these provide a way to safeguard, assess, and share students’ work with pride. 

FREE

Artsonia
Artsonia is like a dream come true for art-minded teachers and students: a free, safe, educational space through which students showcase their digital creativity. Friends and family can view, comment on, and purchase keepsakes immortalizing the artistic efforts. The easy-to-navigate site integrates with Google Classroom and provides a comprehensive teachers’ guide. Celebrate your kids’ artistry with Artsonia!

ClassDojo Portfolios
A free, easy-to-use platform that allows kids to share their assignments while teachers retain control for safety. Students simply scan the class QR code (no logins!), then create and submit photos, videos, journal entries, and more. 

Sway   
A free multimedia presentation tool that students can use to upload, share, and export projects and schoolwork. Not sure how to get started? Try one of the included templates or browse others’ productions. Integrates with Microsoft Office suite.  

Google Sites  
Creating a digital portfolio/website could not be any easier than Google Sites makes it. The drag-n-drop interface lets students quickly insert content such as text, images, embeds, calendars, YouTube videos, maps, and much more. Use one of the provided six themes, or create a custom one, then publish as a public or restricted-view site. 

FREEMIUM

Edublogs
One of the oldest and best-known web platforms for education, Edublogs makes it easy to start building a free Wordpress platform for teachers and students. The free plan offers 1 GB storage, class management tools, and no advertising. A robust set of educator guides and community participation is another big plus for Edublogs.

bulb  
What’s a “bulb”? Just as a light bulb illuminates a space, this digital bulb illuminates student work, allowing it to be clearly presented and shared. Bulb makes it easy for K-12 and higher education students to create a multimedia digital record of their ideas, performances, research, and learning. 

VoiceThread
At first glance, it may not be obvious that VoiceThread can serve as a digital portfolio. It is a multimedia slideshow tool that allows users to record voice, music, and sound effects to accompany each presentation. These capabilities open a world of possibilities for students to showcase their achievements as well as for teachers to review and comment. 

Book Creator
Like VoiceThread, Book Creator isn’t marketed as a digital portfolio platform. Yet, with features such as multimedia uploads and numerous ways to save work, students can easily create and share their digital efforts. The generous free account allows up to 40 “books” and online publishing rights.  

PAID

PortfolioGen
Originally created for teachers and students, PortfolioGen is now intended for anyone who wants a professional way to showcase their skills, experience, and accomplishments. Options for digital portfolios include blogs, endorsements, athletic achievements, message center, employment history, and password protection. Bulk education pricing is available. 

Seesaw for Schools
Designed for education, Seesaw for Schools provides a platform through which students complete and share school assignments and projects. By tracking their progress, kids gain a sense of mastery and pride in their schoolwork. Plus, parents and guardians can be involved too -- just download the free companion Seesaw Family app. Integrates with Google Classroom. 

• Launching Digital Portfolios District Wide
• Wakelet: Best Tips And Tricks For Teaching 
• Best Sites for Genius Hour/Passion Projects

The Santa Clara Unified School District, in the heart of Silicon Valley, CA, has always embraced innovation, so this culture seemed ideal to make the shift to a whole new style of teaching when the district moved to remote learning. 

But it was much more difficult than they anticipated. 

“This has been the hardest year of my career by far,” says Joe Ayala, Director of Technology for this direct that serves more than 15,300 K-12 students and an additional 6,000 in preschool/adult school. “You don’t know how much it means to go onto a campus and see teachers teaching and students learning until you take that element away.” 

Using this time to upgrade tech made sense, both to solve problems and anticipate solutions to issues that could arise in this new normal. In synchronous classrooms and meeting rooms, quality audio is key to a successful experience. To address this issue, the district piloted the Nureva HDL300 audio system, designed for classrooms, and came away with some best practices.

1. Improve audio in the classroom

“Our teachers hate the traditional approach,” says Ayala. “Teachers want to be able to move around the classroom, so we do iPad and Apple TV to give the freedom of movement and connection with students. Our goal is to find tech with multiple functions.” 

The district tried sound bars and amps hidden behind monitors, but Ayala says switching to the simple Nureva system that included the microphone was “amazing.” 

“For teachers not to have to raise their voice all the time, it’s huge,” says Ayala. “Before Nureva, I tested out our audio while wearing a mask and the volume I had to produce into the mic—there was no way a teacher could sustain that for four to six hours.”

2. Look for products that are easy to install

“I wish we had this tech sooner,” Ayala reports. “In the switch to remote, we had to install amps, mics, speaker systems, and wiring for ceiling speakers. They had previously put audio tech in a false ceiling, which involved ladders and a mess to access it for problems. I do love that the Nureva has both the mic and speaker system, because when you are retro-fitting old classrooms, it’s even harder to get up into the ceiling. Trying to deal with a science lab’s slanted ceiling and the drop tile—it’s nearly impossible.”

3. Future proof your PD

Being able to provide virtual professional development is another benefit of using the Nureva HDL300 technology. 

“We look at the finance numbers for training,” says Ayala “We can send someone out for $5,000 or you can do the same seminar as a web program for $1,000. But we know with our previous tech, if we opted for the $1,000 webinar it wouldn’t have been a good experience. To be able to bridge that gap will be very powerful.”

4. Keep hosting hybrid board meetings

“I don’t think virtual meetings are going away,” Ayala says. “I’m now having to stream all board meetings. It’s the expectation. I think this is an amazing tool for that use.” 

Ayala worked with other IT directors on retooling their web conference room. Previously, when attendees would go to meet in a room they had something such as a web speaker system that kind of picks up the sound, but this was attached to an internet cable that’s stretched across the floor where someone might trip on it. 

“Sometimes the cord doesn’t work, sometimes the phone doesn’t work, it’s just a mess,” Ayala says. “So I think this will be a great solution as we move forward. There will be some meetings in person and some still online, and this is a great blend for that situation.”

5. Make it easy to get parents involved

One of the biggest challenges for districts is parent involvement, especially as students move into higher grades. 

“In elementary, most parents are on board,” says Ayala. “They are doing the talent show and harvest festival, they are room parents—it’s easy to get them involved. As you hit middle school and high school, it’s harder to pull them in. The only time they come around is when something is wrong.” 

California has a LCAP (Local Control and Accountability Plan) that involves getting feedback from different target groups: parents, English learner population, socio-economic disadvantaged families, etc. Having the Nureva sound system allows the district to make it easy for these parents to attend meetings and conferences online to accommodate busy schedules. 

“Having the ability to say, ‘We’re going to have a parent meeting—if you can’t show up in person, you can attend virtually,’ is nice,” says Ayala. “Utilizing this will increase engagement and involvement.” 

Ayala points out that once California bounces back from the pandemic and road traffic increases, offering virtual parent conferences will make a huge difference. 

“Right now my commute is 25 minutes,” he says. “Pre-Covid, it was an hour and 15 minutes. Asking parents to drive ten miles to a meeting in this valley can mean hours of lost time at home or in their workplace.”

