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AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH TCEA
TEKVOX Demystifies EdTech with Drop-In AV Solutions
Jim Reinhart, Chief Executive Officer at TEKVOX, discusses a different way to equip schools with audio-visual technology.
Austin Wednesday, February 5, 2020
ELMO Introduces the STEM-CAM Line of Visual Presenters
JR: Education tech is mission critical and a big investment, right? Imagine doing IT procurement the way we are doing AV procurement today. For example, instead of buying that multi-function printer/copier/fax manufactured in a well-managed factory,
ELMO USA Corp., a leading manufacturer of visual presenters and corresponding education technology, is excited to announce the newest addition to its awardwinning lineup of visual presenters: the MA-1, MO-2 and TT-12W STEM-CAMs. Intuitively designed for the most immersive STEM experience, the three new STEM-CAMs open up a world of endless learning possibilities in the K–12 classroom. As schools across the country are moving to STEM and STEAM-based curriculums, classroom technology must tangentially evolve to meet the growing demands of those programs. Students are not only active learners in STEM and STEAM programs, but they are participants and producers as well. The STEM-CAMs were designed to enhance hands-on learning and interactive curriculum in the classroom while providing the visual presentation support that ELMO end users know and love.
BOOTH #2565
BOOTH #1943
ESD: TEKVOX makes Drop-Ins. What does that mean?
JR: Very simply put: In our Texas factory we manufacture, program and test an AV system and ship it ready to install and get busy. Unlike traditional approaches, there is no on-site programming and very little, if any, integration other than the physical installation itself – you just drop it in.
ESD: Is it important to do this?
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Marvel’s Educational & Office Furniture Lines Designed to Enhance Classrooms Think stability. Think innovation. Marvel has been in the manufacturing business for over 70 years, and all of its furniture is Made in America, never imported. Marvel is never out of stock. It offers adjustable height student desks to make student/teacher interaction easier.
The Focus Desk Series Mobile sit/stand desks that students can adjust with just one hand – no tools or electricity required. Models available for kindergarten through college students. The Marvel Focus Series 32-inch, 48-inch and 60-inch activity tables and desks are ideal for Makerspace activity.
Marvel Aire Marvel Aire creates an open, clean and simplified environment with a flexible system of components that produce a multitude of configurations and storage options. Continued on Page 17
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Edbrix Launches New Product Line for Solutions to Your District’s Pain Points
Edbrix is a premier collaborative education platform that manages and controls current resources and provides tools for enhanced educational experiences. Edbrix offers numerous innovative benefits for student education, teacher professional development and other productivity tools. All districts have to deal with similar pain points, challenges and difficulties. Edbrix has developed a line of products, which it calls “brix,” to ease the tension of your pain points. Campus Security In 2019, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 11 (HB 11) that requires all districts to have in place protective measures for teachers and students. Securitybrix provides a comfort level to every district employee of knowing assistance is available at a moment’s notice for any emergency. By pressing a single button, alerts can be sent out
BOOTH #2334
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EdTech Show Daily
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
HoverCam Now Shipping Pilot X Digital Teaching Station HoverCam, an innovative technology leader in the education market, announced that its new Pilot X digital teaching station is now shipping. The groundbreaking teaching tool enables teachers to interact with and share content to displays in the classroom without being tethered to a computer or display. Winner of multiple industry awards (including Tech & Learning’s TCEA Best of Show in 2019), the Pilot X combines a powerful tablet computer with a blazingfast Intel CPU, wireless 4K presentation capabilities, microphone and a fold-out document camera in one convenient, wireless station. “The Pilot X is the first digital teaching station to truly put state-of-the-art interactive technology at teachers’ fingertips,” said Ji Shen, Chief Executive Officer of HoverCam. “They can teach from anywhere in the classroom and annotate or interact with content on the screen without having to turn their backs, taking advantage of spontaneous teaching moments that build meaningful connections and solidify students’ grasp of
new concepts.” With the HoverCam Pilot X, teachers and presenters can intuitively work from an ergonomic and mobile teaching podium featuring a slide-out keyboard. For even greater freedom, the 13-inch, 10-point-touch tablet can be unlocked and used anywhere in the classroom. With multi-touch technology, the tablet has the horsepower of Windows 10 OS combined with the intuitive hand gestures of a mobile device. The system boasts HoverCam’s award-winning 4K 13MP document camera that cleverly folds out. In addition, a built-in wireless HDMI transmitter beams content to any interactive flat panel, projector or display in resolutions up to 4K, eliminating the tripping hazards and setup of cables. And with HoverCam’s ClassFusion software, it enables interactive whiteboarding and annotation for lesson recording. The notes, annotations, video and audio of every lesson are captured perfectly in real time for students to access anytime and from any device for learning that goes beyond the classroom or training facility.
