No matter where they are, all children in the United States should have equal access to a quality education, and the Kodiak Island district is using distance learning technology through video conferencing (VTC) to reach that goal.  According to the October 2011 issue of THE Journal, “The use of distance learning technology has turned around once-struggling schools by not only enabling students to learn from better-qualified instructors, but also by expanding the breadth of content that can be offered.” Students are able to take Pre-Calculus,  participate in science labs in grades 3 through 8, Advanced Comp, Literature and Music.

AVI-SPL has the solutions to support distance learning through VTC for not only rural districts, but all districts that need to provide specialized classes to meet federal requirements. For example most, schools cannot afford to employ a highly qualified teacher for a limited number of students who need to take AP Calculus, Mandarin languages, or other specialized courses.  However, VTC can bring together several students throughout the district (or region, nation or world!) with one teacher!

Enhance your classroom education with distance learning technology implemented and supported by AVI-SPL. Speak to one of our experts at 1-800-282-6733 or send an email to sales@avispl.com, and we’ll show you how we can improve your learning environment.

The motivational Keynote address, led by Dr. Jennifer Brown King, professor and author of TechXtraordinary Integration inspired and prepared the audience to be HOT teachers; that’s right, as Dr. King stated, “You will all be smokin’ HOT teachers by end of the week!” She was referring to Bloom’s Taxonomy, which the SiTi instructors used to move attendees from teaching their students Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) to Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) through instructional technology best practices. By the end of the week, there were eighty smokin’ HOT teachers equipped with the knowledge and skills to implement technology effectively in their classrooms!

Sessions were led by eight extraordinary teacher teams (pictured below) from Hillsborough County Schools, who spent not just five days, but the evenings coaching and encouraging their students.

L-R: Jenny Simmonds, Ora Tanner, Rachel Motomal, Kelly Derushia, Danny Lott (FSC), Dr. Jennifer Brown King (FSC), Michelle Clinton, Tina Hancock, Lisa Pennington, Lee Collier

Click here to watch an Animoto video of the SiTi week! >>

Florida Southern College staff generously provided beautiful accommodations at Nicholas Hall, with breathtaking views of Lake Hollingsworth. Attendees were also treated to delicious meals and scrumptious desserts in the dining hall and during session breaks. (No dieting that week!)

FSC Tech Buddies, students of Dr. King’s Education Courses, spent the week assisting attendees throughout the day and late into the evening with creating their final Showcase Project which the attendees presented on Friday morning. The closing ceremony on Friday featured Showcase Presentations where a few lucky attendees took home some cool new technology for their classrooms!

The Summer Institute for Technology Integration theme of partnership, friendship, community, education resonated throughout the week as attendees, coaches and tech buddies formed bonds through living and working together that will last long after the event ended.

We are looking forward to a continued partnership with Dr. Jennifer Brown King and Florida Southern College, and to take the Institute “on the road” to replicate in other areas of Florida and beyond!

For more information about Professional Development from AVI-SPL, click here >>

Palancia’s extensive background in the field of education includes 13 years as a teacher in Ohio and Florida. She’s also been a clinical educator, teaching classroom management skills to students from St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida. In the near future, she plans to extend her impressive credentials even further by working toward a master’s degree in instructional design and technology.

During this discussion, Palancia talks about her work here at AVI-SPL and how she helps educators and school administrators add the latest technology to their classrooms to enhance learning objectives.

Discuss your position here at AVI-SPL.

Palancia: I work with schools and districts to implement long-term professional development plans and events that support student achievement with what AVI-SPL provides for the classroom. Internally, I support the sales staff with current education initiatives and topics, and assist with pre-sale and post-sale consulting.   

A lot of my time is spent supporting and organizing large-scale events, such as the Summer Institute for Technology Integration, which is being held July 11-15 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. Attendees will learn how to take what they teach and adapt it to digital applications. As for myself, I’m going to be learning how to be a facilitator for this model of technology integration.

I’m also partnering with other educational institutions and foundations to host user conferences and professional development sessions. I should note that my role will change as the needs of AVI-SPL change; I can see us reaching a broader customer base by doing even larger events.

What can you offer to teachers and schools looking to improve their instructional technology resources?

