EdCircuit StaffFETC’s exhibiting companies will present their latest innovations to help schools and districts improve security, accessibility, instruction, the adoption of esports programs and advanced technologies such as AR/VR, and much more.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla.―The National Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) has announced that 40 exhibiting companies will introduce a total of 49 new products and product enhancements at the 40th annual event, to take place next week at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Fla. The conference Expo Hall, which will be open from January 15-17, will feature more than 400 exhibiting companies presenting solutions in adaptive technology and curriculum, computer hardware, e-learning, game-based learning, multimedia and projection devices, publishing, security and risk management, and much more.
“With nearly 50 new and significantly enhanced products launching in the FETC 2020 Expo Hall, participants from all roles will have a great opportunity to learn about the innovative tools and technologies set to influence the future of education,” said James Callan, Vice President of Event and Media Sales, LRP Media Group. “We’re pleased to see that our exhibitors have identified many of the pressing challenges facing schools and districts, and that they’ve developed solutions to provide meaningful support for administrators and educators. We look forward to seeing these solutions in person next week in Miami.”
The new and enhanced products being showcased at FETC feature solutions to help schools manage emergency response; increase student engagement; improve accessibility for students with special needs; introduce AR, VR, AI, coding and robotics; manage devices and data; deliver standards-aligned instruction, and more. The following exhibitors will introduce their new products at FETC 2020:
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911inform will be launching its all-encompassing platform to help emergency response teams improve managing communication and connected-building control related to emergency situations. The solution is designed to improve the future of public safety and next-generation 911 globally.
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BenQ will be introducing InstaShow S (WDC20), a wireless presentation system that lets users share ideas immediately from nearly any device. Allowing up to four users to share simultaneously, InstaShow S can boost classroom engagement and enhance collaboration. Its touch back feature helps presenters focus on the audience by allowing them to control a laptop via a touchscreen. It also incorporates strong security features to ensure content is safeguarded.
BenQ is also launching the high resolution and high brightness EW800ST smart projector. The short-throw EW800ST offers WXGA resolution and easier management with Account Management System (AMS), Device Management Solution (DMS), and X-Sign Broadcast that can deliver instant messages into the projection screens.
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Boddle Learning, an educational game that makes practice and assessments fun for students and easy for teachers, is launching fourth and fifth grade math on its platform. Boddle’s standards-aligned math content for grades 1-5 helps teachers deliver differentiated math practice, save time creating and grading assessments, and quickly and accurately identify and address learning gaps.
Book Creator
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Book Creator will be introducing its latest update, with more than 200 changes to increase accessibility. Some of the newest features include: voice typing in 120 languages; the ability to auto-generate and edit captions for videos; appropriate color contrast; a feature to magnify text size when typing; full keyboard navigation; the ability to create transcripts from recorded audio; Open Dyslexic font; and improved screen reader support.
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Carnegie Learning will be introducing LiveLab, part of MATHia, which illuminates each student’s progress through math concepts in real-time so teachers can guide, intervene and coach effectively. LiveLab’s indicators help teachers assist struggling students and recognize students for hitting milestones. Carnegie Learning is also working on a HoloLens integration so teachers can use augmented reality to know how students are performing just by looking at them.
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CKEditor is launching a free online builder, which allows users to easily customize and test which type of rich text editor best fits their needs. Users can add such features as track changes, comments, real-time collaboration, spell checking or math equations. The builder is intended for Learning Management System vendors who would like to enrich their offering with collaboration features.
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Class Solver is showcasing its new feature, “boost,” which automatically corrects issues with class lists―such as if a student doesn’t have a friend in the class, or if a classroom is imbalanced―with the click of a button. Previously, schools could spend up to weeks manually creating class lists to get the right groupings for the year ahead.
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Diamond Assets is announcing the release of Clarity: Powering the Apple Refresh. This free service provides a refresh timeline and other information to assist Jamf customers in assessing their inventories for current and multi-year technology life-cycle planning.
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enCode Create will introduce new guides for all code projects in its computer science curriculum and online courses to help teachers alter assignment expectations and deliver differentiated instruction for students with different educational needs, from high achievers in need of an extra challenge to learners who require more scaffolding and support to stay on pace.
Epic Games
FETC Sponsor
Epic Games is launching their new “Teach with Interactive 3D” hub, where secondary teachers can download free lesson plans for teaching with Unreal Engine, Fortnite Creative and Twinmotion. To celebrate the release, the company has also launched a contest to help teachers learn how to build a lesson plan using interactive 3D tools, with all lesson plans and tools free to download.
