SMART Technologies provided an innovative introduction to its new SMART amp collaborative learning software. A working demonstration was staged in the London’s Science Museum with school children engaged in collaborative projects both around the Museum and in a classroom context. The whole event was streamed live around the world.
With the increasing adoption of mobile devices in classroom, the use and cost of disparate devices on different software platforms is now a serious dilemma for schools. SMART amp answers these problems by simplifying how teachers, students, displays and devices come together. As web-based software, it is accessible from virtually any internet-enabled device and eliminates deployment costs associated with operating, upgrading or supporting numerous proprietary operating systems.
It allows for a seamless transition between learning environments and supports teachers with access to collaboration-rich resources. Teachers and students simply log into SMART amp software through their Google ID from any web browser. SMART amp doesn’t require you to remember yet another password or spend time transferring files.
SMART amp enables students and teachers to work together in real time to solve problems and understand concepts in huge shared workspaces, easily building on existing ideas and creating new thinking. Among its many features is the ability for teachers to use its formative assessment tools to gauge student progress and get an accurate picture of how well students are following lesson material and adjust instruction accordingly, without interrupting the lesson activity. It also provides teachers with a classroom management system where they can switch between whole class, small group and individual learning with easy file sharing and student grouping for project-based exercises. Teachers can control who can edit a document, have the class follow a lesson or show examples of great student work on the fly.
President and CEO of SMART Technologies, Neil Gaydon said, “We recognised that teachers were grappling with how to work with different devices and ensure a consistent experience for all their students with universal access to curriculum content. A cloud-based solution like SMART amp became an essential requirement in bringing these devices and platforms together into one cohesive learning environment.”
