District Administration - September 2006 - (Page 64)

PRESENTATION SYSTEMS/AV It's like having a computer each. The lamps generate heat, too, at every student's desk, claims and teachers voiced concerns about Shaun Owen, a sixth-grade teacher the high heat of the systems. Noise is at Greenbrier Middle School in another issue. It's a challenge to cool Augusta, Ga. Owen relies on a pro- projectors without sounding like a jet jec tor and laptop to embed multime- airplane, admits Paul Criswell, global d ia content into nearly every lesson. segment manager for InFocus Corp. W h i le enthusiasts tout the pro- The Industry Responds jec tor as the Holy Grail of ed-tech, not every district has embraced it. T he two constants in hardware For some, it's a matter of economics. purchases are lower prices and bet- Districts in the projector market a ter technology, and the projector few short years ago may have balked market is no exception. We've been at the $3,000 to $4,000 price tag of optimizing technology and products THE KEY TO ENGAGEMENT Educator Owen thinks a projector should be a part of a new system. Ownership costs also to bring projectors into the realm of every classroom. posed a problem as lamps required affordability for school systems, says replacement in as few as 2,000 Jon Grodem, senior product manager hours at a cost of $200 to $300 for Optoma Technology, Inc. Falling lamp prices combined with more cost-effective light engines have Five Tips for Choosing the Right Projector dropped prices for some projectors to the sub-$1,000 range. Falling prices and improved technology are fueling the projector market. InFoc us has lowered total cost of Yet it remains critical to make the most of districts' investments. Insiders ownership by extending lamp life to and experts offer their tips for choosing the right system. 3,000 to 4,000 hours and partner- i ng with Digital Light Processing. Compare apples and apples. Be sure to compare similar mod- 1. Other vendors are turning to DLP els within the same lumen range, recommends Nick Geary, technology, too, as the architecture senior manager for video services for Orange County Fla. eliminates fi lters and the need to Public Schools. Lumens measure the brightness of a projector and range clean or replace them. from 300 to 3500 and higher. Bot h user friendliness and longer lamp life are part of the latest projec- Determine the end use and configuration. A portable projec- 2. t ion systems. New features include tor is a different animal than a ceiling-mounted system. If a automatic timers to push the projec- ceiling-mounted system is in order, make sure the projector's tor into low-power mode when there ventilation system runs if it is hung upside down. Know exactly where are no signal inputs and a video- the system is headed, says Criswell. An expensive projector with a low mute mode to allow teachers to shut lumen count will not meet the needs in a high-sun classroom. the lamp to explain a concept. Other new developments include slightly 3. Review the number and types of inputs and make sure they larger projectors that help reduce meet classroom needs. Options include VGA, S-video and com- fan noise and an additional low-light posite video. Macintosh computers may require DVI connections. power mode to extend lamp life. Don't overlook image quality and resolution. Match the reso- 4. T hese developments are enabling lution to the input. For example, most notebooks exceed the districts like Mankato to invest in a large-scale installation that will 800 x 600 resolution of lower end projectors, which means equip 100 smart classrooms and images will not be as sharp and clear as they could be. computer labs with new projectors. Do your homework. Do fi lters need to cleaned or changed? If 5. Projectors inspire and enable new so, include these costs along with lamp-replacement costs in ways of teaching, says Owen. This the price analysis. Review the menus. Are frequently used tasks is the one piece of technology every classroom should have. DA like auto focus and alignment reached within one click? Check into train- ing and professional development programs, and fi nd out if the vendor partners with content providers. Lisa Fratt is a contributing editor. 64 September 2006 District Administration av806.w.indd 64 8/14/06 11:04:23 AM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - September 2006

Contents
Editor?s Letter
Snapshots
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Unveiling the School of the Future
Are wireless VoIP handsets worth the cost?
Smart ways to detect and manage cyberbullies
Scared Straight
Up for Debate
In the Spotlight
Growing Community Schools
Learning Styles
The Online Edge Odvard Egil Dyrli
Speaking Out Gary Stager
Problem/Solution
Research Corner
Computer Literature
Leadership Books
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - September 2006