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Epson is showcasing new projectors built specifically for the K-12 education environment to increase student engagement and offer both convenience and affordability. The new display solutions will provide advanced connectivity options and a variety of multi-device tools to create collaborative learning environments. New features include ultra-bright, vivid images; low-priced, long lasting lamp life; advanced network connectivity; Epson iProjection with built-in moderator function; screen mirroring with Miracast®; and easy setup with flexible positioning.
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Flinn Scientific’s WhiteBox Learning System, which offers a hybrid approach to engineering design while addressing various learning styles, now includes drones. Flinn will showcase the system at FETC and demonstrate how it allows students to create and analyze a three-dimensional model, learn through simulation and unlimited design iterations, and how the skills acquired help drive students’ focus on STEAM careers while engaging them in the design thinking process.
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Girls Who Code is dedicated to inspiring, educating and equipping girls with the computing skills and confidence needed to pursue 21st century opportunities. The organization is launching new features for its free, interactive after school curriculum. The free curriculum and resources are utilized by Girls Who Code Clubs, and new offerings include a Clubs Fund grant of $300 per club and a $100 Community Partner Fund.
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Illuminate Education is introducing advanced feature setup services for eduCLIMBER, a new service that shepherds districts through the creation of tools such as early warning systems and unique forms to focus staff procedures and benefit student progress. The services enable districts to set up performance bands to accurately describe student progress; create dynamic forms to drive data-informed actions; develop and automate tools for tracking student progress; and configure data collection settings to track incidents and inform student growth.
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Kai’s Clan, a collaborative coding experience with augmented and virtual reality, will celebrate its official launch at FETC. Kai’s Clan is an all-in-one platform with more than 35 lesson plans to teach coding, robotics, AR/VR and Internet of Things (IoT).
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Kami is announcing a Microsoft integration, available in February, that will allow users to log into Kami from Microsoft single sign-on, auto-sync and open Kami files through OneDrive, use existing LMS integrations to open Kami files stored in OneDrive, and more.
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KinderLab Robotics will showcase the KIBO robot kit, which introduces screen-free STEAM coding to children ages 4-7. KinderLab will also introduce its 20+ KIBO Activity Cards―perfect for self-directed stations and centers―with easy-to-follow and colorful activities, enabling teachers to engage kids as they build, create art, code and play with KIBO.
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Kokomo24/7® Solutions is introducing Safety Cloud™, an AI-driven, cloud-based platform designed to give schools proactive insight to help reduce bullying, suicide and disruptive learning events. Safety Cloud consists of three products: an incident management system, anonymous reporting system and emergency operations center. It analyzes up to eight years of school district data to help identify potential safety risks.
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Learnics will introduce ThinkingApp, which allows students to record and submit a record of their online activity. The new analytics provided by Learnics will then give insight to help teachers support struggling students by better understanding their time on task, search terms and popular websites accessed.
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Lesson Planet will introduce Learning Explorer, a learning resource discovery and management solution for districts that helps teachers save time by finding, planning and assigning standards-based curriculum using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. This all-in-one solution allows teachers to search a library of PreK-12 curated OER and educational publisher content, organize lessons into courses and assign them to students.
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Luxor will be showcasing the KwikBoost EdgePower, an innovative device that attaches to the edges of desks and tables, providing a cord-free battery charging solution. Charging is reported as a leading barrier to successful implementation of 1:1 and BYOD classroom programs; the KwikBoost EdgePower addresses this issue by providing a convenient alternative to power strips and extension cords.
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ManagedMethods, a G Suite and Office 365 data security and student safety platform for K-12 schools, will launch its new Login Analyzer product, which will allow districts to monitor their user accounts to detect and protect against an account takeover and take the steps required to remediate it. This product is designed to protect against cybersecurity incidents, of which there were more than 300 reported in K-12 districts in 2019 alone.
Mentoring Minds
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Mentoring Minds will showcase its newly-acquired K-12 software platform, which currently functions as a modular formative assessment solution, but will soon deliver capabilities of an IMS, as ThinkUp! Standards Mastery System content is migrated into the platform. The solution enables teachers and administrators to collaborate, manage their ThinkUp! curriculum and deliver assessment. Teachers and administrators also gain insight through advanced data analytics.
