SMART Board Interactive Whiteboard and SynchronEyes Computer-lab Instruction Software Win 2004 AEP Awards
Independent panel of education experts select SMART products from more than 1,400 entries
Calgary, AB – June 17, 2004 – SMART Technologies Inc. announces it has been awarded an Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) Distinguished Achievement Award for the SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard and for SynchronEyes® computer-lab instruction software. The prestigious AEP awards recognize the best materials and accomplishments in educational products and education marketing, and this year’s selections were made from more than 1,400 nominated products. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard won in the Instructional Materials – Learning Appliances category and was the only interactive whiteboard to be selected. SynchronEyes software won in the category for Administrative Software – School/Class Management. Judging criteria included ease of use, creativity, originality and education value.
This year’s AEP Awards recognized 119 educational publications, instructional materials, software products and websites as 2004’s best offerings for children and students of all ages. Entries underwent two rounds of extensive evaluation, including hands-on product testing in a school or classroom setting and judging by a national panel of writing, publishing, curriculum and design experts, educators, education editors and members of the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
“Extensive input from our education customers has helped us develop high-tech teaching tools that engage students and improve outcomes,” says Nancy Knowlton, president and co-CEO of SMART. “Recognition from the AEP, an independent panel of influential education stakeholders, confirms the importance of incorporating educators’ feedback into product development.”
About SMART Board Interactive Whiteboards
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is the world’s leading interactive whiteboard. Simply by touching the large interactive display, users can access and control any computer application or multimedia platform, including the Internet and CD-ROMs. Users can also write over applications in digital ink and then edit, save, print or post their notes to a website for future reference. SMART Board interactive whiteboards are used in classrooms, briefing rooms and boardrooms around the world, helping people to collaborate effectively whether they are in the same room or in another location. Feature-rich software and intuitive functionality make the SMART Board interactive whiteboard the number one choice of educators, presenters and trainers in more than 65 countries worldwide.
About SynchronEyes Computer-Lab Instruction Software
SynchronEyes computer-lab instruction software enables networked student workstations to be monitored and controlled from one teacher’s computer. SynchronEyes software displays thumbnail images of all students’ screens on the teacher’s desktop, so student progress can be monitored, questions answered and lessons broadcast. Teachers can focus students’ attention by blanking all student screens and locking mouse devices and keyboards. To facilitate in-class collaboration, teachers can assign students to groups, set up chat sessions and conduct tests with automatic marking. Using the File Transfer feature, teachers can distribute materials and assignments with the click of a mouse. Advanced control options help teachers take control of a student’s computer to guide the student through a problem or specify shared control for collaborative problem solving.
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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.