it's new, it's improved, it's time. (presentation systems). - best electronic whiteboard

A long time ago, staff at Murray State University's Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology (KY)
I found myself getting a fortune.
They wanted to use it to do something really special for the faculty, so they assembled fine carts for each university, filled with the latest display tools, and came with a lovely spiral --
Bound notebooks with all the documents, they waited to thank and took a shot on the back where they knew it was coming.
It turned out that they waited in vain.
When a faculty member of a university liked its trolley, the faculty member of the other university stuffed it into a corner of the Dean's conference room and placed it there.
Other carts are pirated and the parts are removed and re-used.
The support staff of the college did not know how to provide services for the equipment, and the department did not know how to use the equipment.
No one read the manual.
"This is not the best use of our money," said Linda Shearer, director of TLT . ".
The state of Hurray has since started.
The center now maintains a state. of-the-
Art showroom where teachers can experiment and feel comfortable with the technology, including video conferencing equipment and electronic whiteboard-
The board that displays the presentation from the computer and the Internet, but can be written on it like a normal whiteboard.
The center now manages a technical funding program for teachers who want to explore new hardware and teaching software;
It provides online training programs and maintains a teacher development studio with computers and software for creating cutting
Edge Demo.
"We look at how the faculty handles what's in our lab," Miller said . ".
"If they like something, they will go to the Dean for it.
Now there are smart motherboards everywhere on campus.
"Gerry Ewing, now an expert in teaching technology at the University of Stirling (FL)
, Remember when a $30,000 projection system was introduced to the lecture hall at the University of Central Florida, where he worked1990s.
Students in a class must take weekly quizzes, and after their teachers started using the projector, their average score rose by 8 points.
If it's wobbly, it's easy to get out of the short skirt, so the students realize how beneficial it is for their learning experience, with the sign of "Danger: High pressure" on their beloved device, prevent it from being touched.
Now the projector is shaking
Proof of regular ceiling
Installation, much cheaper than what UCF students feel is protected, there is no doubt that the latest display chart can enhance teaching and the students are ready: Post-
The MTV generation is facing PowerPoint presentations and Web surfing in the classroom, so the new projection device also has special contrast functions that can be used in the case of tension in the whole room, and finally solves this problem.
The lights are out, the old problem of students dozing off.
Due to the price increase and the price slump, IHEs is able to afford a lot more Display technology than it was five years ago.
Steve Shenkan, an advisor to Shenkan and his colleagues (www. shenkan-associates. com)
It is estimated that prices are falling at a rate of about 20% per year.
Even Dell computers are now launching a lightweight projector to the education market for less than $2,500.
"When Dell entered the market, you knew the market was commercialized," said Shenkan . "
"This is a great opportunity to participate.
The equipment is very convenient to use.
I took a unit home to check out my fiveyear-
Old starts and runs in 20 seconds.
A central console with multiple inputs that can display information about any device;
Systems directly connected to the school network and the Internet;
Control software that can remotely manage display devices and reduce employee needs--
Industry experts say all these things will be sold at real prices in the next few purchase cycles.
Nevertheless, Shenkan estimates that no more than 10% of colleges and universities make the most of the advantages of display technology.
Maybe 40% of people are planning to install it, and 50% are dragging their feet.
Cost: In the case of equipment cost reduction, the whole board is cutting costs
Edge classroom technology varies depending on the intended use of the room, whether the installation is part of a construction project or more expensive alterations, and how fancy the school wants to get.
Purdue University (IN)
Each classroom costs about $10,000 to buy equipment to equip its lecture hall, which does not include labor costs.
Tyson's room is between $16,000 and $17,000.
Murray State University spends between $30,000 and $50,000 per room.
Columbia University School of Law spent $3.
5 million five rooms were equipped in a recent renovation, although Brian Donnelly, director of teaching services, described them as "one of the most advanced classrooms in the world.
In an elegant apartment
Screen plasma monitor, the room can display whatever the instructor can create, they can record the full video and audio-
This also explains why conference rooms are heavily used for meetings.
Everything is connected to the school network and connected to the Internet from there.
A central control room manages all five rooms, in addition to the same classrooms in separate buildings jointly built by law and business schools.
In addition, the system of the room can be controlled from the back of the classroom or from the podium in front.
As part of $12.
Million Renault Center for Education Excellence completed in 2000
South Community College (AR)
Installation status-of-the-
Art room/classroom with two
Audio and video, electronic whiteboard, plasma display, console-
"Everything we want, then some"-
The price is between $130,000 and $140,000.
