Volume 34 / Number techlearning.com Ideas and Tools for ed Tech leaders I March 2014 I $6 Big Data isn’t BaD Digital BaDges The fuTure of PD See page 23 It’s just misunderstood (See page 32) Put to the test Lego eDucaTion STorySTarTer See page 18 To see more Tech & Learning scan the code or visit us online at: www.techlearning com/mar14 Why We still need librarians See page 10 for more The Total Common Core Solution Learn more on PG 25 active passive public private digital analog formal informal calm energetic social quiet choice the new library focused alone together engaged relaxed observant focused innovative traditional brainstorm contemplative collaborative Today’s students demand choices, requiring libraries to offer a range of spaces to support the many ways they learn Steelcase works with the world’s leading educational institutions to create multipurpose, high-performance destinations for all of the places learning happens Find out more at steelcase.com/libraries ©2013 Steelcase Inc All rights reserved Trademarks used herein are the property of Steelcase Inc or of their respective owners M 23 a r c h | v o l n o contents FEatUrEs 23 there’s a Badge For that 32 school cio: Who’s aFraid oF Big data? 36 38 school cio: Back oFFice Business 16 By Richard Ferdig and Kristine E Pytash Digital badges have captured the imagination of many educators because they have proven to be an important way to demonstrate a shared understanding of accomplished outcomes By Dr Steven Rubenstein Big data is overwhelming, but it can also furnish important information about individual students, schools, and districts Here is how one district created a school system and culture to embrace data as a partner in learning tech tools For assessing the “soFt” skills By Cathy Swan Should schools teach “soft” skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking? Most colleges and workplaces believe the answer is yes This article provides a variety of examples of tech tools that can help you teach and assess these skills PrODUcts 16 Put to the test: t&l editors take some neW Products For a test drive 16 18 20 22 42 Digital Passport: Classroom Edition LEGO StoryStarter Curriculum Pack HotSeat’s Edustation flight simulator Adobe Creative Cloud What’s neW DEPartMEnts & cOLUMns 22 38 editors desk: get on With the shoWs neWs & trends • This Ain’t Your 70s Snow Day • Why We Still Need Librarians • ConsideringNewLearning Spaces Scan here to access the digital edition, which includes additional resources Tech & Learning (ISSN-1053-6728) (USPS 695-590) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tech & Learning, PO Box 8746, Lowell, MA 01853 Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices Copyright ©2014 NewBay Media, LLC All Rights Reserved www.techlearning.com | M a r c h 01 | EdITOR’S note March 2014 Get On With the ShOWS W hat a way to start the year! The Tech & Learning team has been on the road and even “across the pond” these past few weeks, keeping up with what could be called edtech’s show season First up was our own Tech Forum in Long Beach, with an inspirational keynote by Dr Alec Couros (couros.ca/cv/), and an insightful panel that included LA CIO Ron Chandler discussing that little iPad pilot you may have heard about You can watch it yourself at our Livestream channel (www.livestream.com/techlearning) Then we spent a week in London for BETT, the granddaddy of edtech shows More than 40,000 educators from across the planet shared best practices in panel sessions, which included one hosted by our UK advisor Terry Freedman Meanwhile, in Philly, managing editor Christine Weiser was reporting on T&L advisor Chris Lehmann’s Educon (educonphilly org), which is a sort of Davos for edugeeks Finally, we all gathered in Austin, TX, for the Texas Computer Education Association show and to celebrate our own Awards of Excellence You can read about all of these events plus some takeaways from this year’s Florida Besides the emerging Education Technology Conference on pages 14 and 15 maker movement and online at techlearning.com and education app market, i saw nothing So what’s the next “Big Thing” to come out of all much new in the way these shows? Besides the emerging Maker Movement of hardware and and education app market, I saw nothing much new software what in the way of hardware and software What I did i did find exciting find exciting were the new and innovative ways that were the new and educators are learning to use current technologies innovative ways Next stops—SXSWedu back in Austin, TX and Tech that educators Forum in Atlanta on March 28, featuring longtime are learning School CIO advisor Carl Hooker as keynote speaker to use current We look forward to seeing you online or in real time soon technologies | vol 34 no Publisher: Allison Knapp aknapp@nbmedia.com; (650) 238-0318; Fax: (650) 238-0263 EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Kevin Hogan khogan@nbmedia.com Managing Editor: Christine Weiser cweiser@nbmedia.com Editorial Intern: Clea Mahoney Senior Art Director: Nicole Cobban ncobban@nbmedia.com Associate Art Director: Walter Makarucha, Jr Contributing Editors: Judy Salpeter, Gwen Solomon Custom Editorial Director: Gwen Solomon gwensol@earthlink.net SchoolCIO Editor: Ellen Ullman SchoolCIO@nbmedia.com ADvIsORs David Warlick, Patrick Higgins, David Andrade, Dean Shareski, Kim Cofino, Darren Draper, Terry Freedman, Cheryl Oakes, Bob Sprankle, Lisa Thumann, Jen Wagner, Lisa Nielsen, Ben Grey, Michael Gorman, Henry Thiele, Özge Karaog ˘ lu, Kevin Jarrett, Kyle Pace, Steven W Anderson, Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano, Vicki Windman, David Kapuler, Jenith Mishne, Joyce Valenza TECHLEARNING.COM Assistant Web Editor: Diana Restifo ADvERTIsING sALEs Business Development Manager: Katie Sullivan ksullivan@nbmedia.com MARkETING AND EvENTs Marketing Manager: Jared Stearns jstearns@nbmedia.com Director of Events: Diana Milbert diana@dmeventspro.com Production Manager: Nicole Spell nspell@nbmedia.com CIRCULATION Group Director, Audience Development: Meg Estevez mestevez@nbmedia.com LIsT RENTAL (914) 925-2449; danny.grubert@lakegroupmedia.com REpRINTs AND pERMIssIONs Wright’s Media: newbay@wrightsmedia.com; (877) 652-5295 EDITORIAL AND ADvERTIsING OFFICEs 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 378-0400; Fax: (650) 238-0263 For general editorial correspondence: techlearning_editors@nbmedia.com NEwBAy MEDIA LLC—CORpORATE President & CEO: Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer: Paul Mastronardi Vice President of Production & Manufacturing: Bill Amstutz bamstutz@nbmedia.com Vice President of Digital Media: Robert Aames Vice President of Audience Development: Denise Robbins drobbins@nbmedia.com Vice President of Content & Marketing: Anthony Savona NEwBAy MEDIA k-12 EDUCATION GROUp Executive Vice President/Group Publisher: Adam Goldstein Publisher: Allison Knapp Editorial Director: Kevin Hogan — Kevin Hogan Editorial Director khogan@nbmedia.com Online Production Manager: Rob Granger Web Production Specialist: Ashley Vermillion Web Director: Ragan Whiteside sUBsCRIpTION INFORMATION $29.95 per year in the U.S $59.90 for two years $39.95 in Canada and Mexico $69.95 in all other countries To subscribe: (888) 266-5828 or www.techlearning.com www.techlearning.com | Ma r c h 014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m IF YOUR DATA NETWORK WAS A STUDENT, WHAT GRADE WOULD IT GET? The fact is, many school communications networks are falling behind Comcast Business Ethernet solutions keep you ahead because they’re