- Schools in Texas, Nebraska and North Carolina Snag Top Honors to Receive State-of-the-Art Interactive Technology -

DENTON, Texas, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- eInstruction, a premier global provider of learning technology, announced today the grand prize winners of its third annual Classroom Makeover Video Contest. The winners, representing the top video submissions from hundreds of entries from around the United States and Canada, were selected by a guest judging panel and through votes submitted by the general public on the contest website, www.eimakeover.com.

The recipients of more than $30,000 in classroom technology from eInstruction, Dell, 3M, Texas Instruments and other educational technology companies are:

Grades K-5 Winner: Ms. Karen Rose's class from Harry McKillop Elementary School in Melissa, Texas. Their video, "We Use Technology," can be viewed at http://eimakeover09.shycast.com/p/1.

"Just participating in the contest has so positively impacted my classroom, I can only imagine the wonderful impact that actually winning the equipment will have," said Ms. Rose. "However, the most amazing part of the contest has been the incredible support we have received. The small town of Melissa is a family, and everyone came together to support these great kids. I'm so proud of my students. They work exceptionally hard and constantly amaze me with their creativity, spirit, and determination to learn as much as they can every single day. I'm so excited that they will have access to all of these new tools."

Grades 6-8 Winner: Ms. Joy Schott's 6th grade Technology and Computer Sciences Class at Burwell Elementary School in Burwell, Nebraska. Their video, "It's All Technology," can be viewed at http://eimakeover09.shycast.com/p/1.

"The video contest was a great adventure where my students learned how much support we have for their education," said Ms. Schott. "We appreciate the opportunity since budgets are tight and aren't completely there for schools like ours."

Grades 9-12 Winner: Ms. Molly Rice's Theater Arts Class at Saint Stephens High School in Hickory, North Carolina. Their video, "The Tractor Shed Zone," can be viewed at http://eimakeover09.shycast.com/p/1.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to win this amazing prize from eInstruction for our music video entry for the Classroom Makeover contest. The arts are always last on the list to receive technology," said Ms. Rice. "My classroom badly needed a make-over since it is a converted tractor shed with one working computer. I will finally have the tools I need as an educator to truly reach my students, foster 21st century learning skills, and globalize my program. This visionary award will undoubtedly make a lasting contribution to the educational lives of my students -- present and future."

As a token of appreciation for the time and hard work invested by all entrants, eInstruction is presenting each participating class with a free copy of INTERWRITE Workspace® LE. Each runner-up will also receive a copy of INTERWRITE Workspace® LE, a set of CPS(TM) IR clickers, and an INTERWRITE Mobi®.

"I had so much fun watching all of the entries, and several of my colleagues kept looking over my shoulder and offering their critiques," said Jenna Johnson, Student Life and Culture Reporter for the Washington Post. "It was very, very difficult to judge the entries because they were all fabulous. Congratulations to everyone!"

Fellow judge Dr. Don Knezek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) said, "It was a pleasure to judge these video projects. To see students thinking creatively and collaborating with peers, teachers and others to communicate using digital-age, media rich strategies is particularly reassuring. I congratulate eInstruction for stimulating this level of engagement and productivity."

Christine Weiser, Managing Editor of Technology & Learning magazine, said, "I was very impressed with the obvious hard work that teachers and students put into the videos for the contest. Their passion for technology and quality education was evident. Congratulations should go to all of the participating schools for their efforts."

Other judges included Jackie Nespral, anchor of NBC News in Miami and Pat Harvey, anchor of CBS Prime 9 News in Los Angeles.

Each winner will receive a complete interactive classroom makeover with advanced interactive technology, including:

• INTERWRITEMobi(TM) System - A mobile version of the popular interactive whiteboard, Mobi is the industry's first and only multi-user, multi-tablet system that enables both teacher and students to concurrently interact with and contribute to the same digital content from anywhere in the classroom. Also a first, Mobi's built-in color LCD display reports student responses instantly, making it easy for teachers to identify students who need special attention or topics that require re-teaching.
• INTERWRITE DualBoard(TM) - The first interactive whiteboard that allows two people or teams to work at the board simultaneously using two interactive pens.
• CPSPulse(TM) - The most advanced version of the market-leading Classroom Performance System used by millions of students and teachers around the world.
• ExamView® Assessment Suite - Featuring Test Generator, Test Manager and Test Player, making it easy for teachers to create, administer and manage both formative and summative assessments.
• ExamView® Learning Series - A collection of more than 12,000 unique, high-quality, grade-appropriate questions specifically aligned to state standards and core curriculum topics in language arts, math, reading, science and social studies. The Learning Series works together with the Assessment Suite to help teachers review, reinforce and supplement standards-based instruction.
• Dell Latitude 2100 Netbooks - A lightweight, mobile computer that gives modern classrooms a new gateway to discovery and collaboration. The Netbook features an exclusive Network Activity Light, enabling teachers to monitor network activity and identify students who might be focusing on something other than the assignment at hand.
• 3M Super Close Projection System - DLP projector with 3M(TM) Vikuiti(TM) Super Close Projection technology that can project the same image from 40 inches as a conventional projector does from 10 feet away.
• SP Control System - Simple, intuitive control systems with modular pass-through input patch points.
• Fablevision Live Wire School Bundle - Helps teachers transform the learning environment and integrate writing, creativity and self-expression across the curriculum.
• Study Island programs - Online standards-based learning programs designed specifically to help students master the skills and knowledge described in each state's unique set of standards.
• Texas Instruments TI-34MV (grades K-5 winners) and TI-73 (grades 6-8 winners) Calculator Emulator - Software that projects an interactive representation of a scientific calculator and features unique instructional capabilities.
• Texas Instruments TI-Nspire Teacher Edition Emulator (grades 9-12 winners) - Software component for teachers that enables enhanced document editing to create materials for students using handheld calculators.
• Inspiration Inspiration® Software (grades 6-8 and grades 9-12 winners) - visual thinking and learning tools students rely on to plan, research and complete projects successfully.
• Inspiration Kidspiration® Software (grades K-5 winners) - software that develops thinking, literacy and numeracy skills using proven visual learning principles.
• eTap Campus License and Workspace Lessons - eTap's curriculum includes instruction, practice exercises, and assessments, as well as audio/video tutorials and links to interactive activities to make learning motivating and engaging.
• Professional Development Package - a day-long program designed to introduce teachers and students to their new technology.

The complete eInstruction Classroom Makeover is valued at approximately $30,000. In addition to the classroom technology, winners will receive a $1,000 cash prize and a celebratory party for the entire school.

To view all video submissions, including the winners, visit http://www.eimakeover.com. For more information about eInstruction's interactive learning solutions, please visit http://www.einstruction.com.

About eInstruction(TM)

eInstruction is a leading education technology company dedicated to providing interactive teaching and learning technology and services that help educators drive academic progress every day, and give administrators the ability to monitor, aggregate, and analyze student performance data. The company offers educators and administrators a family of software, student response systems, interactive whiteboards, wireless interactive tablets, and powerful enterprise-based administrator tools.

eInstruction's research-based solutions have been shown to increase student engagement and achievement while providing real-time feedback and performance data to educators and administrators.

Millions of students, teachers, and professors use eInstruction® technology in 500,000 K-12 classrooms and more than 1,000 higher education institutions around the world. Available in more than 40 languages, eInstruction® technology is enhancing education in more than 90 countries worldwide.

eInstruction has offices in Denton, TX; Columbia, MD; Scottsdale, AZ; Cincinnati, OH; and Paris, France.

To learn more about eInstruction, please visit http://www.einstruction.com.

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