Today, the company is leading research in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and quantum computing.

This includes IBM Watson, the company’s suite of enterprise-ready AI services, applications, and tooling.

The Tech Decision

One location spearheading these innovations is the Thomas J. Watson Research Center: the headquarters of IBM’s Research Division.

Researchers at the center often need to present findings in executive and client engagement meetings which take place in their impressive 240 seat auditorium, designed by neo-futuristic industrial designer, Eero Saarinen.

Tackling some of the world’s most complex problems and promising opportunities, IBM requires presentation displays that are effective and inspiring to truly communicate the importance of their projects.

The previous display technology utilized in the auditorium was a Digital Projection TITAN Pro Series projector with a motorized screen.

The client’s vision involved upgrading to direct-view LED technology to create a brighter, more color-rich, and dynamic presentation space, uninhibited by ambient light, and capable of delivering ultra-high resolution up to 8K.

The modular Radiance LED solution also allowed IBM to benefit from a totally seamless image across the entire front wall.

The Solution

In order to achieve the desired resolution, and to ensure an excellent viewing experience from every seat in the venue, the 1.2mm pixel-pitch Radiance LED Performance Series was selected.

Designed to be maintained completely from the front, and needing only a few inches of depth, the Radiance LED system required very little modification to the auditorium wall infrastructure.

The actual LED display panels fit perfectly where original wood paneling was installed. The result was a dynamic and immersive LED presentation display, measuring 34 feet wide by 16 feet tall, installed to match an architecturally significant curved wall, which was important to the aesthetic of the auditorium.

In partnership with HB Communications, Digital Projection provided design engineering and installation of the curved wall, ensuring a successful deployment of the enormous, near-8K resolution display.

Collaborating with HB Communications, a new state-of-the-art presentation and production system was developed to compliment the fine-pitch LED video wall.

“We included an Analog Way multi-layer premium seamless switcher, Ross SDI routing system, Crestron NVX network AV encoding/decoding system, Shure MXA910 Beamforming Ceiling Microphones, Meyer Sound surround sound speaker system, and Panasonic HD PTZ camera systems, just to name a few,” says Tim Hutton, senior account executive at HB Communications.

“One of the main challenges for this application was meeting the client’s technology requirements while preserving the architectural integrity of the auditorium,” he says.

“The front wall of the auditorium consisted of wood paneling which IBM wanted to retain so an ingenious solution was needed. Multiple high-resolution pictures of the front wall were taken and combined into a single background image which perfectly emulated the wood paneling when displayed on the Radiance LED Video Wall.

“Digital Projection was engaged from project inception to completion. DP engineering and sales worked seamlessly with both HB Communications and IBM on the design, structural requirements, installation, and system commissioning to make this impressive installation possible.”

The Impact

“We believe that profound breakthroughs come when businesses, governments, academic institutions, and others work together to tap into diverse points of view and expertise. Our vision was to provide a stunning, ‘jaw dropping’ image that would make presentations more memorable to the audience.

“The full screen image with its immense size is amazingly lifelike and impresses the audience,” says Lorraine Herger, former director of research integrated solutions at IBM.

Read Next: Technology for Delivering a Dynamic Business Presentation

“During our opening event, we displayed a high definition image of our original wall on the LED presentation wall and our community did not know the original wall had been removed and replaced with an image. The colors, brightness, clarity, and depth of vision that can be achieved are amazing!” she says.

“The Radiance LED wall brought our vision to life with image quality exceeding our highest expectations. We were extremely impressed and grateful with the level of dedication and meticulousness that the DPI installation team showed in order to provide us with this wonderful LED presentation experience,” says Hutton.

The post IBM Watson Research Center LED Presentation Upgrade appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The app-ready and soft-codec enabling products are equipped with native HDBaseT and inputs and outputs for creation of a user-friendly end-to-end system.

The Key Digital Conference Room in a Box solution takes form when AV integrators install Key Digital’s presentation switchers, PTZ USB camera, and amplifier/mixer with microphone input. This line-up offers ease of controlling an entire ecosystem, according to the company.

By applying a few simple settings to the presentation switcher, the integrator creates a complete audio, video, and soft-codec enabling conferencing solution without the need for expensive proprietary conferencing hardware or control systems. The conference room users may control the system using the free Key Digital app, or even via push buttons on the wall plate plug-in.

