Wacom delivers products that let teachers and students communicate visually, share new ideas and concepts in real-time, and collaborate. Wacom’s superior digital pen-input products help teachers and students communicate and share ideas more effectively through handwritten drawings, diagrams, annotations and notes – even while using computers and mobile devices. Wacom products can be used in a variety of educational settings – presenting in a traditional classroom, using a flipped classroom model, conducting remote learning or tutoring session, or having students work on a group project. Our interactive pen displays, Intuos tablets and Bamboo stylus help transform and maximize today’s digital learning environment.

Schools from elementary school to higher education are incorporating different teaching styles and environments to fit the needs of students. An important focus to all of these is greater student engagement and participation. Wacom products support active learning, letting teachers and students communicate visually, share new ideas and concepts in real-time, and collaborate.

Wacom’s interactive pen displays let you write directly on your screen – on top of any digital content you have – just like pen on paper. It doesn’t get any easier or more intuitive. Our Intuos tablets immediately provide handwritten input to any PC or Mac. And our family of Bamboo stylus products provides comfort and greater control when writing on iPads or Window or Android tablets.

.I have been using VEGAS 15 Suite now for several weeks and having spent the last few years using various iterations of VEGAS software I am very familiar with it so felt comfortable jumping straight in but I was also very keen to find out if the numerous requests on the forum had been addressed or if any suggestions made there had transitioned to the product.

When I first opened the software, I was presented with a new, yet familiar interface, MAGIX had to make this product their own and the interface was an obvious place to start but I was very pleased that they didn’t try to reinvent the wheel. The colour scheme is generally darker by default, something I prefer as it’s easier on the eyes and each of the colourful icons is exactly where it should be. I will come on to customisation later but you really can make VEGAS 15 YOUR editor.

For example, the trimmer is available on a tab next to the preview but it’s not a feature I use, I prefer to edit directly in the timeline, so I have my workspace set up so that my preview is displayed on a separate monitor to my right, my media and FX are on a third screen on my left which gives me a huge workspace for the timeline and this way I have a sense of the video as a whole. If this doesn’t suit you, customise your own workspace. Another example of customisation is on the video track header. It’s now much cleaner by default however, there is a drop-down that will allow you to edit the visible buttons, even the scribble strip is hidden until you click on it. This is done on a track by track basis too which means that the entire header section looks clean with only what you need visible until you decide otherwise. I really like this change.

Basic functions like importing media are identical, however, when you put a clip on the timeline you now get a heading over each one. It might not seem like an impactful difference but this one little change has made it so much easier to work with multiple files and cuts that I suspect over time, I will save hours of searching. The familiar Pan and Crop and FX icons appear as default but here too there is also and a little drop-down menu that contains access to and options to display Generated media, Active take information, Playback Rate, Freeze Frame at Cursor and Selectively Paste event attributes. If you use these functions regularly, having the ability to edit the visible button set so they are visible at the top of a clip is a clever idea and will be a great time saver.

Just as technology has revolutionized other industries, it has the power to transform education. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Last week, Holly referenced an EdWeek article that identifies reasons educators fail to implement to transformative, student-centered and technology-driven instruction. The article points out one big issue, “Many teachers lack an understanding of how educational technology works.” It is for this reason I want focus on ways that technology can make learning happen in ways that were impossible in the past. The smartphones that many students carry in their pockets are much more powerful than the technology used to send a man to the moon. Students are able to use these devices to access massive amounts of information, connect virtually to anyone on the planet and to create impressive digital products. These are exciting times for education, but it is our challenge to use technology to create engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences for students that will equip them for their futures. In my book, Ditch that Textbook, I point out ways that as educators we can use technology to be different, innovative, creative and hands on. While there are so many great online resources, apps, and other tools that we can use to enhance teaching and learning, I want to focus on the use of video. According to Eric Jensen and others, at least 60% of students are visual or visual-kinesthetic learners. Because of this, video can have a huge impact on student learning. The increased interest in flipped instruction over the past few years demonstrates how technology is changing teaching and learning. Swivl is a great tool to have in the classroom for teacher and student use. The Swivl Capture App is free and can be used on iOS and Android device and the Swivl robot works with any smartphone or tablet. Here are three the ways that I see technology used in my classroom that was unable in the past.

