Renee Marts wins 2007 Texas Computer Education Association Educator Award
CALGARY, ALBERTA --- February 28, 2007 --- SMART Technologies Inc. announces that SMART Exemplary Educator Renee Marts has been named the 2007 Classroom Teacher of the Year by the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA). The award honors teachers who enhance the student learning experience with superior use of technology in the classroom. Marts, a seventh-grade science teacher at Durham Middle School in Lewisville, Texas, was named a SMART Exemplary Educator in 2006, a designation that recognizes teachers who improve education outcomes through the innovative use of SMART products. She was presented the Classroom Teacher of the Year award at the opening session of the TCEA convention on February 7, 2007.
Marts has been using SMART products in her classroom for four years, and one of her teaching innovations was to implement technology stations that facilitate group learning. The SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard is part of each hands-on technology station, where students gather to uncover clues and solve problems using SMART Board software and interactive websites. For some stations, Marts records lessons with SMART Recorder (a feature in SMART Board software) and downloads them to MP3 players. Lessons enhanced with audio support help students learn at their own pace.
“The SMART Board interactive whiteboard has brought collaboration and enthusiasm to my classroom,” says Marts. “Students are engaged, excited to work, and they have fun with their projects. Since the school purchased SMART Board interactive whiteboards for core classrooms, we have raised our test scores from acceptable to recognized.”
“Renee uses SMART products in creative ways, and being named Classroom Teacher of the Year is a well-deserved honor for her,” says Nancy Knowlton, SMART’s CEO. “She has done an exceptional job of embedding technology into her teaching every day and implementing innovative lessons that enhance student learning.”
About the TCEA Educator Awards The Texas Computer Education Association’s Educator Awards are announced at the annual TCEA convention. A panel of judges selects finalists from across Texas based on their dedication to the integration of technology into the curriculum. Awards are presented to a classroom teacher, librarian, technology administrator, instructional technology specialist, administrator, superintendent and technology support person of the year. The Classroom Teacher of the Year and the Superintendent of the Year recipients are entered in the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Outstanding Teacher/Leader of the Year Awards, respectively.
About SMART SMART Technologies Inc. is both the industry pioneer and global education market segment leader in user-friendly interactive whiteboards and group collaboration tools. The award-winning family of SMART Board interactive whiteboards is the most widely installed interactive whiteboard in the world because of its unsurpassed product quality, versatility and ease of use. School districts across the United States have standardized on SMART products, including New York City Board of Education, Atlanta Department of Education, Vermont Institutes and San Diego City Schools. The SMART Board interactive whiteboard is used to teach over 15 million students in more than 450,000 classrooms in more than 100 countries around the world.
SMART is a private company founded in 1987. Employing more than 900 people, SMART is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, with assembly facilities in Kanata, Ontario and offices in Bonn, Tokyo, Shanghai, New York City, Chicago and Washington DC. SMART has been issued and maintains a broad portfolio of patents with numerous U.S., Canadian and other patents pending. In 1992 SMART formed a strategic alliance with Intel® Corporation that resulted in joint product development and marketing efforts, and Intel’s equity ownership in the company. SMART products are sold through dealers across North America and distributors worldwide. To learn more about SMART as a company and its products and programs, visit www.smarttech.com and www.education.smarttech.com.
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For more information, contact
Shari-Lynn Sare
Public Relations Specialist
SMART Technologies Inc.
1207 – 11 Avenue SW, Suite 300
Calgary, AB T3C 0M5
CANADA
Phone +1.403.802.2556
Fax +1.403.228.2500
Shari-LynnSare@smarttech.com
www.smarttech.com
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