Key Digital’s KD-PS42 is an KD-App ready, user-friendly, simplified presentation switcher kit with CEC Manager, auto switching, and audio de-embedding. KD-PS42 features three HDMI and one HDBaseT input which integrates natively with the HDMI and display port wall plate. Key Digital’s step-up model, the KD-UPS52U, builds from the KD-PS42 by adding USB connectivity for a soft-codec enabling presentation switcher with CEC Manager.

Related: AV-as-a-Service for 110 Conference Rooms

KD-UPS52U features two HDMI, one Display Port, one USB-C, and one HDBaseT input which integrates natively with universal presentation and USB switching wall plate transmitter, KD-X4x1WUTx (sold separately).

The KD-CAMUSB is Key Digital’s professional USB camera with pan, tilt, and 10x zoom. KD-CAMUSB easily works with PCs by using generic USB drivers for Windows 7, 10, Linux, and Mac OS X.

Users may store & recall up to ten presets for quick and easy viewing of the desired room perspectives and participants, while also adjusting to home and privacy settings within a single button press. KD-CAMUSB is RS-232 and VISCA controllable for integration with major control systems and camera control consoles.

Click here to learn more.

The post Key Digital’s Conference Room in a Box is Well-Timed appeared first on My TechDecisions.

As schools across the country are moving to STEM and STEAM-based curriculums, classroom technology must tangentially evolve to meet the growing demands of those programs, according to a recent product announcement.

“Students are not only active learners in STEM and STEAM programs, but they are participants and producers as well. The MA-1 and MO-2 were designed to enhance hands-on learning and interactive curriculum in the classroom while providing the visual presentation support that ELMO end users know and love.”

The MA-1 and MO-2 are the first Android-based visual presenters in ELMO’s lineup. The STEM-CAM’s will be able to access ELMO-Play, a secure source of education only apps, which will open a world of possibilities for STEM and STEAM-based curriculum.

The app possibilities can include a QR code scanner for text books, instant translation of foreign language, and augmented reality.

“Being driven by the power of Android, the STEM-CAM’s ability to work with augmented reality apps will revolutionize the visual presenter landscape,” said Matt Takekoshi, ELMO USA Corp.’s Chairman.

“Not only does AR increase student interest and engagement during lessons, but it provides opportunities for dynamic visual learning that static images or video cannot. Simply download an AR-ready app, point the camera, and unlock the magic onscreen.”

Video specs

The STEM-CAM offers a generous digital zoom of up to 16x in 1080p Full HD and can capture video at 30fps (up to 60fps when connected via USB).

The MA-1 features a five inch multi-touch screen for navigation and both models are compatible with HID compliant input devices.

Read Next: K-12 Education Technology: 5 Must-Have Elements of AV Tech

With an output terminals offering HDMI, RGB, and USB 2.0, the STEM-CAM’s seamlessly connects to a wide array of devices and is compatible in almost every classroom setting, including most Interactive Flat Panel Displays.

“The STEM-CAM’s also offer built-in Miracast wireless display connectivity and three-hour rechargeable battery so you never have to be tethered to a single workspace again,” the company says.

Learn more on the company’s website.

The post ELMO Introduces STEM-CAM Visual Presenters with Instant Translation, AR appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Wireless presentation has become a necessity for many organizations. Corporate spaces require wireless presentation solutions in every huddle room, conference room, and boardroom. Education spaces utilize wireless presentation in classrooms containing kindergartener’s and PhD candidates alike. Hospitality environments, government buildings, and museums alike utilize wireless presentation to different ends – hosting corporate events, discussing bids on new proposals and projects, or presenting on exhibits to name a few examples.

Wireless presentation is being utilized in many different ways. The one constant when it comes to wireless presentation? They can be a headache for the IT department when the solution isn’t properly secured. Poor cybersecurity protocols put the network at risk – in fact cybercrime has racked up a global cost of over $2.1 trillion in 2019 alone. Few wireless presentation solutions hold the same cybersecurity certifications as IT hardware, yet IT departments still need to connect these solutions to their networks. It’s a dangerous task that put IT departments on edge, and rightfully so.

Click Here to Sign Up for the Webinar!

Then there’s the potential headache of ease of use. It’s bad enough that a wireless presentation solution could result in a cyberattack that costs a company millions. It’s exponentially more frustrating when IT departments are constantly called to meeting spaces to help laymen users connect to complicated wireless presentation systems – wasting the time of those in the meeting and those in the IT departments that are constantly being called.