6. Keep the tech simple and sanitary

“There are a lot of microphone solutions out there to make English learners or students with various IEPs more comfortable contributing in class,” says Ayala, noting Covid distancing and sanitation rules make using these microphones difficult, if not impossible. 

“There’s a cube mic you pass around—that’s not going to happen anytime soon,” Ayala says. “There’s a combo teacher-lapel mic and karaoke-style pass-around mic for students. Someone uses it and passes it—wait! Wipe it off, pass a mic, wipe it off. It gets ridiculous. I’ve done technology in school for a long time, not having batteries go out, not losing batteries. Not losing mics. Remotes go missing, ‘pigtail’ adaptors just gone, HDMI cords, it just happens. A great benefit of the Nureva tech is putting it on the wall and forgetting about it.” 

Audio is key in learning language and building student confidence. “The hardest thing to get—in web meetings, in boardrooms, in classrooms, in small spaces is good audio,” says Ayala. “If the audio is bad, you’re going to have a bad learning experience.” 

With audio systems such as the Nureva HDL300, districts can now deliver a better experience, from the classroom to the boardroom.

As things progressed with the pandemic, Glenbrook High Schools District 225, a high school district of about 5,000 students on the north shore of Chicagoland, had a great number of students and families taking advantage of the remote option for both work and school. When distance learning numbers climbed to 60%, district leaders knew they had to find solutions to keep students engaged.

“In many ways, Glenbrook is offering a flexible build-you-own learning plan model for our students,” says Dr. R.J. Gravel, Associate Superintendent of Glenbrook. “Approximately 40% of our students are attending in-person learning each day, while others are connecting at home. We have leveraged a variety of best practices and engagement tools to keep students on task and interacting during their class time.”

This new approach of flexibility included the use of formative assessment tools (often are masked as games and small challenges) and more project-based activities.  

“We provided considerable professional development to our teachers to guide them through the new normal of teaching students in a room, while also reaching those at home simultaneously,” says Gravel. “This involves looking at how we evaluate mastery of content from traditional examinations to other ways to demonstrate one's learning.”

Finding the Right Tech 

Prior to resuming in-person instruction for the current school year, the school district purchased an Owl Pro from Owl Labs for each classroom. This integrated video tool enables the implementation of true hybrid instruction with some students at home and others in the classroom. The missing link was an equally effective audio system. 

The district piloted the Nureva HDL300, which took audio to a new level. The unit, which is mounted in the center of the room on the wall, enables the teacher to roam through the classroom facing multiple directions, and the microphones picks up the audio from the teacher and in-class student voices perfectly. 

“Having the ability for teachers to weave in and out of student groups throughout a 750-square-foot room, without worrying about looking a certain way to be picked up by a microphone was wonderful,” says Gravel.

Flexible Learning, Flexible PD 

“From the beginning, we made a commitment that operational reasons will not prevent our students from resuming in-person learning,” says Gravel. “This commitment meant that we needed to provide our teachers with the tools they need to be successful.”

The district worked with a team of instructional coaches and members of their teacher's leadership team to identify what was working, and what could make things better. For example, they knew that creating a socially distanced classroom wasn’t going to be easy, but creating an "in-classroom" experience for students at home was much harder. 

Tech Solutions 

“With nearly half of our students chiming in from a distance, we needed to make sure they were engaged and felt heard,” says Gravel. “The Nureva HDL300 offered the solution to an otherwise unnatural communication experience for both teacher and students, whether in or out of the classroom.”

The district also realized that every teacher needed to have a document camera that was integrated with their distancing learning tool, as well as Zoom, so that students could easily decipher what the teacher was writing for all to see. They also realized that a 13-inch screen on a laptop is great when you are able to focus your attention on it, but while standing, teaching, etc., the teachers needed a secondary monitor so that they could always see their remote students without constantly minimizing windows.

By adding the second monitor, teachers extended their desktop, placing Zoom as the sole application appearing on the larger, second screen. It enables them to more easily roam around the classroom while always maintaining a helpful eye on their students learning from a distance. 

Unexpected Perks 

One of the most unexpected results happened this past summer when the district offered an extensive array of summer school courses.

“Typically, students are required to be present for six hours per day over three weeks for the equivalent of a one-semester course,” says Gravel. “With the pandemic, we moved summer school to 100% remote learning. What we found was that students maximized the opportunity to learn and also get out of town. We had students connecting, consistently, from other regions, states, and even countries. We were literally meeting them where they were. It felt like I was back in 2010 arguing for ‘anytime and anywhere learning.’ It took 10 years, but that is a silver lining for what we accomplished.” 

Pro Tips 

Gravel recommends the following to make the most of synchronous remote/in-person teaching: 

• It is great for a student to hear their peers and teacher, but the real power of today's technology is for them to also see and engage with everyone in the classroom. Even an inexpensive webcam can provide a window into the classroom. Be sure to move it around as needed so that those remote can truly feel that they are "in the action."
• Don't forget about the small opportunities to reach out and connect with a student. For those students learning remotely, take an opportunity to have a side conversation to check in and see how they are doing. Just like you would greet students coming into the classroom each day, come up with creative ways to facilitate a similar welcoming atmosphere for your remote students.

“Do not act like you know it all -- to your peers, or to your students,” says Gravel. “We are all in this pandemic together, and we all have things to learn from one another. Show vulnerability and be open to new ideas, it will create a much more authentic environment for your students.”

When school buildings closed down last March, in-person classes weren't the only thing that ground to a halt. Districts also needed to shift the many parent-teacher conferences, IEP, faculty, and school board meetings online. As buildings open back up, these meetings also have moved to synchronous environments, which have similar challenges to what teachers were experiencing in hybrid classrooms. 

“We struggled to connect with the school community in meaningful, productive ways while keeping everyone safe,” says Eileen Belastock, Director of Technology and Information at Nauset Public Schools in Orleans, MA. “We even lost precious teacher collaboration time due to the constraints of social distancing.” 

The district had been using web conferencing tools such as Zoom and Google Meet to hold virtual events and meetings, however the hybrid style of a meeting in which there are attendees in person and others virtual were difficult at best since the sound quality was not at a level that ensured virtual attendees could engage and participate meaningfully. 

The district piloted the Nureva HDL300, a system designed for classrooms that captures the audio of everything happening in the room. The device allowed the district to connect with staff, parents, and community members in a way that has become the new normal.

“Due to home connectivity issues and the older age of many of our participants, the lack of ability to hear in-person conversations caused frustration that resulted in lower attendance at important meetings,” reports Belastock. To solve the sound problem, the district initially purchased microphone pads that had to be daisy-chained to ensure that all parties were heard when in large conference rooms. However, the cumbersome wires and placement of the microphone pads required technical support.

Nureva changed all that. 

“The quality of sound in our conference rooms using Nureva enables virtual participants to hear everyone as though they were in person themselves,” says Belastock. “The device has created more opportunities to engage all stakeholders in meaningful conversations around education without requiring all parties to be either in person or online. We have seen an uptick in participation and collaboration due to the product and its incredible sound quality.”

Professional Development Plans 

The district will next pilot the Nureva system for their teacher professional development programs. Because teacher collaboration time is a crucial component of the PD, the system will be used to ensure that all of our staff and teachers can participate. 