But Raul Rice, vice president of information systems, had to go around to keep the bottom line low by six digits.
"A supplier offers millions of dollars and installs products that are very similar to our final product," he said . ".
"I said, 'Sorry, we have to go out and bid '.
We never saw him again.
Ford observed a steady decline in prices.
He has installed a similar room since completing the Reynolds Center ---minus the two-way video--
Only $80,000.
Will they come if you build it?
Still, even state-of-the-art equipment can be abandoned like a demonstration system trolley at Murray State University ---
Unless teachers are attracted to this technology and incorporate it into their teaching. Ease of use.
The first step is to make the device so easy to use, even if it is
Technical experts or stubborn lecturers can master it in a matter of minutes.
"Compared to the old system, the controls we are using now are like from 747 to microwave ovens," said Gerry uain, director of teaching technology at the University of Stesen . ".
So far, the school has installed a touch-using system in 15 rooms
Crestron of the screen (www. crestron. com).
"We used to give hours in the 1990 s-
Long-term workshop on how to use classroom equipment.
They were then shortened to half an hour.
And then we stopped doing it.
He explained that every button needs to make all the necessary adjustments to make the specific device run.
This is key, he said, because some users are not prepared to deal with the typical multiple controls of the old system at all.
"There is a professor who teaches art classes," Yu Yin recalls . ".
"We got a call saying the focus of his document camera was off.
We told him to press the "focus output" button.
He said, 'Why am I doing this?
It has lost focus!
Brian Donnelly of Columbia Law School said: "The faculty really didn't like to stand in front of the room and have the students laugh at them. They are impatient and tolerant.
It is not acceptable to even take three or four minutes off between classes.
"Colombia is also using the Crestron control panel, and Donnelly estimates that it will take 15 to 20 minutes to train a coach who may want to do 80 to 90% things with the system.
In fact, all classrooms in the school have control panels, and although the law is said to be one of the classrooms with less multimedia, usage has steadily increased
Friendly discipline.
Bert Collins, manager of Purdue multimedia teaching Development Center, said the control panel of the whole system should be unified.
He equipped 120 classrooms with LCD projectors and video recorders and connected everything through the school's computer network.
From the user's point of view, each room is the same.
The instructor accesses the device by logging in to the network, which also allows him to bring up the presentation he stored there.
The internet gives him a familiar desktop preference.
"In order to achieve this unity, people shed a lot of blood," Collins said . ".
Digital convenience.
Once faculty members are happy with the new device, the next step is to have them digitize their teaching materials so they can be stored on the Web, experts say, or display from a laptop, PDA, or CD.
The process is not necessarily simple according to discipline.
Was Hines is a professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Knoxville, Tennessee, and a huge fan of electronic whiteboards.
The digitization of handwritten slides can take years, he said, "You have to be good at scanning, or have good secretarial support," he said, but even then there may be problems.
"You can give your secretary a slide, but you may not get back what you gave.
Secretaries may not necessarily be good at using equation editing.
"But if the whiteboard is equipped with optical character recognition, that's where the whiteboard can help, says Haines.
The instructor can write on the blackboard with a special mark and save the content to the computer.
An equation that is written clearly enough can actually be saved completely.
At Purdue University, teachers receive a grant of $5,000 to $25,000 each to help develop new teaching materials and convert old ones.
The money allows instructors to get time outside of teaching and even pay for student labor or special equipment.
Allow plenty of time for adoption.
The final step towards complex display technology is: Don't rush to achieve it. At UT-
Knoxville, a large number of electronic whiteboards entered the venue during Christmas.
Haines did a series.
Teachers demonstrated for an hour, but less than half of them were ready to use when the school resumed.
However, as the faculty has had a summer to adapt, usage has increased this fall.
All the projector manufacturers put their products
Compatible with existing materials.
"Say you have to convert your material before you can use the high-
Linda Miller of Murray State University said.
"Including low. -key.
End the technology so that the faculty can come in with their old tapes and slides.
"Related articles: 10 ways to get the most out of your display technology. 1. Plan ahead.
When you build a new space or do a renovation, prepare the room for the latest display technology.
Even if you can't afford the actual equipment right now, wiring in advance at least is always not too expensive. 2.
Permanent installation.
Mobile devices that must be booked and delivered may be damaged, stolen, and will not arrive where they should be. 3.
Looking forward to change.
Like computer equipment, display technology is becoming more and more powerful and cheaper.
Assuming your dream system will reduce costs over the next few years, start budgeting for those reduced expenditures now. 4. Get good help.
Hire a designer/installer who has extensive experience and reliable references for the type of room you decorate.
Check the company's financial information to ensure that the company carries out warranty service on the equipment after the installation is completed and subsequently. 5.
Empower faculty members.
Give them cash, secretarial support and training to convert the teaching materials to take advantage of any display technology you are installing. 6. Think user-friendly.
Faculty members hate students to watch them fiddle with buttons. Simple touch-
The coach who hates technology the most can master screen control in a few minutes.
Standardize the control of all rooms. 7.
Use the network.
Connecting the display system to the school network will simplify the placement of materials on the network for remote
Learn projects and maintain equipment.
Faculty and staff can store their presentations online instead of fumbling for floppies, CDs, or laptops. 8.
Observe the layout of the room.
Make sure to place the display so that all students can see them and not be washed away by ambient light.
Orient document cameras so that instructors can face classes when using them.
Keep the console on the side. 9.
Flexibility is emphasized.
Ensure that the equipment is adapted to a variety of teaching styles. 10.
Don't forget lowtech.
The blackboard and the traditional whiteboard should be provided with fancy gadgets.
Electronic whiteboards with special marks can mix the two together.
Related article: Game Room.
You may think you can easily use the new display technology in a few rooms at a time, but those who have tried it say things can get really ugly.
Wes Heins, professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Knoxville, Tennessee, has been an advocate of electronic whiteboards and has seen them enter many UT classrooms.
He said that when the boards began to be installed in liberal arts classrooms, some faculty members in these departments would claim that they needed whiteboards --
Well equipped rooms, in fact, they just want to grab the classroom they are used.
They are not going to actually use the new motherboard.
Coaches who covet the technology in these rooms soon began to monitor the pigs in the room, and when they saw that the coach did not use the technology, they issued a warning to the administrator.
At the University of steesen, Gerry Ewing, director of teaching technology, recalls how the faculty will "play" to automate room scheduling.
"They soon knew that if they checked all the technical boxes, they would get a beautiful new classroom," he said . ".
"People who can really use the technology are stuck teaching in trailers.
"Of course, once coaches get used to using these devices, they become addicted and don't want to be put in a room without equipment," said Bart Collins, manager of the multimedia teaching development center at Purdue University, converted 120 (
200 of the plan)
The classroom of the network display system.
"They want their PowerPoint presentation to work properly and as part of the course they can show their files to students and mess up on the Internet.
What is the bottom line, professionals say?
Do not fuel addiction unless you are ready to feed it. --
How did that get into my backpack?
So you invest in those new, cute little projectors that are light and can connect everything.
Everyone likes them.
But what if they loved them so much that they brought them home?
Consultant Steve Shenkan said: "I have heard of the horror story of students climbing up places that are very difficult to get close to looking for the installed projector equipment . " He tracks the market for display equipment in higher education, but fortunately when the display equipment becomes smoother (
Easier to tuck into a backpack)
Security measures have also become more complex.
Now the core of most systems can be racks-
Installed behind the cabinet door and can only be installed and uninstalled with special tools.
The touch screen can be connected to the console.
These measures can not only prevent theft, but also prevent unauthorized tampering by people who firmly believe they know what they are doing.
Scott Apfelbacher of the letter Systems Group (www. dascom-systems. com)
He installed video and audio systems for companies and universities, and he said that some of the worst criminals are those who take or teach advanced electronic courses.
"They have been destroying the system.
"But the most effective anti-theft weapon is an electronic weapon: if a piece of equipment is disconnected from the system, an alarm is issued in the central control room. Systems can e-
Mail or page staff if their component suddenly disappears.
Purdue University has adopted such a system.
Bart Collins, manager of the school's multimedia teaching Development Center, said: "Even if the computer is unplugged, we will get a massage . ".
Such a control room can also allow the school to further expand its staff.
"Now," said Gerry Ewing, director of teaching technology at the University of Stetson, "We have received technical funding in the construction budget, but we have not given staff money to maintain it.
"Therefore, uain is trying a Crestron system called RoomView that will not only issue an alert for disconnection, but also an alert for any failure.
Don't you hate the light bulbs exploding?
The system also tracks details such as the life of the projector lamp. --
Elizabeth Gardner is from Chicago.
A freelance writer specializing in technology.