New Certification Exams Now Available for Microsoft Office Specialist Program The New Office 365 and Office 2019 exams have been mapped to one set of revised objective domains to reflect the skills required in today’s modern workplace. So, students will be tested on the same exam no matter which Office application is being used. The Office 365 and Office 2019 exams that will be available are Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Word Expert & Excel Expert. These new exams still include the
performance-based format and are live in the app; however, they also have some new improvements. New Office features include: 3D models; morph animations; slide zooms; new Excel functions; and ink. Improved Accessibility Features Improvements have also been made to the Microsoft Office Specialist Program. Instead of Specialist, Expert and Master, there are now some
A Resource for Healthy Tech Use Looking for tips to manage your child’s popular technology use? Know someone who is? Check out www.communication andtech.org, a site designed to help the public use popular technology in ways that protect their communication health. The site reflects an initiative of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), since 2006 a leading advocate about the importance of safe use of popular tech. What makes it so important? On the
hearing side, repeated use of popular tech for extended periods at high volume – a usage habit that polling has consistently shown to be widespread – can result in noise-induced hearing loss, an irreversible condition. Otherwise, as very young children have come to be tech users, a newer worry has arisen about the impact of that usage on the development of their speech and language skills. Engagement in conversation – a critical way of fostering that devel-
Smart Parents for the Connected Home By Kari Strenfel, AcuRite Meteorologist
As a homeowner and a mother of two young kids, I need to stay informed of the changing conditions in and around our home. Multitasking parents have the laundry going while the baby sleeps in the nursery and the preschooler plays out back ... am I right? With the help of AcuRite sensors, it’s easy to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for the whole family. I can monitor the baby’s
room to ensure ideal temperature and humidity for a safe sleeping environment, keep an eye on the UV index to know when to get those rascals out back to reapply the sunscreen, all from the convenience of my smartphone. With all AcuRite sensors communicating to AcuRite Access™, which is plugged into my router, all the data is pushed in real time to the My AcuRite app. This allows for remote monitoring, so I can simply check the My AcuRite app even when we
About HoverCam A technology leader in the education market, HoverCam delivers innovative presentation systems that keep learning environments engaging, interactive and simto operate. ple HoverCam reinvigorated the learning and teaching experience with the social learning interface KnoteSter, its family of CenterStage hyper-touch-capacitive interactive flat panel displays, Pilot wireless digital teaching stations, the 13-megapixel Solo 8Plus document camera, and the Nillo 100 – the world’s first Android-powered, high-performance digital document camera. With integration in over 300,000 classrooms, HoverCam is focused on setting the standard for the 21st-century classroom with the most effective tools to help teachers and students thrive. More information can be found at www.hovercam.com.
More information on HoverCam and its full line of products is available at www.hovercam.com. For a full hands-on demo of the Pilot X digital teaching station, visit booth #1133.
