Schools have made more and more use of Interactive Whiteboards over the past 10-12 years to the point where it is a “Must Have” in many classrooms.
The whiteboard and projector technology has been the mainstay of equipment which has been rolled out over this period starting with roof mounted projectors, then projectors on booms and finally ultra short throw projectors which were fixed to the wall directly above the board.
With advances in technology it is now possible to use Interactive LCD screens to carry out the same roll.
What are the benefits?
No Calibration:- You will no longer need to calibrate the boards using the dots every time your projector moves a few millimetres.
No Shadows:- Because there is no projector there is no light source between you and the class and therefor no shadows.
No Bulb Replacement:- The bulbs for projectors are very expensive and have placed a growing financial burden on schools as the projectors in their schools get to the age where they start using more bulbs.
Better Visibility in sunlight:- When using a projector many classrooms experience issues with being able to see the image on the board in daylight. This is much less of a problem with LCD technology. The units were tested in a classroom with two walls made entirely of windows. The images were visible at a greater angle and brighter light than had been seen with any projected image.
More Robust:- The screens on the LCD units are toughened polycarbonate which makes the LCD screens harder to damage than a standard white interactive board.
Good Quality Sound Built in:- The Active Panel has 2 x 10W forward facing speakers built in which the teachers that tested the units agreed were more than ample to fill a classroom. On the odd occasion where additional volume is required speakers or sound bars can be used enhance the provision.
Warranty:- All of the new Active Panels come with a 5 Year on-site warranty against manufacturing faults so there should be no surprise bills for schools over that time period.
Easier to create a mobile unit:- As there is no projector which requires calibration of the board every time it is moved it is now much easier to create a mobile resource within your school. (Dependant on floor levels) A mobile board can be wheeled into a classroom and used with minimal set up.
More information on sizes, costs and how to order will be available in later blogs.
