At the TCEA Convention & Exposition, thousands of educators from various parts of the world get together to connect, gain knowledge, and improve their craft while becoming familiar with new advances in education technology. The event’s focus is not only on ed tech but also on good teaching, good learning, and good leadership with ed tech. The TCEA event has the goal of setting up educators to become curious and to discover education technology through the on-trend sessions, leading speakers, and an exhibit hall full of exhibitors. This year’s event featured more than 800 sessions on various topics such as leadership, mathematics, STEAM, digital citizenship, literacy, English language arts, and more. Scroll down for some highlights as pulled from the newswire:
Lumio by SMART Technologies, a cloud-based learning platform that effortlessly makes learning fun and engaging on student devices, unveiled a new plan, ‘Spark’. The Spark plan offers new, additional capabilities and features designed to support schools, Multi-Academy Trusts, and other organizations with enhanced instructional consistency and more flexible lesson creation and delivery. New features include an Organization Library, Shared Libraries, Co-Editing, and Learning Management System Integrations.
Dan McMahon, VP of Product at SMART Technologies, says: “We’re excited to reveal Lumio’s Spark plan at TCEA this year, giving customers access to their top-priority organization-level features. Our new multi-tiered offering continues to set Lumio apart from other tools, providing highly requested features and functionality today and in the future, at a really competitive cost. The organizations we talk to are very eager to get access to these features, and we’re proud to support even more schools and educators with keeping learning fun and engaging.”
For organizations seeking enhanced instructional consistency and even more efficient workflows, Lumio’s Spark plan provides a library to house approved curriculum content, integration with popular platforms, and the ability for teachers to collaborate on content. It allows educators to easily find and access approved curriculum content and seamlessly share and build resources with colleagues, saving them time.
TCEA attendees will receive the first public viewing of the Spark plan’s newest features alongside a chance to win a ‘Golden Ticket’ granting them a one-year Spark subscription for themselves and their teaching colleagues. All US educators at TCEA will also have the opportunity to claim one year of Lumio’s Standard plan for just $1.
Epson America, Inc. showcased its extensive lineup of lamp-free laser displays, including standard and ultra-short throw projectors and interactive solutions, as well as wireless document cameras – all designed to create immersive learning experiences and empower educators to optimize technology and create multipurpose classrooms.
Featuring user-friendly tools and virtually maintenance-free laser light sources, Epson projectors empower teachers to seamlessly integrate display technology into their classrooms and lesson plans. In addition to showcasing interactive and non-interactive display stations, the Epson booth took attendees through a variety of applications relevant to today’s educational institutions. Epson’s booth presence was designed to inspire today’s educators with new ideas and provide a solid understanding of how large displays impact classrooms and how Epson’s technology simplifies integration. Key booth takeaways include:
- How to create immersive and environmentally conducive spaces that encourage social-emotional learning in today’s multipurpose classrooms. Educators will experience different projection solutions and applications that take students out of traditional sitting-at-the-desk learning and place them into interactive educational experiences. Furthermore, the booth will show how projection can keep students engaged with content and subject matter projected onto walls – from the floor to the ceiling – and how to achieve this in a cost-effective way.
- How to optimize classroom technology and utilize Epson partners such as Eduscape for enhanced lesson plan content that inspires student creativity and elevates learning. Offering professional insight and lessons at the Epson booth, educators will be able to engage and ask questions of Eduscape. Ultimately educators will walk away with a deeper understanding of how Epson technology can seamlessly integrate into current programs and curricula, such as Google Classroom and STEM/STEAM lessons, as well as teacher-led exercises for social-emotional development.
- A better understanding of the latest projection technology along with the why and how display size impacts learning in classrooms. Attendees can explore various flexible display solutions that enable educators to optimize wall space and utilize smart, functional mobile solutions such as Artome S1 with the PowerLite® 770F for active learning environments. Plus, with the PowerLite 810E’s optical engine and extreme short throw technology, show attendees will experience firsthand the impressive image size that one projector solution can achieve. Capable of a 160-inch image, one PowerLite 810E can deliver more than four times the display size of a 75-inch flat panel display.
