Over 1,800 SMART Board® Interactive Flat
Panels have been installed across the award-winning school
district
CALGARY and ORLANDO, FL, May 9,
2016 /CNW/ - SMART Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SMT)
(TSX: SMA), a leading provider in collaboration solutions,
announces the implementation of the SMART Learning Suite software
bundle and SMART Board® 6065 interactive flat panels (IFPs) in
the Orange County Public School District, located in Orlando, Fla. The district, which serves
nearly 200,000 students, began running the SMART Learning Suite
software along with the implementation of SMART IFPs in
December 2015, and continued adding
IFPs to classrooms in April and May of 2016, for a total of 1,873
SMART Board IFPs across the district.
SMART's Learning Suite works seamlessly with any hardware
device, including student tablets and mobile phones, classroom
interactive displays, Chromebooks, and more. The Smart Learning
Suite combines lesson delivery, assessment, student collaboration
and game-based learning software into one ultimate suite of
education software. The SMART Board 6065 interactive flat
panel features SMART's proprietary DViT® (Digital Vision Touch)
technology and combines a premium-touch experience on a 65-inch LED
display with instant access to the SMART Learning Suite. The SMART
Board 6065 interactive flat panel is also enabled with the
award-winning SMART kapp iQ™ which allows for writing
back-and-forth between the display and any mobile device, making
group work and teacher-led instruction more dynamic.
The deployment of both the SMART Learning Suite and SMART IFPs
is supported through the district's digital curriculum, which
includes a "Bring Your Own Device" program. The intent of this
curriculum is to assist schools
in the implementation of digital learning by
increasing readiness for next-generation instruction, curriculum
and assessments. With the district-wide implementation of the SMART
Learning Suite and SMART IFPs, which allow for student interaction
with lessons on the board from their own mobile device, the
district hopes to enhance the Bring Your Own Device, and expects to
see improvement to their already successful student performance
outcomes.
"We're honored that the Orange
County Public Schools selected SMART. Students today
are digital natives who have come to rely on digital resources
and mobile devices for their learning, entertainment, and
communication. We envision
a learning environment where we can support a
child's natural curiosity and affinity for technology through
innovative pedagogy and classroom tools, which aligns well with
Orange County Public Schools'
goals of increasing collaboration and learning outcomes in the
classroom," said Neil Gaydon,
President and CEO of SMART Technologies. "Research proves that when
best pedagogical practices are supported by educational software
and connected devices, students are more likely to be engaged in
the classroom and to retain lesson material," he said.
To learn more about SMART Board interactive flat panels for
education, visit education.smarttech.com/panels.
About Orange County Public
Schools
Orange County
Public Schools is the 10th largest school district in
the nation and the fourth largest in Florida. Close to 200,000 students are
enrolled. Currently, there are more than 240 school sites
including alternative centers and charter schools. OCPS is the
second-largest employer in Orange County, Florida with
more than 22,000 full- and part-time employees. The district was
the recipient of the 2014 Broad Prize for Urban Education, the
largest education award in the country. The district also received
the Governor's Sterling Award in 2014 and 2015. It is the highest
award an organization can receive for business performance
excellence in Florida.
About SMART Technologies Inc.
SMART Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SMT, TSX: SMA) is a world
leader in simple and intuitive solutions that enable more natural
collaboration. We are an innovator in interactive touch
technologies and software that inspire collaboration in both
education and businesses around the globe. To learn more,
visit smarttech.com.
Reader's advisory
Certain information
contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking
information or statements. By their very nature, forward-looking
information and statements involve inherent risks and
uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that
predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking
information and statements will not be achieved. We caution readers
not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of
important factors could cause the actual results to vary materially
from the forward-looking information or statements. We do not
assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the
forward-looking information or statements. Any forward-looking
information and statements contained in this press release are
expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
©2016 SMART Technologies. All third-party product and
company names are for identification purposes only and may be
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Please note that SMART is written in all capital
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SOURCE SMART Technologies Inc.