Mimio Blog

Last week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris Cacioppo, our fearless leader of R&D, to talk about the MimioMobile™ iPad app. We’ve already told you about the app’s features and benefits on our product page and in our marketing activities, but I was interested in hearing about the process of creating the MimioMobile app, why we decided it was the right thing to do, and how this app will help the educators we serve. If you have questions about the MimioMobile app, go ahead and leave them in the comments section below, and I will get Chris to answer them for you.

Alyssa: Why did Mimio decide to develop the MimioMobile iPad app?

Chris: We noticed that there were more tablet in the classroom and we wanted to embrace this technology.  First we noticed that teachers were using several different remote-control desktop utilities with their tablets, and they liked the flexibility they offered. So we took those features, enhanced them, and used them as the basis of MimioMobile.  Then we added great features for students, such as voting, collaboration and sharing of the desktop, and voila, our initial offering of MimioMobile. 

Alyssa: What research did you do to create the product?

Chris: We talked to a lot of teachers, as well as our sales team, to see what teachers needed to enhance their classrooms. It was clear that they wanted the flexibility to move around their classrooms. They wanted to be able to engage their students and keep them interested in the lessons by giving them control of the technology. They also didn’t want the technology to get in the way of teaching – rather, they wanted the technology to enhance it.  That’s how we determined we needed remote desktop, voting, and collaboration.

Alyssa: Tell me how MimioMobile is different from the MimioPad™ wireless pen tablet.

Chris: MimioMobile does more than MimioPad, but due to the nature of the iPad, MimioMobile is not as precise as MimioPad from a tracking standpoint. If you were to compare the functionality of a MimioPad and an iPad, you would find that MimioPad is more responsive and feels more accurate. Don’t get me wrong – we are best-in-class for remote desktop on an iPad.  But because of technology limitations, the iPad will never be as good as a dedicated piece of hardware like MimioPad. If you were to use the two side by side, you would see the difference. But some people have iPads and they want that flexibility, so we are giving them the option.

We also knew that voting would be an interesting piece. We wanted to make an absolute copy of the functionality of our MimioVote™ assessment. The app actually shows a picture of the handsets and has the exact functionality of the handsets. If you have a MimioVote system already, you can add a few MimioPad tablets if you need them. They become additional student numbers in MimioStudio™ Gradebook.

So now that we had remote desktop and voting, we wanted to do more. The third piece came about when we added the Collaboration feature to MimioPad. We wanted to give schools the flexibility of having some iPads and some MimioPad tablets, or even android tablets. We wanted them to both work in similar ways. We found that allowing the kids to see what’s going on via the small screen on a tablet was really cool.

Alyssa: What features are unique to MimioMobile?

Chris: No one else has the Collaboration feature, which allows the students to work together on problems. Also, our remote-desktop performance is by far the easiest to use. We integrated the control panel on the top of your screen, so that you can do most of the functions in MimioStudio right from the iPad – no fumbling, trying to hit little buttons, or going back and forth to your computer. Also, the controls are dynamic, so that when you give control to the students, they may only have certain functions available to them, allowing the teachers to have complete control over the classroom.

I also love the QR code pairing feature. You see some products using a discovery method, which requires the software to do a broadcast to send signals to find all of the iPads. This takes up a lot of bandwidth and creates tech-support nightmares, so that was unacceptable to us. So my team came to me and explained what they were trying to do, and I said, “I know how we can solve this – we can just use a QR code!”

Alyssa: So how does the QR code work?

Chris: When you activate MimioMobile, there’s a screen with a QR code, which gives you approximate targeting. You just point the iPads in that direction, since MimioMobile is constantly scanning. As soon as it finds the QR code, it just logs in and connects all of the iPads to MimioStudio. It’s almost instantaneous.

Alyssa: When you say that MimioMobile is better than other tools, what do you mean?

Chris: The two things we focused on were making as little delay as possible, and keeping the amount of data we passed back and forth to a minimum. Keeping the delay short meant that when users moved the stylus, the computer would quickly register the movement. The faster it happens, the more natural it feels. Keeping the amount of data to a minimum addresses the concerns of tech directors, who worry about infrastructure and how much bandwidth is being used on Wi-Fi. We used advanced compression algorithms to address these concerns.

Finally, MimioMobile integrates tightly into MimioStudio software.  Everything is closely integrated from the menus. That also makes it better.

