Intel’s latest Fizzbook Spin PC will be unveiled at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in Dublin today by schools’ technology provider Steljes, along with other components that will make up the classrooms of the future, such as interactive whiteboards and the Smart Classroom Suite.
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, which is taking at the RDS Dublin, is now in its 47th year and this is Intel’s 13th year as a Gold Sponsor of the event. Intel believes that the exhibition provides an important platform for students to engage in skills-based learning.
With Smart Classroom Suite, teachers can easily transition between lesson creation, classroom management and student assessment. It reduces the time it takes to set up classroom technology, enabling greater focus on teaching and learning.
Smart Classroom Suite software enables teachers to observe their students’ computer screens on their own computer, giving the teacher complete control of all the Fizzbook Spin PCs in the classroom.
The era of 1:1 learning
The Fizzbook Spin offers a complete classroom solution designed for 1:1 learning. It provides a netbook, e-reader and touchscreen tablet functionality complemented by a suite of classroom software, including word processing, spreadsheet and art packages and SMART Classroom Suite software.
Visitors to the stand will be able to see how the Smart Board interactive whiteboard supports all levels of education and learning styles – transforming lessons from the old “chalk and talk” style to a more interactive, collaborative style of teaching and learning.
Greg Tierney, business development director for Steljes, commented: “Young people today are often described as ‘digital natives’ and enjoy using technology to enhance their learning experiences.”
The Fizzbook Spin, he said, is the perfect solution for schools moving towards a more personalised curriculum and will enhance their existing investment in Smart Board interactive whiteboards. The Fizzbook Spin and Smart’s education solutions have been specifically designed to provide an interactive, collaborative learning environment that reflects the needs of the 21st-century student.
The Fizzbook Spin is an ultra-mobile PC based on Intel’s Classmate series that focuses on rugged design and affordability in educational technology but the twist is that it literally has twist built into its body: it can be used as a regular laptop or there is the option to twist the keyboard around under the screen which then turns into a touchscreen tablet.
Intel has been operating in Ireland since 1989 and in that time has spent more than €25m in support of education programmes, many of which have a focus on the importance of technology in transforming the way education is delivered.
“Intel is committed to supporting education transformation – helping students and educators move from a content-based to a skills-based learning and teaching model that will help learners acquire 21st-century skills, such as critical thinking, collaborative learning, design skills, innovation, communications and creativity. ICT is a key enabler of this strategy” said Colin Mac Hale, Intel Ireland.
