World’s First Touch-Enabled Interactive ProjectorTurns Virtually Any Surface Into an Interactive Learning Space
SMART LightRaise™ 60wi interactive projector puts company at head of class in global collaboration technology innovation
CALGARY, Alberta --- November 14, 2012 --- One look at the evolution of technology in the classroom reveals - the slate became a chalk board, hand-cranked mimeograph became automatic copier, and Liquid Paper became the “delete” button. Today, SMART Technologies announces a new evolution in the classroom with its launch of SMART LightRaise™ 60wi interactive projector - the world’s first integrated, touch-enabled interactive projector. LightRaise™ 60wi is an innovation of the overhead projector; it turns virtually any space into an interactive learning environment and puts the power of collaboration at the fingertips of teachers and students.
SMART has been at the head of the class in collaborative technology since its launch of the world’s first interactive whiteboard – the SMART Board® interactive whiteboard – in 1991. The SMART LightRaise™ 60wi includes the award-winning SMART Notebook™ collaborative software. Additionally, users receive access to the SMART Exchange™ website; where educators can connect, share knowledge, and download over 60,000 digital resources.
Using DViT® (Digital Vision Touch) technology, LightRaise™ 60wi interactive projector is effortless, providing zero-force touch and the ability to support multiple touches. The revolutionary product is specifically designed for use as a lesson delivery and student collaboration tool. The projector produces screen sizes up to 100" (254 cm) in either standard or widescreen format, making it a flexible solution designed to fit into nearly any classroom or collaborative space.
A world leader in collaboration technology, SMART’s LightRaise™ 60wi interactive projector directly responds to the needs of today’s teachers. A recent PBS Learning study shows three-quarters of teachers want technology in the classroom, specifically noting:
- 77% of teachers believe technology will increase student motivation to learn
- 76% believe it will reinforce and expand on content being taught
- 76% feel it will help respond to the diverse learning styles of their students
“The introduction of a touch-enabled interactive projector and an interactive flat panel for education reaffirms SMART’s position as an innovator and a leading global provider of a full range of interactive displays to meet the various needs of teachers and students,” says Linda Thomas, Vice President, Products, SMART Technologies. “We are committed to continuously finding new ways of encouraging collaboration in the classroom and improving the way people teach and learn.”
For more information on the LightRaise 60wi projector, visit http://vault.smarttech.com/videos/lightraise/lightraise_60wi_video.html. For additional product information and specifications, or to find a list of authorized SMART resellers, visit www.smartech.com.
# # #
About SMART
SMART Technologies Inc. ((NASDAQ: SMT) (TSX: SMA) is a leading provider of collaboration solutions that change the way the world works and learns. As the global leader in interactive whiteboards, our focus is on developing a variety of easy-to-use, integrated solutions that free people from their desks and computer screens, making collaboration and learning with digital resources more natural. Our products have transformed teaching and learning in more than two million classrooms worldwide, reaching over 40 million students and their teachers. In business, our Freestorm™ visual collaboration solutions improve the way that people work and collaborate, enabling them to be more productive and reduce costs.
Additional Research: Technology in Education:
According to PBS Learning, three quarters of teachers want more technology in the classroom, and results of a recent DELL survey of 1,575 high school and college students, teachers, and parents in the United States, China, and Germany found that 82 percent of participants say “technology needs to play a bigger role in classrooms”. CompTIA, the non-profit association for the information technology (IT) industry, compiled a report titled IT Opportunities in the Education Market after surveying 500 US K-12 and college instructors:
- 78% of K-12 teachers and administrators believe technology has positively impacted the classroom and the productivity of students
- 65% say students are more productive today than they were three years ago due to the increased reliance on technology in the classroom
- 56% of K-12 teachers are most excited about the educational possibilities of using interactive whiteboards in the classroom
Reader’s advisory
Certain information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information or statements. By their very nature, forward-looking information and statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks that predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking information and statements will not be achieved. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual results to vary materially from the forward-looking information or statements. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking information or statements. Any forward-looking information and statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Smart Technologies
Please Contact: Stephanie Rach
415-271-9603
About SMART
SMART Technologies Inc. ((NASDAQ: SMT) (TSX: SMA) is a leading provider of collaboration solutions that change the way the world works and learns. As the global leader in interactive whiteboards, our focus is on developing a variety of easy-to-use, integrated solutions that free people from their desks and computer screens, making collaboration and learning with digital resources more natural. Our products have transformed teaching and learning in more than two million classrooms worldwide, reaching over 40 million students and their teachers. In business, our Freestorm™ visual collaboration solutions improve the way that people work and collaborate, enabling them to be more productive and reduce costs.
Tags:
