Scholastic Administrator's, Senior Editor, Ken Royal, interviewed Calypso Systems VP of sales and marketing, Greg Wright.  Hear about Calypso's new Conductor integrated communications system...school-wide audio and classroom audio all on one network. 

The notion of convergence just sounds like a good idea.  Combine previously disconnected pieces and parts into a single, integrated solution to deliver real world financial and operational benefits.  What could be better?  Convergence implies efficiency.  And when real convergence happens, there’s a tendency to stand back and wonder why it hadn’t happened sooner.  Of course, the answer usually has to do with having just the right conditions at just the right time to make it all happen.  Good news K-12 world.  The time is ripe for a major convergence step forward in schools.

We all know the school network battle is over, with virtually all US public schools reported to have pervasive and robust networks, including broadband access to the Internet (http://www.nces.ed.gov).  Similarly, the classroom AV battle is underway and moving along nicely.  Projectors, classroom computers, sound reinforcement and interactive white boards are reported to be in 20-30% of our nation’s schools and the discussion is mostly about how to implement classroom AV, not whether it ought to be done.  It’s commonly accepted that media rich, interactive and collaborative classrooms elevate teaching and learning.

With these pieces moving into place we can now address antiquated school-wide communication systems that, for the most part, have not changed in more than 50 years.  PA systems, bells, emergency alerts and intercom systems continue to live on an island within our nation’s schools, creating an amazing waste of time, money and resources.  We’re literally looking at redundant speakers, wiring, amplifiers, audio switches and installation costs for systems that do nothing more than play audio in the right place at the right time for the right reasons.  Yet with networks and classroom AV now standard, a terrific CONVERGED option has emerged.

Imagine using your existing school network to stream low bit-rate audio to specialized, inexpensive networked amplifiers designed as a standard part of your classroom AV system?  You’ve already installed the network and have made the commitment to classroom sound reinforcement.  So with virtually no incremental cost, all that’s really needed is an appropriate digital head end (we call our’s Conductor) that provides the tools to manage live and scheduled audio files and content distribution.  The result?  Greater flexibility, reliability that’s tied to your network’s uptime (99% in most schools), tremendous operational efficiency and costs savings that one study pegged at nearly 20% compared to traditional school paging systems.

Now why didn’t somebody think of that before?

Thanks to all who participated in Calypso's Sudoku Speed Challenge at TCEA 2010.  We had a lot of great times posted. Here's the 10 best times. For the record, I'm still working on the puzzle. :( Look for a post-card in the mail soon with an invitation to sign up for a free online sudoku puzzle for an entire year from Calypso Systems. 

Winner:  Cindy Kennedy from Chisum Elementary in Paris, Texas with a time of 3 minutes and 16 seconds.  Whew! That's fast.  Congratulations, we hope you enjoy the iPod Touch.

Top 10 Sudoku Speed Challenge Times

1. Cindy Kennedy, Chisum Elementary, 3:16
2. Alison Haeussler, 3:30
3. Rhonda Bourgeois, Port Neches Grove ISD, 3:31
4. Susan Wasylina, Fort Bend ISD, 3:37
5. Debra Gage, Mt.Vernon ISD, 3:46
6. Crystal Hughes, Buna Elementary, 3:49
7. Shelley Pace, Tomball Intermediate, 3:57
8. Tishia Crump, Bells ISD, 4:05
9. Carla Pace, San Jacinto Intermediate, 4:09
10. Tina Lindsay, 7 Oaks School, 4:14 

Calypso is dedicated to improving K-12 teaching and learning through affordable technology solutions.  I hope you'll take a minute to browse our site and contact us if you have any questions. You can also find our museum of forgotten school-day artifacts at www.makeiteasiertolearn.com.  It's good for a few laughs and a trip down memory lane.  If you're moved, share a few of your experiences in the blog section.

