Promethean Showcases Revolutionary New Portfolio of "Connected Classroom" Solutions at Bett 2014 Educational Technology Event

LONDON, January 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Stand C116

22^nd - 26^th January 2014

At Bett 2014, the leading learning technology event in the UK, Promethean has unveiled a new suite of educational technology, content development & teacher training solutions designed to significantly improve the quality of learning while motivating students to be more successful. 

"At Promethean, we are proud to be a leader in bringing forth the technology renaissance in the classroom," said Jim Marshall, Chief Executive Officer at Promethean. "We are working hand-in-hand with educators to help them evolve how teaching and learning happens in their connected, 21st century classrooms. This new approach leverages digital content, learning data, and one-of-a-kind Promethean technologies to create an immersive and interactive experience. The opportunity being presented to Promethean is that we can empower teachers with a new way to motivate and engage students in learning activities."

With a broad array of disparate technologies and services available to educators, Promethean is committed to "Bringing it ALL Together" by offering a one-of-a-kind portfolio of integrated classroom technology solutions that power the learning process and motivate students to learn. The new Promethean portfolio is structured into four core innovation streams:

1. Interactive Lesson-Plan Development & Delivery Platforms - Revolutionize the classroom environment by connecting interactive learning content to a wide array of classroom technologies and devices

• ClassFlow™ - Bett 2014 show attendees will be the first general audience to experience ClassFlow - a transformative, cloud-based classroom orchestration tool that enables teachers to create lessons, deliver interactive content across multiple devices, and assess student understanding.  With ClassFlow, teachers can build and access interactive lesson plans from any web browser. In addition, ClassFlow allows teachers to foster student engagement by connecting mobile devices such as educational tablets, smartphones, and laptops to classroom displays and interactive whiteboards. As a result, teachers can use real-time student responses to instantly adjust any lesson plan when it matters the most - in the moment of learning. Experience ClassFlow at http://www.classflow.com.

2. Next-Generation Digital Classroom Surface Systems - Motivate students to collaborate & learn by facilitating active, engaging, & effective learning experiences

• ActivWall™ - The next-generation of student collaboration will be enabled through Promethean's new ActivWall - a stunning, fully interactive surface that is positioned "front and back" in the classroom. Showcased at Bett 2014 as a prototype, the ActivWall provides the opportunity to transform teaching, using the vertical surfaces in the classroom, not only as a point for whole class instruction, but as the focal point for small team collaboration. The ActivWall features Promethean's new optical technology that supports differentiated pen (i.e. the system identifies whether the contact is a pen or touch and operates accordingly) and up to 20 simultaneous touches. The ActivWall prototype is being shown at Bett 2014 with full HD images and stereo sound, making the quality of the viewing experience equal to that of a flat panel display. For simplicity, the ActivWall self-calibrates within a couple of seconds when a new computer is attached.

• ActivBoard™ Touch - Released in early summer 2013, the ActivBoard Touch has been available until recently only for Windows and in dual-touch form. For Bett 2014, Promethean is showcasing the new 6-touch ActivBoard 2.0 suitable for Windows, Mac and Linux that will be available for shipment in Q1 2014. The ActivBoard Touch is available in two sizes to suit different classroom situations: 78" and 88", providing 4:3 or 16:10 aspects respectively. The infrared arrays hidden in the narrow bezel of the ActivBoard Touch have been optimised to provide a fast reaction, low-latency response to touch or pen, ensuring a superb surface for flowing writing and object manipulation. The six touch points encourage collaboration on the board's surface that is immediately apparent when working with ActivInspire flipcharts or other multi-touch, multi-user applications. Teachers will appreciate the simplicity that the ActivBaord Touch delivers, including the ability of the magnetic pens to stick to the bezel for storage. 

• ActivPanel™ Touch - The ActivPanel Touch is a recent addition to the range of options for the front of the class. The ActivPanel Touch is available in two sizes: 65" and 70", though Promethean will be adding a smaller 55" format and a larger 84" unit by April 2014. Each ActivPanel Touch provides a full HD (1080p) display with LED backlighting to ensure consistent brightness, colour and contrast across the entire screen. It includes stereo speakers with 10W per channel and also provides audio output if schools wish to link to an external sound system. Featuring ActivGlideTM surface technology, the ActivPanel Touch combines both visibility and touch elements: high transparency for a clear picture, low reflectivity to counter natural or artificial lighting problems, and a wide viewing angle for excellent legibility even at the fringes of the classroom; an astonishingly smooth touch experience to minimise friction and "finger burn" and lightning-quick response to pen and touch gestures. The narrow bezel of the ActivPanel Touch houses a sophisticated infrared array that responds close to the screen surface for superb accuracy. The six touches supported by the ActivPanel Touch make it an ideal surface for collaboration between students. 

