Kara BrooksFox59.com

PolyVision eno Interactive Whiteboards and Qwizdom Student Response Systems in use in Bloomfield School District

INDIANAPOLIS – Remember the days when students would raise their hand and then write their answers with chalk on the chalkboard?

Well, those days are long gone in this sixth grade classroom at IPS School #391. They’re using “virtual ink” and writing on a giant digital screen. The teachers call it “3-D curriculum.”

“What makes it amazing in 3-D is that it’s interactive, and students can come up and visually move things. they can write on it with a pen, ” said teacher Christine Strattman.

[Go to Fox Indianapolis for full story]

The Cleantech Open’s 2010 National Competition Launch took place Friday, Febrary 26 at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco. If you don’t know who Art Rosenfeld is, don’t feel bad. Uma Subramanium posted candid thoughts and information about Art Rosenfeld on the Cleantech Open blog.

His message to the Cleantech Open alumni:

“Work on things which are relatively simple. If you’re going to solve a problem, first do it with efficiency, and then move on to supply-side development.”

Here’s the interview that aired on KQED, just a few days before the event:

Channel 6 broadcasts from an Indianapolis Public Montessori school which recently hosted a classroom media event to demonstrate how eno Interactive Whiteboards and Qwizdom Student Response Systems are changing the way that children learn and engage.

Story here: http://www.theindychannel.com/video/22590951/index.html

Pittsburg Primary School hosted a demonstration to share the remarkable difference that technology like PolyVision eno Interactive Whiteboards and Qwizdom student response systems have made in their classrooms. Channel 7 captured some of the fun.

Scholastic veteran to spearhead business development in North America

ASHEVILLE, NC – 2/25/10 – Guy Blumberg, former Advertising Director at Scholastic Professional Media, today announced that he has joined forces with Sensible City as its Vice President of Business Development.  A resident of Manhattan, Blumberg will lead the opening of Sensible City’s New York office, from which he’ll pilot the company’s expansion in North America. The new role with Sensible City is effective immediately.

Sensible City President Ian Bryan announced the addition this week, explaining Blumberg will work to grow the company’s global community of progressive brands in education, infrastructure and beyond.

“Guy makes it his business to study how people work and succeed,” says Bryan. “As a result, he brings a solid track record for building and leading successful relationships. This client-centric, win-win approach to business is an ideal fit for Sensible City’s business model and philosophy.”

Prior to his newly acquired role, Blumberg spent 11+ years at Scholastic Professional Media, managing over $1M a year in annual sales portfolios between 2004 and 2008. He coordinated launch efforts for both Administrator Magazine and the Scholastic Technology Guide, and was awarded the Exceptional Marketer Award in 2002 and selected from among hundreds to receive the Chairman’s Gold Star Award in 2004. In previous roles,

Blumberg brings to the table insight and experience in sales management, business development, product marketing, strategic alliances, territory development, quality control, financial analysis, vendor relations, strategic planning and team leadership.

Guy Blumberg earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Drew University in 1978 and later received his Professional Certificate in Business Coaching from New York University. Previous executive roles include Partner and National Sales Manager for Alart Associates, Inc.

Follow Guy Blumberg at http://www.twitter.com/guyblumberg

Other contact info: 312.528.9111 x109 (office) / guyblumberg@sensiblecity.com

About Sensible City

Headquartered in Asheville, NC, the Sensible City LLC is a global communications and strategic marketing company specializing in enterprises which propel greatly-needed social and environmental progress. Working exclusively with products, ideas and brands which “do good” by their nature, Sensible City designs and facilitates growth for its clients by deploying a unique blend of proprietary systems in community building, social media, media relations and outreach marketing. Its systems are metrical, measurable and transformational: outperforming traditional communications models by more than 10 to 1.

Learn more at www.sensiblecity.com

Contact:

Sara Needham

Sensible City Media Relations

saraneedham@sensiblecity.com

312.528.9111 x103

Cinthia Gomez shares a laugh with KLTV reporter, Lakecia Shockley, while photographer, Lynn Mitchell, looks on. Cinthia was interviewed prior to a technology showcase held in her classroom Feb. 10. She is a first grade student in Angela Brotherton’s class at Pittsburg Primary School.

