We’re excited to announce that our dynamic MimioStudio™ classroom software has released Version 12 for Windows and Mac! New features include an updated UI and 4K ready, ultra-wide, and UHD resolutions available in Page Setup, and MimioFrame and MimioSpace can activate Studio software. There are also improvements such as support for the latest ProColor interactive display, and to import of SMART Notebook, Promethean, PowerPoint, and PDF files. For more information, including downloading MimioStudio software, please go to news.mimio.boxlight.com/mimiostudio-software-download. 

We are living in a time when we can tap, scroll, and swipe through information in a matter of seconds. Decisions can be made easily on our devices – phones, PCs, even large displays that are touch-capable. In more and more classrooms, teachers are moving from throw projectors and whiteboards to interactive displays (also known as interactive flat panel displays, interactive panels, interactive touchscreens, and smart boards) to boost overall engagement in lessons. Just what is an interactive display?  

Guagas Municipales, a public transport company in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) invested in Clevertouch interactive displays for meetings and training. Before making the change, the company had a digital whiteboard that was hardly used, and a projector for sharing images during presentations. 

Krista Walker, Professional Development Program Manager with Boxlight-EOS Education, recently spoke with Larry Jacobs from Equity and Access Pre K-12 (ace-ed.org) about how school closures and the move to remote or hybrid learning due to COVID-19 changed professional development and support. Walker has 25 years of experience in education, including working with education technology, promoting accessibility and inclusive practices, helping educators include social and emotional learning into classroom instruction, encouraging community engagement, and advancing 21st-century enrichment. 

Stellenbosch University, a multicampus university in South Africa implemented Clevertouch interactive displays to maximize how their meeting rooms and learning spaces are used. Prior to the implementation of the Clevertouch displays, Stellenbosch used a mix of technology brands which created configuration challenges.  

It has become obvious that the inclusion of STEM – science, technology, engineering, mathematics - in a well-balanced instructional plan is critical. With the growing need for STEM-educated individuals to fill STEM jobs, students in schools today need the skills necessary for these jobs. This includes critical thinking and reasoning skills, collaboration and communication skills, and developing creative solutions to problems. Students clearly need consistent and varied STEM learning experiences. 

Pre-pandemic and school closures, many teachers implemented Google Classroom for efficient and interactive teaching and learning support. Google Classroom made using technology tools manageable and provided a user-friendly alternative to paper and pencil. How? Google Workspace for Education (formerly G Suite for Education) apps and tools help teachers and learners organize lessons, assignments, and resources. Teachers can also save and share content using their Drive folder, collaborating with colleagues at any time and from anywhere. 

The San Vicente de Paúl School (Limpias, Cantabria, Spain) provides Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary education to the surrounding communities. The school has long been a proponent of using digital media to innovate learning experiences for its learners. Antonio Medina, Director of San Vicente de Paúl School, stated, “(We are) applying training and innovation in our educational work, emphasizing new technologies and languages.” 

Coblonal Interior Design (Barcelona, Spain) is an architecture, interior design, and construction studio which has for over 24 years providing project and construction services for both residential and commercial areas. In 2019, Coblonal moved to a new, larger, and centralized space in Plaza Tetuán. The office was designed as an open space with different areas for the team and a collaborative reception area for clients and visitors. Pyme Tech Adviser, an AV installation company, and Charmex Internacional, S.A., a distributor of AV technology, recommended they incorporate dynamic and interactive display technology to better support team and client meetings.

For this space, Coblonal chose to incorporate cutting-edge UX Pro interactive displays from Clevertouch Technologies. They were impressed by the way the UX Pro provides dynamic and multifunctional features that are well-suited to their needs, including collaboration with colleagues and clients. 

How was your classroom arranged this last school year? How did the arrangement affect your instructional practice? How did it affect student learning? Do you think having an audio system might have made a positive difference for everyone in the classroom?