Maine Newsletter – Winter 2009

2009 will be an exciting year in Maine for Studywiz Spark. Our Dynamic Learnspace has been growing with the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), to provide schools with the best backdrop for their commitment to 21st Century Learning. While improved communications is the first pay-off for many classrooms, it is the multimedia capability and the personalized learning opportunities that make full converts out of the schools and their surrounding communities.

Take it from Maine schools using Studywiz Spark. Here are the some of the stories in their own words.

Studywiz Spark Recieved Prestigious Tech & Learning Award

Studywiz Spark is formally favored among education leaders!

Studywiz Spark was identified as one of the best education offerings, and was selected as a recipient of a Technology & Learning 2008 Award of Excellence at an official award ceremony in January 2009.

“This formal recognition from Technology & Learning validates what our customers in over 25 countries already have experienced,” said Bob Longo, Executive Vice President, Studywiz Spark.

“The 2008 Award of Excellence showcases Studywiz Spark as a very powerful learning platform that integrates 21st Century technology within a safe and secure environment. Our employees and customers are very proud of this honor.”

One-to-One Dynamic LearnSpace in Action

The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) introduced Studywiz Spark to its middle school one-to-one users in its initial phase, from 2002-2004. The Dynamic LearnSpace has proven a successful complement to MLTI and continues to effectively support the multimedia and technological demands of the 21st Century classroom.

“In Maine, it is our strong belief that teachers and students will benefit most from a classroom environment that is driven by innovative technologies, helping to advance education with the resources that 21st Century learning demands,” said Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director, Maine Learning Technology Initiative, Maine Department of Education. “Today’s classroom is constantly evolving with the presence of new technologies. Studywiz Spark provides a safe space for teachers, students and parents to collaborate and interact with the most advanced multimedia applications and develop rich content that enhances the learning experience, serving as an ideal complement to the one-to-one setting.”

In 2000, when the state of Maine introduced its plan to advance technology literacy among school-aged children, the classroom environment was vastly different from what is recognized today as the 21st Century classroom – and the idea of one computer for each student was not the norm. In an effort to stay ahead in education, the state of Maine embarked on an endeavor to transform education by creating an environment in which teachers and students were working with technology on a one-to-one basis.

“There was an immediate need for a technology platform on which our teachers, students and school community could operate and interact,” said Laurie Stevens, Technology Director, Warsaw Middle School. “With Studywiz Spark, our teachers are logging on daily, keeping in constant contact with their students, and the students are learning to be more responsible, but in the context of the Web 2.0 world they have become accustomed to. It’s exciting to see students managing their work in eLocker, getting engaged by the polls and quizzes, and being a part of their school’s move to reduce paper waste. This is truly 21st Century learning at its best.”

Through its multimedia and technological capabilities, Studywiz Spark provides a host of benefits for the one-to-one environment, including: personalized learning, content management, backup for teacher and student-generated files, increased interaction and collaboration and the ability to manage content and integrate multimedia applications that engage students most, like videos, web links and audio clips. The Dynamic LearnSpace is helping schools throughout the state of Maine to re-engage their teachers, students and parents by allowing them to participate in an interactive learning environment and providing access to educational content at all times.

Dynamic LearnSpace Complements MLTI and Introduces Multimedia at Whitefield

As part of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), students at Whitefield Elementary School are experiencing learning in a most dynamic way. Under MLTI guidelines, all 7th and 8th grade students at Whitefield have received a laptop that is equipped with a Studywiz Spark account. Whitefield teachers and administrators are noticing that students love having access to their laptops – learning how to navigate the devices, building basic computer and technology skills and interacting with the multimedia capabilities of Studywiz Spark.

“Education has a real challenge in keeping up with the technology giants out there, but Studywiz Spark meets this challenge by providing an innovative platform for learning that stays up to speed with the latest technologies,” said Kyle Beeton, Teacher, Whitefield Elementary School. “Providing our students with a safe and secure program that allows access to electronic messaging, web links, online grades and an online gallery helps us to enhance learning. With Studywiz Spark, we’re able to equip our students with the multimedia tools they need to get the most out of education.”

Students at Whitefield are finding lots of unique ways to incorporate multimedia into learning, using Studywiz Spark. One great example – the media literacy project. For this project, students were given the assignment of uncovering how a photographer and editor can manipulate a subject to present a specific message. Using the online gallery in Studywiz Spark, they were able to view images pre-loaded by their teachers, upload pictures taken themselves and locate images on the Web and load them into the shared gallery. With the gallery application, students were able to engage each other with multimedia and interact with their peers by posting analyses, comments and questions. This is just one of the many ways Whitefield is bringing multimedia into learning in its classrooms!

Skowhegan Finds Studywiz Spark Experience to be a Daily Necessity

When content management just wasn’t enough to improve communications and increase student engagement, Skowhegan Middle School found in Studywiz Spark the right dynamic learnspace.

“We are aggressively training our teachers to use the platform and are pleased to see that those currently using it are experiencing increased interaction with their students,” said Laura Richter, Technology Integrationist, Skowhegan Area Middle School.

“In our school for grades 7-8, which operates in a community setting, most teachers and students are using Studywiz Spark on a daily basis. They are engaging in interactive learning, and the teachers find that they now have the ability to create content that is specific to each student’s educational needs and learning styles. Studywiz Spark has given our teachers the power to deliver personalized learning and strengthen relationships with their students.”