1. Self Reflection is not only important for teachers, but it is also beneficial for students. Teachers might capture instruction and classroom interactions to analyze and identify areas for growth. A student with behavior issues can look back at the video and work with teachers to set goals and adjust his or her conduct. While I use Swivl to capture instruction and reflect on the effectiveness of my lessons, I also allow students to use Swivl to capture their interactions in small groups. This helps them to reflect on their participation and performance in discussions and group activities.
2. Video Based Assessments are a welcome alternative to paper/pencil tests. In my Spanish classes, I might use Swivl to capture student conversations and discussions or I may ask them to read a passage aloud. These videos allow me to assess more than written concepts. My students don’t feel anxious by having me stand over them. By uploading videos to Swivl Cloud they are accessible on any device with a browser. Students can even record themselves explaining concepts to use to teach others or use video clips within a digital portfolio.
3. Mystery Skype is a global guessing game for students that encourages critical thinking through in depth questioning and discussion. Swivl makes it easy to connect with other classrooms by placing a tablet into the robot and using dual markers to capture high quality audio.  I use Swivl Live, an alternative for Skype to help my Spanish students learn about other cultures.

To use technology in a dynamic way we have to think outside of the box and change the way we teach. There are so many ways that video can enhance teaching and learning. The Swivl solution is designed to make video capture easy and a seamless process using the Swivl Capture app and Swivl Cloud. I shared three ways that I use Swivl in my classroom and here are a few other examples.

You can find Swivl products on our website here: https://www.genesis-technologies.com/catalogsearch/advanced/result/?manufacturer[]=169

The beginning of October marks the start of Cyberbullying and Mental Health Awareness month.  At this time, teachers, administrators and school systems are taking time to reflect on the epidemic of cyberbullying, and rethink ways to combat it. Educator Todd Whitaker once said, “The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate.” In any organization, including schools, behavior is clearly shaped by culture. Here are a few ways we can all come together to create more inclusive cultures in our classrooms, and better ensure the wellbeing of our students.

Awareness

A first step towards finding solutions for cyberbullying and online harassment is becoming more aware of the problem. Parents, teachers, and other adults who live or work closely with kids should be educated about cyberbullying so they can both assist children who encounter it, and better prevent it from happening. According to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, American kids spend 7.5 hours per day in contact with others via electronic devices, and unfortunately, many of these interactions could be categorized as cyberbullying. One only need look at the statistics to understand the breadth of the problem:

• 1 in 3 young people report having experienced threats online.
• 4 in 10 teens say they have been cyberbullied more than once.
• 1 in 5 cyberbullied teens contemplate suicide.
• 1 in 10 cyberbullied teens attempt suicide.
• Only 10% of victims inform a parent or adult of their cyberbullying abuse.

While traditional bullying is sometimes easier to observe, online harassment or other cyberbullying incidents are often more difficult to detect. The more aware we are of the problem, the more we can take steps to combat it. For more information on how to define peer victimization and address bullying, check out Connect Safely and StopBullying.gov.

The Upside of Technology

Another powerful recourse when it comes to cyberbullying are alerts. There are several online tools that can alert administrators when students are being victimized online. Alerts can be set up when students access certain language online, whether they are perpetrating it, or being victimized by it. GoGuardian’s Smart Alerts is one such technological tool that can monitor online behavior, and ensure students are engaging in ethical interactions and exercising good digital citizenship. Currently, the majority of the usage for Smart Alerts has been related to self-harm and suicide prevention, but we are currently developing a capability for cyberbullying prevention. Alerts and innovative technologies can help intervene in online bullying, alert the appropriate school stakeholders to take action, and make students more responsible digital citizens in their interactions.