built for education t$POOFDUZPVSTDIPPMTXJUIEJTUSJDUXJEF communication infrastructure t4DBMFGSPN.CQTUP(CQT t4FBNMFTTMZTVQQPSUEBUBJOUFOTJWFDPOUFOUMJLF FUFYUCPPLT WJEFP BOEEJTUBODFMFBSOJOH t#BDLFECZTFSWJDF BUSINESS.COMCAST.COM/EDUCATION Restrictions apply Not available in all areas Call for details Comcast ©2014 All rights reserved 866- 429-2241 neWSandtRenDS ThE LATEST NEwS & STATS AFFECTINg ThE K-12 EdTECh COMMUNITY top10 wEB STORIES From techlearning.com Making 1:1 Work Ellen Ullman checked in with some 1:1 districts to get their insight into what makes these initiatives strong and how they can be sustained A review of the growth of the U.S from the Revolutionary War until all the states were added in 1959 New Study Says MOOCs Have Few Active Users A new study from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education reveals some interesting findings related to MOOCs Google Adds More to Play Google Play for Education announced a new aspect of their content distribution strategy—digital books Must-Have Evernote iPad Apps and Chrome Extensions J Robinson lists additional extensions and tablet apps that make Evernote even more useful and versatile for the school leader and classroom teacher Product Review: Britannica Pathways: Science MaryAnn Karre reviews this online, interactive approach to teaching the scientific method Animated Atlas: Growth of a Nation Survey: Americans Concerned about Use of Students’ Personal Data Send Them on Learning Missions Top 100 Sites and Apps of 2013 David Kapuler cites digital storytelling as one of the most prominent themes in this year’s list F I N d l I N k s at W W W.t ec h l e a r n i n g co m / m a r | M a r c h 014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m Part of being a strong leader is allowing yourself to trust others to their best, even if their idea sounds a little crazy —Pernille ripp If your school, and your school day, is not about students collaborating, connecting, and building knowledge and understandings together, why would anyone come? —Scott McLeod Favorite Student Apps & Tools Shelly Terrell stopped giving her students homework and began to give them a choice of missions and challenges 10 We should be designing our instruction and teaching our students to use a wide selection of digital tools that best fits within their learning style —rob Miller At Tech Forum California, students from elementary through high school shared their favorite apps and tools Common Sense Media released a survey showing adults are concerned about how students’ personal data may be used to market to them Blog Bits toP tWeets @geraldaungst: Improvements coming to E-rate for libraries and schools More funds, emphasis on broadband http://aungst me/1fIhsRJ @henrythiele: School on snow days? Thank technology - Chicago Tribune http://tinyurl.com/ o6uxksw @rroysden: Inquiry Driven: Ask questions we don’t know the answers to! Dare kids to ask questions! @chrislehmann Lenses and accessories shown are not included Shoot the next Hollywood blockbuster with the world’s most amazing digital cinema camera! The world’s most mind blowing feature films, television commercials and music videos look amazing because they are filmed with digital film cameras! The new award winning Blackmagic Cinema Camera is unlike a regular video camera or DSLR camera because it’s a true high end digital film camera! You get a true Hollywood cinematic look with 13 stops of dynamic range, interchangeable lenses, high quality RAW and ProRes® file recording plus much more! Film Industry Quality Every feature of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera has been designed for quality With separate models, you can choose from the world’s most amazing EF or MFT lenses from crafters such as Canon™, Zeiss™ and more For extreme high end work, you can shoot full 12 bit CinemaDNG RAW uncompressed files for incredible creative range in DaVinci Resolve color correction, as well as the world’s best chroma keying! Dramatically Better than DSLR Video The Blackmagic Cinema Camera includes a large 2.5K sensor for super sharp images that eliminate resolution loss HD bayer sensors suffer from, while creating manageable files that are not too big! The large screen LCD allows easy focusing and the high speed SSD recorder lets you record in ProRes®, DNxHD® and RAW file formats for Final Cut Pro X and DaVinci Resolve! Accessories Built In High end cinema cameras often require thousands of dollars of extra accessories to make them work, however the Blackmagic Cinema Camera includes accessories you need built in! You get a large inch monitor, super fast SSD RAW recorder and professional audio recorder all built in! You also get UltraScope software, used via the built in Thunderbolt™ connection, for on set waveform monitoring! Super Wide Dynamic Range The Blackmagic Cinema Camera captures an incredible 13 stops of dynamic range so you can simultaneously capture the brightest highlights and the darkest shadows all at the same time into the recorded file! This means you capture more of the scene than a regular video camera can so you get more freedom for color correction for a feature film look! You also get a full copy of DaVinci Resolve! Learn more today www.blackmagicdesign.com/cinemacamera Blackmagic Cinema Camera 1,995 $ Includes DaVinci Resolve Software NEwS ANd TRENdS this ain’t your 1970’s snow day jOSIEPhOS/ISTOCKPhOTO/ThINKSTOCK It’s been a rough winter for much of the country, but inclement weather doesn’t mean the learning stops Here are tools many schools used to keep lessons rolling anytime, anywhere: * Google Apps for Education: Had a small-group activity in mind for room 218, period 3? Set up a Google Doc and have students answer questions collaboratively from home If you have a presentation all ready for a “live” class, throw it up to a shared class folder * Twitter #Chats: Use push notifications to send out reminders, reading links, or review questions for students Use class hashtags to help students easily find relevant info, or create a class Twitter account Set up a live #chat when you are available to answer questions * Google Forms: Google Forms can be turned into quizzes simply by asking content-specific questions Or they can be designed more like a handout where students answer/practice/reflect on topic areas you wanted to cover face to face * G+ Communities: Create a G+ Community for just your class This makes a group page where you can upload readings, videos, and links and have students comment on them * Try a HangOut: Feeling like a live chat? Set up a Google Hangout on Air The added benefit is this records the discussion for later viewing —Jennifer LaMaster, CIO Advisor T&L REaDER SuRvEy securIty/saFeroNlINe/ Microsoft launched the Safer Online site to spread the word about online safety and encourage people to “Do Thing” to help make the Internet a safer place Never 4% When Was The lasT TIMe you doWnloaded an educaTIon app? In the past year 4% In the past month 9% Just today 33% In the past week 50% K STOC hINK TO/T F o r m o r eISTsOuCrKPVheOys , V I s I t W W W.t ec h l e a r n i n g co m /au g sITe We lIke www.mIcrosoFt.com/ / RAIL SCAN | M a r c h 014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m “How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr Seuss 12 With a finite amount of hours in a school day, instruction time is more valuable than ever While we can’t stop time, Stoneware’s products can help you maximize teaching during the school day Learn how LanSchool and webNetwork can save you 10 minutes per class in recovered