new levels: Associate and Expert. As was previously the case, students still earn a certification for each Microsoft Office Specialist exam they pass; however, there are now additional opportunities to earn credentials: If a student earns any three of the four available Associate Certifications, they become a Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate; if a student earns their Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate Certification and earns any two of the
opment – may be taking a back seat to tech use. When ASHA did national polling of parents of children 0-8, they reported a lessening in conversation at home. In short, unless habits change, a portion of the public may eventually acquire hearing loss or experience stunted speech and language skills – conditions that can hinder one in key respects academically, in the world of work and socially, and harm one’s quality of life overall. This is why for more than a decade, ASHA spread the word about safe usage through a wide variety of tactics: safe listening concerts in schools around the
are traveling or away from home to keep updated on the conditions at home. For those with smart speakers, My AcuRite is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, making it even easier to access indoor or outdoor conditions. I often find myself asking – “Hey Alexa, ask my AcuRite for the indoor temperature.” I’ve also set up alerts through My AcuRite to notify me if water is detected under the kitchen sink – let me tell you how much that helped
AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH TCEA Kimberly Oser Publisher Jules Denton-Card Senior Associate Publisher Lorrie Baumann Editorial Director Anthony Socci Associate Publisher JoEllen Lowry • Jeanie Catron • Karrie Welborn Associate Editors Yasmine Brown Art Director Jonathan Schieffer Graphic Designer Susan Stein Customer Service Manager Marcos Morhaim Senior Account Manager Alisha Dicochea • Kim Whiteman Account Managers Tara Neal Director of Operations Jay Watson • Hannah Stefanovich Show Logistics & Distribution Enrico Cecchi European Sales EdTech Show Daily is published by Oser Communications Group ©2020 All rights reserved. Executive and editorial offices at: 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300/Fax: 520.721.6300 European offices located at Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 11, 50125 Florence, Italy www.osercommunicationsgroup.com
Lee M. Oser Founder
three available Expert Certifications, they become a Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert. This is in lieu of the Microsoft Office Master credential. The Office 365 and Office 2019 exams are available through Compass, Certiport’s new delivery platform.
For more information, visit www.certiport .com/mos or stop by booth #1829.
country; nationally disseminated PSAs; numerous media interviews in which ASHA member audiologists and speechlanguage pathologists have shared their expertise; article placements and posts; and Twitter parties and Facebook Live! broadcasts. However, the message of safe usage stills needs to be spread: The World Health Organization estimates unsafe use of popular tech is contributing to 1.1 billion young people around the world being at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. For more information, go to www.asha.org.
when we had a clogged disposal which led to a leak from the dishwasher! Simplify your life and improve your multitasking skills with AcuRite sensors and the My AcuRite app. Shop indoor and outdoor home sensors and create your custom system: www.acurite.com/personal-weatherstations.html. For more information, www.acurite.com.
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EdTech Show Daily
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
UBTECH Offers STEM+C & Curriculum to Support Hands-On Robotics Instruction By Jamie Sachs, Senior Director of Education
At UBTECH Education, we are constantly looking at how we can improve our services to support educators in Integrated STEM disciplines. We’re excited to talk about our UKIT programs, NGSS-designed curriculum, and new advanced coding and circuitry lessons. Supplemental Curriculum Flexibly Integrates into Existing STEM and CTE Programs Our UKITs bring robotics and computer sci-
ence activities to students during their normal school day. Educators can easily integrate our NGSS-aligned supplemental lessons into their existing core educational programs, using hands-on robotics as the vehicle for bringing STEM concepts to life. Our curriculum reflects the interconnected nature of STEM disciplines as they are practiced in the real world. You’ll find lessons covering topics like “force and motion,” “natural disasters” and “clean energy.”
Curriculum Addresses Engineering Gaps Found in Traditional Science Courses We recognized that there was a dire
MultiTech Celebrates 50 Years of Innovation From the earliest analog systems, to the cellular heart of today’s industrial Internet of Things to the latest low-power wireless technology and beyond, MultiTech has consistently connected businesses in ways previously unimaginable – and has been doing so for 50 years. MultiTech is continuing its legacy of firsts with innovative devices supporting edge intelligence; low-power, wide-area networking and private LTE. MultiTech designs and builds connectivity solutions at its Minnesota headquarters. Customers rely on MultiTech to quickly enable products for utilities, IT, energy, medical device and agriculture applications, among others. MultiTech technology supports remote monitoring
of power generators, oil pipelines, irrigation systems and much more. Founded in 1970 by Dr. Raghu Sharma, an innovator who steered the company for 37 years, the company today has nearly 200 employees, has earned more than 80 patents and has deployed 25 million devices worldwide. In 1963, despite facing financial obstacles in his native India, a young engineering student named Raghu Sharma hoped to attend graduate school in the U.S. “My father was accepted at several Ivy League schools as well as the University of Minnesota,” revealed Matt Sharma, who is responsible for strategic alliances at MultiTech. “But Minnesota offered him a paid teaching assistant job
Introducing New NANUK Pro Photo Kits NANUK, with more than 35 years designing and developing world-class protective cases for valuable gear, is proud to announce yet another innovative solution for pro and consumer photographers. Adding to the already-impressive tandem of media cases from NANUK, the new Pro Photo Kit cases are built with the same uncompromising waterproof, dustproof and indestructible characteristics. Trusted by photographers and videographers all around the world, NANUK protective cases are designed to
survive any journey and protect your gear no matter what the conditions. The NANUK Pro Photo Kits offer compartmentalized protection and organization for all of your photo gear and accessories. It includes a soft padded divider to protect, organize and carry gear such as DSLR or mirrorless camera bodies, lenses, flashes, filters, wires, computers, batteries, lighting and more. The compartments are easily tailored to your needs and your gear with repositionable hook and loop fasteners.