“I envision this tech used to create opportunities for our teachers to connect with teachers from across the country on innovative teaching practices,” says Belastock. “I can also see this as opportunities for our teachers to attend national conferences that I foresee will continue to have virtual components.”

Pro Tips 

Belastock offers the following tips to make the most of synchronous staff and PD meetings: 

• Find the most versatile space for the system. “With our classrooms being used for multiple reasons by multiple teachers, our solution was to put the device in a common area such as a conference room,” she says.
• Allow educators time to become familiar with any new technology used for teacher collaboration, parent meetings, etc. They can see the product’s value and be excited about using it. 
• Make sure the system is in a well-used space to ensure it can be easily accessed. 

Teacher Feedback 

Before installing the system, virtual attendees would get aggravated and frustrated with the sound quality and felt as if they were not part of the meeting and just a face on the screen. This often meant they would not attend or even leave the meeting. With the Nureva HDL300, now all meeting participants can be heard, no matter where they are located.  

Any teacher who has taught in a synchronous classroom with students in front of them while simultaneously teaching students remotely via a video conferencing platform (such as Google Meet) knows the challenges of engaging all students.  

One of the biggest challenges is when students turn off their cameras. Being virtual, students also have the ability to hide in the background behind the students who are participating. In addition, some students just don’t feel comfortable with their cameras on. 

To address this issue, teachers in the Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21 in Wheeling, Illinois, a district with 6,200 students in Pre-K through 8, have implemented multiple modes of communication to ensure all students participate. 

“We make use of our chat feature for students to share comments without having to turn on their camera or microphone,” says Megan Hintz, a student teacher at Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21. “We have also started rewarding students by having a student/teacher lunch bunch at the end of week for students who have repeatedly kept their camera on throughout the week.” 

The school also piloted the Nureva HDL300 audio system to help students hear clearly thanks to the multi-microphone array. The Nureva HDL300, designed for classrooms, captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom without any feedback or delay so students at home can clearly hear what the teacher and in-person students are saying during class. The system installs on the wall in minutes, and its plug-and-play connectivity and auto-calibration makes setup simple.

“This Nureva multi-microphone device helps pick up the in-person students’ voices so at home students can hear equally, as if they were in the classroom as well,” says Hintz. “This has allowed for a true hybrid experience without me needing to constantly repeat what students have said in class to the students participating online.”

Clear communication is crucial for all students, but those with IEPs or English as a second language can truly benefit from natural sound to follow along. 

“A common characteristic of ELL students is that they are very soft spoken using their second language,” says Hintz. “This product really made it easier for me to pick up some of my soft-spoken students, even in a noisy environment. Now students report being able to hear better in my class than in other teachers’ classrooms.” 

Pro Tips 

 Hintz suggests the following tips to make the most of synchronous classrooms: 

• Missing Assignments: Because most assignments are sent through Google Classroom, it can get overwhelming and sometimes students forget to turn in work. Hintz uses a Google Sheet, organized by date, with all of the assignments that should be turned in that day. Then on Fridays, she builds in time to give kids the chance to turn in some of those assignments. Once everything is turned in, the kids earn a game day!
• Organization: Organization is key for keeping students on track. Hintz makes sure students know where they can access every resource and keeps the process consistent so that when she asks them to open a document, they know exactly what to do and where to find it. Google Classroom has been very helpful with organization.
• Parent Communication: Hintz emphasizes the importance of keeping families involved with what is going on at their child’s school. Hintz makes sure to send parents weekly emails with the class schedule for the following week so that they know what to expect.
• Material Struggle: It can be a challenge to ensure the students at home have the same resources as the students in the building. The teachers at Wheeling have learned to get creative, using several different online programs to engage students such as Google platforms, Word Clouds, FlipGrid, and Seesaw.
• Build in Breaks: Hintz incorporates a few breaks in the day for kids to get up and move, instead of being sedentary all day. For example, she gives the kids a “brain break” with GoNoodle.com. This online dance and movement program, which offers activities that can be done standing in a socially distant designated spot or at home, aims to “infuse fun into the classroom, boost student confidence and offers the opportunity for peer-to-peer connections.” “Adding the clear audio from Nureva helps kids feel they are having a fun time together,” she says.

“Using the Nureva HDL300 was seamless and really didn’t require me to change what I was already doing, other than just plugging it into the base station,” says Hintz. “Adding an audio tool that made all students feel part of the class helped encourage participation.”

Although the past year has been challenging, Hintz stays positive: “Never give up! Where there is a will, there is always a way,” she says. “Whether teaching remotely, in-person, or both simultaneously, always plan for the unexpected and always have a second and third way to teach the same lesson.”

January 2021 marked an evolutionary moment for the company the AV industry has fondly called, Hall, for more than 30 years. Hall Research was rebranded as Hall Technologies and concurrently announced HIVE Control, its bold entry into cloud-based AV control technology.

“Hall Technologies solves problems,” said Hal Truax, vice president of sales and marketing at Hall Technologies. “We're building more of an end-to-end solution that solves the problems experienced with technology today. Right now, due to the need, we're addressing the problems that are being experienced in education.”

Slated to ship in the second quarter of 2021, the launch of the cloud-based AV control technology, HIVE Control, couldn’t have come at a better time as school districts and institutions of higher education throughout the country continue to struggle with the realities of legacy systems that can’t be managed via the cloud. The pandemic has punctuated the need for cloud-based systems.

Historically, sophisticated AV control has been deployed only in colleges and universities with large endowments. “In many cases, K-12 suffers because of budgetary or socioeconomic constraints,” Truax said. “With HIVE, we’re bringing affordable control that is every bit as compelling as any of the technology in higher ed, and we're making it affordable for the masses.”

Can AV Control Affect Student Outcomes?

In a recent Washington Post article, the inequities of sufficient technology and/or internet access were cited as reasons for an unprecedented rise in F-grades in different areas of the country during the first grading period of the 2020-21 academic year. Truax said he feels some of this can be remedied by providing educators with a cost-efficient and easy-to-use AV solution that helps create a more seamless learning experience and increases student engagement.

“We've talked to a lot of teachers and IT directors that are responsible for technology decisions at schools, and they're explaining to us that the teachers are getting frustrated with the technology,” Truax said. “They’re moving from a smart board, then going to the internet, and going to another medium of learning. It's tough right now.”

If the number of COVID-19 cases continues to trend downward, then this spring, most K-12 students will be returning to the classroom, and it is expected that by the fall semester, college students will be back on campus. When in-class instruction returns, there will be a whole population of teachers who will now be familiar with using classroom technology—many for the first time. But going forward, the experience must be positive and effective for teachers which could, in turn, affect student outcomes.

“One of the features of the HIVE Control system for education incorporates simple touch-based cloud control that ties into, ideally, one of our presentation switchers, which offers seamless switching, lecture capture, and it keeps the teacher very efficient while presenting the lesson,” Truax said. “They don't have to worry about the technology.”

