Click above for more information "I'm Just a Classroom…"
By Greg Bronson, CTS-D Ahh, if the walls could talk. Better yet, if only classrooms could sing!
The following is sung to tune of School House Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill”: "…Yes, I’m only a Classroom. And I’m sitting here on University Hill… but I know I’ll be a Learning Space some day…"
AV Club Baby Boomers, or others close enough age-wise to have been similarly exposed, may remember the ABC Saturday morning lineups that included the School House Rock cartoon educational shorts. If I had a favorite (which I didn’t really, as they didn’t much qualify as the kind of “rock” that I was developing an affection for at the time), it would have been “I’m just a Bill.” The tune was catchy and the lyrics simple but clever. And you couldn’t help but root for the underdog, “Bill,” as he aspired to become Law. Who would have guessed some 30+ years later I’d be standing in line to get a copy of S.H.R.’s latest “album” (DVD, actually). But that I did, at Educomm ’09, after thoroughly enjoying the lunch time entertainment provided by some of the original School House Rock creators.
Within AV for Education, there are classroom projects – mostly for new buildings, that stand to contribute as “rock stars” for the institution where they are installed. Getting the attention of top-notch design teams as well as academia’s support, “collaboration” has become synonymous with “Learning Spaces.” With strong political support, they’re on a fast track to the best infrastructure (including audio-video systems) there is to offer. While the need (and benefit) for such diverse “space” has clearly risen above just a few niche locations, there remains a fundamental question of: where does this leave the traditional classroom that is long overdue for updates?
The fact is the vast majority of learning continues to happen in “just a classroom.” These technology-enhanced spaces, with rows of students in seats facing a front presentation wall and multi-media provisions to reinforce the “sage on the stage,” are based on the “lecture” method of learning. As with all learning space, clear and sharp audio and video communications is key. With, perhaps, on the order of one million classrooms across the U.S., many, many classrooms still need basic communication infrastructure updates. Without question, the need far exceeds available resources. This underlining theme gave rise to my Infocomm ’09 and Campus Technology ’09 (thanks Joe and Matt for pinch hitting!) workshops on AV Systems Assessment, which was intended to facilitate a methodical method of determining and prioritizing status of existing systems.
While the debates continue on about how effective traditional classrooms are versus more modern constructs of flexible space, AV Club types remain dually focuses on making sure everyone can see and hear clearly in all Learning Spaces. In doing so, we must continue to deal with updating performance of existing spaces. With fiscal constraints and competing agendas, we may well also find the need to be champions of our version of (classroom) “Bills.”
To this end, Greg’s mantra for AV in Education is:
• Audio is Critical
• Video is Important
• WWW is Expected
• Easy as Driving a Car
Actually a short pre-Infocomm workshop survey I did is likely an even better indicator of where priorities should lie (based on input of 30+ seasoned AV management professionals). They ranked AV priorities this way:
1. Video Display Quality
2. AV Control Attributes
3. AV Control Quality
4. Audio Reinforcement (Speech) Quality
As a kid, I couldn’t appreciate that such a talented group as the School House Rock crew would take up such a non-glorious cause. Yes, it meant a paycheck to them – but to take such mundane topics and make them into a new form of edutainment was pretty remarkable. The music they created reached a huge audience and clearly had a lasting impact. And they’re still at it, “touring” and creating new works. That’s pretty cool.
The new School House Rock DVD (titled Earth) promises to “…make Schoolhouse Rock fans out of a whole new generation of kids.” Here’s to hoping all Learning Spaces (even regular, underdog classrooms) AV, can effectively do their part.
The views expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the authors’ employer(s), past or present.
Greg Bronson, CTS-D, applies AV technologies in the development of innovative learning spaces for higher education. Greg spent the first 10 years of his career as AV technician and service manager, with the past 12 years as an AV system designer and project manager. Bronson currently works for Cornell University and has also worked for two SUNY (State University of New York) campuses as well as a regional secondary education service depot. Bronson is the originator of concept for Infocomm’s Dashboard for Controls and has had completed projects featured in industry publications. You can reach Greg at gregthetechie@netscape.net
Back to Top Click above for more information Technology Manager's Forum: Lessons Learned
By Scott Tiner, CTS This past June I was fortunate to host a Technology Manager’s Forum at EduComm. EduComm is a conference that promotes technology use in the higher ed classroom and usually takes place at the same time as InfoComm. On the panel were some experienced and thoughtful technology managers from other institutions: Greg Bronson, from Cornell [Ed. Note: And our very own rAVe ED columnist!], Matt Silverman from George Mason and Jon Bannan from The College of New Jersey. Our goal was to have an open forum about experiences with changing technologies and give the audience an opportunity to talk about their experiences and to do some networking.