FETC Sponsor
MIND Research Institute is launching a new version of ST Math―which uses standards-aligned, spatial-temporal games to present math concepts visually for grades preK-8―for the 2020-21 school year. Designed to maximize learning time, updates include increased accountability and intrinsic motivation for students, more streamlined implementation for administrators and more ways for teachers to integrate the program with core curriculum.
National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors
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NAECAD is launching its new Certification Program (NAECAD-CP) to provide quality and accessible professional development for competitive esports coaches and directors. The NAECAD-CP creates a context of professional development to assist organizations hiring high school and college esports coaches and directors and formalizes certification levels to be recognized within the competitive esports ecosystem. Courses are delivered on a mobile platform, allowing participants to learn any place and at any time.
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NoraNivel is introducing a series of seven new educational furniture products to transform learning spaces. Perfect for all grade levels and all types of learners, the new products offer agile, flexible and moveable options for individual and group learning. NorvaNivel’s furniture and learning environments are intentionally designed to give students the power to decide how they want to learn and the freedom to configure a space to suit their needs. The flexible, lightweight components work together and can be easily configured in just 60 seconds.
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Ozobot has announced the launch of Ozobot Classroom, a new learning management system that measures STEAM. Educators can sign up for Ozobot Classroom for free, enabling them to manage students and Ozobots, get live lesson insights into online and offline student activity, maximize participation in coding and CS, and improve retention across all subjects.
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Pathways for Learning® will launch CEP™: Classroom Education Plan, through which teachers can see clearly how best to engage their students to provide enrichment and improve outcomes. CEP analyzes academic and non-academic real-time data from both teachers and students to inform classroom decisions, customize research-based strategies and support teachers via a moderated teacher learning community. Educators are also invited to become part of the CEP pilot program.
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Rhombus Systems, which seamlessly combines sensing technology with video security and AI to make it easier for organizations to manage their security, will release a suite of three new sensors―Asset Tags, Door Sensors and Environmental Sensors―that work in unison with the company’s enterprise security cameras to provide real-time sensing data and corresponding video footage.
School Technology Associates, Inc.
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School Technology Associates will introduce the SchoolTRAK™ Positive Attendance integration for Skyward® SIS, the new module for SchoolTRAK, which includes all of SchoolTRAK Tardy Kiosk’s functionality to set time thresholds for tardy and absences, with the additional features of attendance tracking for Skyward SIS. The integration provides a real-time snapshot of who is actually where and when in a school, not only where they are scheduled to be.
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Sero! will introduce its version 2.0 concept-mapping assessment, including a number of new features: summative and formative techniques; analytics with process and outcome measures; visualization to show change and enable comparison; LMS integration; mobile optimization and more. Sero! provides valuable insights into student learning with authoring, scoring and analytic tools that combine the cognitive benefits of concept mapping with the power of the cloud. Educators can register online by February 28, using code FETC20, to redeem a free one-year subscription.
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Spelling Shed―which has had half a billion words spelled across more than 15,000 schools in over 100 countries since its initial launch two years ago―is releasing an entire re-mapping of its content to match state standards. The new curriculum alignments will encompass progression, lesson plans, activities, word lists and game content.
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Sphero is releasing a new littleBits Educator Starter Kit, an open-and-go introductory kit designed for any K-12 educator looking for a flexible STEAM solution. This entry-level kit gives teachers and parents the tools and support needed to confidently learn how to incorporate play-based coding at school or at home.
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Dreamscape―a free English language arts (ELA) resource for grades 2-8, created by literacy and gaming experts―is launching a State Test Prep feature with levelled questions resembling those featured on state-specific assessments, to help students prepare for ELA exams. The initial launch will include preparation for the STAAR and EQAO assessments with more coming in 2020.
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STEM Minds will officially release the STEM Minds Online Academy, a blended learning online platform with 15 courses including over 30 STEMulators―games that support eLearning and eAssessment in the classroom. The platform empowers teachers to use 3D design, robotics, coding, electronics, digital media programs and more to teach STEM.
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Swivl will be showcasing the new face detection added to its tracking algorithm. With this new feature, Swivl rotates and records video while always keeping the teacher and/or students in frame. Combined with the recently launched Swivl Teams platform, video collaboration is now easier and more powerful for students, teachers, coaches and administrators.