Aegis Rolls Out New Smart Door Lock Bosma, a global leader in smart connected devices, will launch a new stylish door lock called Aegis. The Aegis intelligent door lock will feature several standard features like remote lock/unlock, keyless entry, door ajar notifications, various access levels, and some that are not so standard like the Anti-lock pick detection and auto-lock and unlock feature via Bluetooth. The design of the Aegis door lock was a partnership between Bosma USA and Ink Studios, both located in Northern California. It’s elegant octagonal alloy design compliments the rest of its features. The design also includes a magnet-
ic front cover that houses its 4 AA batteries, making it easy to replace. An LED indicator informs the user whether the door is open or closed. Bosma also mentioned that the Aegis door lock is ideal for renters or Airbnb host as it does not replace the entire door lock, but just the inside deadbolt, which still gives users the ability to use their existing key. Aegis door lock features a built-in sensor that alerts you if your door has been left open or ajar. The installation of Aegis door lock takes about five minutes from start to finish. Once installed, you can navigate its features using the Bosma app, which you can find in Google’s Play
need for equity in STEM and computer programming education. The UKIT curriculum addresses a critical gap in teaching engineering design principles. Through our robotics kits, building and engineering practices are made tangible and concrete. Students learn the elements of coding and build a foundation for digital literacy and computational thinking skills.
Curriculum Grows with Students from Elementary School through College Starting with our UKIT Beginner, students develop a curiosity for STEM+C and robotics topics, diving into activities that build a foundation for developing investigative, critical thinking and
collaboration skills. As students progress through our UKIT Intermediate and UKIT Advanced, they are introduced to new challenges, tools and materials. We’re excited to announce our newly designed UKIT Advanced curriculum, which focuses on a more free-thinking approach to robotics and STEM topics, as well and how to work with circuits. This new program will help students evolve and expand their skills in preparation for college and the careers of the future. To register for free access to the curriculum, go to www.ubtecheducation.com/ curriculum-registration or visit Pitsco in booth #2227 to learn more.
– and since he was poor, that settled it.” Dr. Sharma’s Minnesota connections were life-changing. In 1968, after hearing about an FCC ruling opening access to AT&T phone lines, he bought supplies and headed to a student lab to design an acoustic coupler. In 1970, he sold his first coupler to university professor/inventor Dr. Otto Schmitt for $300. MultiTech was born. During the 1970s, MultiTech developed modems for Tele-Terminals, Inc. and outgrew its first two facilities. By 1979, MultiTech had launched a microcomputer and reached $1 million in sales. In 1992, MultiTech sold its one millionth modem. In 2002, MultiTech received Inc. Magazine’s Most Innovative Company Award; in 2003, it introduced its first cellular modems. But in the midst of this momentum, Dr. Sharma was diagnosed with cancer. He died in 2007. Patricia Sharma succeeded her husband as Chief Executive
Officer (later transitioning to Chairman) as the company rallied around the founder’s focus on service and quality. Since then, new products have included solutions for cloud-based devices, IoT programs for universities, and LoRA® technology for low-cost, long range wireless monitoring. Always ahead of the technology curve, it started shipping CBRS to Ethernet bridge devices and routers for private LTE networks in September 2019. A great place to work, with an average tenure of 16 years, many of its employees are long-term contributors with loads of industry expertise, which Matt Sharma believes is key to MultiTech’s success. “The employees have and always will be the key to MultiTech’s growth,” he says.
