An Interview with Christopher Leonardo, Director of R&D

It's been an exciting year for Mimio. We released several new interactive devices (the MimioProjector™ interactive and touch projectors) and made major updates to our classroom software and educational app, which really expanded the capabilities of classroom collaboration. In this interview with Director of R&D Christopher Leonardo, you’ll learn what he thinks about the newest products and get some hints about what’s to come. You’ll also find out what has him excited about education technology.

No Limits to Classroom Collaboration with the Enhanced MimioMobile App.

The latest version of MimioStudio™ classroom software and the MimioMobile™ app lead the way in allowing every student in your classroom to collaborate on a lesson. The MimioMobile app now supports up to 50 mobile devices, whether they are Apple or Android. The new enhancements give teachers even more control so they can decide how best to facilitate the learning in the classroom. 

The Mimio team returned, inspired from the TCEA Convention and Exposition in Austin, TX held February 4-6, 2015. We were privileged to be among like-minded peers eager to learn about the latest innovations for educators in today’s digital world. And we weren’t disappointed. We heard exhibiters discuss different tools, techniques, resources that are advancing teaching and learning. We also saw new highlighted products like ultra-thin monitors, VDI solutions, and interactive large format displays showcased as key pieces needed to create dynamic learning environments for today’s students.

We are excited to announce our attendance at Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference next week, where we will be showcasing the exciting new developments we’ve made to our software and hardware. Learn how MimioStudio™ classroom software and the MimioMobile™ app offer teachers new features to encourage classroom collaboration.

If you haven’t already registered, make sure you secure your seat today.

Attendees will get a chance to preview the newly enhanced MimioMobile™ 3 app, which allows students to participate in collaborative learning in the classroom using an Android or Apple mobile device. The MimioMobile™ 3 app allows for ongoing, automatic formative evaluations, that will help students prepare for the Common Core State Standards Assessments (CCSS).

Mobile Devices and Interactive Technology Bring Benefits to Young Students

If you ever doubted that interactive technology and mobile devices have a place in early learning, prepare to be surprised. Harmony Early Childhood Center, a preschool center serving children ages 3-5 years old in Olathe, Kansas has broken new ground in the use of educational technology.

During the winter and spring of 2014, a pilot involving two Harmony classrooms tested different types of educational technology to identify those that best met learning needs at each grade level. The pilot was so successful that the preschool center is now equipping 27 classrooms with MimioTeach™ interactive whiteboards and the MimioMobile™ application.

"Some might think that mobile technology is too complex to be a learning tool in preschool classrooms," says Dan Winkler, Mimio’s chief technology officer. "But the two teachers involved in Harmony's pilot – early childhood disabilities teachers Kim Buenger and Paige Moran – have proved that the technology can have a big impact. Both of them did amazing things with MimioMobile."

NEW MimioStudio 11.2: An inside look at what this release offers educators

By Chris Leonardo, Director, Research and Development, Mimio

Mobile devices have a growing presence in our world and in our schools. If we want to help kids prepare for the real world, we need to make mobile devices a key part of the learning environment. With this latest release of MimioStudio™ software, we’re pleased  to have made the use of mobile devices even easier and more cost-effective.

Three FREE mobile-device connections
MimioStudio 11.2 software lets every classroom with a Mimio hardware or software license connect up to three mobile devices using the MimioMobile™ app, for free. Now you don’t have to buy a full MimioMobile classroom license to find out how easy it is to use mobile devices in your classroom.

10 Fun Ways to Use Your Student Response System

Using student response systems like the MimioVote™ assessment, or using assessment strategies with the MimioMobile™ app, practically guarantees that every student will participate in the learning process and remain accountable. Engaging students with questions throughout a lesson not only holds their attention; it also lets the teacher gather valuable student information and data. But just as with any new device in the classroom, it’s important to “start small” and find fun ways to naturally integrate assessment technology into your lessons. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Mobile devices have a deep and positive impact on student learning, but are still in the early adoption stage.

Survey conducted by MDR’s EdNET Insights on behalf of Mimio

Mobile devices are well on their way to becoming an integral part of K-12 instruction, and they are having a noticeably positive impact on students’ learning experiences. These are the major findings from a recent survey conducted by MDR’s EdNET Insight service on behalf of Mimio. This was the third annual survey authorized by Mimio to gain a deeper understanding of educators’ and students’ experience and needs within the interactive classroom.

While mobile devices are best known for their use in 1:1 or BYOD programs, the school administrators, technology directors, and coordinators who were the survey’s targeted respondents revealed that mobile learning is not at all restricted to such environments.

Some 75 percent of respondents indicated that their districts or schools were purchasing the devices for use by select grade levels or in specific content areas, rather than the more universal approaches of 1:1 implementation and BYOD programs.

Understanding, Practice, Engagement, and a New Model of Assessment

Mobile devices allow for much more accessible, real-time formative assessment in schools. Teachers are finding that they can immediately assess how well their students are learning, and then adjust their teaching based on this feedback. With so many mobile devices already present in most classrooms, using them for assessment can also save on the cost of purchasing other types of assessment systems.

As Tech Specialist Lindy George notes, “District mobile devices…allow us to monitor student understanding of concepts to better inform instruction, and for formative assessment they have replaced the purchase of any type of ‘clicker’ system.”

While mobile devices are ideal for quickly checking student levels of understanding, there are other benefits to be gained from using them for assessment. We list the most popular ways to use them for assessment here.

Everyone is going mobile, but what does that really mean?

As mobile devices increasingly become a part of our everyday lives, they are slowly but surely becoming a key part of our classrooms. While some schools continue to ban cell phones, others are embracing them – as well as other kinds of mobile devices. This infographic provides up-to-date statistics on the use of mobile devices in education, and the numbers may surprise you. Check out how students, teachers, and even parents are going mobile.