Inclusive Teaching

A key way to protect students from cyberbullying is to create a culture of inclusion in your classroom from the get-go. Cyberbullying and other forms of harassment do not take place in a vacuum. When we condition students to treat each other with respect, and model inclusive behavior, we can replace bad behaviors with good ones. One way to do this is through inclusive teaching. Inclusive teaching and learning means lessons are designed to actively engage, include, and challenge all students. According to Pew Research Center, there will be a 64% increase in minority school-age children projected by 2100. With increasing diversity in our schools, inclusiveness and social cohesion will be more important than ever before. The practice of inclusive teaching can help students broaden their own perspectives and be aware of the perspectives of others, creating a healthier and emotionally safe environment for kids.

Diversity of Content and Ideas

Another way educators can help create an inclusive culture and combat bullying is by including a diversity of content, perspectives and ideas in their curriculum. During lectures or discussions, encourage a variety of opinions. It’s also helpful to include language, socio-cultural contexts, and images that reflect diversity. Help students understand that knowledge is often gained through conversation and collaboration among disparate points of view. By encouraging differences, and including a variety of perspectives, teachers and educators can model inclusive behavior that will then carry over to the culture of the classroom.

By becoming more aware of cyberbullying and mental health, setting up alerts and leveraging technology, as well as creating a culture of inclusion, schools can stem harassment and better protect students’ well-being. This month, it is of particular importance that we all take time to recognize the seriousness of this problem, and find innovative ways to solve for it. Students can’t learn in a stressful environment. By taking the right measures, and creating a more responsive and inclusive culture in the classroom, we can help all students succeed academically as well as thrive socially and emotionally.  And most of all, as leaders in THE education space, we must model the power of standing up for others. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said,“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Check out our prices on GoGuardian.

Avid customers at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards trusted industry-leading audio and video tools to create some of the world’s most popular and award-winning programming, including the creative talented professionals behind “Stranger Things”, “The Night Of” and “Westworld”

Avid® (Nasdaq: AVID), a leading global media technology provider for the creation, distribution and monetization of media assets for global media organizations, enterprise users and individual creative professionals, congratulates its customers recognized for their outstanding achievements at the 69^th Annual Primetime Creative Arts Emmy® Awards. Presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the awards honor the best in primetime television, including the backstage crafts that are vital to their production.

Customers relied on Avid’s comprehensive tools for media creation powered by MediaCentral®, the industry’s most open, tightly integrated and efficient platform designed for media, to create Emmy Award-winning and nominated productions, including Stranger Things, Westworld, The Night Of, Fargo, The Big Bang Theory and many more.

Every nominee in the Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series category, including winner Dean Zimmerman, ACE, Editor for Stranger Things, used the industry’s foremost editing solution, Avid Media Composer®.

“It’s an honor to win an Emmy award and be a part of such a phenomenal series,” said Zimmerman. “Stranger Things has so many layers and working parts within the storyline, and working with Media Composer has allowed me to be constantly creative and not have to worry about any limitations in the system.”

Andrew Seklir, ACE, Editor, who was nominated for his work on HBO sci-fi hit Westworld, said, “Having experimented with many different non-linear editors over the years, I’ve found that Avid Media Composer remains the most reliable, versatile and comprehensive editing platform available. Media Composer is my editing tool of choice, and the choice of most working professionals, because it gives editors what they need to express maximum creativity, while handling the technical backend seamlessly and reliably.”

Every nominee in the Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour) category, including winners Keith Rogers, Scott Weber, Roger Stevenson, Kyle O’Neal, for Westworld—and every nominee for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation, including winners Andy D’Addario, Gary Gegan, and Marco Fiumara, for Mozart in the Jungle—used Avid Pro Tools®, the industry’s foremost digital audio software, to bring the sounds of the nominated series to life.

“We’re extremely proud of our preeminent client and user community honored for their work at this year’s Emmy awards,” said Avid Chairman and CEO Louis Hernandez, Jr. “The television industry’s top creative professionals trust Avid’s creative tools to bring their vision to every screen consumers use. We congratulate them and look forward to continuing to deliver innovations that help them tell their stories in more powerful ways.”

Check out our discounts on Pro Tools 12 w/ iLok.

Polar 3D

This is another stunningly designed printer that is light-weight, easy to carry around and has no complicated setup or calibration even the moment you unpack from the box. It’s a plug and plays machine that can be relied on.