The Pro Photo Kit is offered in six NANUK sizes: Models 920, 930, 933, 935 (wheeled and carry-on), 945 and 960 (wheeled). NANUK Pro Photo Kits also include the popular lid organizer, the ideal organization and convenience accessory. The molded interior is designed to help keep your hardware, power cords and accessories entirely organized and in full view for quick access. The lid organizer features include
multiple zippered and anti-tear compartments of various sizes for lots of gear storage, including a laptop. The case wouldn’t be a NANUK without its lifetime warranty and superior, patented PowerClaw latches, which use compressive force to clamp the Pro Photo Kit case tight. IP-67 certified, these cases will keep the water and the dust away from your most valuable goods.
Store or Apple’s App Store. Recently crowdfunded Sentry Doorbell will also feature a biometric scanner that will allow users to unlock the Aegis door lock using their fingerprint. There will be an unlimited number of users you can register to use this feature. Bosma stated that it took customer feedback very seriously, and that led to the design and features of both units. They also said that they might consider crowdfunding for the Aegis door lock in February of 2020. Bosma will even consider giving test units to consumers as
For more information, go to www .multitech.com.
For more information, to www.nanuk.com.
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part of its “Got to love testing” program that allows consumers to test the latest products and provide feedback before its release. Bosma plans to release the Aegis door lock along with its new Sentry doorbell in late Q1 or early Q2 of 2020. Plans include bundling the two to offer security in and outside of the home. The Aegis Door Lock’s suggested retail price is $89.99, and the bundle will cost $179.99, which will include both doorbell and door lock. For more information, visit www.bosmasmarthome.com or email info@bosmasmarthome.com.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
EdTech Show Daily
Genius Plaza’s Path to Democratizing Education Do you remember your time in school? Do you still keep in touch with classmates from middle school or high school? Do you still talk to your friends from college? You might have answered these questions without giving it a second thought, but it’s not the case for many kids around the world. According to the United Nations, over 265 million kids around the world do not have access to education or are currently not enrolled in school. Twentytwo percent of those 265 million kids are
of primary school age. What are the reasons? Some children live in conflict zones; others live in impoverished communities; some children might not be allowed to go to school because they’re girls; others don’t attend school because their families need them to work to bring that additional income to support the family; there might not be a teacher or a school, etc. The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) indicates that it might take up to 70
Waterproof Electronics: A Fairy Tale? Once upon a time, it was commonly known that the only way your mobile phone could possibly survive being dropped in water was to immediately turn it off, remove the battery and then place the phone in a bowl of rice overnight to dry it out. Flash forward several years and “waterproof” phones are the new standard. How can a device with so many openings and fragile electrical components possibly be waterproof? Smartphone manufacturers use a variety of sealing techniques to make sure all potential points of least resistance are watertight. Sometimes sealing is as straight forward as strategically using glue in the connection ports or to secure the glass to the phone. Areas like the cable connectors may use rubber gaskets, while headphone jacks and charging
ports use rubber rings to seal the enclosures. Smartphone buttons often have a silicon rubber boot to separate the button from the electrical contacts within the phone. On areas that need to keep water out but let air pass through, like microphones and speakers, manufacturers use a water-resistant breathable mesh fabric membrane to act as a pressure vent. Sometimes ports, like the charging port, can be protected from water electronically by being made of corrosion resistant metals and programmed to automatically shut off when not in use. These seals all need to go through rigorous quality testing. The most important type of testing for the waterproofing process is leak testing. Waterproof smartphone manufacturers have dozens of leak testers, like ATEQ’s F28 lite, throughout
View Your Day, Your Way La Crosse Technology has taken the alarm clock to a whole new level. Not only do you get the traditional alarm and snooze functions with the new WiFi Projection Alarm Clock, you’ll also be able to view and adjust numerous options as well. Some of the key features of this new projection alarm clock include the intuitive, soft touch buttons that allow quick and easy access to the features that matter most. Set custom snooze durations to best fit your routine, create one-touch nap timers and use the USB charging port to conveniently charge your mobile device. The built-in weather sensor lets you project indoor temperature and humidity right onto your ceiling, so you can make any necessary adjustments to create an optimal sleeping environment.
