2016 THE Journal Readers’ Choice Award Winners Announced

(VIENNA, VA., October 31, 2016)—THE Journal, published by 1105 Public Sector Media Group, is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Readers' Choice Awards.

For THE Journal's annual Readers' Choice Awards, education technology professionals voted for the software, hardware and services they consider most vital to the job of educating and supporting America's 50 million K-12 students.

"More than 1,000 of our readers — technology-using educators — selected the gear, software and brands they see as most valuable to the mission of education," said David Nagel, editor-in-chief of THE Journal. "We congratulate all the winners and thank them for having such a positive impact on K–12 schools."

2016's Readers Choice Award Winners:

• Most Valuable in Your Schools
• Platinum: Lexia Learning
• Gold: Google Chromebooks
• Silver: Edsby
• Best Reading Program
• Platinum: Lexia Learning
• Gold: Renaissance Learning Accelerated Reader 360
• Silver: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Read 180
• Best Math Program
• Platinum (tie): IXL Math and Renaissance Learning Accelerated Math
• Gold: DreamBox Learning
• Silver: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt GO Math!
• Best Science Program
• Platinum: Discovery Education
• Gold: Delta Education's Full Option Science System (FOSS)
• Best Robotics System/Curriculum
• Platinum: Lego Education
• Gold: Vex Robotics
• Silver: Wonder Workshop Dash & Dot Coding Robots
• Best Coding Tool/Curriculum
• Platinum: Code.org/Hour of Code
• Gold: Tynker
• Best Formative Assessment
• Platinum: Renaissance Learning Star 360
• Gold: Kahoot!
• Silver (tie): Houghton Mifflin Harcourt GO Math! and NWEA
• Best Summative Assessment
• Platinum: Renaissance Learning Star 360
• Gold: NWEA MAP
• Best Learning Management & E-Learning
• Platinum: Google Classroom
• Gold: Schoology
• Silver: Edmodo
• Best Education Networks/Professional Communities
• Platinum (tie): Discovery Educator Community and Twitter
• Gold: LinkedIn
• Silver (tie): simpleK12 and Teaching Channel
• Best Adaptive/Personalized Learning Tool
• Platinum: Lexia Reading Core5
• Gold: Renaissance Learning
• Silver (tie): Edgenuity and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Read 180 and Scientific Learning Reading Assistant
• Best Intervention & Remediation Software
• Platinum (tie): Renaissance Learning STAR Early Literacy
• Gold (tie): Achieve3000 and Scientific Learning Fast ForWord
• Silver: Read Naturally
• Best ePortfolio
• Platinum: Blackboard Learn
• Gold: Moodle
• Silver (tie): Instructure Canvas and Seesaw
• Best ‘Other' Education Tool
• Platinum: Khan Academy
• Gold: Discovery Education Streaming Plus and Discovery Education Science Techbook
• Silver: Learning.com
• Best Student Response Systems & Classroom Clickers
• Platinum: Kahoot
• Gold: Socrative
• Silver: SMART response 2
• Best Collaboration Tool
• Platinum: Google collaboration tools (Hangouts, G Suite for Education and Classroom)
• Gold: Microsoft collaboration tools (Skype in the Classroom, Office 365 Education and Classroom)
• Silver: Nearpod
• Best Classroom Management System
• Platinum: ClassDojo
• Gold: Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
• Silver: Google Cast
• Best Student Information Systems & Data Management Tool
• Platinum: PowerSchool
• Gold: Skyward
• Silver: Infinite Campus
• Best Lecture Capture/Screen Recording
• Platinum: Screencast-O-Matic
• Gold: TechSmith Snagit
• Silver: TechSmith Camtasia
• Best Document Camera
• Platinum: Elmo Visual Presenter
• Gold: AVer
• Silver: Smart Document Camera
• Best Projector Maker
• Platinum: Epson
• Gold: Hitachi
• Silver: InFocus
• Best Interactive Whiteboard, Display, Flat Panel or Kiosk
• Platinum: Smart Technologies
• Gold: Promethean
• Silver: Epson
• Best Videoconferencing & Web Conferencing Tool
• Platinum: Google Hangouts
• Gold: Microsoft Skype in the Classroom
• Silver: Cisco WebEx
• Best Virtual Classroom/Meeting Software
• Platinum: Google Hangouts
• Gold: Citrix's GoToMeeting
• Silver: Microsoft Skype in the Classroom