HIVE Control enables teachers to enter a classroom and hit a button that says, "classroom on," and it will communicate with all the AV equipment in the classroom so teachers can go through their lesson plans seamlessly throughout the day. At the end of the day, they hit, “classroom off” and leave the classroom. “It is really that simple,” Truax explained.

Going the Distance

In the fall, it is expected that colleges and universities will be under pressure to offer students more hybrid or HyFlex learning giving them the option of attending some classes online and some in the classroom. This is going to pose challenges for colleges with few technology-enabled classrooms.

HIVE provides a holistic approach to solving the problems in every teaching scenario: 100 percent distance learning, hybrid and fully in person. In a hybrid scenario, Truax explained that HIVE addresses each environment whether some people are in the classroom, down the hall, in different buildings, or at home.

Even before the pandemic, schools needed to contend with sending students home because of weather- or other emergency-related events. But the extended length of time students needed to be out because of the pandemic provided a learning moment with the realization that teaching and learning must continue. “HIVE Control addresses the 100 percent distance-learning scenario, which has been the most problematic for schools and student engagement,” Truax said. “It allows the teacher to flow through the lesson plan. There's no time lost between moving from one medium to another. They're able to go through this just like they're in the classroom, without any lag or without any delay of what they're trying to convey to the students.” 

Inside the HIVE

Out of the gate, Hall Technologies had an advantage in developing HIVE Control as an affordable AV control system, because the company wasn’t ladened with legacy black boxes or platforms. “Getting into control late in the game was actually a plus for us. We built this architecture from the cloud down,” Truax said. But HIVE can be retrofitted into any environment.

“Complete control of a classroom's IP or wireless-enabled AV and automation devices can be operated through our 5-inch wall-mounted, or 10-inch HIVE Touchscreen panel which has our Node Technology built into it,” Truax explained. The node-based architecture is what allows all devices, including legacy devices, to work seamlessly and talk to each other without programming. It also eliminates the need to maintain a centralized server or the purchase of gateway devices. “Given today’s need for a BYOD solution, alternatively HIVE Control can be operated through our app which is connected via the cloud.” For those not wanting to venture to the cloud, HIVE Control is offered as an on-premise solution.

“We’ve designed the HIVE Control UI so there's basically no learning curve for the teachers,” Truax explained. “It's activity-based teaching.” One scenario, when a teacher touches "classroom on," from the HIVE Touch, the lights would come on, the room temperature would go to a predetermined level, the projector would turn on, the projector screen would be lowered and the presentation switcher would go to a predetermined input to start the lesson. “It’s really easy to switch to a document camera or another device,” Truax said.

Although there’s “zero programming” required, HIVE Control is fully customizable. “It’s super easy for integrators to configure,” Truax said. “Integrators can take one UI and clone it throughout the classrooms that have the same configuration, expediting the process.” This helps keep the overall cost down, because integrators can get more classrooms done in a shorter amount of time.

The cloud offers school district IT administrators a central location view of HIVE Control’s dashboard to monitor the status of the system. “They can see what's working well, or if something's not responding,” Truax said. And these days, data and analytics have become invaluable tools for determining return on investment. The dashboard can show important stats such as device usage in a classroom and whether lights or devices have been left on. “From a central location, they can be shut down,” he added.

Why HIVE Control?

Why would a school choose HIVE Control over another system? “Because we’ve simplified cloud-based AV control. There is no programming required for deployment, our subscription-based pricing model doesn’t limit you to a number of rooms or devices, and once it’s deployed, there's very little human capital required to maintain it,” Truax said. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the amount of human bandwidth available to service technology. “They don't have to do a lot of site management, or a lot of stuff that's not in their job description. They don't have time to oversee an AV system. So we wanted to take most of that heavy lifting out of their hands,” Truax concluded.

Learn More About HIVE Control

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Connect with Hal Truax: htruax@halltechav.com

In a lot of ways, Gilbert Public Schools came into this current remote learning era ahead of the game, tech-wise. This district of 32,000 students, located in a suburb of Phoenix, was already set with 1:1 devices for their seventh- through twelfth-grade learners, and their elementary program had enough tech to sign out to any younger learner who needed one. 

However, in terms of hybrid or mixed learning modes, they had been looking for an all-in-one unit that could be mounted in the front of the classroom and still had the mic technology to pick up students in the entire room. 

“We wanted to stay away from mics hanging from the ceiling or having to press a mic button to speak,” says Jon Castelhano, Gilbert’s executive director of technology. “We had some unique classroom configurations.” One of the more challenging classroom environments was where the teachers were remote and the students are present in the classroom. 

“These teachers had typical sound issues with being able to hear the students,” Castelhano reports. 

To address this, the district piloted a Nureva HDL300 system. This audio system, designed for classrooms, captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom so the teachers at home can clearly hear what the students are saying during class. The system installs in minutes, and its plug-and-play connectivity and auto-calibration makes setup simple. 

“One of the participating teachers told us, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s like night and day! I can hear ALL of the students with no muffle at all and there are zero echoes. We can actually have a conversation, whereas before it was me just talking at them.’ And that is no way to teach or learn,” reports Castelhano.

Strategy for Best Learning Outcomes

“We made the decision to provide synchronous learning for our students when in virtual, and now hybrid, mode as we transition back to in-person,” Castelhano says. “We did not feel the learning experience of just placing students in an online learning program and checking in every few days was best for their learning. Synchronous online teaching was the best model for student engagement, continued relationship building, and engagement for our students and families.” 

Combining a good LMS and online curricular content with the teachers delivering synchronous instruction, whether in person or remote, and being able to seamlessly communicate with students regardless of their physical presence, created an engaging environment.

Challenges and Solutions

Even though most students had the devices they needed for remote and hybrid learning, the classrooms were in a different situation with the AV equipment, and not set up for true distance learning. 

“If we had a device like the Nureva system in every classroom, we could entertain different options for students present or remote, truly opening up the distance learning scenarios,” says Castelhano. “We knew if there was a great product that combined mics and speakers and could truly work in a large classroom, that the teachers participating in the pilot would have the missing pieces for communicating remotely with their students.” 

“The teacher is still the magic that creates the learning opportunities in the classroom and they need the tools to help make that easier for them,” says Castelhano. “A device like the Nureva system makes it easier for them to not be concerned if they are being heard or if they are hearing all of their students. It lets them focus on what matters.” 

"Has the Nureva system affected my teaching? Absolutely! It has been a game-changer,” says International Baccalaureate Biology teacher Katherine Powell, who is teaching her students from home while they are in the classroom. “Besides being able to walk around now, I feel like I am back in my classroom! Discussion is how I teach and this has allowed me to do that again."

At the Byram Hills School District in North Castle, N.Y., a K-12 district of 2,300 students, educators decided to take a different approach to teaching during the pandemic. 

“We realized that we could not recreate the face-to-face experience online, but we could reimagine teaching and learning with technology,” says Andrew Taylor, Director of Technology and Professional Learning. “Instead of putting cameras in the classroom that simply streamed the teacher at the whiteboard, we created a teacher ‘command center’ in each classroom.” 

