Software helps to keep Clear Creek students on task
SynchronEyes classroom management software now installed throughout district
CALGARY, Alberta --- February 9, 2006 --- SMART Technologies Inc. announces that Clear Creek Independent School District (ISD), located in League City, Texas, has successfully standardized on SynchronEyes® classroom management software. This K-12 district of 36,000 students has installed SynchronEyes software in all of its 38 campuses. The software is being used in labs, libraries and classrooms, allowing teachers to monitor computer stations, communicate more easily with students and keep them on task. Last February, the district began looking for software that would give teachers more control over what students were viewing on their computer screens without having to physically be at each computer. A committee tested several products for usability and then assessed pricing. SMART’s SynchronEyes software proved to be the ideal choice for the district.
Clear Creek ISD began installing the software in the summer of 2005. Teachers participated in SMART online training to prepare for the new classroom technology before classes commenced. School labs and libraries were a priority for installation and were the first locations to receive the software because they were the most difficult locations in which to monitor computer stations. In addition to monitoring students’ computer screens and helping ensure students are on task, the software also helps teachers identify if students are struggling with their assignments.
“We wanted the ability to see how students were progressing with their work during class. One of the added benefits is that our librarians and instructors can view students’ Internet searches without having to wander the room and physically look at the monitors,” says Kim Shelton, district administrator at Clear Creek Independent School District. “It benefits our students and our teachers, and everyone has responded to the addition of this technology in a positive way.”
“SynchronEyes software has been a helpful tool for Clear Creek ISD,” says Nancy Knowlton, president and co-CEO of SMART Technologies Inc. “With computers and laptops quickly becoming a standard in most classrooms, teachers have found it difficult to view what every student is working on and keep abreast of their progress. This is where SynchronEyes software has made such a difference.”
About SynchronEyes classroom management software
SynchronEyes classroom management 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 take control of a student’s computer to guide the student through a problem or focus attention by locking all student screens and disabling mouse devices and keyboards. Teachers can also block access to specific applications including Internet browsers, instant messaging or games. To facilitate in-class collaboration, teachers can assign students to groups, create polls and 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. For more information, visit www.smarttech.com/synchroneyes.
###
For more information, contact:
Public Relations
SMART Technologies Inc.
1207 – 11 Avenue SW, Suite 300
Calgary, AB T3C 0M5 CANADA
Phone: 403.802.2519 Fax: 403.228.2500
pr@smarttech.com
Please note that SMART is written in all capital letters.