The projection also cycles between time and temperature data to keep you informed. La Crosse Technology realizes life is busy, so let the WiFi Projection Alarm Clock go to work for you. Simply connect to the free La Crosse View™ app to get even more enhanced time and weather features. Once connected, you’ll be able to easily monitor home conditions, set custom alerts, view weather history records and even share devices with family and friends – anytime, anywhere. Connecting your alarm will also improve its in-home function as well. La Crosse Technology has partnered with AccuWeather™ to deliver accurate weather data directly to your alarm’s LCD display. Once connected to the La
The Digital Academy and Connect2Compete By Jennifer Cobb, Product Director, Cox Communications
Cox Communications is taking steps to provide broadband access to those that most need it with the Connect2Compete program. This initiative is designed for low-income families in need of internet access at home. As we’ve seen, broadband at home
can make a big difference when it comes to education. Some homework assignments must be completed online, and not having access can spell a world of hurdles for a student before education can begin. During a press conference in Washington, D.C., Cox President Pat Esser announced that Cox is expanding its commitment to bridge the digital divide with a pledge of $20 million annu-
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years in some areas for children to have access to primary schools. Genius Plaza thinks children must have access to quality education regardless of their geographical location. Genius Plaza is first and foremost an educational platform that is available for everyone, but it aims to connect with the underserved. Technology is already revolutionizing the way we interact with one another, but Genius Plaza is using technology to connect and reach many students around the world. Genius Plaza’s goal is to level the playing field with Ed Tech and make
quality educational experiences available to every child around the world. It shouldn’t matter if the school district doesn’t have enough resources or can’t afford textbooks. Education shouldn’t be out of reach for the economically disadvantaged. Genius Plaza offers a curated STEAM curriculum in more than 30 languages, including tribal languages, to provide a quality learning experience from primary education to middle school and high school. Genius Plaza believes that innovation in education is the answer to empowering young people so they can become effective and productive members of society.
their production lines to test the phone at various points during the assembly process. As each port is added to the phone, it can be leak tested with a differential pressure decay leak tester. This technology pressurizes the part with compressed air and measures the pressure drop, which would signify the air leak rate in that port. Once the phone is completely assembled and the screen is secured, it can be leak tested with ATEQ’s sealed component ingress leak testing method. By putting the completed sealed phone into an airtight chamber, the chamber can be pressurized with compressed air and the leak tester can measure if any air sinks into the phone. If a leak amount that is below the manufacturer-specified leak rate sinks in, the phone can be considered airtight enough to be classified as being “water-
proof.” So are waterproof phones really the fairy tale they seem to be? Depends on your fairy tale. There are limitations to the term “waterproof.” Typically it means the phone can survive droplets of water and being gently submerged in a few feet of fresh water for a decent amount of time. Degrees of waterproofness vary depending on pressure and corrosive chemicals. So while you can now confidently finish emails in the rain, listen to podcasts in the shower and release your fears of the previouslytreacherous toilet drop, don’t plan on tweeting while scuba diving deep in the salty ocean.
Crosse View app, your alarm will display the day’s forecasted highs and lows, percent chance of precipitation, dynamic forecast icons and also allows you to post personal messages on your display, thanks to the powerful data stream technology. If none of the connected features sound interesting to you, no problem! The enhanced features are totally optional and your alarm will function as a standalone unit without connecting to the app. It is important to note that some of the coolest features of this alarm come from its connected capability. While these connected features are great on their own, the true power of this clock lies in its ability to add any compatible
La Crosse View add-on sensors. With or without the La Crosse View app, you’ll have the option to expand your system with numerous sensors for a complete home monitoring solution. From true backyard wind, rain, temperature and humidity data, to indoor water leak detection and more, you’ll be able to view this information right on your alarm’s screen. The add-on sensor information is also viewable on the La Crosse View app, so you can set alerts and track trends on the go. La Crosse Technology – bringing you the information that matters most to you anytime, anywhere.
ally. Furthermore, the recent survey (Families Report Internet At Home Results In Higher Grades And Improved Graduation Readiness, Cox Raises Commitment To Bridge Digital Divide With $20 Million Pledge) of more than 1,700 Connect2Compete participants shows that our program is working. Parents agree that Connect2Compete: makes it easier to communicate with teachers and the school (95 percent); sets children up for success (94 percent); makes children more interested in school work (88 percent); and the convenience of having internet access at home is
among the greatest benefits (97 percent). Building basic digital literacy skills is key if students want to compete in the job market. To help first-time internet users, Cox Communications offers free digital literacy training and resources through the Cox Digital Academy. These programs are designed to empower lowincome families to build the educational, economic and social opportunities that can arise from a home internet connection.