In a joint Commercial Integrator and TechDecisions webinar, viewers will learn how wireless presentation solutions today are evolving, adhering to more stringent cybersecurity methodologies, and even earning certifications to prove it. The bulk of the webinar will focus on the need for cybersecurity when it comes to these devices, while attendees will also learn about the benefits of ease of use for laymen employees. Believe it or not, usability does not need to be sacrificed in order for security to be strong – and you’ll learn how in the webinar.

Wireless presentation for high security environments – sign up for the webinar and learn more!

Sponsored by:

The post Solving the Headaches of Network Security in Wireless Collaboration appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Tech Decision

John Nunez, Global Audio-Visual Manager at White & Case, and his team, were charged with integrating solutions that would make it simple to book and release conference rooms, automate environmental settings to maximize productivity, and enable easy wired and wireless presentation within them. It was critical to empower the AV team to resolve any technical issues remotely to minimize downtime.

AVI-SPL worked with John Nunez and his team to create a workplace filled with the most advanced and reliable room scheduling, presentation, room control, and collaboration tools available.

White & Case selected Crestron as the backbone for audio and video distribution as they felt it was the best in the industry. With this installation, the firm wanted to create a simple and unified solution where employees could have the same experience walking into an office in New York or an office in London.

Elegantly appointed, the space is designed to help foster creativity and collaboration. The firm was committed to deploying the latest workplace technology to aid in that effort.

The Solution

Crestron room scheduling solutions feature an easy-to-use user interface, enabling employees to book meeting spaces easier and faster than ever before. Since implementing Crestron room scheduling and creating a more simplified solution for their employees, room utilization continues to grow over 20% annually.

With AirMedia, employees can walk into a room and instantly connect their laptops and tablets to the display and start presenting. Many times when clients come into the space, they do not have the right adapters or cables to connect. AirMedia resolves this dilemma to provide users with an IP address that allows them to connect seamlessly.

Each meeting space features a preset mode that’s automatically activated when someone enters. Immediately, and all at once, the room displays power on, and lighting and shades adjust according to the amount of ambient light to create the optimal environment for every meeting.

Using Crestron Fusion, system managers in the Global Technology Services group are immediately aware of any technical issues in the meeting spaces and can remotely resolve them, minimizing disruptions and maximizing productivity. Additionally, the group has initiated lunch-and-learn sessions to ensure all employees are completely comfortable with how to use the meeting room technology.

The Impact

Management is so pleased with the Crestron solutions that they’ve even opened their meeting spaces for use by clients, further maximizing room utilization. With the most advanced and reliable collaboration tools available, allowing for a seamless experience.

“We’ve gotten rave reviews. The clients that we have come in, when they come in with their presentations absolutely adore the fact that we have this technology,” says Nelson Martino, Audio Visual Support Specialist at White & Case LLP.

Fueled by the universal enthusiasm for the meeting spaces in the New York office, John and his team are updating over forty other spaces with Crestron technology each year. In fact, the New York meeting spaces now serve as the global standard for build-outs and expansions. More than 280 such spaces are already in use, with more to come.

“Conference room technology plays an important role in enabling our lawyers and clients to collaborate from all over the world. Crestron has enabled us to raise the bar on standardization, operation, and support of our conference rooms globally,” says Joe Nunez.

The post White & Case Meeting Room appeared first on My TechDecisions.

According to Gartner, by 2020 as well, the greatest source of competitive advantage for 30% of organizations will come from the workforce’s ability to creatively exploit digital technologies. It makes sense that organizations wish to provide technology that better enables the new workforce to produce and succeed. Pretty soon, however, it’s going to be mandatory to do so.

There are plenty of digital technologies to employ, but one of the most beneficial and easiest to install is wireless presentation technology. Well, easy to install if you’re able to cut through the clutter of myriad solutions on the market to find the one that will work best with your organization – and that the workforce will actually use.

Register for this June 19th webinar now!

There are plenty of complex wireless presentation solutions on the market. You’ll see them being set up ad nauseum by IT staff across the country, called to the meeting room again and again by employees that want their commercial tech to work as simply as the smartphones in their pockets.

Every technology manager knows the frustration of being called into a meeting five minutes after it was supposed to start in order to push the right buttons and plug in the right chords so that a wireless presentation technology works the way it should. How, then, do you choose a wireless presentation solution that not only provides the capabilities you need, but that the workforce will understand and embrace? Our June 19^th webinar will give you the information you need:

• What is wireless presentation and why are there so many choices?
• How have meeting rooms and huddle spaces changed to necessitate wireless presentation?
• Understanding the different perspectives in decision making, from the C-Suite needs, to security protocols, to participant adoption, and everything in between.
• Wireless presentation features to consider: Ease of launch, amount of participants, IT friendliness, ease of set-up, resolution, capabilities, etc.

