PolyVision Helps Education Community See the Classroom of the Future at ISTE

ATLANTA, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The nature of the classroom is changing, from the physical layout of the space to the way educators and learners share information. Students are entering with a heightened digital acumen and lowered attention span, while teachers feel pressure to deliver higher test scores, increase collaboration, and drive engagement, often with restrictive budgets. To address these challenges, PolyVision, a leader in the development of teaching and learning technology, has developed a philosophy that asks educators, administrators and technologists to unlearn everything they know about the traditional classroom and use of educational technology. This week at the International Society for Technology in Education Conference (ISTE) in San Diego, PolyVision will demonstrate this concept of unlearning through new research aimed at rethinking classroom space, technology and pedagogy, interactive displays featuring new products; and special guest appearances.

"Learning today needs to combine the best in technology and pedagogy into a classroom space that is supportive and engaging. Today's students were born digital, social and connected. To reach and engage them requires the education community to unlearn their current approach," said Robert Heitmeier, PolyVision general manager. "PolyVision has reimagined, reinvented and unlearned the status quo to reach over 250 million learners in the process. Learning has changed, students have changed and classrooms need to change to keep up."

ISTE attendees will be invited to participate in activities to dream about the future classroom after viewing the documentary film, "One Day," in which Steelcase, PolyVision's parent company, asked school children in six countries to share their dreams for the future as part of the company's 100^th anniversary celebration. Chloe Weigum, a student in the "One Day" documentary, will attend the event. World renowned contemporary artist and TED contributor, Raghava KK, will share his thoughts on the merging of technology, art and social change in education.

ISTE will also provide the opportunity for PolyVision to showcase a variety of new solutions and product enhancements that support its UNLEARN concept and facilitate different instructional approaches, such as:

• Whole group engagement solutions to reach auditory, kinesthetic and visual learners
  • New sound-enhanced eno flex is a flexible interactive whiteboard solution combining dry-erase or tack boards with eno interactive surface. It includes a proprietary sound solution, called eno play that fills the classroom with rich, even sound.
  • Splashtop for eno is a new, interactive app that turns a tablet, such as an iPad, into a mobile interactive whiteboard and lets the teacher or student control the interactive whiteboard content from anywhere in the room using the same eno controls that teachers are already familiar with.
• Differentiated learning solutions
  • An updated fuse visualizer with enhanced TrueSnap™ and audio/video recording capability, which translates into high-resolution document scanning and web sharing to facilitate distance learning or flipped classroom videos, in addition to traditional document camera functions.
• Project-based small-group student collaboration
  • media:scape by Steelcase boosts student collaboration with a "walk up and connect" station that allows three to six students connect computers and tablets and control the content of what is projected on one or more LCD screens

PolyVision has also revamped some of its existing product line. PolyVision's eno interactive whiteboard now includes a new dongle that provides mobile capabilities, saving time for both the teacher and technology director when changing classroom learning configurations, moving classroom to classroom, or pairing styluses for multiple teachers.

PolyVision will kick off the UNLEARN campaign at the ISTE conference and other education events around the world for the next year. For more information on events that will happen at ISTE or for further details on the campaign overall visit www.polyvision.com/unlearn.

About PolyVision, a Steelcase Company

PolyVision integrates time-tested tools with innovative technologies to bring learning to life. From environmentally certified writing surfaces to industry-leading interactive whiteboards, PolyVision solutions help people learn and collaborate in a connected world. Since 1954, PolyVision has inspired educators, students and workers to be more productive and creative by providing the most effective tools the company can imagine and create. For more information, visit www.polyvision.com

About Steelcase

Steelcase Inc. helps create great experiences – wherever work happens. Our brands offer a comprehensive portfolio of workplace furnishings, products and services, inspired by nearly 100 years of insight gained serving the world's leading organizations. We are globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 650 dealers. We design for social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Steelcase is a global, publicly traded company leading our industry with fiscal 2012 revenue of approximately $2.75 billion.

SOURCE PolyVision