Below is a partial list of vendors that Sally and Bob spoke with during the recent PETE&C Conference in Hershey, PA.
EdTechInnovators
This was actually a presenation I attended, but these folks also offer staff development showing ways they have used technology to change the way their students communicate in and out of their classrooms.
Contact: Ben Smith
info@edtechinnovators.com, 717-586-9174
Earthwalk
Laptop storage, with extended-life batteries that clip onto computers
Spectrum Furniture
Laptop storage
Parat Solutions
Manufactures a laptop cart that can allow laptops to access the network while they are stored, includes devices that store 6, 12, or 24 laptops
Contact: Peter Jauss, Director of Sales
pjauss@paratsolutions.com, 610-647-5976
Logical Choice Technologies
Re-sellers of Promethean whiteboards. I wanted to see a competing product for SMART Boards. The biggest differences at first glance were only one pen, with a floating toolbar to change colors, software that allows for things like polling students that could run on student laptops, and software that is NOT free for everyone to download (though, it appears that the new release of the SMART Notebook software will no longer be a free download for anyone who wants it).
Contact: David Cooper, K-12 Sales Consultant
davidc@logicalchoicetech.com, 856-577-7730
Discovery Education
Streaming video, which we already have, but also have Discovery Science (with a separate version for younger students) and Discovery Health add-ons. They also offer Discovery Education Streaming Plus, which includes PBS content (they mention Ken Burns and Nova), along with famous speeches, audio books, classical music, and sound effects.
Contact: Alex Morrision, Sales Director
Alex_Morrison@discovery.com, 240-662-6785
Training Masters
I wanted to talk with these folks about their professional development offerings, but ended up talking with a salesman about their Klickerz audience response system. It looked like a nice enough tool, which could tabulate results to multiple choice questions and immediately display them in a PowerPoint presentation, but I tried to convince the salesperson that I would be more interested in the software if it could run on our existing student laptops
Affinity Professional Salse Representatives
I stopped to look at some Samsung devices that display printed images or text on computer screens. I also looked at Nexus touch screen displays, that might be interesting to place in the school lobby or other places around the school as terminals to access information, such as maps, schedules, or just to display upcoming events.
Contact: Michael J. Treacy, President & CEO
mtreacy@myapsr.com, 610-558-1001
Lancaster Lebanon IU13
In addition to numerous Twizzler's, I grabbed price lists for software from the our Intermediate Unit. They also said they would provide materials that can help promote their academic software pricing.
netTrekker
I didn't speak with anyone here, but grabbed brochures for netTrekker d.i., which apparently is to public and private schools through the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Hotmath, and for netTrekker classes.
Library of Congress
Increasingly large collection of online resources
VoiceThread
Allows narration along with still pictures, with easy navigation and the ability to leave comments
Verizon Thinkfinity
Online resources for teachers
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3 comments:
I thought the Nexus TouchScreen was pretty nifty looking. You could set them up in the lobby, and even in strategic parts of the school (ex Outside Kevin's office, outside Nurse's office, and outside Penny's office). These screens can show sporting events going on soon, what's on the menu for lunch, and all the technology being used in the building. I know Diane was thinking about putting a flatscreen in the lobby, so this sounds like it might be a better solution.
Well, so far you've picked out two of the things that I thought had a lot of potential. The touch screens, in addition to just looking really cool (which helps in our image conscious environment) could be interesting information kiosks.
The additional Discovery Streaming things sounded like they also had potential for helping us out.
I asked Marion Jacob to review the Discovery Education Science videos that I mentioned. There is a link to the right of the screen to sign up for a free 30 day trial.
http://www2.discoveryeducation.com/products/science/
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