The command center allows the teacher to simultaneously teach students in the classroom and at home. 

“Our goal was to have teachers model in the classroom how learning will happen if we are remote,” says Taylor. “Unfortunately, we have students and teachers quarantined daily. The command centers have made the transition from in the classroom to fully remote learning more seamless.” 

The command center includes a document camera (IPEVO 4K), a laptop (Dell), and an interactive monitor (Viewsonic TD 2455). The district piloted the Nureva HDL300, an audio system designed for classrooms that captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom, to support this initiative. All of this technology can be brought home, or accessed from home, if the teacher needs to work remotely. 

“In a hybrid learning environment, it is important that everyone can hear each other and be heard,” says Taylor. “Although we are new in the pilot, it was immediately apparent Nureva is helping to make sure everyone in the classroom can be part of the conversation and hear the content clearly. Our teachers spent the spring struggling to present content while working remotely. Today, teachers tell me all the time how this setup has been a game changer.” 

“The Nureva system has been a fantastic addition to my classroom,” says Dawn Selnes, Technology Teacher and Building Technology Coordinator at HCC. “The sound system has dramatically improved my students ability to hear each other and be heard--especially while masked!”

Challenges and Solutions

“The fluid nature of learning during the pandemic is a challenge,” says Taylor. “Teachers and students move in and out of the classroom.” The hybrid learning environment allows teaching and learning to continue, no matter the location of the teacher or students. 

“It is not unusual to have a class that has students face-to-face in the classroom, down the hall due to social distancing, and at home,” Taylor continues. “Students may be at home due to personal choice, quarantine, or due to the redesign of the learning environment. We must be ready to address the teacher and student needs no matter what the location or needs may be.” 

“Tools you choose should have a lifespan beyond the pandemic,” says Taylor. “If we are going to invest time/resources now in learning/implementing, then it should last beyond the current crisis. Do not let short term needs outweigh long-term goals.” 

Taylor says that he is continuously amazed by the capacity of the students and teacher to rise to the challenge and overcome obstacles. 

“Success can only be achieved if we are all working together,” he says. “Many of the tools we have adapted are quickly becoming part of the teachers toolbox and I believe will last far beyond the pandemic.”

Teachers are creative by nature, and never has this been more evident than since Covid-19 closed down schools last March. 

At Linwood Public Schools in Atlantic County in Southern New Jersey, a K-8 district with approximately 810 students, teachers tapped their ingenuity to ensure they were reaching even the youngest students remotely. 

“When we had to adjust for Covid, our educators jumped in and made interactive experiences using graphics programs to look like their classrooms,” says Frank Pileiro, Supervisor of Technology. “In this ‘classroom,’ they included avatars of themselves, as well as items relating to topics of the lessons or each subject. This was particularly effective in our elementary school to keep the students connected and engaged. 

“They did the same for parents for our virtual back-to-school nights,” continues Pileiro. “We also created a virtual wellness day for our staff. We invited speakers, yoga teachers, and meditation leaders to engage our teachers and support staff in virtual meeting rooms.”

Expanding to Hybrid Classrooms

Finding quality edtech solutions was key to supporting these creative ideas as the district moved from remote to hybrid learning environments. 

“One of the most important tech additions to make this new normal a success has been our new communication tech and audio conferencing solutions,” Pileiro reports. “The Nureva HDL300 system has been a great addition to our efforts to bring the classroom to our students, whether they are at home or in the school building.” 

The Nureva system, designed for classrooms, captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom so students at home can clearly hear what the teacher and in-person students are saying during class. Teachers can stand and walk around, and in-class students can communicate with students learning from home, who can hear everything without any feedback or delay. The system installs on the wall in minutes, and its plug-and-play connectivity and auto-calibration makes setup simple. 

“From my perspective, it was a breeze to install and set up,” says Pileiro. “The system helped with lesson delivery tremendously. The audio quality coming out of the speaker made it sound like the students at home were in the classroom. Also, the microphone array did an excellent job picking up all areas of the learning environment. The included remote control made it very easy to control the connection and audio volume. The teacher could walk around the classroom and still control volume and mute. The light on the front of the device let the teacher know if they were connected or muted. Nureva made what could be a stressful situation less stressful since it just works.” 

The teacher who piloted the system agrees.

“I have a pretty large room, and I am not one to stand in one place,” says seventh-grade math teacher, Chris Meade. “For me, the ability to wander around and circulate in my classroom, use my whiteboard and not be tied down to a laptop, let me teach in a natural way and helped me engage my students. The audio of class contributions from remote students with those in the room through the Nureva system was so natural—I could hear them clearly, and they could hear me clearly. It was like everyday learning only with surround sound. I was there when Frank installed the system himself. It took less than twenty minutes and we were up and running—very intuitive and simple. It’s definitely a change for the better.”

Pro Tips

“When it comes to hybrid and blended learning, the best tip I can give is to not let it end when this pandemic is over,” says Pileiro. “Students adapted so much better than we expected overall. We should continue to develop and practice these skills so we can use them to enhance instruction and be ready if we have to go through this again.” 

Not surprisingly, professional development is key. 

“Getting the teachers up to speed with blended and virtual teaching was just the start,” says Pileiro. “To really be meaningful, follow-up training had to take place at the appropriate intervals.” 

In addition to employing follow-up professional development, the district curated web-based resources for teachers to access as needed. These included downloadable documents, screencasts, and video playlists on a private website that can access from anywhere. 

“Incorporating communication tech is one way to enhance lessons in this new normal, and something that could be used in the future to keep students connected in alternate modes of learning,” says Pileiro. “Tools such as the HDL300 make this easy because it is so simple to set up and use. It frees the teacher from having to be in front of a microphone or speakers.” 

Pileiro recommends setting up the classroom video feed to allow teachers to move around the room more freely and not be tethered to a webcam on a computer. This can make blended and virtual instruction feel even more as if everyone's together as one.  

Pileiro also offers this word of advice: “Never underestimate your abilities as an instructor, or your students’ ability to adapt, no matter their age. Don't isolate yourselves. Collaborate— ask and give help as much as possible. We are all in this together!”

We know student voice is crucial to effective pedagogy -- both literally and figuratively. If teachers and students can’t hear one another, their contributions to the learning are negated. 

“Hearing the tone, speech, and passion in students’ words is what drives our educators,” says Matthew X. Joseph, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Leicester Public Schools in Worcester County, MA, a PK-12 district with 1,400 students. “Having the option to have clear sound to include both at-home learners and in-school learners gives a true ‘one class’ feeling.” 

To help improve the audio quality in the classroom and for students learning simultaneously at home, the district piloted the Nureva HDL300 system. This audio system, designed for classrooms, captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom so students at home can clearly hear what the teacher and in-person students are saying during class. Teachers can stand and walk around, and in-class students can communicate with students learning from home, who can hear everything without any feedback or delay. The system installs on the wall in minutes, and its plug-and-play connectivity and auto-calibration makes setup simple. 

“In-class learners can talk in a normal tone, and students at home can hear like they are in the room,” says Joseph. “The teacher can also teach at a tone and pace that everyone can hear. When they call on an at-home student, they feel they are included, and the lesson flows as if all students were in front of them. This kind of seamless connection is invaluable.”