time That's an additional 150 teaching hours per year webNetwork / LanSchool For more information about how these award winning products can help address everything from assessment to increasing access to educational resources, visit www.stone-ware.com NEwS ANd TRENdS why we still need liBrarians In a recent report, Leading In and Beyond the Library, by digital learning and technology consultants Mary Ann Wolf and Rachel Jones, the following suggestions were made for policymakers and boards of education: * Envision the role of school librarians as extending beyond the physical space of the library and being more than the keepers of books and reference materials and consider the critical knowledge and skills that school librarians bring to the digital learning transition * Consider how funding the role of the school librarian is also supporting teachers, students, and administrators in the digital learning transition * Recognize how the library and the technology within the library are essential to providing students with access to the Internet and research and learning guidance and to leveling the playing field for students without access to the Internet or devices at home, especially outside of regular school hours This same report made the following suggestions for librarians: * Share how the collaboration, professional development, and instruction provided by the school librarian are integral to the digital learning transition * Continue learning to be leaders in the digital learning transition and experts who can provide professional development, implement new tools and resources, and guide teachers, students, and administrators * Lead and model the potential of the library itself as a hub of digital learning and the connection to rich and diverse content, and create a makerspace designed and positioned to meet the needs of students and teachers Considerations for neW learning spaCes Steelcase recently released the white paper, TechnologyEmpowered Learning: Six Spatial Insights, which examined ways that technological advances have redefined the classroom and the design of learning environments The report identified the following six insights to help educators consider spatial responses to tech integration: ■ Person-to-person connections remain essential for successful learning ■ Technology is supporting richer face-to-face interactions and higher-level cognitive learning ■ Integrating technology into classrooms mandates flexibility and activity-based spatial planning ■ Spatial boundaries are loosening ■ Spaces must be designed to capture and stream information ■ High-tech and low-tech will coexist For more details, visit techlearning.com/mar13 r e a d m o r e at t e c h l e a r n i n g co m / m a r resources for dIgITal lITeracy Tree Octopus Dog Island Free Forever spoof site r e a d s h e l l e y t e r r e l l’ s co m p l e t e l I st at t ec h l e a r n i n g co m / m a r 10 | M a r c h 014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m Digital Literacies venn Diagram teCh tOOlS FOR aSSeSSinG the “SOFt” SkillS s earch for “soft skills” in Google and you’ll find 45,800,000 results The first screen includes business Web sites, Web sites listing job and interview skills, career developer Web sites, and an article from National Careers Service asking, “What are the ‘soft’ skills employers want?” The U.S Department of Labor links to a curriculum focused on teaching workforce readiness skills to youth ages 14-21 called “Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success.” The course consists of six modules: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem-solving and critical thinking, and professionalism The one link focusing on education is titled “Should schools teach soft skills?” Forty-five million sites think we should So where you begin? refleCtion and goal setting: google docs and spreadsheets ST O CK Hannah Magnan and Susan Steidl, New Canaan High School English teachers in Connecticut, formulated a plan to teach students to reflect more deeply and to appreciate reflecting as an essential life skill They ask students to submit work on a Google doc, which receives written feedback in the form of inserted comments from their teacher and peers Students document and track this feedback on their own spreadsheets in Google Drive NK dI hI After gathering enough evidence, each student Eg /T OC O OT ERvO /ISTOCKPh evaluates the feedback, searches for patterns used to develop specific writing goals, submits plans for achieving those goals, and writes reflections on each step of the implementation process Since the entire process is done online, the individual student practices giving, receiving, and evaluating feedback from various sources on a variety of posted assignments At the end of the process, students reflect on their progress and decide whether they need more instruction, practice, or feedback on their current goal, or re-evaluate whether it is time to set a new goal At the end of the course, student responses to the goal-setting process were overwhelmingly positive, specifically due to the high level of autonomy, differentiation, and accountability the method afforded 38 | Ma r c h 2014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m CollaBoration, disCussion, and MetaCognition: moodle Right down the hall, Evan Remley and Bob Stevenson co-teach an American Studies class of 45 students where they use many of the interactive features built into Moodle to cultivate collaboration and facilitate meaningful discussion among students These features include forums, peer revision tools, blogs, wikis, and the other functions of the read-and-write Web application With continual use and timelined access to the feedback cycle, teachers and students can reflect thoughtfully on their progress and set meaningful goals around content and processes Most powerfully, Moodle’s 24/7 accessibility through email, apps, tablets, and smartphones helps students and their support networks take control of their own learning beyond the classroom This powerful tool enables students to cultivate skills that, once mastered, they can use for a lifetime future thinking, risk-taking, Coping with failure and CollaBoration with experts: dropBox, coolwiki, online dataBases, and data from expert sites In a Bozeman, Montana, high school Lynn Powers is creating future thinkers engaged in the real work of adding and creating new knowledge in astrophysics Students use CoolWiki and DropBox to share research, photos, and findings with professors and experts at CalTech and Harvard They use archived data from two telescopes to determine if stars are being formed in NGC281, also known as the Pac-Man Nebula, and work with an expert at CalTech to learn to program in Python to analyze these data and draw conclusions They presented their findings at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington D.C in early January John Barell, author and expert on inquiry and problem-based 21st century learning (morecuriousminds.com) said, “These students are on the frontiers of new knowledge their work contains elements that can be transferred to any S K Ag IN classroom: reverence for and openness to SA Th TO CK By Cathy Swan / Nd TO REw /ISTOCKPhO making mistakes/‘failure’, which means we try and try, take some risks, fail sometimes, learn and improve.” These are soft skills that are crucial to any scientific endeavor gloBal and Cultural CoMMuniCation and understanding: google drive, picasa, voicethread, skype, faceBook, and twitter above: Lynn Powers with her amateur