Four hundred SMART Board interactive whiteboards to be installed in schools across Spain
Spanish government agency selects SMART products for large education technology project
CALGARY, Alberta --- June 6, 2005 --- SMART Technologies Inc. and GroupVision Consulting Tecnologias para la Colaboración, SL, SMART’s distributor in Spain, announce the purchase of 400 SMART Board™ interactive whiteboards by Red.es, the telecommunications and information technology agency of Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce. Three hundred SMART Board interactive whiteboards, along with other technology products such as Web cameras and printers, will be installed in primary and secondary schools across the Galicia region of Spain, and the rest will be installed in schools in other regions.
The installation is part of “Internet in the Classroom,” a program promoted by Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, the Ministry of Education and Science, Red.es and regional authorities in Spain. The objective of the program is to encourage the use of technology in education by students, teachers and their families and to make technology an integral part of teaching and learning in Spain.
“The Spanish government has a sharp focus on education and understands that teachers need the best interactive tools to engage students and improve learning,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s president and co-CEO. “The installation of technology products in classrooms across a whole region shows Spain’s serious commitment to providing children with a 21st century education.”
About SMART Board interactive whiteboards
The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is a large, touch-sensitive display. Connected to a computer and projector, the interactive whiteboard is like a giant computer screen that students and teachers simply touch to operate. Using their finger or a pen as a mouse, teachers and students can access and control any computer application, file or multimedia platform, including the Internet, CD-ROMs and DVDs. They can also write over applications in digital ink, then save their work for future study and review. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard engages students with diverse learning styles by providing both immediate access to a wide range of digital materials and a common focus for the entire class – not something easily achieved with other technologies. It is the number one choice among primary and secondary school educators in more than 75 countries worldwide because the pioneering software interface captures the imagination of students of all backgrounds and abilities in order to help them learn together, understand better and achieve more. For more information, visit www.smarttech.com/smartboard.
About Red.es
La entidad pública empresarial Red.es is an agency established under the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce to spearhead the development of Spain’s telecommunications and information technology infrastructure. Its functions include formulating Internet-related regulations, monitoring, analysing and implementating telecommunications plans, and being a telecommunications consultant to the Spanish government. Red.es is also responsible for building required infrastructure and promoting the use of Internet and information technology among Spanish citizens, businesses and the education and academic community, and establishing a system of e-governance.
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For more information, contact:
Public Relations
SMART Technologies Inc.
1207 – 11 Avenue SW, Suite 300
Calgary, AB T3C 0M5
CANADA
Phone +1.403.802.2552
Fax +1.403.228.2500
pr@smarttech.com
Please note that SMART is written in all capital letters.