3. Individual student assessment & response systems - Provide the data & insights that inform differentiated, personalized instruction while motivating student ownership of learning outcomes

• Promethean and KUNO™ announce a new education tablet learning system, the Promethean KUNO, available for schools in the U.S. Designed to put technology in the hands of every student and to meet the needs of K-12 schools, the new device combines rugged hardware, device management and student response software to bring digital learning to every classroom. The Promethean KUNO 9.7" tablet system is compatible with most district curriculum, software, and applications; its cloud-based platform makes it easy to configure and manage. Additionally, the tablet comes preloaded with Promethean's ActivEngage2 software. This student response and collaboration software provides teachers with real-time feedback about their students' levels of understanding at any given moment. Having that real-time access to this valuable information allows teachers to support and accommodate individual students and makes Promethean KUNO a powerful 1-to1 educational tool that educators can use to empower students to meet their learning goals. 

• ActivEngage2™ is a software-based student response system ideal for use in schools that have invested in 1-to-1 laptop initiatives, computer labs, tablets or mobile handheld devices or those with Bring-Your-Own-Device initiatives. ActivEngage2 maximizes current technology investments and eliminates the need for additional hardware by leveraging existing devices to provide real-time data and feedback for teachers and students. Using Promethean's award-winning software ActivInspire, display a question on the interactive display or ask it verbally and learners will respond using the virtual device on their computers or handheld devices. Assign quizzes of varying difficulty with ActivEngage2's Self-Paced Learning functionality to encourage students to work at their own pace and comprehension level. Gain instant insight into student comprehension and progress with an intuitive, integrated application that makes the most of existing classroom technology., ActivEngage2 enables virtual voting across a single classroom, an entire campus and beyond. The software-based system can be managed at a classroom level or centrally on a networked server.

4. Customizable teacher training & development programs - Help educators adjust their teaching styles and unite their curriculum with today's interactive and integrated classroom technology solutions 

• Promethean Professional Development & Consultation Services helps teachers, administrators, schools and districts effectively implement educational solutions and support student achievement. Our goal is to engage educators in professional learning that is guided by their needs and requirements to help them seamlessly integrate their Promethean classroom technology into curriculum and instruction. Each professional development course includes a pre-consultation session with a Teaching and Learning Consultant to determine the needs of each individual school/district and the best course of action when delivering content. Consultants can even integrate curriculum assets the district already has invested in as part of the courses. 

Promethean's new portfolio of "Connected Classroom" solutions will be showcased at Bett 2014 through an actual classroom experience and modeled by students and teachers from The Ron Clark Academy (U.S.) - a highly acclaimed, nonprofit middle school that promotes innovation and engages its students through energetic teaching balanced by a strict code of discipline. The school has received international recognition for success in educating students and promoting academic rigor, passion, creativity, and increased student engagement in the classroom. Each year, thousands of educators participate in RCA's educator training programs to learn how to replicate the school's style, philosophy and success in their own schools. To date, over 10,000 educators from around the world have participated in RCA's staff development programs. 

"We are passionate about education," continued Marshall. "Since our beginnings, we have held true to the conviction that education is central to the well-being of the society in which we live. For us, nothing could be more important. Our ultimate purpose is to motivate the student to learn. I believe that our new portfolio is comprised of transformative new classroom technologies which, when coupled with our intimate knowledge of the learning process, enables Promethean to effectively partner with 21st century teachers to create the dynamic environments that motivate students to learn."

About Promethean

Promethean is a global education company that improves learning productivity by developing, integrating and implementing innovative 21st century learning environments that make everyone more engaged, empowered, and successful. The company is headquartered in Blackburn in Lancashire, England, with U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.prometheanworld.com.

©Promethean 2014.  All Rights Reserved.  Promethean and ClassFlow are trademarks of Promethean.

SOURCE Promethean