astrophysicists, Madeline Kelly on the left and Hannah Cebulla on the right Below: a Chinese student visits the Center for Global Studies magnet school in Norwalk CT via Skype The Center for Global Studies (CGS), a magnet school in Norwalk, Connecticut, under the directorship of Roz McCarthy, is focused on global understanding Students at CGS are learning their second or third language and routinely communicate with their sister schools in Japan, China, and Arabic-speaking countries They use Google Presentations to create projects, Picasa to share photos, Voicethread to allow a spoken exchange to be delivered in the target language, as well as Facebook and Twitter for social networking Most projects are shared online with the sister schools and designed to demonstrate what it means to live in their respective countries Some projects, like the Voicethreads, are collaboratively created with partners in the target culture Once online sharing has occurred, there is often a Skype session where students can talk about the work Speaking and communicating with other cultures requires a different set of norms; therefore students have an opportunity to learn what topics should and should not be discussed CritiCal thinking, organization, tiMe ManageMent, and independent thinking: mentor moB, socrative, Blendspace, google voice, Blogger, youtuBe, and teacher tuBe MentorMob is an online playlist tool that is useful for teaching time management, personal organization, and independent thinking because kids can be given step-by-step guidance that can be accessed chronologically or randomly depending on www.techlearning.com MO Od BO CK ARd/T hINKSTO | M a r c h 01 | 39 teCh tOOlS FOR aSSeSSinG the “SOFt” SkillS K the student’s individual need Students can also be asked to create a MentorMob file for their own work, breaking it down into manageable chunks and creating the steps needed to complete a project Michelle Luhtala, librarian at New Canaan High School in Connnecticut, uses MentorMob to assess research skills as high school juniors begin work on a research paper Luhtala measures research skills through a 20-question pre-assessment on Socrative.com that students take on mobile technology (their own or library-owned) Each class’s overall performance on each question is compiled and published in MentorMob, and posted to the library’s instructional blog on Blogger, sorting the questions from lowest number of correct responses to highest Teachers are also given individual student performance results in ranked order so they can quickly determine who might need the most support Individual students receive their overall scores as well as the ability to self-remediate using MentorMob’s playlist Here they can access a “step” for each pre-assessment question that links to a miniinstructional module explaining the correct response using Google Deborah Olsen-MacDonald of Nathan Hale High School in Moodus, CT, works with a student Presentations, NCHS teacher-created YouTube videos, BlendSpace on an e-portfolio created in Google Sites (another online playlist tool), Prezi (a presentation tool), and in one case, a simple screenshot Students are also invited to text the library with their questions in Google Voice, which provides teachers with additional technology teacher, teaches a class called Information Technology, primarily data to inform future instruction for freshmen Our BIG P.A is a project they created using Google Sites where each student creates a personal Web site to be used for collecting schoolwork, personal goal-setting: naviance listing personal interests and hobbies, showing extracurricular activities, In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Diane Tung, Director of and reflecting on their growth over time and their work to fulfill the district’s Instructional Technology and Student Assessment learning expectations Students continually add to the portfolio over the for the Diocese of Bridgeport, reports that course of their high school careers Then, when they become seniors, they Naviance is being piloted at the middle school take a course called “Senior Project” in which they use their portfolios to level for student surveys and to help students demonstrate their readiness to earn a high school diploma by showing their write SMART goals Naviance offers tools learning and growth over time like the Gallup StrengthsExplorer that let students identify their strengths and aCCountaBilitY and self-Monitoring: talents, such as achieving, caring, competing, ruBistar and iruBrics confidence, and relating, among others Today’s students expect a rubric for each assignment and they know how to Naviance helps match those students with use them A skill that doesn’t appear on a given rubric is, by default, not a skill C college and career options, and it also offers TR worth worrying about As such, teachers should focus on creating rubrics that TO ILO KS KS/ hIN strategies for applying them not only to school, but T ISTOC / assess not only content, grammar, usage, and mechanics, but will also explicitly KPhOTO also to a future career and life assess soft skills You can write your own or go to Web sites like RubiStar or iRubric (accessible through Google Apps for Education) to see how others personal arChiving, prioritizing, and assess these skills Rubrics on these sites can be used as is or modified to filtering: e-portfolios in google sites and suit your needs You can also create and add your own rubrics to the shared digication database A crucial aspect of student success planning is teaching students to Across our nation, state departments of education are creating new policies archive their work electronically so it can follow them as they move from that recognize the importance of soft skills In Connecticut, for example, school to school or change districts At Nathan Hale High School in Moodus, students in grades 6-12 are required to file a personal student success plan Connecticut, Deborah Olsen-MacDonald, business education and finance made up of goals in social, emotional, physical, and academic growth today’s students expect a ruBric for each assignment and they know how to use them a skill that doesn’t appear on a given ruBric is, By default, not a skill worth worrying aBout as such, teachers should focus on creating ruBrics that will also explicitly assess soft skills 40 | Ma r c h 2014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m special advertising supplement Increasing Student Achievement with Adaptive Learning Technology By Annie Galvin Teich The advancement of algorithm technology, which forms the base of adaptive learning technology, can make a profound impact on student achievement Adaptive learning software has evolved to the point that it is now possible for student assessment and customized instruction to be delivered on an ongoing basis, aligned with learning standards while a student is actually using the software This maximizes teacher effectiveness and optimizes student learning while it provides what is essentially personal tutoring for each student To determine both the role of adaptive learning technology in instruction and the types of products currently in use in K-12 schools, Tech & Learning conducted the first significant survey of K-12 educators in the fall of 2013 on this topic More than 3,000 educators responded providing solid benchmarks and dependable insight into the current use of adaptive technology in K-12 instruction Increasing Student Achievement with Adaptive Learning Technology Approximately 40% of the educators responded that they use