SMART Product Gives Live Homework TV Show High-Tech Capabilities
Two million students across New York State get interactive, on-air tutoring with SMART Board interactive whiteboard
Calgary, AB – June 1, 2004 – The SMART Board™ for Flat-Panel Displays interactive whiteboard from SMART Technologies Inc. is helping two million students across New York State prepare for critical statewide Regents exams on the popular homework hotline-style TV show, Regents Review LIVE!, produced by the New York Network and airing on local cable and PBS affiliate stations. Teachers on the fast-paced, call-in program create in-studio tutorials using digital content on the SMART Board interactive whiteboard. High school students call toll-free with questions on many subjects, including math, history, geography, earth science, chemistry, physics, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Students in New York State are required to successfully complete Regents exams to earn their high school diplomas.
For 10 years, teachers on the show used a document camera to display information on small sheets of paper. To add visual interest to teachers’ tutorials, the New York Network introduced a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, which makes handwriting and course materials easier for students to read. With whiteboarding software, the teachers now have access to an unlimited number of digital notebook pages upon which to write notes and display digital content; clip-art and background templates, such as graphing paper, protractors, molecular structures, maps and periodic tables; and teacher-developed lesson activities that make it simple to incorporate curriculum-based visuals. The producer can alternate between screenshots of the digital content and numerous camera angles that show the teacher working at the interactive whiteboard, maintaining eye contact with the students and engaging their attention. Regents Review LIVE! is also available for purchase on VHS and DVD or for free via streaming video on www.regentsreviewlive.net.
“The SMART Board interactive whiteboard delivers a more polished look and a dynamic element to the show that we didn’t have before,” says Sara Hill, production manager at the New York Network. “The programs are better because the teachers feel more confident about their presentation before the show even starts, knowing they have this teaching tool at their disposal. I’ve noticed an increase in the energy level and confidence level of our presenters, and this has definitely translated to the cameras. Our viewers have complimented us on how much better the show looks this year.”
“I thought there would be a big learning curve, but there isn’t. The teachers have quickly picked up on using the SMART Board interactive whiteboard on-air, and all the teachers have said that it’s added so much to the programs,” says Chris Conto, producer of Regents Review LIVE! “By giving the teachers easy access to plenty of blank whiteboard pages, graphing templates, maps and all resources, we’re finding that the SMART Board interactive whiteboard speeds up the show. It adds a dynamic element in that we can move quickly between pages with just a mouse click, literally.”
"In today’s digital age, students are exposed to visually appealing multimedia and technology in many aspects of everyday life,” says Nancy Knowlton, president and co-CEO of SMART. “The New York Network has recognized this generation’s fluency with technology, and its on-air use of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard is effective in engaging its tech-savvy audience.”
About SMART Board for Flat-Panel Displays Interactive Whiteboards
The SMART Board for Flat-Panel Displays interactive whiteboard is an overlay that attaches to a plasma display or liquid crystal display. The overlay fastens easily and securely to the display, enabling users to control computer applications or navigate websites simply by touching the display surface. Users can write over applications in digital ink and then edit, save, print or post their notes online for future reference. The interactive whiteboard preserves the crisp, bright image of the display and is available for many popular models, for screen sizes ranging from 37" to 63" (94–160 cm).
The number one choice of educators around the world, award-winning SMART Board interactive whiteboards are used in more than 100,000 classrooms worldwide to improve student outcomes. The SMART Board products include a wide range of front-projection, rear-projection, in-wall and flat-panel overlay models to suit various budgets and environments.
About The New York Network
The New York Network is a service of the State University of New York, and Regents Review LIVE! is produced in collaboration with the Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers of New York State. The New York Network offers a broad range of high quality video programming on cable stations and public access channels. Programming is designed to improve classroom instruction in K–12 and boost student performance on New York’s high-stakes tests. The New York Network also provides video training options for various state agencies and commercial clients. For more information, visit www.nyn.suny.edu or www.regentsreviewlive.net.
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For more information, please contact:
Public Relations
SMART Technologies Inc.
300, 1207 - 11th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB CANADA T3C 0M5
Phone +1.403.802.3337 Fax +1.403.228.2500
pr@smarttech.com
Please note that SMART is written in all capital letters.