New sponsors join SMARTer Kids™ Foundation’s Teaching Excellence Award program

Immersive Education and eInstruction provide valuable teaching tools for the technology package awarded to U.S. State Teachers of the Year

Calgary, AB --- January 8, 2004 --- The SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada announces new sponsors, Immersive Education and eInstruction Corporation, for its Teaching Excellence Awards for the U.S. State Teacher of the Year program. As part of the award program, 62 recognized teachers will each receive an educational technology package valued at approximately US$9,500. The award includes a SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard, floor stand and SMART Ideas® concept-mapping software from SMART Technologies Inc., an NEC VT465 portable projector from NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division, a Dana™ by AlphaSmart® Palm OS® laptop alternative from AlphaSmart, Inc., Kar2ouche® and Krucible® creative-learning software from Immersive Education, and a 32-pad Classroom Performance System from eInstruction Corporation. Approximately 270 state finalists will receive a copy of SMART Ideas software. In total, the sponsors will donate more than US$670,000 worth of educational technology to the 2004 U.S. State Teachers of the Year.

As part of its sponsorship, Immersive Education will provide Kar2ouche and Krucible creative-learning software. Kar2ouche role-playing software engages children through highly visual environments, which they can direct and experience for themselves. This develops contextual understanding, interpretation skills and creative expression across a wide range of subject areas. Krucible science simulation software makes learning fun by bringing to life scientific topics that are difficult to explain and understand. The Classroom Performance System (CPS) from eInstruction Corporation is an easy-to-use infrared response system that obtains immediate feedback from every student and uses an automated assessment feature to evaluate answers. Teachers can pass out a paper test and allow students to respond at their own pace using a CPS.

"Immersive Education is proud to sponsor an award program that promotes innovation and recognizes exemplary teaching practices,” says Christopher Lloyd, CEO of Immersive Education. “We are especially happy that we are providing the winners with software that uses a new approach to using information technology in a way that extends pupils’ learning and unlocks their creativity across a wide range of grades and subject areas."

“We are delighted to participate in the SMARTer Kids Foundation's Teaching Excellence Award program,” says Darrell Ward, president and CEO of eInstruction Corporation. “We are pleased to contribute technology and pedagogy that supports the classroom with an active student-engagement component while reducing the administrative workload of the teacher. With programs like the Teaching Excellence Award everyone is a winner, especially the students.”

“The winners of State Teacher of the Year program are exemplary educators who make a valuable contribution to the development of the young people they teach,” says Nancy Knowlton, executive director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. “We would like to thank our new sponsors who recognize the value of providing teachers with leading-edge technology to make student learning in their classrooms even more effective.”

About the Teaching Excellence Awards
In its fourth consecutive year of supporting all U.S. State Teacher of the Year programs, the Teaching Excellence Award program acknowledges teachers whose skill and dedication have enriched their students, schools and communities. Teaching Excellence Awards will be presented at each state’s annual teacher-recognition ceremony. In January 2004, the SMARTer Kids Foundation will co-sponsor the National Teacher of the Year Conference in Dallas, TX, and host a technology professional development session for the teachers. The session offers the teachers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with the products they receive as part of their award package. In April 2004 the teachers will be joined by SMARTer Kids Foundation representatives at the National Teacher of the Year Awards in Washington, DC. Events will include a presidential ceremony at the White House, a recognition gala hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic Inc., and a professional development event hosted by the SMARTer Kids Foundation. The SMARTer Kids Foundation will also host a dinner for the teachers and their guests. Award winners will be featured on the SMARTer Kids Foundation Web site at www.smarterkids.org/excellence.

Program Sponsors
The Teaching Excellence Award program is made possible through the generosity of the SMARTer Kids Foundation’s supporting sponsors. For the 2004 program year, SMART Technologies Inc. will donate US$238,000 in technology products. AlphaSmart, Inc. and NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division will provide US$24,600 and US$116,900, respectively, in product donations. New sponsors Immersive Education and eInstruction Corporation will donate US$162,500 and US$129,600, respectively, in product.

The sponsors of the program will donate more than US$670,000 worth of educational technology to the 2004 State Teachers of the Year. Approximately US$1.2 million in technology has been awarded to date through the Teaching Excellence Award program.

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