My observations during and after the forum reaffirmed my belief that there is not a strong community of Technology Managers. That is to say, we don’t have ways of communicating with each other and sharing ideas and experiences. Although I don’t have any attendance numbers to back it up, my own experience at the conference is that the forum was one of the best attended of any of the talks/forums other than the keynote presentations. I believe this was due to the desire for a community, and an opportunity to meet and talk with others. This belief was again strengthened by the number of people who approached me and the other participants immediately after the forum and for the rest of the week. I don’t think any saw us as “experts,” they simply wanted someone to bounce ideas of off, and to use as a resource. I have even had a few people contact me via email since the conference. We shared some ideas on how people can connect and communicate with each other: rAVe ED forums, AV-1 mail list, InfoComm Community, InfoComm’s Technology Manager’s Council and the recently created EduComm Institute. While these are all good resources, none have yet reached the point of being THE forum. I hope that this changes over the next year.
I learned at the forum that as a group, Technology Managers are still very wary of moving to a digital system for their installations. In a room full of technology managers, not a single one had put in an all digital system. Lots of pros and cons were given and there was plenty of advice offered. Matthew Silverman of George Mason made an interesting point as the topic was debated, in the digital transition you were either going to be too early or too late. I think there are two issues with going digital that are holding us back. First, there is a lack of knowledge and information. When polled, over half of the audience did not understand HDCP. Clearly, more education is required. For a jump start, I have two suggestions. Crestron and Extron both have information on their websites that offer a wealth of information on the digital transition. In particular Crestron has published the DigitalMedia Design Guide, while Extron has their Digital Design Guide. Both of these publications are worth reading more than once. The other factor holding us back from digital systems is limited options in equipment. In our analog A/V installations we have built up a wealth of little tools, connectors and devices that we know we can substitute into problematic designs. We also have some spare equipment built up over time so we can do quick swap outs. We don’t have that vast quantity of equipment available to us in the digital realm. Some companies have solutions complete solutions, but that requires an install that uses equipment solely from one manufacturer. I know that many technology managers are hesitant to completely tie themselves to a single manufacturer. Next year, this will likely be a very different story. More and more manufacturers are coming out with digital equipment, and more and more sources (laptops, DVD players) are putting out only digital. My advice to you today is to start educating yourself because soon you will be forced into the digital transition.
Finally, I felt good about the forum because it gave everyone a chance to realize that we are not alone in the challenges we face. In fact, almost all of the participants had two very similar problems that are far, far away from the digital transition. Those problems are what to do about VHS tapes and 35mm slide projectors. Luckily, there were many solid suggestions about how to support our faculty while still transitioning them away from these older and difficult to support technologies. Here’s to hoping that we can find more ways to share these struggles and successes over the coming year. Scott Tiner, CTS, has worked in the AV/IT field in public K-12, private K-12 and higher education institutions. As a trained educator he has a deep interest in the use of various types of technology in the classroom. Currently, as the Manager of Digital Media and Event Support at Bates College, Scott designs the technology for learning spaces and works with faculty on innovative ways to use technology in these learning spaces. He also is responsible for the digital video and audio editing support on campus. He can be reached via scotttiner@ymail.com.
Back to Top Canon Launches First Projector Aimed for Education Market Dubbed the LV-7275, this projector is a 2600 ANSI lumen XGA (1024×768) 3LCD projector that priced just under $1000. Canon says that this is their first major foray into the education market and that they designed the projector with “educational” or classroom oriented features such as built-in whiteboard mode (Canon claims when the 7275 is in this mode, hot-spots on the screen disappear as light output is diffused), a screen color correction mode (in case you’re projecting on a wall that’s not white, this mode will compensate for off-white colors) and network connectivity for both operation and security.
The LV-7275 includes a 1.2 zoom lens, multiple input types, including the traditional XGA port as well as DVI (HDCP), and it’s expected to ship by the end of this month. You can learn more about it at: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=132&modelid=18992 Nice to see manufacturers (in this case, Canon) paying attention to little details of how some folks are using projectors in “real life.” Namely, quick and dirty applications that necessitate projecting on white boards… or any available flat surface, for that matter! –GB
Back to Top Atlas Upgrades ControlKom System for Schools In case you don’t know ControlKom, it’s a campus-wide messaging, bell scheduling, security, and IP-based paging system control that easily integrates with almost any existing phone system. With this technology, teaches can simultaneously send an audio stream and text messages to IP-based loudspeakers, computer screens, and overhead paging systems – simultaneously – in the case of an emergency or an important campus-wide message.
