Classroom Collaboration Meets SMART Technology in NYC Media Event

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Apr 29, 2014) - SMART Technologies (NASDAQ: SMT) (TSX: SMA)

• True Collaboration Thought-Leader Panel with social media theorist Clay Shirky, education writer/speaker Angela Maiers, Google Global Education's Cristin Frodella and moderator Warren Barkley, CTO of SMART Technologies, who was instrumental in establishing the worldwide standard for Wi-Fi
  
  
• After 10 man years of research and development, SMART amp collaborative learning software will be unveiled at this event, unlocking the hidden potential of mobile devices in the classroom
  
  
• Live demonstration of the future of learning, featuring students in New York & California collaborating in real time in a cross-country classroom enabled by SMART amp
  
  
• Discussion surrounding new technology, new techniques, new ways to teach that will equip today's students for success in the collaborative economy of tomorrow.

SMART Technologies, a leading provider of interactive displays and an innovator in collaborative education software, will host a two-part media briefing on collaboration, education and technology at its 200 Lexington Avenue center on Wednesday, May 7, at 2 PM. The 90-minute program will feature a top-tier panel of educators, technologists and digital media thinkers exploring the growing importance of collaboration in education and how technology will play a vital role in enabling true collaboration. Bringing the discussion to life will be students in New York and San Diego who will collaborate on a project remotely in real time on SMART Boards, mobile devices and laptops using the just-released SMART amp™ collaborative learning software.

SMART amp is a cloud-based solution designed specifically for education. As the 'glue' that connects disparate devices, it allows for a seamless transition between learning environments, supports teachers with access to collaboration-rich resources and offers students greater opportunities to get the most from their academic journey. As web-based software, it is accessible from virtually any internet-enabled device and reduces costs associated with operating, upgrading or supporting numerous proprietary operating systems.

"We are tremendously excited about SMART amp and the chance to demonstrate its potential," said Neil Gaydon, President and CEO, SMART Technologies. "SMART amp harnesses the power of the growing range of mobile devices in today's classroom, allowing teachers and students to create, collaborate and gauge progress -- all on one dynamic software platform. On May 7^th, to show SMART amp in action, we'll link students on the east and west coast in a cross-country exercise in educational collaboration.

"SMART introduced the world's first interactive whiteboard more than 20 years ago," Gaydon added. "SMART amp and the continuing evolvement of our SMART Notebook collaborative learning software builds on that pioneering tradition and demonstrates our ongoing passion to improve education by developing solutions that meet the needs of 21st century learning."

Students from RPRY School of Edison, NJ will come to SMART's New York Briefing Center to collaborate on a project remotely with students from San Elijo Middle School in San Diego, CA, with their progress tracked on live video feeds. Once the student lesson is underway, moderator Warren Barkley, former teacher, Microsoft innovator and now SMART's Chief Technology Officer, will lead a lively half-hour exploration into the intersection of education, technology and collaboration with panelists:

• Clay Shirky, an in-demand keynote speaker, social media strategist, author, TED talker and Associate Professor at New York University, with a joint appointment in Journalism and the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). Collaboration was a central theme of his TEDGlobal talk.
• Educator, author, speaker Angela Maiers, a leading advocate for digital literacy and leadership in the digital age. As founder and President of Maiers Education Services she helps schools, organizations, and individuals use technology and social media to leverage human capital and production goals.
• Google Global Education's Cristin Frodella, a co-founder of both the Google Teacher Academy and Google Science Fair, who also works on Google Apps for Education, Chromebooks for Education, and Google Student Ambassador.

After the panel, students will discuss their SMART amp enabled collaboration.

Panelists and SMART executives, including CEO Neil Gaydon and President, Education, Greg Estell, will be available for post event interviews.

Event Details:
SMART Collaboration in Education
Panel & Demonstration
Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at 2P.M.
SMART NYC Briefing Center
Suite 1115, 200 Lexington Avenue (between E 32nd & E 33rd)
New York, NY 10016

Media interested in attending the event should RSVP at john.lee@tallgrasspr.com.

About SMART Technologies
SMART Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: SMT) (TSX: SMA) is a leading provider of technology solutions that enable inspired collaboration in schools and workplaces around the world by turning group work into a highly interactive, engaging and productive experience. SMART delivers integrated solutions of hardware, software and services designed for superior performance and ease of use, and remains a world leader in interactive displays.

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