Alyssa: Is there anything else you would want people to know about MimioMobile, from a technical perspective?

Chris: The other thing that’s exciting for tech directors is that we do not utilize the popular Multi-Cast or Broadcast network protocols, which are difficult to configure and often waste significant amounts of bandwidth. One tech director actually came up to me when I was in his school and asked me specifically if we use that software. When I said no, he said, “That makes me so happy!”

Also, we’ve already talked about this today, but I want to reiterate the low bandwidth, the low amount of data, and the high responsiveness.

Alyssa: Should every classroom have MimioMobile?

Chris: Of course. If a school is adopting tablets, then MimioMobile is a really valuable piece. With all of the functionality we’ve talked about, it’s a very cheap addition to the classroom. It’s got a lot of bang for the buck, at $199 for an entire classroom!

Please visit the iTunes App Store to download your copy. Note that you must have MimioStudio 10 software installed on your computer.

If you have a question for Chris, go ahead and leave it in the comments below.

 

Would you like a free trial of MimioMobile?

Click the button to get a free 30 day trial of MimioMobile. You must have an active version of MimioStudio in order to activate the trial. 

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Because children are naturally very curious and love to experiment, the childhood years provide a perfect opportunity to help kids develop a love for learning and especially a love for science.  That’s what our very own Dr. Marta Leon, head of Mimio’s Instructional Development team believes, too.  I recently sat down with Dr. Leon to learn more about how our recently launched MimioScience curriculum came to be….and, here’s what she had to say:

 

Q: Why is MimioScience different, what makes it the perfect resource for classroom teachers?

A: We believe MimioScience is going to become an essential resource to ensure that students master key scientific ideas in a way that is manageable for teachers and engaging for students. The lessons provide a solid foundation on science concepts and practices, which can later be extended to field experiments, science projects, and the wide variety of hands-on activities available to science teachers.

MimioScience affords teachers all the flexibility they need in today’s multimodal environment. The program is non-linear, which means that teachers can select any lesson or lessons that match their needs. Each lesson can be taught as a whole-group activity or delivered to small groups based on students’ level or entry skill set. Teachers can alternate between MimioScience and other curricula as desired, knowing that MimioScience is equipping their students with knowledge that prepares them to truly understand science concepts and practices. Each lesson is self-contained and includes all the instruction, practice, assessment, and ideas for extension projects to ensure mastery of the learning objectives.

Q: Is MimioScience aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)?

A: Yes!  MimioScience is one of the first programs aligned to the New Generation Science Standards and has a strong emphasis on learning key disciplinary concepts and principles, as well as crosscutting ideas that apply to any scientific endeavor regardless of discipline. The program helps students think like scientists by guiding students to analyze, describe, and provide rationales for observed phenomena using the scientific vocabulary and reasoning skills taught in the lessons.

Q:  What research supports MimioScience?

A: MimioScience is based on the science of concept teaching, in which cases of a concept or principle are varied systematically until students learn to identify the key characteristics of a concept or the necessary conditions in which a principle applies, across a wide variety of applicable and non-applicable scenarios.

The science of concept teaching is one of the two research pillars of MimioScience. The other research pillar is the field testing that was an integral part of the program’s development. All of the lessons that comprise the program were brought into real classrooms and tested with real teachers and students in order to refine and revise any aspect that could be improved. These tested and improved lessons then became MimioScience, available to teachers and students who can rest assured that the lessons they are using were refined based on input from other teachers and students.

Q: When will MimioScience be available?

A: In June, 25 physical science units (about 80 lessons) and 17 science processes units (about 51 lessons) will be available for downloading. During the winter of 2014, Mimio will release 7 engineering and technology units and 17 Earth and space units (about 51 lessons). Twelve life science units (about 36 lessons) will become available for downloading in April 2014.  Each unit is a stand-alone piece with all necessary instruction, practice, in-school activities, and suggested extension activities for students to continue applying what they learned. Assessment probes are embedded within the lessons, and teachers have the option of modifying MimioScience assessments, practices and instruction. Directives for lesson delivery and feedback to students are included in the lessons.

Download our New White Paper: Understanding Concepts: Implications for Science Teaching

Dr. Joe Layng writes about concepts: what they are, what does it mean to understand them and the challenges of concept teaching.