For more information, go to www .atequsa.com, call 734.838.3100 or email leaktestsales@atequsa.com.
For more information, go to www .lacrossetechnology.com.
For more information, go www.coxbusiness.com/education.
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Wednesday, February 5, 2020
EdTech Show Daily
MackinMaker Continues to Grow in Makerspaces Across the Country 2017 marked the formal beginnings of a new specialty division and accompanying website, www.mackinmaker.com. Tapping into the interest and success of the national Makerspace revolution, MackinMaker® offers customers hundreds of maker-related books, products, professional instruction and professionally curated starter, classic, value and advanced kits for four different levels, designed in-house and created for the TEKVOX (Cont’d. from p. 1)
you write a spec and have integrators bid to build you a custom system. The winning bidder buys a variety of parts, assembles them and then programs it resulting in a system that is unique in the world. Crazy, but that’s the state of the AV business today: 20-plus years behind the IT world. ESD: Are you just transferring the tasks from the customer site to your own with this?
JR: Not really, because we work to eliminate factors that cause in-field cost and unpredictability. For example, our typical Marvel (Cont’d. from p. 1)
Marvel Vizion® includes portable 3-D printer cart makerspaces, adjustable height teaching stations, compact classroom carts, sit/stand mobile workspaces and mobile teacher carts designed especially for floating teachers. Marvel Vizion products have unique features simply not found in competitive products.
Assembled Many Marvel products arrive completely assembled, ready to use or require minimal assembly at your facility, saving time ELMO (Cont’d. from p. 1)
The STEM-CAMs are the first Android-based visual presenters in ELMO’s lineup. The STEM-CAMs will be able to access ELMO-Play, a secure and centralized source of education-only apps. The app possibilities are endless and can include a QR code scanner for textbooks, instant translation of foreign language and augmented reality. “Being driven by the power of Android, the STEM-CAM’s ability to Edbrix (Cont’d. from p. 1)
to any, or all, of your district’s designated personnel and emergency services. It also tracks the requestor’s geo-position in real-time so that assistance can be provided in an efficient and timely manner.
Student Absences Student absences can be caused by many reasons: illness, UIL events, field trips, etc. Contentbrix allows the teacher to record lessons and share with their students. Students can “see and hear” the actual les-
novice, all the way to the experienced Makerspace practitioner. “This form of experiential learning is so fresh and vital to helping students learn in a more exciting and impactful way, we decided that now is the perfect time to tap our knowledge-base and professional expertise to create this new division,” states Randal Heise, co-Owner of Mackin. MackinMaker Project Manager, classroom Drop-In has zero lines of new software and completely re-uses our core management and control software, which has millions and millions of accumulated hours of reliable operation. In addition, building in a factory environment allows for a great deal of efficiency.
ESD: What are the benefits to .EDU end users?
JR: With another analogy, think about buying a car from your local dealer versus paying your local mechanic to build a car in your garage. With the dealer’s product, you will spend less, find fewer defects and always know who’s responsible for your warranty. and money.
Furniture Grade Quality and Durability The Marvel Focus Desk and Marvel Vizion products feature the same highpressure laminate tops and heavy duty steel construction that it provides in its commercial furniture lines. Many Marvel products carry a lifetime warranty.
Safety: UL Listed Marvel has just been recognized by United Laboratories as a 20 year certified member of the ISO program and is currently ISO 9001:2015 certified by
Ethan Heise, remarked, “We have sourced some of today’s most creative and influential products and made them the foundation of this growing new site. To date, we have hundreds of essential products with hundreds more ready to come online before the end of the year. Our kits have been flying off our shelves, proving to us that a maker kit is the ideal way to get started in this broad arena.” Content is growing on a daily basis and currently features scores of popuYou’ll probably get more features as well.
ESD: What are some of the applications that you cover with Drop-Ins?