SEL is Key

Creating time to have in-depth discussions can support the district’s learner's academic and social-emotional needs. 

“Having the Nureva system in the room allows for an in-depth conversation without lulls or volume issues to interrupt the flow,” says Joseph. “When we talk SEL with our students, we want the emotion to be felt in our words. Students are more engaged when they can be heard and feel they are a part of the discussion.”

Timing is Everything

Even with ideal audio solutions, there are many challenges with hybrid learning. One challenge is over-planning. Joseph advises teachers to limit topics for each learning session to just one skill per lesson, so students leave feeling empowered, not overwhelmed. Include specific examples of taught skills to encourage students to practice their work skills when there is asynchronous learning time. 

“We try to ensure the material we teach can be taught in half the class time,” says Joseph. “This will then allow for an opening and closing of every lesson. With possible connection issues and adjusting to online learning, we want to ensure there is time for warm-up, instruction, and closure.”

Pro Tips

To make the most of the hybrid classroom, Joseph recommends:

• Be present. Having the Nureva system  allows educators to feel all students are in front of them—the divide between at-home and in-person students is diminished.
  
• Celebrate small wins. It's important to celebrate the small achievements. Small wins are opportunities to reflect on how far we've come, which gives us the strength to stay inspired.
  
• It’s okay if you don’t know all of the answers. This shift is new to all of us, demanding different skills and techniques. It's okay not to have all the answers. Take a breath, and work on solutions rather than feeling overwhelmed.
  
• Listen without intending to respond. When you're engaged in learning conversation, do you listen, or are you more focused on what to say next? Usually, we're only half-listening because we're already thinking about what questions we can ask students to add to the dialogue. Instead of thinking about what to say, be more present in your conversations with students and think about what you hear. By merely listening with curiosity, rather than anticipation, you will be inherently more present.

Teacher Feedback

“The Nureva system is great,” says eighth-grade science teacher Dave Socha. “It far exceeds the simple auxiliary speakers that I had hooked up to my desktop computer, which would go in and out as the input/output cords were bumped and shifted. The sound from the system is smooth and deep. It definitely adds to the experience when students speak on Google Meets, when we share recorded work products on FlipGrid or ScreenCastify, or when we're simply watching a video clip in class.” 

These are challenging times on so many levels; anything that helps kids feel “normal” is a plus. More than just a perfunctory fix to enable students to hear lessons or each other, having audio tech that feels natural can be a game changer when it comes to the intangibles of teaching, and reaching, students.

During a recent Tech & Learning district leadership roundtable, sponsored by Nureva, school district administrators from around the country came together to discuss learning spaces during remote and hybrid learning.

In addition to discussing what’s going on currently, educators shared what they think learning will look like after the pandemic. All agreed that many of the innovations and solutions that have been implemented in the past year will continue to be part of instruction. Vetting and refreshing products and platforms will be a focus, as well will be designing new schools and redesigning existing classrooms to accommodate hybrid and remote learning. 

“I just want to put out there the idea of if we even need brick-and-mortar walls,” said Phil Hintz, Director of Student Information, Barrington SD220 in Illinois. “You know, like rethinking the whole idea of a computer lab -- it really shouldn't be a thing anymore, other than possibly for esports or specific STEM lessons -- a lot of that stuff should be in all classrooms. And then as we're moving forward, when building, what is the purpose for because that has totally exploded into a new realm thanks to this pandemic.”

Key Takeaways

Student engagement is still top priority. Numerous hurdles have been encountered during remote and hybrid learning, from simultaneously balancing in-person and remote instruction to managing all the technology involved. 

However, the main focus continues to be on students, especially equity and making sure everyone has access to learning. And once they’re connected, the effort shifts to keeping them engaged.

“It's been challenging to get them to simply turn on their cameras,” said Hintz, Director of Student Information for Barrington SD220 in Illinois. “So they're connected but are they really connected? They're hiding behind the scenes, they're lurking there in the classrooms as opposed to actually being engaged.”

“Those students who are completely remote have lost out on collaboration,” said Eileen Belastock, Director of Technology and Information at Nauset Public School in Massachusetts. “The students who are able to get to school are able to better engage and so it just hasn't been fair or equitable.”

The sound of success. Students, educators, parents, and other stakeholders said having the right tools and devices to communicate better during remote and hybrid learning helps improve engagement. For example, all of the participants had piloted the Nureva HDL300, which captures sound from classrooms and remote environments simultaneously.

“My students at home on their laptops do say that I sound better compared to the other teachers that aren't using it,” said Katie Sutton, junior high science teacher in Bunker Hill CUSD #8 in Macoupin County, Illinois. “The kids in the classroom like it when they can hear the voices of their friends at home coming over as if they were in the room. So that definitely helped increase the engagement as far as the kids at home feeling like they are in the classroom.”

At Nauset Public School, a Nureva device was set up in a conference room, said Belastock. “For us, it was one of the best locations we could have put it,” she said. “We decided to use it for some of our parent teacher conferences, faculty meetings, and things like that in which we have to reach a larger group of people. We tested it from all parts of the room, and everybody on a Zoom call is able to participate and hear everything going on.”

Other potential solutions and resolutions. Solving problems during the pandemic and remote learning has been varied as there are school districts. Everyone seems to have found something a little different that works for them, with plans to continue successful practices beyond the pandemic.  

For example, in Wichita Falls ISD, Texas, there are plans to have a full virtual academy next year in addition to handling some subjects virtually, such as secondary school English or social studies, according to Frank Murray, the district’s Director of Instructional Technology. “There's a lot of campuses or districts in Texas that are starting to move to a full remote academy so we know if we don't go this direction we're going to lose students to our charter schools that are offering the full remote,” Murray said. “We're trying to ease the burden on our teachers of having to manage face-to-face and online kids.”

Barrington SD220 is considering a similar all-virtual program as there are students who are thriving in a distance learning environment. “It's another way of meeting their needs,” said Hintz, suggesting a dual-credit option could be offered at the high school level in which they could earn college credit simultaneously.

At Gilbert Public Schools in Arizona, there’s discussions to have full virtual options for elementary schools but a hybrid-style option for middle and high school students in which they can participate in remote learning as an elective but also stay involved in face-to-face social and extracurricular activities, said Jon Castelhano, Executive Director of Technology.  

Over at Bunker Hill CUSD, Superintendent Todd Dugan said remote learning has created an opportunity for students who have gotten into trouble in brick-and-mortar schools. “We will never send another child to alternative school because when you put somebody in alternative school, typically it never ends well,” Dugan said. “If a student is expelled for his or her own behaviors, and is not a good fit for public education, they're now going to go remote.”

Positive outcomes. Although the pandemic has created incredibly difficult conditions for everyone, there have been some silver linings, particularly in regard to remote learning. 