This printer belongs to an entirely different category from other 3D printers on the list. It is constructed around a polar coordinate system making its bed a rotating one. The print head moves vertically and horizontally. How it functions is with two stepper motors which render it highly efficient. Its build volume is big enough for desirable printing projects.

Caution must be exercised while using this printer as the print head isn’t covered or enclosed in a chassis. The print bed is made from glass and doesn’t heat. It comes with Aqua Net Extra Super Hold spray that is sprayed on the bed to help the object stick during the printing progress. Doing this for ABS filaments doesn’t work. Only a glue stick will solve the problem.

It has a camera under the print head to provide live feed on the status of the print. Well, that’s a surprise. Another surprise is how the printer is controlled online through a cloud interface that imports all its settings online. This is an advantageous feature to teachers who need to decide what kind of models should be printed and from what order.

It uses non-proprietary 1.75mm filaments to print its objects.

Key Features

• Printer Tech: FDM
• Material: PLA
• Build Volume: 203 x 152 mm
• Min Layer Height: 50 microns
• Max Layer Height: 400 microns
• Extruder Head: 1
• Open Source: No
• Compatible with 3rd Party Material: Yes
• Heated Platform: No
• Filament Diameter: 1.75 mm
• On-Printer Controls: No
• Connectivity: USB, Wifi, SD Card

https://www.genesis-technologies.com/polar-3d-printer-with-polar-cloud-connectivity.html

Make Powerful Video Lessons

Record what’s on your screen, then edit your video lessons the way you want. Keep a personal touch with green screen or your webcam. Share videos securely with your class or just one student. Make how-to videos for fellow educators or parents.

Read the tutorial: How to Make a Video Lesson with Camtasia Studio (PC)

Add Interactivity for Customized Learning

Add clickable hotspots (links) to deliver a a custom experience within your lesson. You can also add a table of contents and search options. Pique students’ interest by letting them choose which topics to watch, at their own pace. Tailor instruction for different levels of learners.

See it in action: Watch Graham “Math” Johnson’s Interactive Video Lesson

Assess Learning on the Spot

Add quizzes and comprehension questions to your lessons to see how students are learning. Students can take quizzes on their own devices – desktops, laptops, iPads, Android tablets, and most Android smart phones. You’ll receive daily email SCORM results that include an attached spreadsheet for easy review in Excel and more. Camtasia Studio (PC) only.

Watch the tutorial: What You Should Know About the TechSmith Smart Player

Eric Marcos

“The response has been tremendous. The parents and school staff are impressed with the quality and uniqueness of the student-created videos. Even our district has begun to take notice, and we thank TechSmith for making us look so good.”

Aaron Sams

“Students are more engaged in my class now that technology like Camtasia has allowed me to flip the classroom. I have virtually no D’s. D’s have become C’s, C’s have become B’s, and B’s have become A’s.”

Check it out on our webstore!!!

GoGuardian is an excellent and low-cost solution for monitoring, filtering, and providing anti-theft solutions to schools that are using Google Chromebooks.  If you are using Chromebooks, or if your school is considering them, I highly recommend checking out GoGuardian because they offer incredibly useful services with an easy to understand interface that even those with limited tech experience can get used to.  

It’s a powerful tool, and, for $7 or less per device (depending on the length of your contract and the subscriptions bought), it comes at a very reasonable price.  

Now that you have a basic understanding of what GoGuardian is offering, let’s look a little deeper at their system and interface.  First, I should mention that you can use this service as a teacher, an administrator, or as a technology coordinator.  The team has done a great job customizing the software so that users get the information they need and want, but aren’t bogged down by data or pages that aren’t relevant to their role.  

When you first log in to the GoGuardian system, you’ll see the dashboard.  From here you can see how many users are online, what websites are trending, and get a basic overview of what’s going on within the system.  

The GoGuardian Dashboard

At the bottom of the dashboard, you can find a break down of all the sites that have been visited, and you can even click on a particular site to see which users have been visiting those sites and how long they have spent on them, which is definitely a useful feature.  

Click on a site to see which users have visited it and how much time they have spent there.