If you're planning a trip to Denver, Colorado for the 2010 ISTE conference (used to be NECC) in June, stop by and take Calypso's Sudoku Speed Challenge again at booth 1078.   If you're fast, you could win an ipod Touch. Hope to see you there!

Thanks to all who participated in the Calypso Sudoku Speed Challenge at FETC 2010.  We had a lot of great times posted. Here's the 10 best times. For the record, I'm still working on the puzzle. :(  Look for a post-card in the mail soon with an invitation to sign up for a free online sudoku puzzle for an entire year from Calypso Systems. 

Winner:  Heather Thomson, from Reedy Creek Elementary, posted the top time of 2 minutes 46 seconds.  Congratulations, Heather! We hope you're enjoying your iPod Touch.

Here are the top ten times posted from FETC 2010:

1. Heather Thomson, Reedy Creek Elementary, 2:46
2. Stacey Rousseau, Mclaughlin Middle School, 3:13
3. Michael Biros, Florida International University, 3:37
4. John Warpenburg, Ocoee Elementary, 3:43
5. Pat Arnold, Jupiter MS of Technology, 3:52
6. Keri Zemaitis, Ocoee Elementary, 3:57
7. Missy Atkinson, Deer Lake Middle School, 4:00
8. Laurie Mallis, Westglades Middle School, 4:35
9. Amber McNew, USD 266, 4:39
10. Margaret Roberts, Ft. Pierce Central High School, 4:48

Calypso is dedicated to improving K-12 teaching and learning through affordable technology solutions.  I hope you'll take a minute to browse our site and contact us if you have any questions. You can also find our museum of forgotten school-day artifacts at www.makeiteasiertolearn.com.  It's good for a few laughs and a trip down memory lane.  If you're moved, share a few of your experiences in the blog section.

If you know anyone attending the TCEA 2010 Conference in Austin, TX, tell them to come by the Calypso Systems booth #1821 to take the challenge.  If they're fast, they could win an ipod Touch.

Throughout my adult life I’ve heard others talk with enthusiasm about their good fortune at having stumbled across “low hanging fruit”.  A metaphor (or is it a simile) almost always used in a business context, I’ve listened with envy and a bit of skepticism to stories of cash and profits effortlessly realized by those lucky enough to find themselves in the right time, at the right place, with the right product.  Part of the challenge, of course, is recognizing the opportunity for what it is when it lands in front of you.   Something that’s not always as easy as it sounds.

Here’s a tip.  Education leaders are staring directly at some seriously good and awfully low fruit, but often don’t seem to see it for what it is.

What if you had access to a device that improved test scores, reduced special education referrals, had a positive impact on teacher health and led to fewer classroom behavioral problems?  Even better, what if this mystical device required no change in your approach to curriculum or assessment, and required virtually no investment in professional development?  While we’re at it, let’s make it affordable.

Impossible?  Fantasy?  Put your Low Hanging Fruit glasses on.  The fact is, the device exists and is slowly making its way into districts and across states, though not nearly fast enough by my reckoning.  Most importantly, far too many doubts remain and it’s time to put them to rest once and for all.

Wireless classroom voice amplification delivers on all promises.  Full disclosure - I’m obviously biased since my company manufactures just such a system.  So don’t take it from me.  The volume of independent research that supports the effectiveness of sound reinforcement is overwhelming, starting with MAARS Project, the Mainstream Amplifications Resource Room Study that began in 1979 and continued in various forms through 1994.  Slice and dice the results any way you want and add in the dozens of subsequent classroom amplification research projects.  They all point to the same conclusion.  If you’re serious about improving learning outcomes and can invest in only one classroom technology, voice amplification is the answer.  Did you know, for example, that:

• 70% of all special education students fail a moderate hearing loss test?
• The 14% of all school age children fail a moderate hearing loss test are 10x more likely to repeat a grade than those who pass the test
• A district in WI showed a 40% reduction in special education referrals over a 2-year period after introducing classroom voice amplification
• Teachers using voice amplification have fewer sick days

 Think about it.  A direct link between technology and improved learning outcomes that’s affordable, sustainable and measureable.  Yet it’s still flying “under the radar”.  I’d say it’s time to get loud!