Frank Pileiro, Supervisor of Technology at Linwood Board of Education in New Jersey talked about how teachers have demonstrated their creativity to figure out solutions on the fly, even those who weren’t familiar with tech. “Teachers have been making those bitmoji classrooms that were interactive so when the kids were at home, they could click on different teachers and listen to the teacher, read a story to them,” said Pileiro. “We had a virtual back to school night in which the principal actually made bitmoji hallways and classrooms, and the parents clicked into the different ones and there was a teacher. It’s really impressive that teachers who were very hesitant to use technology, just hunkered down and learned, showing some really large advances in their skills.”

“I feel like the level of proficiency that our teachers now have with technology and teaching remotely has grown 10 years in one,” said Dugan of Bunker Hill CUSD. “It would have taken 10 years of targeted concentrated, sustained professional development to get them to this level this quickly.”

“It's just it's forced us teachers to grow, to try new technologies that we may not have thought of before,” said Sutton, also of Bunker Hill. “I feel like I've become a master of Google Meet in a very short time.”

In addition to giving freedom to teachers to try new lessons and tools, students now have more voice in their learning, said Matthew X. Joseph, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Leicester Public Schools in Worcester County, Massachusetts. “We don't have an option but to let them participate because teachers can't give out as many worksheets,” Joseph said. “They've discovered ways to really align assignments, they are creating YouTube videos and are creating portfolios, they're using Flipgrid to crowdsource ideas.”

Another positive outcome is an increased focus on access, said Hintz. “For a long time, we as tech directors have been saying that there's an equity issue and in kids being able to have opportunities through the internet,” he said. “That spotlight is shining as bright as it possibly can on the fact that we need to do something different. We need to make access at everybody's household as important as electricity, running water, and access to food for that matter. And now it's on the forefront, we can't ignore it.”

Quickly pivoting between learning models is a challenge for any district, but for rural districts, this challenge is amplified by distance and spotty connection issues. 

Take, for example, Bunker Hill CUSD #8, a remote and rural PK-12 system of 600 students 30 miles north of the Metro-East area in Macoupin County, Illinois. In a continued effort to ensure the district was meeting the needs of all students, the district has had to pivot between hybrid, full remote, and face-to-face learning throughout the year. 

“At the beginning of the school year, our county had a surge in Covid-19 cases,” says Superintendent Todd Dugan. “In efforts to keep students six feet apart, we began the school year with ‘blue and yellow’ teams, with 50% of students physically in attendance while 50% logged in from home via Go Guardian Video Conferencing with Google Classroom. 

“One hurdle right away was struggling to make the students at home feel like they were in the class participating, instead of just observing. The same was true with the students in the room,” Dugan says. 

One new tool that Bunker Hill used to address this issue was the Nureva HDL300 system. This audio system, designed for classrooms, captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom so the students at home can clearly hear what the teacher and in-person students are saying during class. Teachers can stand and walk around, and in-class students can share their feedback with students learning from home, who can hear everything without any feedback or delay. The system installs on the wall in minutes and its plug-and-play connectivity and auto-calibration makes setup simple. 

“All of the students in the classroom could clearly hear the students from home, avoiding the need to use online chat and have the teacher repeat out loud what the students at home said,” says Dugan. “This led to increased student engagement and interaction with one another, which was the major piece of the classroom environment that was lacking during the hybrid periods.”

Challenges and Solutions

In remote rural schools, bandwidth is a huge barrier. Many times, it is not an issue of being able to afford the internet, but rather if broadband is even offered to outlying rural areas. Parents using satellite internet providers find that monthly data allowances are exhausted in a couple of days. Others report not being able to participate in Zoom or Google Meet due to upload speed issues. 

Because of these issues, many students were forced to turn cameras off to conserve bandwidth, leading a few teachers to feel remote students were not engaged. Having the Nureva system in the classroom resolved this. Even though remote and in-person students could not see one another, they could clearly communicate through the HDL300’s live audio connection without any audio delays or issues related to the in-person students’ distance from the system. Offering a compromise of live audio connection through the Nureva system was a way for students to have their voices heard and remain part of the conversation. 

The teacher who piloted the HDL300 confirms that the device worked amazingly well at bridging the divide between remote and in-person learners. 

"My students absolutely enjoy being able to hear and communicate with their classmates at home as if they were in the room with them,” says teacher Katherine Sutton. "As a teacher I like the freedom of walking around my room. The Nureva system allows me to move around and engage with all students instead of feeling tethered to my computer."

Unexpected Results

Focusing on improving communication between face-to-face and online learning environments has paid dividends. 

“Using our own assessments, we found that K-2 were the only grades showing a significant ‘learning loss’ with grades 3-12 showing very minimal loss,” says Dugan. “However, grades were highest in K-3, and lower in 4-12. This suggests that there is an inherent flaw in how we are assessing students’ content knowledge and skill mastery. 

“We had been focusing on ‘work being completed’ and not necessarily on ‘standards/skills mastery being demonstrated.’ In other words, our current grading practices favor compliance and completion over competency. This should be one valuable lesson learned from the pandemic. The integration of communication technology could be one bridge to better allow students to demonstrate their mastery of these necessary standards and skills.”

PD Tips & Other Creative Solutions

Dugan says professional development and community partnerships were key to their success. 

He reports that Bunker Hill CUSD #8 professionally trained all their teachers in remote teaching best practices, such as using breakout rooms in Zoom. Recognizing that a typical 48-minute class period is too long to be effectively engaged for students on screen time, teachers set “timers” for shorter direct instruction sessions. Communication technology that allowed for ease of conversation helped make the most of these shorter instructional periods. 

The district also partnered with area businesses and redefined traditional learning spaces to ensure more students had the access they needed for remote learning. 

“We offered cellular hotspots to all students, but the weak cell signal would prevent them from using video conferencing,” says Dugan. To help solve this issue, the district offered their school libraries as ‘WiFi laboratories’ for small numbers of students, created a drive-up public WiFi hotspot at two buildings, and even had the public library and local restaurants let a small number of students use their spaces to connect to their classrooms via video conferencing.

What Not to Do

Do not teach passively to any students, advises Dugan, even at times when 50% of students are remote. In other words, using a hybrid model of primarily note-sharing or lecturing to all students in person, while allowing the remote learners to only view/hear the same experience, is not helpful. “It’s a step backward by decades in terms of what we know about effective pedagogy,” says Dugan. 

“Learning equality has been a challenge and a hallmark of this new era we find ourselves in as modes of educating can turn on a dime,” says Dugan. “Key to making that transition seamlessly, and achieving fully engaged students regardless of where their learning might be taking place, is to make all students feel equally heard. Using communication tech such as the Nureva HDL300 system helps all students use their voice to feel a true part of the class and equal participants in the learning experience.”

In today's challenging times, districts need to come up with creative ways to keep kids engaged and on track. Wichita Falls Texas I.S.D. in North Texas is a district of 13,600 students (66% are economically disadvantaged) and covers 82 square miles. The district has pivoted between a variety of learning environments this year in an attempt to keep all students engaged and connected in this sprawling community, and most recently started building synchronous, hybrid classrooms as a flexible approach to meet the needs of their students, staff, and families, both in-person and learning remotely. 