All of this and more will be answered in our webinar. After leaving the presentation you’ll have the knowledge and ability to choose a wireless presentation that makes everyone happy – those that mandate the technology, those that manage the technology, and those that use it day-to-day.

Click here to register for this June 19^th webinar!

The post Choosing a Wireless Presentation Solution: Cut Through the Clutter appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Frankly, we were excited to review a wireless presentation device. These solutions are everywhere and the traditional content presentation dynamic in the conference room (read: switchers and touchpanels) is being challenged. We were curious about how the solutions work in real-world workflow.

So a small group of CI and TD employees took on the task of unboxing the BenQ InstaShow and setting it up. On our calendars we scheduled this as a 60-minute meeting, but we were done in just a few minutes. During those few minutes we tested it, taking turns wirelessly presenting content from our laptops via our conference room projector. We were off and running. Here’s how it went:

BenQ InstaShow Setup

Despite the industries we cover, CI and TD employees don’t consider ourselves a techie crew and we thought we could put BenQ’s “plug and play” claims about InstaShow to the test. It passed with high marks.

“It was very easy. The instructions were straightforward. It took us about two minutes to get everything plugged and we were going very quickly,” says Marsha Ann Marsh, director of demand generation, CI and TD.

As for actually using it, it was remarkably easy. The group that initially did the setup expected others to have a lot of questions as they attempted to use the meeting room wireless presentation solution, but there really weren’t many. “It’s really easy to use it once you walk into a meeting. It’s pretty much plug-and-play,” emphasizes Daniel Wilkins, sales admin and marketing coordinator, TD and CI. “You can just plug right in and be showing your screen up on the projector.”

Multiple Users with Multiple Devices

One of the benefits of the BenQ InstaShow is that many participants in the meeting can be equipped to wirelessly share content from their devices. Consider a meeting in which somebody is going over budget numbers, presenting wirelessly via the InstaShow. When it’s time to move on to marketing results the next presenter hits a can’t-miss button to take over presentation duty.

Being able to have up to 16 people connected at once is a great feature “because you can seamlessly transition” and “avoid the uncomfortableness in a meeting of switching seats, changing cords; there’s no sort of disruption,” Wilkins says.

It also doesn’t matter where a presenter is situated in the room, which comes in handy for us because we are often sprawled around our meeting room with some people not sitting at a table.

Data Mode and Video Mode

The BenQ InstaShow can switch from clear presentation mode to “InstaVideo” mode for transmitting smooth video streams from the device to the display. That’s a big deal, according to Marsh, who in her marketing role is often switching from a presentation slide with lots of numbers to one in which we’re discussing a video promo. “It’s very easy with the BenQ InstaShow to move from PowerPoint to video content seamlessly.”

IT Independent, Network Secure

One of our favorite features was how easy it is to connect. Like most organizations we’re very concerned about cybersecurity and our IT departments flat-out don’t want us installing applications or software without a green light from them. BenQ InstaShow doesn’t require the installation of any software or apps. “The driver-free design allows for quick and easily accessible use. You don’t need to get IT involved with the setup of this,” Wilkins says.

Meanwhile, it is network secure. AES 128-bit security encryption and WPA2 authentication protocol ensure peace-of-mind when it comes to intellectual property and network security.

The Bottom Line

With its easy setup, user-friendly one-button presentation switching for up to 16 simultaneous users and impressive network security, BenQ InstaShow plug-and-play, full HD wireless presentation and collaboration solution is a big hit in Commercial Integrator’s and MyTechDecisions’ office. Come visit us. We’ll make you a presenter.

The post TD Staff Tests BenQ InstaShow Wireless Presentation appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Features:

Technology for Delivering a Dynamic Business Presentation

Essential technology solutions to engage your audience, deliver a powerful, persuasive message, and meet your business objectives when giving a presentation.

6 Enterprise Audio Products You Can Install Yourself

New products from Shure, Sennheiser, Audio Technica, Bose, Beyerdynamic and Electro-Voice provide professional performance and user-level installation functionality. Here is a roundup of six products that users can install themselves that provide tangible audio system performance upgrades.

My TechDecisions Podcast – Episode 57, Drew Lydecker of AVANT

Host Jonathan Blackwood talks to Drew Lydecker of AVANT about ransomeware attacks and DDoS attacks.

Interactive Digital Signage for Internal Communications

When you provide interactive digital signage you can help employees help themselves with internal communications strategies.