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Join us on Friday May 3rd at 4:30 EST for our next free webinar. Paul Gigliotti will talk about creating engaging, blended learning environments using collaborative, project-based learning tools and content from Mimio. With over 14 years in the classroom, Paul lives and breathes social studies and educational technology. His enthusiasm is contagious so this is sure to be a fun hour! 

Just like all of our webinars, a certificate for CEU credits will be offered after the webinar.

 

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Who's ready for summer break? We've created a new Summer Gallery Pack containing fun summer images, templates, multimedia and lessons/activities. Short lessons for PreK – 6th grade in language arts and math along with camping, beach, and other summer themes that are sure to get your students ready for summer! 

Use the templates, clipart and multimedia to create your own Mimio lessons too.

Happy Summer!

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Teaching is changing. Fast. Old-school techniques and tools are no longer up to the task. Today’s students have grown up immersed in a world of technology. This digital generation responds to student-centered, interactive learning environments. Ask them about chalkboards or filmstrips, and they’ll likely be asleep before they can answer. But have them describe how they want to be taught today, and you will hear words like “fun,” “engaging,” and “interactive.” This generation is not stationary – it’s mobile. Tablet devices, interactive whiteboards, and captivating software programs are what today’s students want and need in order to learn.

We’ve been talking with you, our educator community, about some of the challenges you face and how we can help you solve them. What we have found is that you are looking for technology that’s both easy to use and affordable. You want professional development that’s available both in-person and online, to accommodate schedules and budgets. You need curriculum that’s aligned to the Common Core State Standards – curriculum that teachers don’t have to modify unless they want to, and that includes embedded formative assessment. Above all, you want technology that works to increase student achievement.

Our Solution

Over the past year, we have extended our classroom technology offerings with an array of innovative hardware, software, and curriculum products that we hope will solve your problems. We launched a new interactive display called the MimioProjector™ interactive projector, which joins our other display systems: the portable MimioTeach™ interactive whiteboard and the MimioBoard™ fixed board solution. No matter what your current technology, we have a solution that can help you leverage what you’ve already purchased.

We also recently improved our award-winning MimioStudio™ software. MimioStudio software continues to be the best software solution for interactive teaching tools. Working with our newly upgraded MimioPad™ wireless pen tablet, MimioStudio software now provides educators with the tools needed to create a truly collaborative learning environment. MimioStudio software works with iPads and with all other software programs, including PowerPoint.

Mimio Goes Mobile

In January, we launched our new MimioMobile™ application to help teachers incorporate iPads into their classrooms. Along with MimioPad tablets and other Mimio devices and content, teachers have at their fingertips the ability to create true collaborative and engaging learning environments for their students.

Creating Content Aligned to the Common Core

Mimio also provides Pre-K−8 adaptive reading instruction and lessons with the MimioReading™ comprehension suite, now also available for use on iPads. In March we launched MimioScience™ interactive lessons. The MimioScience curriculum aligns to the recently released science standards (Next Generation Science Standards), and includes an extensive series of over 225 high-quality lessons for students in grades 3-8.

We’re not done. Expanding our product portfolio with more software platforms, cloud-based offerings, and enhanced technologies is on the horizon.

Our Professional Development Team Is Also Hard At Work

We have always been committed to helping teachers, offering no-cost online training opportunities, as well as in-person in-depth classes geared towards educators who would like to master using interactive technology in the classroom. Many graduates of these programs return to their districts and become a great resource to their colleagues.

We hope that the work we are doing aligns with your needs. Leave us a comment below and let us know how we’re doing.

We also invite you to take a look at a case study of the Hempfield, PA school district. Their problem was that their classroom technology sat on a shelf unused. Read the case study or watch the video to see how our solution solved their problem.

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Join us in celebrating our amazing planet Earth this month with this free interactive lesson series.  Students will explore recycling, water conservation, and energy conservation in a K-6 grade lesson and take a more in depth look at renewable and non-renewable energy sources in a 7-12 grade lesson.   Learn more about how each of us can help contribute to caring for the Earth.  These lessons include the opportunity to use the Collaborate feature, new in MimioStudio 10 and use MimioMobile with the optional license.

Go get Your Free Lessons Today!