BY MARSHA NEELEY

mneeley@etcnonline.com

What have been considered traditional teaching methods in the classrooms are changing as technology continues to advance. The need for textbooks and writing utensils is diminishing.

A community event showcasing how technology is changing Pittsburg Primary School was held Feb. 10 with Pittsburg Rotary Club members in attendance.

First grade students in Angela Brotherton’s class used a giant digital screen, known as an eno™ Interactive Whiteboard, to teach their fellow classmates interactive lessons including math and science.

They were led by fellow classmate and ‘mathematician of the day,’ Yedhi Ramirez.

“We invited the Rotary Club to hold their meeting at the primary school, because they represent so many different aspects of our community, and we wanted to showcase our students to the community,” said Vicki Rockett, principal.

This technology will allow students in Pittsburg to be competitive with students anywhere in the world, according to Mrs. Rockett.

“I wanted our guests to see the power of the use of technology in the classroom and to see how natural integration of technology is to such small children. I want them to see that our students are comfortable and confident using the technology themselves and to see the level of engagement because of the interactive technology,” said Mrs. Rockett. “We have seen student engagement increase with the implementation of the interactive white boards.”

There is a much greater excitement for learning not only in students, but in teachers as well.

“Teachers have been revitalized with a new way of teaching and are working together to share new ideas and strategies,” Mrs. Rockett said. “They are excited about the differences they have seen with their students and with the fact that teaching is fun again.”

A reporter/photographer team from an area television station was on hand to capture the excitement of the day and even interviewed a few of the students. Cinthia Gomez was eager to share what she likes best about the new whiteboard in her classroom and how they use it every day.
“Math, calendars, and we always watch a movie,” she said.

Students demonstrated how the board is used to check the weather on the TV station’s Web site. They worked math problems, and even developed patterns using the board.

“They get to do all those different things with the board. It’s so amazing to me that they remember every time they go up there what they can do and if I forget they’re sure to tell me,” said Mrs. Brotherton.

[Pittsburg Gazette]

NEW BRIGHTON — On a wide screen in the classroom of New Brighton Middle School teacher Rick Schwartz, young Alexander, not yet labeled “The Great,” read Homer’s “The Iliad” from a scroll.

A narrator reminded students that as he moved toward greatness, Alexander, inspired by Homer’s portrait of Achilles, always traveled with a copy of “The Iliad.”

It’s not likely that seventh-grade pupils in the social studies class at New Brighton will carry interactive whiteboards as they travel toward greatness, but teachers and administrators hope the new technology provides enduring images and insights that inspire growth.

The New Brighton Area School District opened its middle school doors Thursday for politicians, educators and other interested individuals to tour high-tech classrooms. The district had three interactive boards in July 2008 but has expanded to 56 in less than two years, said Robert Lee, director of technology.

In the middle school, classrooms for language arts, math, science and social studies have been outfitted with interactive boards. The band/chorus room also has a board.

“We want our students to have the highest, greatest, most advanced technology … but never forgetting about reading, writing and math,” Principal Joseph Guarino said.

The district used money from federal and state grants to grow its technological capability.

“We’re a small school district, a small community, but we’re trying to do what’s right by our children,” Superintendent David Pietro said.

The children appreciate the effort.

“It enhances our whole experience,” said seventh-grader Kelly Lane.

“It helps a middle school student’s attention span,” said Maria Taylor, also a seventh-grader. “People get distracted. They pass notes. The white boards definitely keep your attention a lot longer than a teacher reading from a book.”

In the social studies classroom, Schwartz concluded the lesson on Alexander by handing each youngster a handheld device called a Qwizdom. The pupils plugged an identification number into the device and then used it to take a multiple-choice quiz. Questions appeared on the whiteboard.

Schwartz used the new technology to drive home an ancient point: “Aristotle taught Alexander to learn by: A. Observing; B. Reasoning; C. Thinking ahead; D. All of the above.”

The children punched a “D” into their devices. Schwartz could instantly see which questions troubled pupils most and returned to the material before they left the room.

“It’s a nice tool to see immediate feedback,” Schwartz said.