JR: We build a variety of standard classrooms, ranging from two inputs to way more, lecture halls, distance learning rooms, flipped classrooms, cafetoriums, conference rooms, board rooms and emergency operating centers. We’ve recently completed a very innovative ‘incubator’ that blends interactivity with whole-room video conferencing.
ESD: That’s a lot of coverage. Why is this just happening now?
ULDQS Inc, the most difficult accreditation, the most difficult standard to attain and retain. All Marvel product passes and is listed for the appropriate UL Standard.
GREENGUARD Certified The Marvel Group, Inc. is proud of its ongoing commitment to responsible environmental policies and manufacturing processes. Safeguarding the earth’s vital resources though conservation, technology application and progressive emission controls is a responsibility embodied in its manufacturing, sourcing and marketing practices. These efforts and a corporate
work with augmented reality apps will revolutionize the visual presenter landscape,” said Matt Takekoshi, ELMO USA Corp.’s Chairman. “Not only does AR increase student interest and engagement during lessons, but it provides opportunities for dynamic visual learning that static images or video cannot. Simply download an AR-ready app, point the camera, and unlock the magic onscreen.” The STEM-CAMs offer a generous digital zoom of up to 16x in 1080p Full
HD and can capture video at 30fps (up to 60fps when connected via USB), while the TT-12W offers an additional 12x optical zoom. The MA-1 features a five inch multi-touch screen for navigation, and all models are compatible with HID-compliant input devices. With output terminals offering HDMI, RGB and USB 2.0, the STEM-CAMs seamlessly connect to a wide array of devices and are compatible in almost every classroom setting. The STEMCAMs also offer built-in Miracast
sons they missed during absences. It can even be used for home-bound students. With Contentbrix, experienced teachers can also record lessons to share with other teachers in order to demonstrate instructional techniques. Teachers can store and share these videos and other lessons in the digital library, Knowledgebrix.
and many other forms. You can also use Formbrix to create forms with a digital signature field that parents (or guardians) can sign for authorization purposes. Common fields, like addresses or student ID numbers, can be automatically populated throughout the entire form. Parents with returning students can have prior form fields pre-populated and would just need to update any new/changed information before submitting the new form.
Student Enrollment Formbrix can be used to digitize and manage all of the district’s forms. This can include student enrollment forms, field trip and athletic permission forms
Teacher Evaluations Evalbrix uses information generated
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lar, maker-related items for schools to build their own custom collections. All maker items and kits found at MackinMaker are curated from many leading brands known throughout the industry. This penchant for acquiring quality educational material is a hallmark characteristic of Mackin that has naturally made its way to the new division.
For more information about MackinMaker or Mackin, visit www .mackinmaker.com or www.mackin.com.
JR: Well, it is actually kind of hard and we’ve gone through several important learning cycles to get here. On the other hand, the existing AV ecosystem makes an enormous amount of money from its inefficiency and doesn’t relish change. ESD: What would you like TCEA 2020 attendees to take away from this interview?
JR: AV technology does not have to be expensive and complicated in order to be useful and reliable. If you challenge the ‘old way,’ you might just find a better way. For more information, visit www .tekvox.com or stop by booth #2565.
culture of responsible stewardship give associates and customers the reassurance they demand in partnering with an environmentally responsible company. Do you need help with your floorplan? Marvel’s interior design and space planning experts will help you make the best choices for your classroom. Visit www.marvelvizion.com to view the entire line of Marvel Vizion products and see www.marvelgroup.com for Marvel Aire and Marvel’s full office product line. The entire Focus Desk line can be seen at www.marvelfocusdesk.com.
wireless display connectivity for easy and untethered connection to the display. The MA-1 and MO-2 offer a three-hour rechargeable battery, so you never have to be tethered to a single workspace again. To see the STEM-CAM series and the full lineup of ELMO award-winning classroom technology, visit booth #1943.
For more information, go to www.elmousa.com or stop by booth #1943.
from state standards and T-TESS results to pinpoint, by domain and dimension, a teacher’s areas of improvement. Evalbrix can then prescribe professional development courses to the teachers to increase their proficiency levels.
The Edbrix platform currently provides 14 Brix. Stop by Edbrix’s booth to see all of the features of any of these “brix” to help your district solve its specific pain points. For more information, stop by booth #2334.