Encore Data Products, a bulk school audio-video products retailer, displayed their various offerings in the headphone category, such as headphones with microphones, disposable headphones, school headphones, hearing protection products, and earbuds. Meanwhile, their AV technology products include PA systems and microphones, docking stations, document & web cameras, recorders/players, laptops (for kids), charge & sync products, tour and language interpretation systems, podcasting & streaming setups, and sports & stage communication systems.
A spokesperson for Encore Data Products says, “We always make sure to attend the annual TCEA conference because it is one of the leading resources for educators who are interested in improving how they engage with students through technology while ensuring the provision of solid teaching. The 2024 conference should be able to encourage school administrators and teachers to envision a brighter future for their students through the help of the latest high-tech products and curriculum. On our part, we are truly excited to be a part of the event, offering the best audio-video products for the education environment. We’re happy and excited that people realize the great value offered by our wide-ranging product catalog.”
Encore Data Products offers various school headphones for every need and budget. These include: classroom headphones, remote learning headsets with on-ear or over-ear pads and limited-use school headphones; various cord lengths; 3.5mm or USB plugs; with volume control; and available in cases, sacks, and classroom packs.
Encore Data Products also offers cleaning supplies, including headphone covers, microphone covers, wipes & sanitizers (plus dispensers), hot towels for the maintenance of AV equipment, and electronic sanitizers. They also offer a range of AV accessories, including carts, cables & adapters, cases, STEAM & STEM, medical-grade media, and keyboards and mice.
Encore Data Products frequently supplies critical audio-video equipment for schools, libraries, medical centers, businesses, museums, tour buses, fitness centers, call centers, distance learning, home theaters, remote work, and more.
Cyber Acoustics, a leading manufacturer of EdTech for all in-person and virtual classrooms, showcased the new CA Essential Webcam Flex. Also on display were the company’s line of headsets, headphones, webcams, PC speakers, and laptop docking stations.
The two biggest challenges with remote learning are how to effectively teach without a traditional whiteboard or way to share interactive lessons, and ensuring teachers are visible to students. Through two unique mounting positions, the CA Essential Webcam Flex addresses both of these challenges.
The first position is Table View, which extends the arm of the camera out from the monitor and turns any desk into an overhead projector. This allows for easy sharing of lessons or objects that can be demonstrated in real-time, creating a more collaborative learning environment.
The second position is Center View, where the camera is positioned in the center of a monitor to create a more natural gaze and enable easy eye contact. This fundamental element of human interaction is challenging with a traditional webcam, as to achieve it parties must look at the camera lens and NOT their audience. This gives the appearance of eye contact, but it’s not creating an engaged, connected experience.
The CA Essential Webcam Flex makes virtual learning as close to in person as possible, giving the teacher the ability to demonstrate by writing on paper like a whiteboard or look students in the eye so lessons are more engaging. The company has spent years understanding the needs of educators and the result is a line of durable, affordable headsets that just work, no software or apps required.
With connectivity options for every need, Cyber Acoustics offers headphones and headsets with the right feature set for any grade level. Best sellers include the AC-4000 series for grades K-5 and the AC-6000 series for grades six-12, while the AC-5000 series offers features and durability that make it perfect for all grade levels. To find the right headphone or headset for your specific classroom needs visit https://www.cyberacoustics.com/education.
Cyber Acoustics makes it easy for schools to recycle headphones and headsets that are no longer needed, accepting wired and wireless headsets, headphones, and earbuds from ANY brand for proper recycling. To participate or learn more visit https://www.cyberacoustics.com/recycling-program. To learn more about Cyber Acoustics commitment to sustainability visit https://www.cyberacoustics.com/sustainability.