In a seventh-grade science class, teacher Anthony Martella, by touching the screen, summoned video images from Webcams inside volcanoes in Hawaii, from Mount St. Helen’s and from other volcanic eruptions. He summoned a chart listing the all-time largest volcanic events and an illustration showing the Earth’s structure beneath a volcano.

“Everything flows together. There is no stopping and starting,” Martella said.

Guarino, as he explained the district’s relationship with technology, recalled a recent Sunday spent in church. He watched a child playing with a handheld video game.

“He was using two or three screens at the same time, and he was moving seamlessly between them. That’s kids today. That’s how they’re wired today. We have to maintain that interest level or the math and the reading and the writing mean nothing.”

Bill Utterback can be reached online at butterback@timesonline.com.

Click here to read the original post.

Atelier Data and Moov are Portuguese-based architectural companies that came together for this ambitious venture to create an eco-friendly carbon-neutral community plan from an empty inner-city block in Dallas.

New-age valleys and hills will soon dominate the vistas of the region with trees, unusual shrubs and rare plants, to accompany the solar thermal panels, on hilltops where photovoltaic and wind energy will be produced.

For those of us not up to Dallas speed, photovoltaic (PV) is the name for a technology that most commonly uses solar panel to produce an electric current when exposed to light, which highlights just one way to become less dependent on fossil fuels, creating a clean and free energy for the world to use.

The winning design works extensively with innovative strategies that optimize sustainability, without draining funds. Open green spaces, greenhouses, living space and a rooftop water mechanism to recycle water will all be installed in the construction and the project will inevitably serve as an example for others, proving urban design has the very real potential of including environmentally aware technology in every element of the planning and design.

Pictured above is the submission by Little Diversified Architectural Consulting who was recently named one of the finalists in the project.

by Albertine Fox
Gloobbi Architecture

February 8, 2010

Click here to read the original post.

About the Loan

Sensible City invests from its profits each month into microfinance projects throughout the developing world via kiva.org. We encourage you to join us in these efforts!

02.08.2010 – AUSTIN, Texas – Most American educators are familiar with Qwizdom’s interactive classroom technology, but only those attending the Texas Computer Education Association Conference this February will have the unique opportunity to squeeze in hands-on time with the company’s newest hardware release – the Q6 student response system.

Available for pre-order in late march of this year, the Qwizdom Q6 Student Response System is unique in that it offers more opportunity for collaboration than with any previous system, including an easy-to-use keypad similar to a cell phone, text input and a larger LCD screen to view full responses. The small, ergonomic radio frequency remotes allow each student to communicate with the teacher from up to 328 feet away and are durability-tested to withstand the rigors of the classroom.

As the teacher presents questions on a screen, verbally, or by using paper-based activities, pupils enter responses with their remotes. The teacher‘s computer instantly receives the responses and records the results, allowing the freedom to easily manage and control the format and speed of the lesson. The instant response also allows the educator to gauge students’ overall comprehension or to zero in on a struggling pupil. In turn, a student is notified when their response has been received and can silently signal the teacher for help, easing the fear of judgment by peers or falling behind in class.

The device’s 1.8 × 1.5” LCD screen allows for up to 116 character input per transmission. Multiple mark, numeric, sequencing, rating scale, yes/no, fractional/decimal, multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions are all supported by the Q6. Battery life is a year on average.

Software used with Q6 remotes is both PC and Mac-friendly, integrating easily with PowerPoint® and Keynote®. Additionally, Qwizdom Connect software works with hundreds of thousands of pre-made curriculum resource slides.

For more information, visit Qwizdom online at www.qwizdomnews.com.

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About Qwizdom, Inc.

Qwizdom provides integrated education technology solutions for thousands of schools throughout the U.S. and U.K. Striving to make learning both effective and engaging, Qwizdom offers the most advanced radio-frequency classroom response technology (patents pending), a complete software learning system, more than 150 interactive curriculum programs, and a digital learning network. Founded in 1984, Qwizdom has offices in the Seattle area, Cleveland, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.qwizdomnnews.com.

Media Contact
Ian Bryan
828.242.1868
ianbryan@sensiblecity.com