Palancia: When a school decides to invest money in hardware, my role is to work with the school on a needs assessment for professional development. I ask them, “What are your needs? What is the culture and climate of your school?” Then I assess the climate and available technology and ask what they want to see when they do a teacher observation a year from now.

 How do you go about implementing a professional development plan for a school?

Palancia: We can work up different pieces to make that happen, like a mentoring program where I can work with four or five teachers. That work-embedded modeling seems to be the most successful track. Teachers can also have a content creation seminar at their school, where I show them how to put the materials together. I’d love to be able to schedule a day or two at one school and go from class to class.

What are some of the most common challenges you hear from teachers?

Palancia: Time is a big challenge. Using technology seems like an additional thing teachers have to learn how to do. I tell them not to worry — your students already know a lot and they can help you. I encourage them to give ownership of the technology to their students. There’s one of you and 25 of them. Make it a classroom adventure.

Transform Your Classroom

Looking to add teaching and learning technology to your classroom? Not sure where to start or what tools would work best for your needs? Call one of our experts and we’ll be glad to guide you through the process. We can be reached at 1-800-282-6733 or email us at sales@avispl.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

The SMART Slate™ can be used with or without a SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard, but on its own it functions easily with a computer and projector. To further enhance whole-class and small-group instruction, it works seamlessly with a SMART Board interactive whiteboard. Wireless Bluetooth® enables teachers and students to control on-screen learning applications, write and draw in digital ink, or open and view files. Ergonomic improvements have made the SMART Slate™ smaller, lighter and easier to hold.

The addition of a third programmable button enables customization, and the eraser function on the battery-free, tethered pen makes annotating with digital ink even more intuitive than it was on the WS100. The SMART Slate™ integrates seamlessly with a broad range of SMART products including the SMART Board interactive whiteboard, the SMART Slate™ also integrates with the SMART Podium™ interactive pen display.

If your school uses either PCs, Mac computers or both, now is the perfect time to add the SMART Slate™ to your classroom.

Click here for more information on the SMART Slate™ W200

The Diversitrack employs a very secure and durable dual-track system, which includes rails that attach above and below your existing chalk or dry erase board. The Diversitrack mounts over a standard height dry erase board or chalk board, up to 58.25 inches tall. The Diversitrack is professionally manufactured out of a strong grade of aluminum, using a high-tech laser. Using an innovative clip system, the Diversitrack can accommodate the SMART SB580, SB560, SB640, SB660 and the SB680 in addition to whiteboards made by other major manufacturers. The Diversitrack is also equipped with a system to securely hold your interactive whiteboard in its calibrated position while it is in use.

The Diversitrack is already in use in hundreds of classrooms. Ask your AVI-SPL Sales Representative about how the Diversitrack can help you use your interactive whiteboard more effectively, without having to give up an inch of your dry erase and chalk board space!

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As one of the latest products in their innovative line of educational tools, SMART Technologies recently released SMART Response CE, an interactive response software that allows flexible, automated assessment in 1:1, computer-enabled classrooms. Instead of handheld remotes, students can use their computers and SMART Notebook SE (Student Edition) software to answer questions. Teachers can easily add various types of assessments to lesson content designed for individual, small-group or whole-class environments.

SMART Response CE is an integral part of the SMART solution and includes SMART Notebook and SMART Notebook SE (Student Edition) software. SMART Response CE can be used alone or as part of SMART Classroom Suite interactive learning software. With support for short answer, numeric response, yes or no, true or false, multiple answer and multiple choice questions, teachers can design assessments that suit the needs of their students and the material being taught. To deliver an assessment, the teacher presses a button within SMART Notebook. The question with all accompanying digital content is then delivered to student computers where students can respond. Once tallied, the results can be tabulated in a variety of ways for versatile reporting options and trend analysis. Click here for product brochure »

Click here to view featured SMART Technologies products »

With this software, teachers have an easy way to demonstrate math concepts visually, and make their lessons more interactive and easier to comprehend. SMART Notebook Math Tools provides teachers all the tools they need to progress through an entire math concept – from lesson preparation to graphing and solving complex equations.

The large selection of dynamic and intuitive tools includes an advanced equation editor, Texas Instruments™ emulator launcher, custom graph builder, shape divider, advanced measurement tools, and table and graphing tools. Teachers can easily demonstrate changes and relationships in math concepts using these flexible resources. The software also offers handwriting recognition for mathematical equations. Teachers and students can simplify, solve and graph handwritten equations, making SMART Notebook Math Tools ideal for use on a SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard.