I flew into Denver this morning, just ahead of a slow-moving snow storm, and made it over to NSBA's T+L conference by mid-morning.  I'll admit to being a trade show junkie; I was looking forward to browsing the show floor, seeing what's new, eying the competition and running across some familiar faces. I was especially keen since T+L is one of the first ed tech shows of the "season", coming on the heals of the start of the new school year and the beginning of what we regard as our "marketing" season, which runs through March or so.  Also, I had never been to T+L before and wanted to get a feel for how or if it differs from the TCEA's and FETC's of the world.

The fact is, my view of this and nearly all ed tech trade shows is 90% shaped by what happens in the exhibit hall, though I'm well aware that for most attendees, the primary focus is on the presentations, round tables and break-out sessions.  The show floor is, for the most part, what they do "in between".  Still, for me, the floor is where the action and energy is, and where all the gadgets reside.  So off I went, taking voice notes as I snaked through the exhibits.  My main impressions?

Classroom voice amplification, sound reinforcement, classroom audio, sound enhancement or whatever you want to call it is everywhere.  On what was really a very small show floor, I counted four manufacturers (including Calypso Systems) promoting classroom audio and wireless microphone products.  This matches our experience in the marketplace, where more and more districts nationwide are beginning to recognize the impact of this technology on educational outcomes.  Did you know it's mandated in OH?  The fact is that classroom amplification is relatively inexpensive and, when done right, requires absolutely no training.  All that's required is a bit of enthusiasm from teachers who are willing to try something new, hang a lightweight wireless microphone around their necks, and continue doing what they were doing.  The simple act of BEING HEARD delivers the results we all want to see.  So how do the vendors differ?  Though some want to point to specs and features, the fact is that all of the systems look good, work well, sound fine and deliver results.  This is no spec race and wireless classroom microphones are quickly becoming commodities, which means prices are dropping.   The differences between manufacturers mostly have to with price and our differing approaches to classroom audio as an integrated solution (Calypso) or as a stand-alone solution (everyone else).  And don't forget about battery life!.

Off the show floor, I was fascinated and impressed to see that T+L was partnering with TED (www.ted.com) to produce a "independent TED event".  If you're not aware of TED, stop reading this, go to www.ted.com and click on any presentation that looks interesting.  For the most part, they are all (a) about 20 minutes long and (b) absolutely fascinating.   As they put it, TED is about "Ideas Worth Spreading" and consists of "Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world".  Really, if you've never listened to a TED presentation, you're in for a treat.  Still, I've never heard of a TED collaboration with any other organization, so was thrilled to see the connection to T+L and made my way to the session, not knowing what to expect.  Unfortunately I was able to stay for only about 45 minutes of the 2.5 hour session, so I don't know if the effort worked as hoped and planned.  A crowded room of about 150 people viewed a TED presentation by personal computing visionary Alan Kay that focused on better teaching techniques using computers (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/alan_kay_shares_a_powerful_idea_about_ideas.html).  We were then asked to write down responses to several questions about what we just saw.  I had time to write only one response, this to the question of whether the presentation was relevant to the future of education (I'm paraphrasing).  Though the video is well worth your while, and entertaining to boot, my answer was "yes, of course".  I continued that the problem in education has nothing to do with a shortage of ideas about where we ought to go.  As far as I can tell, there's broad consensus, or at least arguments among a number of worthy choices.  The challenge, of course, is how to get there.

The mandate is issued, the funds are secured and it’s time to move the notion of 21st Century Classrooms from theory to reality. It’s an exciting time for technology directors fortunate enough to work for districts undergoing school construction or renovation, as you get thrown into the process of defining your unique version of a modern classroom.