adaptive learning software in their schools However, as these educators shared their experiences, it became evident that while they were clear on the ideal of adaptive learning software – to deliver continuous, ongoing, customized learning based on student input in real time – that their exposure to fully adaptive programs is actually limited Most of the programs cited by these educators are only partially adaptive So, the full promise of adaptive learning’s impact on student achievement has yet to be fulfilled Tech & Learning Survey Results underwritten by Some of the survey findings include: • Primary use of adaptive technology is in programs for reading and math Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ • 70% of users cited intervention as the number one reason for use • 40% of respondents use it for enrichment DreamBox Learning’s pioneering Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ platform adapts in real time to every interaction a student makes, both within and between lessons This advanced technology enables the seamless integration of instruction and assessment, during, and after each and every lesson to personalize the learning experience for each student The platform combines a rigorous, research-based, pedagogically-sound curriculum aligned to the Common Core and state standards that motivates students to persist and progress, leading to increased achievement • 49% use adaptive programs as supplemental curriculum • 42% use it as core curriculum Some of the obstacles to use are: • Lack of information • Budget shortages • Insufficient tech infrastructure • Concern about excessive screen time for students • Non-alignment to the Common Core standards The survey revealed a positive trend line of increased use over a three-year period As high-speed broadband delivery to schools expands, so will the use of adaptive learning programs The programs with the greatest opportunity to impact student achievement are those in which there is continual and ongoing assessment This enables differentiated instruction as it provides student performance data on a continual basis Produced by: For a detailed copy of results from this benchmark survey, go to techlearning.com/adaptivelearningsurvey What’SneW Tech & Learning ROUNdS UP A SUMMARY OF NEw TOOLS FOR SChOOLS Epson (www epsonbrighterfutures.com) has introduced the powerlite 570, 575w, 580, and 585w (pictured) ultra-short throw projectors, designed for the connected K-12 classroom Offering a Moderator functionality that allows a network of up to 50 personal devices to connect to the projectors, teachers can wirelessly control which personal devices are displayed, with up to four student screens shown simultaneously In addition, the new projectors feature two HDMI ports, one with MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) support for connecting multiple digital devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and other portable devices, for enriched high definition viewing capabilities Lenovo (www.lenovo.com) has announced the thinkpad 11e series of laptops, designed for education and ruggedized for classroom performance The devices are available in two form factors—traditional laptop or Lenovo’s Yoga multimode form—and with the choice of Windows or Chrome OS TabPilot (www.tabpilot.com) has launched the Breea series of tablets for wireless broadcasting to classroom projectors The 9.7” Breea Freedom HD offers a high-definition screen and long battery life, as well as 16GB internal storage The Android-based tablet is powered by a quad-core processor and offers 2048 X 1536 resolution Paired with TabPilot’s Breea Freedom wireless receiver, teachers can use the tablet while moving around the classroom to share Web sites, presentations, videos, or other content with the class TabPilot also offers a tablet stand that effectively turns the Breea Freedom HD into a portable, wireless document camera Trident Case (www.tridentcase.com) has partnered with Today I Can Do Anything to offer a new line of today i Can anythinginspired cases With several models available for the iPhone & 5s, plus one for the Samsung Galaxy S4, the line offers multiple levels of protection for a variety of devices The new TICDA line includes Motivate Series, Encourage Series, and Inspire Series cases for the iPhone & 5s, as well as an Inspire Series case for the Samsung Galaxy S4 The Inspire cases consist of a polycarbonate shell that provides lightweight protection FOR MORE OF ThE LATEST PROdUCT RELEASES, vISIT US ONLINE AT Techlearning.coM 42 | Ma r c h 2014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m hardware whAT’S NEw InFocus (www.infocus.com) has released the two-pound, seven-inch lightpro in1146 mobile light-emitting-diode (LED) projector It turns on and off instantly, without any warmup or cool-down time It’s quick to connect and displays content from laptops, tablets, and smartphones through a variety of connections, such as HDMI and VGA hookups, USB and SD card slots, or wirelessly through a USB Wi-Fi adapter The LightPro IN1146 delivers 800 lumens of brightness and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio that shows detailed images and vivid colors It is also rated for up to 30,000 hours of use Vernier Software & Technology (www.vernier.com) has launched the go wireless and node+ families of wireless sensors Go Wireless Temp, the first product in the series, is a rugged, stainless steel temperature sensor that collects temperature data when used with an iOS device The new sensor allows students to explore temperature in the environment and in systems such as fish tanks, greenhouses, thermal mugs, or heating and cooling devices The NODE+ wireless sensors allow students to explore concepts in topics such as Earth science, environmental science, and physical science, using mobile devices These sensors are compatible with Graphical Analysis for iPad and a collection of iOS and Android apps from Variable, Inc BenQ American (www.benq.us) has introduced the P Series line of professional installation projectors Consisting of the px9600 and pw9500, the P Series’ XGA and WXGA models deliver high brightness of 6,500 and 5,700 lumens, respectively, as well as crisp 2800:1 contrast ratios Equipped with HQV image processing, the technology allows the devices to scale outputs, enabling the projectors to cast full resolutions that enhance both image details and overall picture quality Ergotron, Inc (www.ergotron.com) offers a variety of education-specific mounting, mobility, and device management solutions The portfolio includes technology-enabled classroom carts, sit-stand computer workstations, and charging carts and cabinets The tablet charging carts for Apple, Android, Chromebook, and Windows-based tablets offer the ability to secure, charge, and sync up to 48 devices in a compact form, with smooth gliding casters for easy transport The tablet Management station 16 is a space-saving tower that offers the means to sync and charge up to 16 Apple, Android, and ereader devices using wired USB connections SMART Technologies (www.smarttech.com) has released the sMart flex centralized computing platform, a combination of hardware and software that enables control of up to ten interactive displays with only one computer The platform works by connecting the flex client hardware to one host PC Each SMART flex hardware client is then connected to a SMART interactive display to allow multiple collaborative learning stations to run from the processing power of a single computer www.techlearning.com | M a r c h 