Next up, we’ll head down the tabs on the side of the dashboard and first is “Flagged Activity.”  Here, you can see which sites students have visited that have raised a flag, and you can determine the language parameters for what causes sites to be flagged as well.  

While you’re on the Flagged Activity page, you can click on a specific instance and see what triggered the flag, what student visited that site, and you can determine if that site should be blocked (blacklisted) or allowed (whitelisted).

Click on a URL to bring up the reason the site was flagged.

The next tab, after Flagged Activity, is “Whitelist/Blacklist” and it is here that you can customize what triggers a flagged site.  You can blacklist websites by category, by specific words or terms, and you can even rank the severity of flagged sites, so while some sites may be blocked, an administrator won’t be informed unless it’s a “high severity” event (if that’s what you want).  

Customize what sites are allowed and what sites are blocked.

You can also see what specific students have attempted to access blacklisted sites, which is great for teachers, counselors, and administrators to help open a dialogue with these students and see why they’re trying to access inappropriate or blacklisted material.  

You can also create a teacher bypass, so that if a teacher wants to be able to access a certain site that has been restricted, they can enter their password to override the restriction.  

Block pages can even be customizable, so you can have a fun gif, or a picture of your principal looking angry, or whatever you would like to add so that the students know they have been blocked and that the administration has been informed of their attempt to access a flagged site.

See which students are accessing flagged sites

Moving on, the next feature is the ability to see what specific YouTube Videos are being watched, what Google searches are being conducted, what Apps & Extensions have been installed on the devices (you can block the ones you don’t want being used), and you can even see what Google Docs are being accessed by the students.

The Google Docs feature is my personal favorite, because a teacher can quickly see which students are working/contributing to documents and which students are not.  

See the Google searches that students are conducting

Browse the Google Docs that students are using

Next, if there is a specific student user you are curious about, you can pull up all sorts of information on them at any time.  You can see what sites they have been visiting, how long they’ve been spending on each site, what Google Docs they’ve been working on, and pretty much any sort of statistic or piece of data you would like to see.

See exactly what sites students are visiting and how long they’re spending at each one

Next up, YouTube!  YouTube can be tricky, since there are so many wonderful videos and also so many horrible videos, and what do you do if you don’t want to block the entire site?  Well, GoGuardian has a solution which is currently in Beta, but it makes the filtering of YouTube much easier.  

With their filter, you can select specific YouTube categories to block out, certain words in titles or descriptions to block out, or even certain users to block.  It’s completely customizable and makes filtering YouTube much easier, and you don’t have to block the whole site!

The new YouTube filter in action

On the setup side of GoGuardian, let’s say you’re a giant district and you want to have different settings based on grade level, or even based on specific classes.  That’s definitely possible and the setup interface is actually very  intuitive.  Basically, you would need to set up different “organizational units” or OUs and within each of those, you can determine what level of restrictions should be applied to the device based on whatever criteria you define.

GoGuardian also offers Anti-Theft protection and it’s pretty slick.  Basically, if a device has been stolen you can activate the Anti-Theft mode and choose what sorts of data you want that device to send back to you.  You can have the geolocation data, screenshots, keylog data, and even webcam pictures sent to you in order to help retrieve the device.  And it’s your choice which of these you want to activate, so you don’t have to receive them all if you don’t want to.

 

Screensharing is also an option with GoGuardian so that teachers can see exactly what their students are looking at during class.  This is incredibly powerful tool and helps make classroom management so much easier.

 

Finally, if you decide you do want to use GoGuardian in your school, they’ve got an excellent system of support should you run into any questions or difficulties.  To begin with, they’ve got someone waiting online to chat with you pretty much anytime you visit their site (and a real person! Not just a customer service robot).  And they also have a database of FAQs and support documentation for you to browse as well.

Get any type of support you need!

So, with all that being said, if your school is using Chromebooks, or considering using Chromebooks, I absolutely recommend checking out GoGuardian.  They offer a TON of functionality at an incredibly reasonable price, they make classroom management in a digital environment so much easier, and the ability to see exactly what students are doing online at any given is absolutely invaluable.

​You can check out GoGuardian on our website here.