From 30,000 feet, tasks always look easy. Interactive white boards, projectors, some speakers and off you go. Of course the view from down on the ground (or in the ceiling!) is quite a bit more challenging, as you wrestle with the details that ultimately determine whether or not your classroom systems deliver the outcome hoped for by teachers, students, parents and administrators. The fact is, there is considerable complexity as you determine precisely what type of equipment you need, which brands are best suited to your goals and to your district’s technical infrastructure, how it all gets installed, configured and supported, what administrative tools are required and what type of training is needed for teachers and support staff. Add the fact that technology is a constantly moving target, and you quickly conclude that you need to some help understanding options that meet your current needs, while anticipating future requirements.

The good news is that you’re surrounded by plenty of resources ready, willing and able to provide the information you need to make good decisions.

Consultants. If the project is large and complex enough, possibly extending beyond the walls of the classroom to include school infrastructure systems (bell, clock, PA, intercom, emergency alert, phones, etc.), then a consultant specializing in school technology planning is often in the mix. The level of integration required among these various systems, especially in the context of new construction, demands some serious expertise and experience.

Dealers. Districts often have existing relationships with commercial electronics dealers who specialize in school technologies. These guys are “on the street”, and have a good sense of what actually works and which manufacturers are delivering real value. Though they often have a vested interest in pushing some products over others, a trusted dealer can provide valuable information and insight.

Colleagues. One of the beautiful things about the school business is how collegial it is. Districts don’t inherently compete with one another. As a result, district technology directors are eager to share information with one another on best practices, on key relationship and on product recommendations. Though education technology shows abound, and are great venues for gathering information from colleagues, the best organization I’ve seen for this is CoSN (http://www.cosn.org), a trade group entirely by and for district technology directors with a stated mission of fostering professional development among this group.

Manufacturers. Talk about vested interest! Still, it’s in every manufacturer's best interest to provide you with all of the information you need. The key, of course, is to know what questions to ask. It’s often the case of figuring out what a manufacturer is NOT telling you that determines whether it’s a good fit for your project. And while price may rule the day, it's important to stay close to important features that may be very relevant a year or two down the road.

Trade Shows. A good trade show is well worth your time, effort and money as you work through this process. If done right, it’s a venue that provides access to manufacturers, consultants and colleagues. One of the keys to making the most of the visit, though, is to do plenty of homework prior to arriving. Again, know what questions to ask by the time you arrive in order to walk away with the information you need to make good decisions.

Designing and building classrooms that serve current and future needs for media-rich, interactive and collaborative learning is challenging. No one resource is going to provide all the answers as you determine just how to implement classroom technology in your district. Yet plenty of information abounds. And with an enormous number of US classrooms outfitted already with interactive white boards, projectors, amplifiers, control systems, microphones and more, the "bugs" have been well shaken out. Take advantage of the experience of dealers, colleagues and manufacturers, specifically working within K-12 classrooms, to make sure your project goes smoothly and that you don't find yourself crawling through too many ceilings!

There's an old joke about standards that says if they're such a good idea, everyone ought to have one. OK. Not much of a joke, but it's about as good as it gets when you're dealing with engineering humor. The point is, standards get a lot of lip service, but often fall short when it comes to delivering the type of universal value they could create. The reality is that it's often difficult, if not impossible, to get those with competing, well-entrenched interests to agree to a common and practical set of guidelines for how, when, where and why to do anything. It's true in all fields, including education. It's an especially relevant topic in education as we as an industry rush headlong into the creation of next generation, media rich, interactive curriculum materials just as districts are making fundamental architecture decisions about Lesson Plan Management (LPM) systems.