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Terrapin will be making three new product and feature launches at FETC 2020. The first launch will be Tuff-Bot, the latest addition to the company’s line of coding robots. Tuff-Bot’s features―including oversized wheels which allow it to traverse uneven terrain, built-in obstacle avoidance that lets it get around barriers, and multiple speeds―make it durable and designed to operate in a range of environments. It can be programmed via on-board buttons or remotely via Bluetooth and a tablet.
Terrapin’s second new launch is Flexi-Scope, which joins Easi-Scope in Terrapin’s line of classroom digital microscopes. Flexi-Scope can be connected to a computer via USB, enabling the user to examine a specimen at up to 200x magnification. It may be set to take both photos and videos, and record in detail how a specimen changes over time, providing students with a new perspective on their environment.
Terrapin will also launch new versions of the Bee-Bot and Blue-Bot coding robots for young learners. New features will include programs of up to 200 steps and features that enable students to record a response that plays when Bee-Bot or Blue-Bot encounters another Bee-Bot or Blue-Bot, as well as to record a voice command for each button to sound as a program is entered and as it executes.
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Texthelp will introduce new features to WriQ®, a writing assessment tool that helps teachers track and score students’ writing progress. The tool now gives students instant access to immediate feedback on their writing, without relying on teacher intervention, enabling them to track their progress daily, weekly or monthly and work toward easy-to-reach stretch goals.
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Vernier will be announcing its new partnership with SAM Labs, a collaboration that will provide new compatibility between Vernier Sensors and SAM Labs blocks in Google Workbench. These compatible solutions provide many new ways for students to code, as well as uses for scientific data collection in coding projects—areas in which teachers previously had limited options.
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Writer’s Workbench (WWB) will showcase the new online version of its program, now available for iPads, Macs, Chromebooks and Windows systems. WWB―which grades writing mechanics, provides feedback and guides writers on how to fix their writing without fixing it for them―now includes 26 focused analyses to allow writers to focus on one or more potential problems with their writing.
All conference participants can learn about these products by visiting the Expo Hall, where they can also discover more emerging technologies in the Startup Pavilion, featuring new companies who will demo original products that are changing the marketplace. Educators can also attend the FETC Pitchfest competition, in which the best-of-the-best startups nominated by industry accelerators will present their innovative products and solutions.
FETC 2020 will feature more than 600 diverse learning opportunities organized into six distinct tracks―including the new Future of Ed Tech Library Media Specialist and Future of Ed Tech Coach tracks―and exciting keynotes by Daniel Pink and Justin Shaifer, along with the return of the popular TechSHARE LIVE!. FETC’s industry-leading expo will give attendees the opportunity to learn more about dozens of new and emerging technologies and will also include Learning Labs, Skill Builders and STEM Theater Presentations.
Registration is still open for the 2020 Future of Education Technology Conference and participants can save $50 by registering online. For additional information, visit fetc.org/register or call toll-free 1-800-727-1227.
About the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC)
The Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) annually attracts thousands of education and technology leaders for an intensive, highly collaborative exploration of new technologies, best practices and pressing issues. With basic to advanced sessions tailored to the needs of each role in the digital transformation, FETC is known as one of the nation’s premier preK-12 education technology events. FETC provides school and district administrators, classroom teachers, IT professionals, special education directors, curriculum and media specialists, and other educators with roles or interest in ed tech, the opportunity to explore the most effective integration of technology across the curriculum. FETC offers a balanced blend of administrative, instructional and technical content through targeted sessions, intensive workshops, hands-on demonstrations of the newest products, and more. Visit fetc.org for more details.
About LRP Media Group
LRP Media Group, founded in 1977 by Kenneth Kahn, is an innovative media giant serving millions of business and education professionals worldwide. Specializing in education administration, education law, education technology, federal employment, human resources, workers’ compensation and disability, LRP produces thousands of books, pamphlets, newsletters, videos and online resources. The company also produces five industry-leading print and digital magazines for key decision-makers: District Administration, Human Resources Executive®, HRM Asia, Risk & Insurance® and University Business. Additionally, LRP annually delivers top-quality training and professional development to more than 80,000 professionals through its 13 award-winning conferences and tradeshows in China, Singapore and the United States. LRP currently employs more than 500 professionals in its Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania, Singapore and Washington, D.C. offices. Headquartered in Palm Beach County since 1996, the company has more than $70 million in annual revenue. For a complete list of LRP resources, eCourses and conferences, please visit www.lrp.com.