01 | 43 whAT’S NEw hardware ELMO USA (www.elmousa com) has introduced the Boxi t-200 HD LED video projector The 10.6ounce, 150-lumen DLP projector offers a small footprint of less than 4x6 inches, but produces sharp, bright, high contrast images as large as 68 inches diagonally The BOXi T-200 features a single HDMI connection for video sources and incorporates a 1-watt mono speaker as well as a mini-stereo output jack for sending sound through an audio system, speakers, or headphones The projector is also equipped with ELMO’s short-throw lens, allowing it to create the fullsize picture at a distance of 52 inches from the screen Acer (www.acer.com) has released the Aspire S7 Ultrabooks, featuring WQHD IPS displays with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 in a 16:9 aspect ratio IPS technology provides consistent and accurate color from viewing angles up to 178 degrees At less than 12.9 mm, the S7 is the thinnest in the Ultrabook series A dual-torque hinge keeps the display stable when used for touch control Kensington (www.kensington.com) has announced 14 new cases that provide drop and spill protection for iPad Air and iPad mini tablets The new additions join the existing series of Kensington BlackBelt and safegrip (pictured) cases The BlackBelt cases offer military-grade tablet protection in three degrees to cover a variety of needs The SafeGrip cases are designed to provide a first line of defense for tablets used by children in the classroom environment SafeGrip cases provide strong, cushioned protection and are built from non-toxic materials Dell (www.dell.com) has announced the latest release of the dell kaCe k2000 deployment appliance to further automate, accelerate, and simplify OS and application migrations The Dell KACE K2000 v3.6 features advanced multicasting capabilities and a new task engine that makes it easier to capture and deploy system images across a range of tablets, laptops, and desktops 44 | Ma r c h 2014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m hardware whAT’S NEw Belkin (www.belkin.com) has introduced two new products for classroom use: the portable stage (pictured) for tablet and smartphone presentations, and a new secure wired keyboard for iPad and Samsung tablets The Portable Stage allows teachers to transform a smartphone or tablet into a document camera Users can capture live video and overlay text and labels, or highlight key points throughout the presentation The Secure Wired Keyboard offers a durable, child-friendly structure and configuration, and eliminates the need for batteries Harman’s JBL Professional (www.harman.com) has released the eon600 series of portable loudspeakers, delivering studio monitor quality sound in a portable PA system The EON615 15-inch two-way loudspeaker features built-in, 1000-watt power amplification An iOS and Android supported interface can be paired with the Bluetooth Smart Ready 4.0 for controlling master volume, adjusting the five-way, user-definable parametric EQ, and saving and recalling user presets Never worry about replacement projector lamps again Yes, that’s right Never again One low enrollment fee now equals a lifetime of lamps 360.464.2119 or www.boxlight.com *Visit us for details Be brilliant whAT’S NEw software & online aerohive MobiLiTy suiTe (www.aerohive.com) Aerohive Networks has released the Aerohive Mobility Suite, a cloud-enabled mobile device management solution The Mobility Suite includes three main components: the Client Management application, the ID Manager application, and integration with mobile device management software partners AirWatch and JAMF Software The Mobility Suite simplifies enterprise networking and personalizes mobility for enterprises and IT staff by extending visibility and control over mobile devices to the edge of the network airwaTCh seCure ConTenT LoCker (www.air-watch.com) AirWatch has announced that its Secure Content Locker software now integrates with 33 additional content repositories across iOS, Android, and Windows devices Secure Content Locker provides flexible content storage, enterprise-grade security, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), file sync and share, editing, annotation, and analytics aLMa (www.getalma.com) Alma offers an affordable alternative to traditional student information and learning management systems by consolidating school, classroom, and information management into one secure, cloud-based system Alma’s core services—including over 100 SIS/LMS features, gradebooks and parent/student portals—are available for free Alma offers administrative features as well as productivity tools, to help administrators and teachers collaborate ChanneL one news CurriCuLuM (www.channelone.com) Channel One, LLC, has announced a standards-based subscription offering to develop nonfiction literacy and critical thinking skills for students in grades 3-5 and 6-8 Channel One News’ curriculum is a three-part instructional routine that uses nonfiction video and text as a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary teaching resource These student-centered activities integrate English language arts with core subject areas, like science, geography, and college and career readiness, and are supplemented with vocabulary, discussion questions, quiz questions, and information about the standards that align to the activities fLorida virTuaL sChooL anaToMy & physioLogy (www.flvs.net) Florida Virtual School (FLVS) has launched Anatomy & Physiology, a new mobile-ready science course Students explore the human body through the eyes of field experts and clinicians, learning new terminology and the effects of diseases on the body Students can access all course materials, interactivities, and assessments from their tablets or smartphones The two-segment course includes multimedia videos, audiovisual presentations, interactive case studies, and virtual labs goaLbook TooLkiT eLL ConTenT (www.goalbookapp.com) Goalbook has added English Language Learner (ELL) instructional resources to its repository of PK-12 academic and social emotional resources Goalbook’s Toolkit supports educators in the design of instructional objectives aligned to academic standards, and the new content is differentiated according to language development level, such as WIDA and the California ELD Standards MaTh shaCk (www.shmoop.com) Shmoop’s Math Shack has been upgraded to enable teachers to assign quizzes with infinite reps and drills The library contains over 200 topics and concepts, to prepare students for the SAT and ACT Teachers can schedule a time for individual students to complete personalized quizzes that focus on problem areas, or assign new quizzes with a mix of hard and warm-up question sets from the same topic Once students complete their Math Shack quizzes, they can submit them to their teachers immediately neT TexTs eduCaTionaL videos (www.net-texts.com) Net Texts has compiled collections of educational videos from the YouTube Education channel and providers such as the History Channel and PBS The videos are organized by author, and tagged by subject and grade level The FOR MORE OF ThE LATEST PROdUCT RELEASES, vISIT US ONLINE AT Techlearning.coM 46 | Ma r c h 2014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m software & online video collection supports Net Texts’ OER Textbook Replacement Courses—a series of open educational resources with readymade courses for math, science, social studies, and English for grades 6-12 odysseyware CTe Courses (www.odysseyware.com) Odysseyware has added two new Career and Technical Education