Wouldn't it be great if standards allowed you to import lesson plans from any publisher into your LPM, no matter which one you purchase? With proper standards in place your curriculum decision could hinge entirely on qualitative differences between the lessons under consideration rather than on technical compatibility issues. Really, no district technology director or curriculum coordinator should ever have to unwind the pros and cons of IMS Content Package, SCORM 1.2, IMS Common Cartridge formats or simple self-contained web pages as a format foundation for lesson plan management.

Thanks to a terrific group led by CORE Education, a New Zealand-based not-for-profit educational research and development organization, lesson plan developers large and small can take advantage of a free, open source tool called exeLearn. This application was created to assist teachers and academics in the publishing of web content without the need to become proficient in HTML or XML markup. Most importantly, content authored in exeLearn can be exported in any of the standard (there's that word again) formats, making its content compatible with nearly any LPM solution. I don't know, but assume the tool can also be used to convert from one format to another.

If you have anyone in your district interested in media rich lesson plan creation, point them at the exeLearn web site, where they can download and use the application on nearly any platform. They also host a series of very useful videos that explain the exeLearn philosophy and tools. The little bit of time I've spent playing with the tool leads me to conclude they've hit a home run. If you do download and use it, let me know how it works for you. Seems like a support group in the making ...

Though it required an early wake-up to make the 7am SIIA Education Division breakfast last Wednesday morning at NECC, it was worth the effort. Tucked into a small room at the Renaissance Hotel across from the DC Convention Center, the group consisted of SIIA leadership, various education software publishers, several varieties of industry consultants and one ed tech hardware exec. The speaker that morning was Jim Shelton, the DOE's Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, where he oversees the Department's competitive teacher quality, school choice and learning technology programs.

Jim's topic was billed as a "Discussion of the Obama Administration's education innovation agenda with emphasis on technology, implementation of the ARRA, and the role of the private sector". Jim is a thoughtful, articulate and engaging speaker, able to make his points extemporaneously and casually and his talk was a well-organized stream of consciousness presentation. Most importantly, he did not shy away from criticizing the industry to which he was speaking, educators to whom we sell our products, or the inefficiencies within his own department. True to President Obama's campaign pledge, the agenda was honest and transparent. Some of the more intriguing comments included:

• Make It Apple Easy. Right out of the box, Secretary Shelton criticized the industry for making products that are unnecessarily complex and which lack an element of "cool". I believe his point was that low adoption and effectiveness of ed tech products can be partially blamed on product designs that emphasize functionality rather than usability. He implored the industry, including the two Intel reps in the room, to make it "Apple Easy". The groan was audible and there may have been a hiss or two. Still, while his point is well-taken, he was intentionally overlooking the business realities of designing, building, deploying and supporting next-generation products to an industry that focuses first and foremost on cost savings and value. Schools don't have much of a budget for "cool".

• Ed Tech Viewed as "Part of the Problem". OK - these are my words, not his. More accurately what Jim said was that end users "... do not view ed tech vendors as part of a solution to their basic problems". I suspect he was referring more so to main stream teachers who struggle with classroom technology adoption while also confronting growing class sizes, fewer resources and changing performance criteria, and not to administrative and instructional technology folks. The district technology leadership we interact having the luxury of stepping away from the fray and envisioning the world they're trying to create. For the most part, they are very supportive of the our efforts to deliver effective and relevant products. Teachers, on the other hand, don't have that luxury and it's easy to imagine their frustration with "yet another change". If I were to corner Jim, this is one topic I would want to explore further.

• E2T2 Funding Cut. For years we've railed as an industry about the prior administration's hypocracy in creating this vastly under-funded mandate within NCLB. To me it was the one moment in the morning's discussion where Jim seemed a bit embarrassed, offering the party politico-speak that E2T2 funding will return when there is "a clear plan with demonstrated effectiveness". Sorry. That bird doesn't fly. There are far too many classrooms without the basic infrastructure required to have a conversation about 21st century teaching. No matter how the details evolve down the road, classrooms with adequate computer and rich-media presentation technologies improve learning outcomes right here and right now. The evidence surrounding the importance of classroom sound reinforcement by itself is overwhelming.

