Tag Archives: classroom technology

Promethean Technology Key To Improved Results At St. Aidan’s

Promethean ActivClassroom solutions help the new £16 million campus at St. Aidan’s Church of England Academy, Darlington, achieve a dramatic turnaround in school attendance and academic results.

Since the implementation of the Promethean ActivClassroom with interactive whiteboards (IWB), the Academy has been transformed from one of the country’s “least effective” schools to a thriving centre of secondary education and beacon of ICT best practice.

Assistant principal, Alan Dick, commented: “We know that technology is a vital part of students’ lives, and we were determined to place it at the heart of our improvement strategy. This approach has paid immediate dividends, renewing students’ enthusiasm for lessons and giving a welcome boost to their results.”

Whereas only 19% of students left the school with five ‘good’ (A*-C) GCSE grades in 2006, this had doubled in 2009, with 39% of students achieving the benchmark – well above the national target of 30%.

Key to this transformation has been the role of classroom technology in addressing student attendance and improving the former school’s ranking as eighth worst in the national truancy league.

Alan Dick added: “Since the opening of the Academy, attendance levels have increased from 81% to over 90% – in a class of thirty, that’s the equivalent of three students turning up to class who were previously disengaged from lessons. The improvement has been influenced by a number of factors but it’s clear that students are more motivated by the use of tools such as electronic whiteboards and learner response keypads, meaning that they look forward to lessons and find it easier to participate.

These results support a recent poll by Becta, the Government agency responsible for promoting the use of ICT in schools. It reported that 95% of teachers now recognise that use of technology is raising standards in schools and colleges (Becta Raising Standards, 2009).

Via EPR Network
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New Classroom Technology Solution For Schools

RoomPro Technologies has released RoomPro ONE, a fully integrated, all-in-one classroom control and microphone system that enables K-12 educators to provide an enhanced audio and video experience to improve student learning.

New Classroom Technology Solution For Schools

RoomPro ONE is equipped with a built-in infrared (IR) microphone system that offers optimized voice enhancement and 360° sound reinforcement for full-classroom auditory learning. It also includes a wall panel for simple, one-touch control and notably features a Virtual Control Panel, RoomPro’s proprietary control panel emulation software that allows teachers to operate the system using multiple instructional technologies.

Dean Olds, president of RoomPro Technologies, says the system’s patented design offers educators several advantages.

“RoomPro ONE solves the problem of uneven classroom sound distribution and as a result the related problem of uneven learning experiences from student to student. And, with the addition of our Virtual Control Panel, we have found a way to provide educators with more convenient system control and access. Teachers can now quickly and easily operate the system at the touch of a button, whether they are working from a laptop, a wireless tablet or an interactive whiteboard,” Olds says.

Olds adds that the system’s powerful multimedia management and control seamlessly integrates devices educators need while eliminating devices they don’t—such as remotes, which can be cumbersome to use and are easily misplaced.

According to Olds, another critical advantage for educators is that the system is priced with tight school budgets in mind. “Our system is well-positioned to help schools create the classroom of tomorrow within the budget limitations of today. It essentially can be purchased for what you would expect to pay for a classroom microphone system alone,” he says.

About RoomPro Technologies
RoomPro Techologies is a leading manufacturer of audio and visual products specializing in the K-12 market and is based in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. Its all-in-one control and microphone systems are found in classrooms, conference rooms and training rooms across the country. More information is available at www.roomprotech.com.

Via EPR Network
More Education press releases