courses to its portfolio: Introduction to STEM, and Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources Every course is designed by educators to help students acquire core academic skills Additionally, the Odyssey student interface has been redesigned and features a new “notes” tool for enhanced student-teacher communication, day-planning functions to boost productivity, and more flexibility to suit different learning styles It’s designed for the 21st-century classroom, with mobile usage in mind pM unify (www.performancematters.com) Performance Matters has released its next generation assessment platform, PM UNIFY The social platform lets educators develop and administer assessments from any location UNIFY provides the capacity to assess students in all course areas, not just those tested by states The platform’s modular technology supports the end-toend process of assessment development, whAT’S NEw including blueprinting, item authoring and review, test generation, and test administration powerup whaT works (www.powerupwhatworks.org) PowerUp WHAT WORKS, developed by the Center for Technology Implementation at the American Institutes for Research, is a free professional learning Web site that offers teachers, PD facilitators, and administrators resources for helping students—especially those with disabilities—meet the Common Core State Standards The focus is on linking evidence-based practices and technology in English language arts and math software & online on DemanD PREY DEvicE-WiPE foR AnDRoiD Check out the following resources from our partner sites: (www.preyproject.com/education) PREY has released DeviceWipe for Android, offering Prey Pro users the ability to wipe all data from missing or stolen devices Device Wipe identifies and protects content on devices, such as student email and pictures, student or teacher information records, or district network access ARCHIVED WEBINARS Real Solutions for Today’s Education Challenges Sponsored by Canon Chromebooks as the Catalyst for Change in Edmonton Public Schools Sponsored by Google for Education Intel-Based Chromebooks in Education RED HAt AcADEmY Sponsored by Intel Education and K-12 Blueprint (www.redhat.com) Red Hat, Inc has announced updates to Red Hat Academy, the company’s open source education program that offers turnkey curriculum materials for educational programs in global secondary and higher education institutions Red Hat Academy now includes an organized OpenStack offering, including a curriculum for instructors, textbooks, and labs The upgrade also includes new tests and quizzes with performance tracking, and a new skills application lab system with self-checking performance feedback Pathway to Mobile Learning: Secrets to Success Sponsored by Lightspeed Systems Check techlearning.com for updates aD InDex COMPANY Blackmagic PAGE Boxlight 45 CDW-G 52 Comcast Dreambox 41 ELMO Mfg Corp 51 Google 31 HotSeat 47 Intel K12 19 ISTE 21 Jupiter 35 Lightspeed Systems 29 Microsoft 27 Netsupport 15 School Improvement 25 Steelcase T&L Leaders of the Year 17 Tech Forum 37 Writers Learning Systems (www.schoology.com) The Schoology learning management system now offers the ability to measure student mastery of learning outcomes and standards This enhancement to the Enterprise version of the software allows it to measure and quantify student learning over time using any learning object (such as quizzes and homework) that is aligned to outcomes Schoology comes pre-loaded with state and Common Core Stoneware Vernier ScHoologY 11 49 48 | Marc h 01 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m standards, but administrators can add custom learning outcomes ScoRAnt clASS mAnAgER (www.scorant.com) Scorant has released its Class Manager course management software for K-12 Combining analytics with an easy-to-use application and mobile client, Scorant offers teachers and students a variety of capabilities, from course creation and syllabus management to attendance tracking Students can see their current and past performance records, simulate major changes, and participate in all class activities Scorant offers its solutions through traditional browsers as well as mobile apps available for both iOS and Android devices SPlASHtoP clASSRoom (www.splashtop.com) Splashtop has released Splashtop Classroom, enabling teachers to share their PC or Mac desktops or applications instantly with students Once connected, students can view, control, and annotate lesson content from their mobile devices Features include a PC or mac streamer, Splashtop center and a free app so students can join a session by taking a snap of the QR code Initially available for the iPad, Chromebook and Windows or Mac using a Chrome browser, Splashtop plans to add support for iPhone, Android, and more devices SRA numbER WoRlDS (www.mheducation.com) McGraw-Hill Education has launched SRA Number Worlds, an intensive PreK-8, CCSS-aligned math intervention program software & online Number Worlds helps students learn critical math skills through flexible options and provides support for students with varying intervention needs It emphasizes project-based learning through both print and digital delivery The program’s digital teaching and learning platform offers interactive games, embedded activities, videos and animations, and planning tools to help teachers map out their lessons TeChsMiTh reLay (www.techsmith.com) TechSmith has released Relay, software that streamlines video creation and management for educators, allowing them to click one button to record, store, and distribute their class lecture content Relay hosts the content for districts and allows students, teachers, and administrators to set up their own video libraries to share and collaborate on schoolwork The accounts can be accessed across all mobile devices Relay shows teachers how well students comprehend information through quizzing and analytics in every video TriuMph Learning and The C2 CoLLaboraTive (www.triumphlearning.com) Triumph Learning has joined the C2 Collaborative, partnering with the Common Core Institute (CCI) and the Center for College & Career Readiness, to provide a variety of tools and professional services to support alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to College & Career Readiness requirements Through whAT’S NEw this partnership, Triumph Learning customers can easily access CCI’s resources and professional development services wandoo pLaneT (www.evancedkids.com) Evanced Solutions has announced a limitedfeature test version of Wandoo Planet, a software platform that empowers kids to discover their interests and find relevant books, music, and other content through a recommendation engine Through the Wandoo Planet interest discovery game, players find topics and activities that others have found to be interesting They then decide if they love, like, or dislike what they see Content related to the child’s interests are captured in a mystical Wandoo tree that enables them to watch their interests grow over time Are your students prepared for online assessment? Can your students respond to a writing prompt and blinking cursor? Build digital fluency, improve writing skills, develop prompt response readiness Try it Most students simply not have the keyboarding skills or the digital confidence necessary to respond to a prompt But this is exactly what is required of students for online assessment success The Forte is simple and focused, making classroom implementation quick, easy and effective Assessment readiness as low as $149 each The Forte provides the