• Mythical Stimulus Money. It was no surprise that stimulus funds was a hot topic at NECC. More to the point, everybody was trying to understand if and when dollars would actually reach targeted districts. Though I'm guessing Jim would deny saying it, when pressed on this topic he clearly stated that the reason stimulus funds are not yet flowing to districts is that " ... states are playing games with the stimulus money". In other words, funds are flowing to the states, but getting redirected to address more pressing needs. He's frustrated, we're frustrated, schools are frustrated, etc. Personally, I've yet to speak with a district anywhere in the country that has actually received IDEA Part B funds.

As an industry, we have strong advocates for effective, proven investments in education technology currently DC. The type of candor shown at the SIIA breakfast meeting last week was an important step towards turning potential into results. We didn't necessarily hear what we wanted to hear, but we did hear (mostly) the truth. What's next? It's up to us.

Years ago I was involved in scientific research on the effect of vision loss on the everyday tasks we take for granted, such as reading and walking around. After finishing my graduate work at NYU, I moved to Minnesota to join an esteemed research facility known as the Laboratory for Low Vision Research, run by a brilliant scientist named Gordon Legge, who himself had extremely "low vision". The term "low vision", used to describe a state of visual impairment that falls somewhere between normal (corrected) and blind, jumped to mind as I read through a research paper entitled "Classroom Acoustics and The Benefits of Sound Field Amplification", by Deborah Brace, an audiologist and speech therapist at Egg Harbor Township High School in New Jersey. It occurred to me that the term "Low Hearing" perfectly described the conditions addressed in the paper.

Deborah's paper is a very useful compilation of relevant research and includes her recommendations for mitigating the effects of low hearing in the classroom, whether the result of a physical impairment, external noise, a soft-spoken teacher or some combination. If you're in the business of designing, building, supporting or using classrooms, it's well worth 20 minutes of your time to read through it. A few details, however, really jumped out for me.

Looking at auditory properties of classrooms, there are two standards organizations, ANSI and ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association), that each offer guidelines for acceptable classroom background noise, 35 dB and 30 dB respectively. Several studies cited in the paper report unoccupied classroom noise levels that are consistently above these standards, often hitting the 60 dB range. HVAC, for example, can easily add 10-15 dB, while a fish tank can add 20-30 dB, all of which makes it more difficult for the teacher to be heard. Indeed, both standards group agree that classrooms should provide a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR; a comparison of the teacher's voice to the background noise level) of +15 dB or greater. Yet studies have shown classroom SNR that range from +5 dB to -7 dB, placing a strain on both students and teachers.

So - classrooms can be noisy places and it's no real surprise that students who hear the teacher more easily and clearly do better. The surprise for me was the magnitude of the impact of the combination of poor SNR and moderate hearing loss. While the paper offers up several useful and interesting examples, the absolute show-stopper was a reference to a research study by Nelson & Soli (2000) that reported:

• 13-15% of school age children studied had hearing losses of 15 dB or greater
• these students were typically unaware of their hearing loss
• these students were 10x more likely to repeat at least one grade as compared to their normal hearing peers

Anything that produces a negative learning outcome that is 10x below what we consider to be "normal" sounds like an epidemic to me. Add to that the increased likelihood of some of these students moving into special education programs, with it's attendant costs and consequences, and it may not be an over-reaction to call it a crisis.

Fortunately, there is no mystery to the solution required to turn the situation around. Classroom sound reinforcement is easy to install, easy to use and is even becoming easy to afford. Amplify the teacher's voice to dramatically improve the classroom SNR, regardless of whether the noise is internal, external or the result of low hearing, and the issue goes away. It's rare that we get to connect the dots between classroom technology and improved learning outcomes so directly. I look forward to seeing longitudinal studies that track the long term impact of classroom sound reinforcement as these systems become pervasive in all schools.