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Interested in learning how to use educational technology to foster a collaborative learning environment in your classrooms? Then join us for our next webinar, "Teacher-Directed Instruction Using Interactive Technologies," taking place this Friday, March 22, 2013. Special Education and Earth Science Teacher Maribeth Lowe will discuss her adoption of educational technology and describe how she created a collaborative learning environment in her classrooms. 

Register today to reserve your seat. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording of the webinar, shortly after the live presentation.

The Details: Teacher-Directed Instruction Using Interactive Technologies Friday, March 22, 2013 4:00 PM ET (1:00 PM PT)

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Today we are proud to announce the launch of MimioScience™ interactive lessons. This state-of-the-art software, one of the first to address the upcoming Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), comprises an extensive series of 75 interactive whiteboard units that provide more than 225 high-quality lessons for students in grades 3-8.

MimioScience Distills Science Teaching to its Fundamental Core Elements: Concepts, Principles, and Processes

“Science education in the United States is frequently described as ‘a mile wide and an inch deep,’” said Manny Perez, Mimio’s general manager. “As schools attempt to cover everything from physical science to life science, nothing is taught or learned in sufficient depth, a problem that really plagues science education. Our goal in developing MimioScience was to design a teaching tool that effectively and efficiently distills science teaching to its fundamental core elements: concepts, principles, and processes. The lessons’ targeted activities give students a way to apply and extend what they’ve learned through application and inquiry.”

Moving away from presenting science content as a list of facts to be memorized, the MimioScience curriculum is organized into a set of practices to be performed. Every grade-appropriate activity, tested for effectiveness by students and teachers alike, ties a particular science content or principle to a science practice. In this way, MimioScience interactive lessons support the aim of the NGSS, which is to identify what students can do, not just how many memorized facts they can recount. Each lesson works on Mimio interactive whiteboards and those developed by other vendors.

Young Minds are Curious About Science at an Early Age

T. V. Joe Layng, Ph.D., director of learning sciences at Mimio and one of the key authors of the MimioScience lessons stated, “We know science education is not working well for many students in the United States. We also know our system of education is strongly connected to our ability to compete in an increasingly global economy dependent on highly skilled workers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Learning in science begins in early childhood, and we designed MimioScience with that in mind. This is a time when young minds are curious about science and ready to engage in the science practices and language that form an underpinning that can be built upon and strengthened throughout the rest of a student’s K–12 education.”

In June, 26 physical science units (about 80 lessons) and 18 science processes units (about 54 lessons) will be available for downloading. During the winter of 2014, Mimio will release 7 engineering and technology units and 18 earth and space units (about 54 lessons). Twelve life science units (about 36 lessons) will become available for download in April 2014.

Buy MimioScience Now and Get Two Academic Years of Use For The Price of One

The price of the MimioScience interactive lessons is $1,299 per school per year. Schools that buy the software now will get two academic years (2013-2015) of use for the price of one year’s purchase. In addition, schools will have access to MimioStudio software during the same academic years.

The MimioScience curriculum is the second content package by Mimio. The company also offers MimioReading™ comprehension suite, a research-based supplemental reading comprehension program for grades 3-8. The software program’s advanced design uses both individualized adaptive reading instruction and whole-group reading lessons for interactive whiteboards to improve reading test scores.

Both content programs are integrated with the MimioClassroom suite of interactive technologies, including MimioTeach™ interactive whiteboard, which converts any dry erase board into a fully interactive whiteboard; MimioProjector™ interactive projector, which allows teachers to simply connect the device to their computer to project lessons, graphics, and images onto a conventional dry erase board or other flat surface; MimioVote™ assessment; MimioView™ document camera; MimioPad™ wireless pen tablet; and MimioCapture™ ink recorder.

With the recently introduced MimioMobile™ license, teachers can direct a fully collaborative learning environment using the MimioStudio™ 10 classroom software. With a single MimioMobile license for the teacher’s computer or laptop, every student with an iPad® or iPad mini can interact with lessons displayed on the classroom’s interactive whiteboard. Additionally, teachers can use the MimioMobile app to control the interactive whiteboard and display the MimioScience lessons in MimioStudio software, from anywhere in the room.

“In order to produce a steady supply of young people who are well prepared to meet the new standards in science, we have to change the way we ‘teach’ science,” said Perez. “With MimioScience and its concept-focused approach, we have harnessed the transformative potential of technology, coupled with collaborative learning opportunities and fresh content, to help teachers strengthen their existing lessons and drive learning outcomes higher.”