“We are experimenting in a lot of ways to keep students engaged and on track,” says Frank Murray, Director of Instructional Technology at Wichita Falls. “We are moving some teachers to only teach fully remote students (some teachers teach all elementary grade levels). Some teachers are teaching face-to-face half of a day and remote the other half. We are working on building full online courses for English and Social Studies to continue even after COVID.” 

Other initiatives include building hybrid classrooms using products such as the Nureva HDL300 system to deliver quality audio to their students who are learning from home. This audio system, designed for classrooms, captures the audio of everything happening in the classroom so the students at home can clearly hear what the teacher and in-person students are saying during the class. Teachers do not need to be tied to a desk to make sure they are heard by the students at home. They can stand and walk around, and in-class students can share their feedback with students learning from home, who can hear everything without any feedback or delay. The system installs on the wall in minutes and its plug-and-play connectivity and auto-calibration makes setup simple. 

Using tools such as the Nureva HDL300 has helped the district have crucial conversations with parents of students who failed one or more classes to try and get them back to face-to-face instruction. 

“We trained all teachers before the school year started (virtual and face-to-face challenge-based PD), so we were ready to go and projected confidence and competency in the tech,” says Murray. “We created ‘Weekly Tech Tips’ and created an environment to let teachers take chances. We also offer a parent/student helpdesk 7:30-5:00, Monday through Thursday, and 7:30-4:00 on Fridays, to support our families.”

Murray offers these 6 tips for districts looking to create hybrid classrooms:

1. Let remote students engage in conversation in the classroom when possible.
2. Teaching is an experiment in which some things will work and some will not, but you have to take chances. Both teachers and students should have freedom to try, and districts should develop learning environments to support that.
3. Find ways to give teachers more planning time.
4. Encourage sharing among staff, but make sure they have buy-in first to get the best engagement and results.
5. Do not try to build a one-size-fits-all model for all your schools.
6. Do not demand too much district PD.

Teacher feedback using the Nureva HDL300 to teach in these hybrid classrooms has been very positive. 

"I absolutely love it,” says teacher Amy Yeary. “This is probably the happiest I have felt about teaching all year. I feel like I have my movement back. Because I can move around the room throughout the class, behavior has definitely improved. That proximity is there again, and students are more on task, and minor behavior issues have been eliminated.” 

“If I am at a table working with a student and a remote student needs help, I can now easily hear them and respond immediately,” says Yeary. “Before, I would have to either yell toward my computer or have a student who was close to the computer tell the remote student that I would be with them soon. I have noticed that my remote students are responding more and actually communicating with face-to-face students now and not just me. I think this is because they can hear their peers (and see them on camera). When they unmute and speak, the whole class can easily hear. I save time too, because I am no longer having to constantly restate or repeat what was said or asked by a face-to-face student. 

“I can be anywhere in the room and explain or teach without having to raise my voice. I am easier to understand with the mask on, too. The sound from the speaker is excellent regardless of where I sit in the room. I really like that students at the back can hear just as well as those close to the speaker.” 

Although a regular part of a successful education experience, never is communication more important than during this challenging era. The ability to listen and speak clearly to all students, regardless of mode of teaching, is one way tech such as Nureva can really help us hear our learners and get them what they need to succeed.

Google Sites is a free, easy-to-use website building and publishing tool that's ideal for use by teachers and students. 

The intuitive design and building process make it accessible to novices and tech aficionados alike. Build a basic website, for a school club or project, or go complex and design an entire web portal for the school – Sites is flexible enough to offer depth, if needed.

Built on the Google platform, anyone who has used Google Docs will recognize the layout. This program uses templates and a drag-and-drop interaction style for quick and easy website construction.

So is Google Sites for you? Read on to find out how to use Google Sites and to pick up the best Sites tips and tricks to take full advantage of the platform.

How does Google Sites work?

Google Sites is web-based so it can be accessed from most devices using a web browser. While it works on a mobile or tablet, it's probably preferable to use a laptop or desktop computer with a large screen and mouse to help make the working process easier. 

When you open Google Sites you'll be able to start from scratch, selecting the "+" icon, or you can choose one of the many templates in the "template  gallery," located at the top of the page.

Title the page at the top, then decide on your layout or reorganize the layout if you're using a template you want to change. This is done by simply dragging and dropping the boxes where you want each one. It can get complicated if there is lots of movement, so it's recommended to keep things as simple as possible or stick closely to an original template.

Fill in information such as the heading and introduction text. Then you can upload images to use, either from your computer, from Google Drive, or from the web - to name a few options. 

If you want to add extra pages select the "Pages" tab to the right and the "+" icon at the bottom of that side bar. Here you can add a new page, which will be the same basic layout as the homepage, or you can add a link.

Themes is another tab on the right that allows you to change the feel of your site with options for varying font types, colors, and styles. Most allow you to vary all these things at once with a single selection of the overarching style. 

How to publish a Google Site

Once you're happy with the layout and content of the website, it's time to publish. Simply navigate to the top right and select the "Publish" icon. Here you'll be given the chance to enter the web address you wish to use.

This basic option will make your site follow the address
"http://sites.google.com/view/enternamehere." Which is long. The other option is to select the Custom URL option, which will allow you to add a specific domain, but you will be required to buy that domain name first using another website such as Google Domains, GoDaddy, or InMotion, to name just a few.

You're then able to select tabs such as "Analytics" on the left to see how your website is doing in terms of visitors. You can turn this on by selecting the toggle next to "Enable analytics." A useful feature if you want to grow your website's traffic. 

This might not be a major concern when using this in class though. Here are some of the best tips and tricks for using Google Sites in class.

Use Google Sites as a resource point

One way to offer students resources, which are spread across the year, is to place it all on a website. This makes it not only accessible but keeps it organized for the teacher and students. It could also be a resource that can be reused, or edited for reuse, for different years. 

This is easy to edit, allowing teachers to integrate things such as quizzes that lead off to other websites, all within the page. It also can be well integrated into Google Classroom, making it ideal for schools that already use G Suite for Education.

This can be done by creating pages and subpages that feature content in an organized way.

Use Google Site for procedure learning

A great way to deliver student and staff guidelines is via Sites. This allows teachers to upload procedural information in a clear and accessible way, but also makes it super easy to keep updated as new changes take place.

During the pandemic, for example, using Sites is a perfect way to lay out procedures on at-home and remote learning. The ability to update as changes happen is a really valuable feature here.

Have students create sites

Engage those higher order skills by having students use Google Sites as a way to learn how to build a website while also creating something functional.

For example, you can have club members create a site for their club that acts as a resource page but also can be updated with information on the latest happenings in that community.

Students can also use Sites as a way to present a project. Setting a task that involves laying out the information required on a site can help to layer learning and encourage the development of useful skills such as problem-solving and communication.

Make the Google Site interactive

To create a truly useful website with interactivity, you can embed code or URLs from other resources. For example, it is possible to add a Padlet into a site.

This allows students to comment on one another's work without having to be a contributor to the site itself. It can also encourage collaboration.

• What is Padlet and How Does it Work?
• Best Digital Tools for Teachers