Lumio wins prestigious CODiE award; learning tool's interactive lessons help educators engage students on their devices as in-person classes resume

Digital learning tool helps K-12 teachers support active, collaborative blended learning

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Jun 25, 2021, 08:01 ET

CALGARY, AB, June 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumio, the free-to-use digital learning tool used by millions of teachers and students worldwide, was named the "Best Collaborative Learning Solution for Students" this week as part of the annual SIIA CODiE Awards. Lumio offers solutions for teachers returning to in-person instruction to provide the same dynamic, interactive lessons they created to engage students on their devices during remote instruction.

The CODiE Awards recognize the companies producing the most innovative education technology products across the country and around the world. Winning a category is a prestigious honor, following rigorous reviews by expert judges including educators and administrators whose evaluations determined the finalists. SIIA members then vote on the finalist products, and the scores from both rounds are tabulated to select the winners.

Lumio allows teachers to transform their lessons with interactive activities, games, group workspaces, and assessments. They can import and combine resources (including Google Slides^TM, Microsoft PowerPoint^TM slides, PDFs and other formats), then add videos, images, games, assessments and shared workspaces — all with the goal of making learning more active, engaging, and collaborative.

"As teachers have returned to in-person instruction, they're even more interested in tools like Lumio that allow for more interactive, student-focused learning," said Nicholas Svensson, SMART's chief executive officer. "Not only is Lumio an incredibly flexible tool, it also transforms classrooms into interactive spaces where every student has a voice and teachers can capture their insights."

Powered by SMART Technologies, the edtech leader with a 30-year track record of pioneering learning solutions that encourage student collaboration and engagement, Lumio works on any web-enabled device and is integrated with Google and Microsoft Teams. Teachers use Lumio to build lessons that might include images, videos, manipulatives, graphic organizers, customized games, and opportunities for student input. Students log in with their own devices then follow along in real-time in class or remotely, in real time or anytime.

"Lumio reaches students who can get lost if a teacher is just standing at the front of the class talking for 35 minutes, " said Phil Kurbis, Director of Technology Integration at Divine Savior Academy in Dorval, Florida. "The interactive features really speak to kids who need more opportunities for hands-on learning."

Lumio also offers teachers ongoing feedback about students' progress. Its dashboard lets teachers see each student's work in real time and lets them give feedback as they progress. It includes a variety of polling and brainstorming tools that ensure teachers always have a clear understanding of how students are learning.

"I like that I can see what students are looking at during class and their contributions during collaborative and interactive parts of our lessons," said Brenna McPherren, an elementary teacher at Lake Washington school district. "But the best part is how simple it is to create interactive lessons by importing existing content like PDFs, PowerPoints, or Google Slides. I can edit or add ready-made content and games in no time."

"Congratulations to the 2021 Ed Tech CODiE Award winners," said SIIA President Jeff Joseph. "The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us of the importance of innovative Ed Tech products and services and this year's class takes a special place among the many amazing products recognized across the 35-year history of the CODiE Awards."

Lumio is an industry leader in interactive software, with teachers globally using and celebrating the flexibility and functionality of the tool. G2.com has recently placed Lumio (formerly SMART Learning Suite Online) as a Leader on the Spring 2021 Grid Report in the Classroom Management, Assessment, and Digital Learning Platforms categories.

Earlier this year, EdTech Digest's 2021 EdTech Awards named Lumio the winner of its "Collaboration Solution" category, in which it placed ahead of a field of 20 finalists. In its inaugural Top Ed Tech Products of the Year awards, District Administration called it "a powerful platform ... designed with remote use in mind, so it's an effective tool during remote and hybrid learning." It also won Tech & Learning's Best of 2020 award, with one judge noting, "It enriches student-led learning, project-based learning, and flipped classroom experiences."

Teachers and administrators can access Lumio today at http://lum.io. A short video introducing Lumio is available at youtube.com/watch?v=JcMkrxOxn3E.

About SMART Technologies Inc.
SMART is a world leader in education technology, providing interconnected solutions to help every person discover and develop the greatness within them. Since they invented the first SMART Board and helped to create a whole new way of learning and interacting with technology, SMART has continued to innovate. SMART Notebook® is the world's most popular collaborative learning software, and Lumio - the award-winning online learning software - consistently innovates based on educator feedback. With a full range of products used by millions of educators and students around the world, SMART creates connections that matter. To learn more, visit smarttech.com.

SOURCE SMART Technologies