SMART Math is now available for order. Call your AVI-SPL sales representative for more details (800) 282-6733 or email us at .

“AVI-SPL’s education market manager, Kristin Kraemer, has been great in helping us get the SMART Table at Lee Elementary and keeping me up-to-date on the latest information,” says Gregory Hart, magnet technology and curriculum specialist for Hillsborough County Public Schools. “The SMART Table is part of our 21st Century Learning Environment project, which involves increasing the amount of interactive technology in the classroom. I find that students learn better when they learn with each other, and that is what the SMART table does best.”

Software content can be customized with the SMART Table Toolkit, which is included with each SMART Table. Teachers can easily customize lesson activity content by accessing the Gallery in SMART Notebook, which contains more than 6,600 learning objects.

To learn more about the impact of the SMART Table at Lee Magnet Elementary School, click here»

Please contact us at (800) 282-6733 or email us at sales@avispl.com to learn how AVI-SPL can help bring the SMART Table, and other SMART Technologies products, to your school!

To subscribe to AVI-SPL’s “Bright Ideas Newsletter”, featuring the latest in education news, discounts and more, email us at brightideas@avispl.com.

To view the SMART Table specs, click here »

To view featured SMART Technologies products, click here »

SMART Classroom Suite is a combination of:

• SMART Notebook – Collaborative learning software that sets the standard for creating, delivering and managing interactive lessons
• SMART Notebook Student Edition – Authoring and organization software that enables students to complete assignments, take notes, manage due dates and organize digital material
• SMART Sync – Classroom management software that makes it easy for teachers to guide learning while monitoring and controlling student computers
• SMART Response CE – Assessment software that lets teachers deliver spontaneous or planned quizzes with dynamic, multimedia content

Together, the four software components help teachers and students get maximum benefit from the other technology products typically available in computer-enabled classrooms, such as laptops and netbooks.

40% Cost Savings

The SMART Classroom Suite gives you the opportunity to benefit from all of these software products at about a 40% cost savings compared with purchasing each product individually.

Trade Up Program

Already purchased a Notebook SE, Sync or Response CE? Through SMART’s “Trade Up” program, you can upgrade to the SMART Classroom Suite and receive a credit equal to the price of the software product that you have already purchased.

Teachers can efficiently manage their classrooms and easily prepare and deliver lessons. They can also instantly assess student understanding anytime during a class. Students can create and organize their own multimedia content, take notes, collaborate with other students and share files with their teachers. The SMART Classroom Suite can help you and your students create, teach, learn and assess!

For more information, you can also call us at 800-282-6733 or email us at sales@avispl.com

SMART Technologies designed the SMART Table to be highly durable in order to meet the needs of primary school learners. Because the Table’s durable surface is scratch proof and water resistant, children can safely lean, bump and jostle the Table as they work. Teachers can relax and let young students get carried away with their enthusiasm for the Table – and for collaborative learning.

The Table’s interface is simple and intuitive, and inspired by SMART’s expertise in classroom interactive technology. Students can begin exploring activities in seconds and are provided with visual and auditory feedback in order to prompt discussions, build consensus and reward small groups for their collaboration. Students are strongly encouraged to communicate and interact with each other while participating in interactive lesson activities or educational games. The Table is designed to support the collaborative learning approach to education.

Teachers can create new and unique collaborative learning activities with minimal preparation time. The Table’s software content can be customized with the SMART Table Toolkit, which is included with each SMART Table. Teachers can easily customize lesson activity content by accessing the Gallery in SMART Notebook, which contains more than 6,600 learning objects.

Using the SMART Table, multiple learners can simultaneously match answers with questions, share and manipulate pictures and videos, work together to solve math questions and draw simultaneously over a drawing canvas.

The possibilities for fun and teamwork are limitless on the Table – from sliding a picture across the Table’s surface, to following a trail of clues or mapping the human body.

If you would like to see how the SMART Table can help you enhance learning in your classroom or media center, we invite you to contact your AVI-SPL sales representative to schedule a demonstration.

To view the SMART Table specs, click here »

To view featured SMART Technologies products, click here »