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Mimio has always been committed to delivering amazing innovation across our hardware, software and content offerings.  Today, we are pleased to announce our newest initiative – a collaboration developed in order to work to close student achievement gaps.  This new alliance gives us a unique opportunity to help educators leverage our best-in-class interactive whiteboard and student response system technologies with DigiCore’s common core standards aligned, integrated platform of supplemental digital math and language arts lessons and assessments for students in grades K-8.

The DigiCore content covers language arts and math, including algebra, and is developed for Common Core Assessment. In addition to the Common Core State Standards, the content is aligned to California State Standards as well as Texas Essential Knowledge Skills. The materials provide comprehensive lessons, practice activities, reviews and assessments that support the re-teaching of essential skills to students who are struggling to meet grade level benchmarks and prepare them for the higher-level thinking required in the new Common Core Assessments.

The good news: the assessments don’t stop at multiple-choice questions and matching activities. 

The robust offering is constructed of response or short answer questions and provides more opportunities for students to explain their answers and show their work, as they will have to do in the new Common Core State Standards Assessments.

In addition, the DigiCore solution also includes a unique professional teacher development component that offers 16 strategies with built-in management directives that will guide all teachers toward successful collaborative instruction. By implementing the collaborative learning strategies, teachers develop important listening and speaking skills needed to ensure students take ownership of increasing retention and mastery.

Mimio and DigiCore Together

By combining Mimio educational technology with the DigiCore digital content and collaborative learning strategies, educators now have the ability to adhere to one of the most commonly-stated principles of effective technology integration – it must happen across the curriculum in ways that deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world examples.

At our core, we consider that how a teacher incorporates technology into their classroom management is integral to using it.  All of us at Mimio and DigiCore are passionate about equipping educators with simple, practical and meaningful collaborative teaching strategies to increase student academic performance. We recognize that offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple technologies ultimately enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas like math and language arts, teachers are transformed into advisers, content experts, and coaches. And isn’t that what it’s all about -- making teaching AND learning more meaningful and fun?

To learn more about our new partner, DigiCore, please call 888-525-0005 or visit www.mydigicore.com

I am so pleased to tell you about a new webinar that will be hosted by the extremely talented and fun Lynn Reedy. Lynn, who is Educational Technology Specialist for the Stafford Public Schools, was an early adopter of educational technology. She is always willing to share the experience of migrating the Stafford Schools to the 21st century classroom. In this webinar, she will describe how to use educational technology to create collaborative learning environments.

The Details: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 10:00 AM ET (7:00 AM PT)

Be sure to register today to reserve your seat. Everyone who registers will have access to a recording of the webinar, which will be available shortly after the live presentation.

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Funding Webinar Rescheduled

We now have a date for the rescheduled Educational Funding webinar. Dr. Jenny House from RedRock Reports will be walking us through the following grants:

• Race to the Top District and Early Learning grants
• Invest in Innovation (i3) grants. 

I'm sure you’ll have a lot of questions, so we've left time for Dr. House to answer them at the end of her presentation. We've received great feedback from our first funding webinar, so be sure to dial in!

The Details:  Wednesday, March 20th, 6PM EST.

If you have already signed up, there's nothing you need to do other than dial in on March 20th. We will be sending you an email with the details in the next day or two.

If you haven't signed up, do it now!

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MimioReading™ Software is in a Growing Number of Iowa Schools and Local After-School Organizations

A growing number of schools and districts across Iowa are making the research-based MimioReading™ comprehension suite software their choice for developing elementary students’ fundamental reading and comprehension skills. In addition, two Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands in Council Bluffs and Carter Lake in Iowa and four of its clubs in Omaha neighboring Nebraska, have added MimioReading as an academic enrichment program and report a 37 percent increase in oral reading fluency among their seven- and eight-year-old club members. These programs join many others across the state, in Cedar Rapids, Charles City, Perry, Oskaloosa, Lynnville Sully and Panorama, which have purchased MimioReading during the past few years.

Aligned with Common Core State Standards

MimioReading Lessons are aligned with common core state standards for English Language Arts, MimioReading programs teach strategies for mastering the four primary components of comprehension – finding facts, making inferences, identifying themes and the “main idea,” and learning vocabulary in context – via age-appropriate content and challenging, meaningful activities that improve retention and promote collaboration.