Blogs:

AVI-SPL Symphony as a Service Makes Monitoring Collaboration Spaces Easy

Tech managers can leverage AVI-SPL Symphony as a Service (SYaaS) to monitor and manage collaboration spaces and devices.

Bluetooth Chip Eliminates Need for Batteries Thanks to Air

A new Bluetooth chip that draws power from frequencies in the air eliminates the future need for batteries in our devices.

Senate Introduces Bill to Regulate Data Collection

Senator Rubio from Florida announced the bill earlier this month in hopes of federally regulating big tech companies’ data collection and dissemination methods.

Meeting Room Audio Deserves a Bigger Slice of Your Tech Budget

Admit it — you deprioritize meeting room audio in your tech budget partly because you can’t see it and you spend more on stuff you can point to. That’s a mistake.

The post Week in Review: Presentation, DIY Audio, Internal Communication, etc. appeared first on My TechDecisions.

So how do you prevent a presentation from going south? Are there technologies that can help engage your customers on a new, dynamic level? Are there ways to pitch ideas and concepts to your audience that will resonate clearly? What types of technologies should you keep in your “toolbag” to conduct winning presentations in the office or on the road?

Wireless Mics & Remotes

“You can have the coolest tech in the world, but the most important element of a great presentation is your ability to convey enthusiasm,” says Andy Russell, director of technology, SVT. “If you ever watch the big presentations given by Apple executives, you’ll notice that they move around the stage, use hand gestures and generate excitement.” The tools these presenters rely on to stay mobile and get the crowd enthused and engaged are a wireless mic and a wireless remote. “Anything that doesn’t tether you gives you the ability to interact more dynamically with your audience.” Russell continues.

Even if you’re not giving Apple-esque, big-stage presentations, wireless technology still comes in handy—freeing you from the stuffy, boring podium. You can even get creative and maintain a captive audience with a “beach-ball” style of presentation. Catchbox makes a soft, throwable microphone that you can toss into the audience to field questions and comments.

The Cloud

“Back in the day, it was always a PowerPoint presentation … boring people to death,” says Chris Hamilton, general manager of SVT West. Today, more and more presentation software options are accessible via the cloud. More importantly, cloud-based collaboration tools are enabling presenters to reach a much wider audience—beyond those seating in the same auditorium, conference room, or meeting space. “Tools like BlueJeans and Zoom let you reach multiple people in multiple locations and allows everyone to actively participate,” Hamilton continues.

“Conversational” Presentation Software

Bullet points. Blah. Who you are and what you do. Ho-hum. Perfectly timed (or not) slide presentations. So old school. Thanks to social media and the Internet, your audience members likely already know about your company, so you can skip the banter about your background. Running through rigidly structured bullet points and slides, one by one, creates a void between you and the meeting participants. You talk at them and they listen. Even if you see that the topics are boring them, you trudge along never deviating from the script. Thanks to new interactive presentation software like Prezi you can let the tone of the audience direct how and what you discuss in your presentation, making it seem more like a natural conversation than a lecture—and more impactful. For example, an image presented on screen via the Prezi software could show various topics for discussion; the audience picks what interests the most, and the presentation steers in that direction. You adapt on the fly for a more engaging and relevant experience. Via a tablet, phone, or laptop, you can zoom in on images, reveal new visuals, and seamlessly move back and forth between topics.

Interactive Flat-Panels

Video projectors have been a mainstay for on-the-go presentations for years. And although they aren’t going away anytime soon, more and more businesses are integrating Interactive Flat-Panel displays into their corporate boardrooms and meeting spaces. Again, like the presentation software and collaboration tools mentioned above, IFPs encourage active participation from all parties. Presenters can draw, edit, and write onscreen via their fingertips, and participants can cast annotations and content onto the screen directly from their mobile devices. Plus, IFPs can connect to the cloud so you can share the interactive presentation remotely. Plus, the screen is big, bright and affords a wide viewing angle.

White Board Cameras

If a traditional dry erase white board seems too low-tech for your presentation needs, think again. A camera like the Kaptivo can transform it into an online collaboration system. Anything you write on it is automatically saved and streamed live and in real time to mobile devices and laptops of audience members—whether they’re right there in the meeting room with you or working remotely from home.

Persuasive and Powerful Presentation Solutions

The days of droning on and on in front of a disengaged audience are over. Thanks to a host of new interactive presentation tools, you can get the audience actively involved in topics of discussion. You’ll breathe new life into meetings, reach more people, and have a bigger, more meaningful impact on your employees, customers, and colleagues.