The addition comes in the form of Atlas’ new offering of more IP speakers as well as new speaker models that include integrated contact closure support built into IP speakers that include microphones (I8SM, I8SCM, and I128SYSM). This new relay design allows for better 2-way communication and priority paging. With an optional Direct Observation and Real-time Alerting (DORA) software interface installed, ControlKom can also be used to trigger other events. This feature makes the system interesting for allowing monitoring of motion detectors, fire or security panel contact closures, door contacts, and wall-mount call switches.
More information on the ControlKom system can be found at: http://www.atlassound.com/ProductCategory.aspx?id=1370&pI=1702
Seems we’ve truly become AV/IT “converged” when IP speakers are part of a paging system. Of course, this system looks to be much more than just paging… with integrated audio/control over IP.
–GB
Back to Top Extron Launches New MediaLink Controller Design Extron has redesigned the look of the MediaLink keypads in the form of the new MLC 62 MediaLink Controller. Using backlit soft-touch buttons and offering a contemporary look and feel for classrooms, the controller is in a one-gang box and provides eight configurable buttons for control of common A/V system operations, including power on, power off, volume up, volume down, and input source selection. The new controller can be configured with IR learning or Extron's easy-to-use configuration software and extensive library of ready-to-use, certified device drivers. The USB port provides fast and simple configuration using a laptop or desktop PC. The controller serves as a replacement for a display's handheld IR remote, providing user-friendly control for a display or projector.
It can be found here: http://www.extron.com/company/article.aspx?id=mlc62dad
Thanks rAVe ED Editors… I was not aware of this! And at the risk of repeating myself, avoiding wireless remotes (which this allows) is a good thing, for ease-of-use and increased reliability.
–GB
Back to Top Point, Click, Project: Pico Projector in Nikon's Coolpix Next month, Nikon will ship a new digital camera that may change everything in the market for projectors – the Coolpix S1000pj ($430 suggested retail), the world's first combo digital camera and LCoS Pico projector.
The Coolpix S1000pj, featuring a built-in VGA resolution (640 x 480) video projector for displaying still images and video clips on the go, combines the ability to shoot high-resolution photos and play them back instantly on a screen (or wall) up to 40", virtually anywhere a white background can be found. The projector uses LCoS display technology and LED lighting to produce an image brightness level of only 10 ANSI lumens, but we are looking at the future of something big here. It’s a camera and will not include inputs for external source devices but the playback function will include a built-in slideshow presentation with music effects and creative transitions.
Key features in the combo camera include 12.1-megapixel capture resolution; variable wide ISO range, including 64 to 6400 speeds; a 2.7" wide-angle LCD; 5-way vibration reduction (VR) image-stabilization system; subject tracking; and movie mode.
You can read all the details about it here: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/coolpix/s1000pj/ No doubt pico projectors (or in general, any LED light source projectors) are something to keep a watch on. While this “camera” may fall into early adopter (and/or gadget geek) category, can mainstream models be that far away?
–GB
Back to Top Epson Debuts an AV Cart-ish Projector for Schools Epson says the PowerLite Presenter was designed from the ground-up for education. It’s an all-in-one projector/DVD, audio system, etc. The PowerLite Presenter combines a 2500 ANSI lumen, WXGA (1024 x 768) resolution projector, a DVD player and a 10-watt built-in sound system with virtual surround sound – all in one portable box that looks like an oversized projector. Although it’s not shipping until October, Epson says that inputs include video inputs and HD capability, as well as also supporting a microphone port for a very simple (but not very sophisticated, either) voice amplification system for small classrooms. And, it lists (projector included) at $900.
Learn more about the PowerLite Presenter at: http://www.epsonbrighterfutures.com/products
What?! No document camera? Seriously though, all this packed into a $900 projector? That is news worthy.
–GB
Back to Top Well, that's it for this edition of rAVe! Thank you for spending time with us as we muse the industry's happenings. To continue getting my newsletter, or to sign up a friend, click the link below. To send feedback, don't reply to this newsletter – instead, write to Contributing Editor Greg Bronson at gregthetechie@netscape.net, Publisher Gary Kayye at gary@ravepubs.com or Editor-in-Chief Sara Abrons at sara@ravepubs.com
A little about Gary Kayye, CTS, founder of rAVe and Kayye Consulting. Gary Kayye, an audiovisual veteran and columnist, began the widely-read KNews, a premier industry newsletter, in the late 1990s, and created the model for and was co-founder of AV Avenue – which later became InfoComm IQ. Kayye Consulting is a company that is committed to furthering the interests and success of dealers, manufacturers, and other companies within the professional audiovisual industry.
rAVe Pro Edition launched in February 2003. rAVe Home Edition, co-sponsored by CEDIA, launched in February 2004. rAVe Rental [and Staging] launched in November 2007. rAVe Ed [Education] began publication in May 2008.
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