keyboard instruction and the prompt response practice necessary for your students to be fully prepared for upcoming online assessment Sometimes the Solution is Simple TM Call or email today for your 30-day no-obligation preview WriterLearning.com | info@WriterLearning.com | 800-797-7121 whAT’S NEw apps aChieve3000 ipad app (www.achieve3000.com) Achieve3000 has released a free app for the iPad, allowing students to build literacy skills on their tablets without the need for an Internet connection All offline activity will sync automatically once an Internet connection resumes, allowing students to seamlessly transition across multiple devices The app also features embedded audio, providing additional support for struggling learners and English language learners For students with special needs, the app offers accessibility features such as VoiceOver, Speak Select, and Guided Access airwaTCh TeaCher TooLs (www.air-watch.com) AirWatch has launched Teacher Tools to simplify managing mobile devices in the classroom The iOS application offers features like All Eyes Up Front, Single Application Mode, and Clear Passcode, in an intuitive user interface AirWatch’s multi-tenant architecture allows for simple management across students, classrooms, schools, and districts Teachers can associate each student with the assigned device and manage devices for different classes, groups of students, or individuals eduCLipper (www.educlipper.net) eduClipper, the social learning platform for teachers and students to curate, create, and share educational content, is now available as an iPad app The app allows users to build personalized learning portfolios that showcase personal achievement and academic growth Teachers can create and administer project-based assessments and provide their students with feedback on their work literature titles The content is available on Android tablets, Google Chromebooks, or online via the Play Books reader goCLass MobenTo graphiCaL anaLysis for android neTsupporT sChooL (www.goclass.com) GoClass, LearningMate Solutions’ cloud-based teaching and learning application, now lets users sign into the app using their Google Accounts The integration allows instructors and students, including Google Apps for Education users, to seamlessly log in to the application using their Google Accounts (www.vernier.com) Vernier has released Graphical Analysis for Android The app allows students to wirelessly stream data from Vernier’s LabQuest and from Logger Pro to an Android device and then analyze scientific data Students can use the app with existing Vernier sensors to simultaneously collect and graph data from multiple sensors Additionally, students can graph manually entered data, and access the same analysis and annotation features used for sensor-based data collection hMh and googLe pLay for eduCaTion (www.hmhco.com) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has teamed up with Google to deliver K-12 core curriculum through Google Play for Education Popular HMH titles such as GO Math! and Journeys Common Core are the first available titles The partnership will also feature many of HMH’s curriculum-aligned (www.mobento.com) The K-12 video learning platform Mobento has introduced a new video player interface, as well as Android and iOS apps for viewing Mobento’s free educational videos Educators and students ages 12 and up can download the apps to their devices free of charge (www.netsupportschool.com) The latest version of NetSupport School classroom management software enables teachers to collaborate with any mix of technology NetSupport Student apps are now available for Android, Kindle, and iOS devices The NetSupport School Student app for Android now offers thumbnail views of connected student tablets Teachers can remotely launch Web sites on one or more student tablets and assign student rewards reaCh for The sTars: TouCh, Look, LisTen, Learn (www.sas.com) SAS has created an ebook on stellar evolution, for 10 to 12–year-old students with visual impairments Reach for the Stars: Touch, Look, Listen, Learn is currently being developed for the iPad and will be available on the App Store this summer SAS is creating the ebook in partnership with Elena Sabbi, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute Sabbi is the lead researcher on the latest Hubble image of 30 Doradus, nicknamed the Tarantula Nebula FOR MORE OF ThE LATEST PROdUCT RELEASES, vISIT US ONLINE AT Techlearning.coM 50 | M a r c h 2014 | w w w t e c h l e a r n i n g c o m new TT- 12i INTERACTIVE DOCUMENT CAMERA TT- 12 i INTERACTIVE DOCUMENT CAMERA Now with UVC/USB Video Class! CRA- WIRELESS TABLET STUDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM Now with UVC/USB Video Class! Display and enlarge any type of teaching material with vivid, true color reproduction Capture the attention of all students with more visually engaging lessons! ELMO USA Corp.: 1478 Old Country Rd Plainview, NY 11803 1-800-947-3566 Move freely while conducting class with ELMO’s CRA-1 Wireless Tablet Annotate on the live image for clear, precise teaching! ELMO USA Corp (West Coast): 5676 Corporate Ave Cypress, CA 90630 1-714-828-8457 elmo@elmousa.com Quiz students throughout the lesson with ELMO’s exciting Student Response System See instant feedback from every student! www.elmousa.com Look for contests and giveaways on our Facebook page! Like us at Facebook.com/ELMOClassrooms I WILL OPTIMIZE THE NETWORK EDUCATING TOMORROW’S LEADERS REQUIRES TODAY’S BEST TECHNOLOGY Students today are learning more than three “Rs.” Their curriculum requires more technology than chalkboards and textbooks They need applications, digital content, data and a reliable network to access it all quickly 87% PG&EVDBUJPO*5QSPGFTTJPOBMTCFMJFWFUIFJS TFSWFSJOGSBTUSVDUVSFOFFETBOVQHSBEF1 WIRELESS NETWORKING ranked as the most important tech upgrade by &EVDBUJPO*5QSPGFTTJPOBMT1 WE GET IT would like to incorporate more technology in their classes as a learning tool.1 WE DESIGN IT WE CONFIGURE IT WE IMPLEMENT IT WE SUPPORT IT A network optimization plan can give you more bandwidth, expand storage and LFFQTUVEFOUGJMFTTBGF.PTUJNQPSUBOUMZ JUJNQSPWFTMFBSOJOHFOWJSPONFOUT THE PEOPLE 0VSEFEJDBUFEUFBNPGFEVDBUJPOBDDPVOUNBOBHFSTJTCBDLFECZFYQFSJFODFE FOHJOFFSTBOETQFDJBMJTUTXJUIZFBSTPGFYQFSJFODFIFMQJOHTDIPPMTPGBMMTJ[FT THE PRODUCTS 78% OF TEACHERS believe more technology in the classroom has a positive impact on TUVEFOUQFSGPSNBODF2 8FPĊFSBCSPBETFMFDUJPOPGOFUXPSLJOHQSPEVDUTJODMVEJOH/FUXPSL 8JSFMFTT 4UPSBHF 4FDVSJUZBOE$MPVEIBSEXBSF BTXFMMBTBQQMJDBUJPOTBOETPGUXBSF THE PLAN 8FXJMMIFMQZPVFWFSZTUFQPGUIFXBZ1SPWJEJOHBEWJDFJODIPPTJOH JNQMFNFOUJOH and servicing the right products And we can help you navigate the eRate process Learn how we’ve helped K-12 institutions implement network optimization plans Read our case study at CDWG.com/k12network Comp TIA Survey Press Release, comptia.org 2$%8t(3FTFBSDI3FQPSUoi-FBSO/PX -FDUVSF-BUFSw ê$%8 $$%8đ , CDWt( đBOE1&01-&8)0(&5*5BSFUSBEFNBSLTPG$%8 $ ... accomplished outcomes By Dr Steven Rubenstein Big data is overwhelming, but it can also furnish important information about individual students, schools, and districts Here is how one district... to our data Our district is making great strides with our efforts to tame and use big data effectively, but, like all districts, we are learning as we go along A key in the entire process is to... year, so the data is skewed and unreliable I know more about my students from daily observation than big data can teach me Big data is overwhelming, and since I’m untrained in statistics, I have