The post Technology for Delivering a Dynamic Business Presentation appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The Tech Decision

After the district received a bond earmarked for the construction of new schools, renovations, and enhancements, Bui and Willery worked with an outside party to conduct a district-wide technology survey. Results from the survey made it clear that it was time to update their technology to the level of neighboring districts.

There was no district-wide standard at the time of the recommendation, and Aldine ISD used a mixture of projectors and TVs.

“Projectors are very expensive to maintain and sometimes teachers had to turn off the lights to make it easier for students to view images,” says Bui.

The district understood that they would need to conduct extensive research to ensure that this update was done correctly.

“We traveled to conferences and made connections with districts across the country,” says Willery. “We were also questioning whether a 1:1 environment was right for us. It was the attractive option for us in terms of how easy it would be to secure funding for the initiative, but we were still questioning if it would result in true innovation in instruction, such as personalized, student-centered lessons. We wanted to ensure that it would truly make an impact on our teachers rather than just substituting one tool for another.”

For the district to move forward with a 1:1 initiative, they needed to create an environment that supported digital learning.

“Devices would have been rendered useless without a rich digital foundation,” says Bui. “Also, our teachers needed to be exposed to and trained on new instructional methodologies and pedagogy.”

As the district began assessing different types of classroom technology, Bui and Willery worked with a group of school principals, teachers, and the district’s C&I Innovation Coaches to test many products and attend tradeshows to gather best practices and ideas.

Aldine traveled to TCEA Convention & Exposition, a national event that attracts thousands of educators who are interested in securing best practices to engage students, enhance curriculum, and increase teacher productivity. After attending TCEA, the district piloted a program that gave teachers access to Wi-Fi, an interactive flat panel display, and a mobile device on a trial basis to see if it changed the way they approached instruction. Teachers involved in the pilot program used interactive flat panel displays from several different companies, but in the end, Promethean offered what the district needed: an interactive flat panel display that works with new and existing technology and that can change the dynamic of instruction in the classroom.

The Solution

ActivPanel is a premium solution that delivers an easy to use tablet-like experience and puts the digital world at the fingertips of teachers and students. ActivPanel’s unique screen technology continues to offer the industry’s most natural writing experience using, enabling both teachers and students to collaborate in front of the class with ease.

The interactive panel automatically detects differences between pen, touch, and palm erase – allowing teachers to teach efficiently without switching between software tools. The new instant whiteboard brings its unique screen technology to life through free-form writing with practically no script-lag, pinch-zoom navigation, and pre-loaded teaching tools to enhance productivity.

With the ActivPanel, teachers have access to Promethean’s suite of lesson delivery software for free, which includes ActivInspire and ClassFlow. ClassFlow is a cloud-based software that allows teachers to present engaging lessons. With ClassFlow, teachers have access to advanced classroom collaboration tools, such as instant polling and quizzes, and millions of educational resources and activities. ActivInspire is a collaborative lesson delivery software that provides teachers with differentiated lessons, creation tools, and activities to bring their lessons to life.

Compatible with third-party device management software, including Google G-Suite, VMware Airwatch, and Radix VISO, the ActivPanel enables IT administrators the capability, with support Mobile Device Management suites, to manage the ActivPanel centrally and provide over-the-air software updates.

After deciding to move forward with Promethean, Willery says, “We took bits of what we learned from other districts and created a plan to implement the new technology, strengthen the network infrastructure, and update the curriculum.”

The Impact

Since installing Promethean’s ActivPanel throughout the district, Bui and Willery received a lot of positive feedback from teachers. Willery stated that hearing that the students are getting out of their seats and interacting with the ActivPanel is the most exciting part of the implementation. The students often work in small groups and interact with the ActivPanel to accomplish something that they wouldn’t have been able to do in the past.

Now, the district is updating the curriculum. Aldine puts a heavy emphasis on professional development. “We make sure that our teachers never have to go outside the district or outside of their campus to find the training and support that they need,” said Willery. However, it was important for the district to update how professional development was implemented to avoid using old practices with new equipment.

“We worked with Promethean to restructure our professional development,” says Willery. “Instead of hosting the same afterschool or weekend workshops, we decided to offer our training online through our learning management system.”

In addition to the online training, teachers have access to instructional technology specialists that are trained by Promethean’s Professional Development team and are available on-site at each school to troubleshoot any problems that may arise.

The post Aldine Independent School District Flat Panel Presentation Solution appeared first on My TechDecisions.