• Best Classroom Audio Distribution/Sound Enhancement System Maker
• Platinum: Lightspeed Technologies
• Gold: Smart audio
• Silver (tie): Califone and FrontRow
• Top Educational Game or Gaming Tool
• Platinum: Kahoot
• Gold: Minecraft and Minecraft Education Edition
• Top Non-education Game Used for Instruction
• Platinum: Minecraft and Minecraft Education Edition
• Best Gaming Platform
• Platinum: Apple iOS
• Gold (tie): Sony PlayStation and Windows Xbox
• Silver: Microsoft Windows
• Best Virtual/Augmented Reality Headset or Hardware System
• Platinum: Google Cardboard
• Gold: Samsung Gear VR
• Silver (tie): Facebook Oculus Rift and Sony PlayStation VR
• Best Virtual/Augmented Reality Software/System
• Platinum: HP Aurasma
• Best Classroom Presentation Software
• Platinum: Microsoft PowerPoint
• Gold: Google Slides
• Silver: Prezi
• Best Office/Productivity Suite
• Platinum: Microsoft Office/Office 365 Education
• Gold: Google G Suite for Education
• Silver: Apple iWork
• Best Multimedia Authoring Suites & Creative Software
• Platinum: Adobe Creative Cloud
• Gold: Apple creativity apps
• Best E-Learning Authoring Tool
• Platinum: Google G Suite for Education
• Gold (tie): Apple iBooks Author and Adobe Creative Cloud
• Best Media Tablet by Maker
• Platinum: Apple
• Gold: Google
• Silver: Samsung
• Best Chromebook by Maker
• Platinum: HP
• Gold: Dell
• Silver: Lenovo
• Best Windows Tablet by Maker
• Platinum: Microsoft Surface/Surface Pro
• Gold (tie): Dell, HP and Samsung
• Silver: Lenovo
• Best Convertible Notebook/2-in-1 Notebook by Maker
• Platinum (tie): HP and Lenovo
• Gold: Dell
• Silver: Asus
• Best Education Notebook by Maker
• Platinum: Apple
• Gold (tie): HP and Dell
• Silver: Lenovo
• Best Virtual Desktop and Thin Clients
• Platinum: VMware Horizon
• Gold: Lenovo ThinkCentre
• Silver: Dell Wyse
• Best Wireless Access Point or Hotspot
• Platinum: Cisco Systems
• Gold: Netgear
• Silver (tie): Aerohive Networks and HP Aruba Networks
• Best 3D Printer
• Platinum: Stratasys MakerBot
• Best Network Management, Analysis and Monitoring Tool by Maker
• Platinum: Microsoft
• Gold: Cisco Systems
• Best Mobile Device Management Solution
• Platinum: Google Mobile Management
• Gold: AT&T AirWatch
• Best Anonymous Reporting Tool
• Platinum: MySafeSchool
• Gold: CyberBully Hotline
• Best Emergency Notification System
• Platinum: SchoolMessenger
• Gold: Blackboard Connect
• Best Firewall Software
• Platinum: Kaspersky
• Gold: Symantec Norton 360
• Silver: Windows Firewall
• Best Firewall Hardware/Appliance
• Platinum: Cisco Systems
• Gold: MacAfee/Forcepoint
• Best Antivirus Tool
• Platinum: McAfee AntiVirus
• Gold: Microsoft
• Silver (tie): Avast and Norton AntiVirus
• Best Classroom Furnishings by Brand
• Platinum: Steelcase
• Gold: Bretford
• Silver: Childcraft
• Top 10 Favorite Technologies Currently Used
1. All things Apple, most especially iPads, but also MacBooks and iPhones; and all things Google, particularly G Suite for Education, Classroom and Drive
2. Interactive whiteboards, particularly from Promethean and Smart
3. Lexia
4. More computers, tablets, desktops and carts
5. Renaissance, especially Star 360 and Accelerated Reading and Math
6. Google Chromebooks
7. Microsoft Office and Office 365
8. Projectors, particularly Epson's; and Mimio Boxlight interactive solutions
9. Edsby and Schoology
10. Document cameras

About THE Journal
THE Journal is the premier resource for K-12 senior-level district and school administrators, IT administration and instructional technologists who make decisions and influence technology purchases for their districts, schools and classrooms.

About 1105 Public Sector Media Group
1105 Public Sector Media Group, a division of 1105 Media, Inc., provides information, insight and analysis to the Government IT and Education IT (FED/SLED) sectors. Our content platforms include print, digital, online, events and a broad spectrum of marketing services. http://1105publicsector.com

Contact:
Emily Jacobs
ejacobs@1105media.com
703.876.5052

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Posted on 10/31/2016 at 8:29 AM