The software system offers a program for individualized instruction, which is designed to improve reading comprehension in grades three through five and provide effective intervention for grades five through eight. The program also includes MimioSprout™, which incorporates hundreds of instructional routines that automatically adapt to the specific needs and learning pace of each student. All routines have been tested for effectiveness and have been proven, both in the lab and in actual classrooms, to build basic reading skills.

Cedar Rapids Has Been Using MimioReading For 4 Years

Cedar Rapids Community School District, an urban district with 22 elementary schools, gained confidence in MimioReading when it began using the reading program four years ago. The district faces significant challenges since nearly half of its students qualify for free and reduced lunches, and its teachers contend with a student population that collectively speaks 23 different language

“When our district first began using the program, we used the MimioSprout to support our beginning readers as they developed their basic phonics skills. Over time, we expanded use of the program to our struggling readers in the intermediate grades. The MimioReading software provides additional exposure for students needing support with their comprehension skills.” said Jennifer Nurre, Instructional Coach for Cedar Rapids Community School District. “As educators, we know this is the key to improving performance as measured on high-stakes standardized tests.”

Cedar Rapids kindergarteners use MimioSprout every day to develop their basic reading skills. In addition, Cedar Rapids students in grades one through five have daily access to the program as an intervention resource in the reading lab.

“The strategies in the program help non-readers become readers,” added Nurre. “I believe it produces greater academic success for our students as they move from learning to read to reading in order to learn in multiple curricular areas, including science, social studies, language arts, and mathematics.”

The Boys and Girls Clubs Use MimioReading, Too

Also using MimioReading are Boys & Girls of the Midlands in Council Bluffs and Carter Lake. Like four other Boys & Girls Clubs in the neighboring state of Nebraska, they have found that the software delivers exceptional results that help the students in their Readers to Leaders childhood literacy program.

“Our seven-year-old club readers gained on average one school year’s worth of reading skills after just 12 weeks of using MimioReading three times per week,” said Julie Frizzell, reading program director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands. “The students also saw tremendous growth in their oral reading fluency scores -- soaring by 37 percent.”

Frizzell also noted they encountered unexpected results, too.

“We saw the children’s self-confidence improve, episodes of misbehavior decreased, and their overall attitude about reading became much more positive, they were really excited to use the program once they saw their individual results improve. I saw one child start the program unable to read aloud every other word in a book, and now he’s reading fluently! The program consistently delivers outstanding results.”

Nurre added, “We have known for a long time that not all reading programs are created equal. What we have with MimioReading is a system that lets educators teach in a way that works best for their students and their classroom. MimioSprout and MimioReading are programs that help to support the differentiation of learning for all of our students to learn at high levels.”

 

Find out how MimioReading comprehension suite can help your district. 

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Recently a customer asked us the following question: “I have been asked many times how Mimio got its name. Since the name can refer to the older mimeo duplicating machine, people ask why?” We are fortunate because one of the founders of our company happens to be our General Manager, Manny Perez, so we were able to quickly get our answer. Here’s what Manny had to say:

“When Virtual Ink (now Mimio) was first started we were looking for a name for our first product.   Our first product was a device that attached to any whiteboard and allowed the real-time capture of handwritten notes and drawings directly to a connected computer.  The name of this product, “mimio”, is derived from a similar device called a mimeograph.  A mimeograph is an older technology that was used to makes copies of written, drawn, or typed material from a stencil that is fitted around an inked drum.  A fitting name for a product that made copies of what was on a whiteboard.”

That product has evolved into MimioCapture ink recorder and is alive and well today!

Are you interested in seeing what else Mimio has evolved? Take a look at the new school.

 

Do you have any other questions you’ve wanted to ask? Put them into the comments section and we’ll be sure to get back to you soon!

Hi Everyone,

Due to unforeseen circumstances we have to postpone the webinar we have scheduled for 6:00 EST today, February 25th. If you were registered for the webinar you will receive an email that contains the new date and time. You won't have to register again.

If you haven't registered, go ahead and do so today and you will be on the notification list. We received great feedback from our first webinar so we know it will be time well spent!

