More than 12,000 teachers, school leaders and ed-tech providers descended on Austin, Texas last week to attend TCEA 2016, held at the Austin Convention Center. Educators, from pre-K through high school and college, attended sessions and crowded the show floor to peruse the latest and greatest technology solutions for learning and instruction.
And SmartBrief was on the ground, covering it all. We bring it to you now in a two-part special edition of Tech Showcase.
Califone demonstrated advanced headsets designed for language learning and game-based learning. The 3068AV headphone is now available as a headset to better support activities for active speaking and listening. The GH507 and the GH131, created for gaming, come with surround sound and microphone-enabled chat features.
Nepris, a cloud-based platform that connects industry professionals to students and teachers, has expanded its focus to include STEAM and created new ways for businesses to partner with schools. Companies can now reach out to teachers and offer sessions on topics that match their expertise. Nepris has also launched a white-label version of its platform for industry groups and regional organizations. Nepris aims to provide more than a cursory glance at a company or profession. Schools have used Nepris for activities such as project mentoring, virtual field trips and Shark Tank events where students pitch ideas to entrepreneurs.
Learning Bird has added quizzes to its platform. The new function allows teachers to build and assign quizzes to their students. The system includes a bank of topic-specific questions teachers can use to build assessments. The platform’s reporting feature lets administrators view usage of the system as well as student results and progress. Teachers can sign up for an account that lets them use the platform for up to five students, at no charge. Teacher accounts will have free access to the new quizzes for the first 30 days.
Turnitin unveiled its latest formative writing tool, Revision Assistant, designed for students in grades 6-12 as well as college students in developmental writing classes. Revision Assistant gives students immediate feedback on their writing. Icons show how well students are communicating their ideas; highlighted sentences point to areas of the piece that need revision; and comments, aligned to the highlighted sentences, give students direction on how to make changes, based on the genre. Students may edit and get feedback as many times as they would like before submitting it to their teacher.
Power-tool manufacturer Dremel has expanded into the education space with the introduction of its Dremel Dreams program . The program aims to promote hands-on STEM learning through 3D projects. The program is included with the purchase of the the Dremel 3D Idea Builder printer and includes 3D-specific lesson plans, design software and hardware, and customer support.
Knovation displayed its Knovation Content Collection, a library of digital resources, vetted by experts and aligned to standards. Users can access the collection via their district’s learning management system, assessment platform, Library Automation System, Learning Object Repository, netTrekker and icurio.
zSpace has expanded its STEM offerings with the integration of GeoGebra, a math application for K-20. Students can build and manipulate virtual 3D objects in zSpace’s virtual reality tabletop. View a video demonstration of the platform on YouTube.
CEV Multimedia announced its Career Cluster Interest Inventory (CCII) tool, designed for students in eighth grade through college. The CCII aims to match students to career clusters that suit their interests and skills, then offer direction on fields of study for high school and college. The tool, scheduled for release in August, will be offered through the iCEV platform.
Be sure to check back Friday for part two of our special Tech Showcase coverage of TCEA 2016.