Source: 
THE Journal's readers have chosen their favorite and most revered software and hardware — tools that help them, as teachers, administrators and tech leaders, fulfill the mission of education.
At this moment in education you're probably surrounded by technology that is intended to help you teach, learn, manage, record, compute, coach, present, protect and alert. And there's more coming all the time. When you know there's got to be hardware or software out there that will save you time, help you do a better job and, most importantly, improve the chances that your students are engaged and learning, how do you pick? Chances are, you look to your peers. So that's exactly what we've done.
For our first-ever pre-K–12 Readers' Choice Awards, THE Journal got hundreds of education professionals to tell us which products they choose in more than 30 different categories. Broadly, we cover classroom software and hardware, devices, and school and district products. In almost every category you'll find Platinum, Gold and Silver picks from your colleagues. Congratulations to the winners, and we hope this list helps you narrow down your shopping options — and maybe spurs some debate.
CLASSROOM HARDWARE
Interactive Whiteboards
This category, chosen by our voters as their favorite technology (see "Top 3 Favorite Technologies" at right), is ruled by one brand: Smart Technologies, which drew seven in 10 votes.
Two of the company's latest boards are the Smart kapp iQ, which allows students to contribute to online content from their mobile devices; and the Smart kapp, not interactive at all, but rather a replacement for dry-erase boards that lets the user save and share notes written or drawn on the board.
Second-place finisher Promethean provides a comparably rich line of interactive whiteboards. Epson, in the third spot, takes a different approach with its projectors that display interactive images on a screen, wall or table.
Gold: Promethean
Classroom Audio and Sound Enhancement
Classroom audio systems use wireless mics to help instructors amplify what they're saying and rise above the din of a classroom. Smart Audio, which captured almost half of the votes, raises the teacher's voice volume and integrates with the company's software to pipe audio through lessons running on the interactive whiteboard. It can be set to turn off when the school's PA system is broadcasting.
Second place finisher Lightspeed, a dedicated audio company, offers several products in the category, including Flexcat, a multiple speaker "pod" system that can be set up to help the teacher monitor small group discussions. Califone, a close third, covers a broad array of audio gear, including amplifiers, headsets and portable audio systems.
Gold: Lightspeed
To see the full article and list of all winners please click here.