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Have you heard about our upcoming webinar? It is the second in our series on funding opportunities. Dr. Jenny House will once again lead the discussion which will be focused on Race to the Top district and early learning as well as Invest in Innovation. This is sure to be an hour full of great information about:

• What these grants cover including demographics, intent and audience
• Who is eligible and how you can use those funds for your educational technology purchases. 

In many cases you may already have these funds and not know how to apply them. Dr. House will tell you how.
The details:

Monday, February 25, 2013 at 6:00 PM ET (3:00 PM PT)

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In February, we celebrate and honor the lives and rich contributions of African Americans throughout our history. Black History is filled with tales of inspiring and heroic people and many of these men and woman have overcome great obstacles to impact remarkable change on the United States.

To celebrate Black History month, we have created free lessons to use with MimioStudio classroom software.  In these interactive and engaging lessons (grades K-5 and grades 6-12) we examine Black History and the lives of a few of these extraordinary individuals: Abolitionists Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass; Civil Rights Activists Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and more current leaders, Thurgood Marshall and President Barack Obama.

We would love to hear your feedback on these lessons, so don’t forget to come back and let us know what you think!

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It used to be that textbooks, chalkboards, lectures, and note-taking were enough to provide an effective education. But these “old school” teaching tools and techniques are no longer up to the task. To be truly successful, students now need to have a deep comprehension of concepts and develop “21st Century” skills like critical thinking and collaboration.

These new requirements have sent whirlwinds of change across K-12 education. The Common Core State Standards, which focus on developing in-depth conceptual understanding from the early grades onward, have been adopted by 46 states plus the District of Columbia. Race to the Top funding for innovation and reform has replaced No Child Left Behind accountability mandates. Are all these changes worth the effort?  What will the final result look like? Despite the challenges that educators face, I think that both teachers and students are going to thrive in the new learning environment.

We are moving away from “teaching to the test” toward teaching for learning’s sake. Best teaching practices now consist of cross-curricular instruction and project-based, student-centric approaches that capture students’ interest and boost their ownership of the learning experience.

In our view, accessing this new educational landscape requires four key components: teacher-directed instruction, real-time formative assessment, collaborative learning, and adaptive instruction. In addition, teachers need tools that allow them to fit those components into lessons in easy and engaging ways.

Teacher-Directed Instruction

Student-centric environments make learners more engaged, more collaborative, and more motivated, but the teacher is essential for guiding instruction and keeping students on task. Interactive whiteboard and tablet technologies facilitate teacher-led instruction, while allowing students to interact with lessons and each other for a hands-on, in-depth learning experience.

Real-Time Formative Assessment

In order to differentiate instruction or direct small-group learning, teachers need to measure students’ understanding in real time. The sooner a teacher knows if and how a student needs help, the more options that teacher will have for adjusting instruction accordingly. Assessment tools like handsets, iPad applications, and programs with diagnostic and evaluation measures can be seamlessly integrated into lessons in order to provide data.

Collaborative Learning

Learning to collaborate helps to develop students’ critical thinking skills and build their knowledge across all curricular areas. These skills are essential for their future success and align to the new Common Core State Standards. Tools like interactive whiteboards, tablets, and iPad apps let students share their group work in real time. And group-instruction software programs explicitly teach collaboration skills.

Adaptive Instruction

Adaptive technology helps educators evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each student, which ties into formative assessment and also aids small-group and differentiated instruction. The technology reveals how and why a particular student is struggling, so that the teacher can help that student master any concepts that are causing difficulty. In fact, adaptive instruction in reading programs is known to be one of the most effective ways to teach children to read.

Integrating Technology and the Four Keys for a Bold “New World”

You probably noticed that I included suggestions for interactive technologies with each component that I listed. Combining teacher-directed instruction, collaborative learning, real-time formative assessment, and adaptive instruction with interactive technology will allow educators to meet the needs of all learners at all levels. It won’t matter whether the student is an English-language learner, is on an IEP, or is at the “gifted” end of the spectrum in terms of ability. With the Internet and other technologies now available, educators and students can access education in an entirely new way.

Educational technology companies like Mimio have a responsibility to facilitate this new world of learning with the tools and services that educators and students now require. At our company, we’ve addressed the changes in the education field by focusing on technologies that can turn any classroom into an interactive and collaborative learning environment.

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We’ve shared our vision of what education will look like. Comment below to share your vision with us and your fellow readers of Mimio Educator.