Ed Tech Blog
Charging stations are popping up all over campuses. It’s no wonder why when you consider that the average US college student brings 2-3 mobile devices to campus. This number is likely to continue to rise in the coming years. While laptop computers are the most common of these devices, smartphones are a close second and tablets a quick growing third.
Just as students expect colleges to offer wireless internet connection across campus (why not, my local coffee house has free Wi-Fi) they also expect convenient and usable locations to charge their devices.
FSR has developed a variety of solutions for charging mobile devices in classrooms, libraries, lounges, study areas or wherever power may be needed (this is in addition to accessible power in our table boxes.) Our charging products family includes:
Power/ Charging Tilt Up Box (TB-CHRG)
Want the charging station to be clutter free and easy? Add a handy USB charging board to remotely power up to 6 USB chargers with one power supply!
If you’d like to try any of these products out for an upcoming project, please let us know. FSR has a very generous product evaluation policy!
The last time you visited your library, what were you there to do? It may have been to hear a professional development speaker, participate in a book club, bring your child to a “mommy/ daddy and me” group. I was recently reading an article focused on the evolving role of today’s libraries and started considering all the new library conformations I have seen touring campuses across the US for the past 18 months. The required book “warehousing” space (i.e. racks) for libraries has been reduced as a result of digital/ e-books (and e-lending) and the availability of resources on demand at home, school, Starbucks via the internet. Although I have seen many different definitions and uses for modern library spaces, I can summarize all of my experiences into one statement. Libraries are no longer for individualized quiet study, they are becoming community hubs. Nowhere do I see more evidence of this than in the rapid proliferation of makerspace areas.
Makerspaces are defined areas populated with technology, textiles, hand tools and resources to encourage hands on activities like designing, building, collaborating and communicating. Think of it as a hybrid tech lab and mechanic’s work bench. Very often, in addition to computers,
Read more: Makerspace: A New Campus Community Hub of Innovation AV Should Be Prepared For
It’s hard to find good help these days. Employees just aren’t loyal anymore. Why can’t they just do what I tell them to do. We often hear these complaints within our organizations. But this isn’t exclusive to corporate America. Educational facilities have the same employee challenges that other businesses experience. In fact, in our ed tech world, some of these challenges may run deeper because of the training necessary to get a staff member “schooled” as a technician, designer, or installer of equipment and projects for which there is little or no formal schooling.
How can you encourage employee engagement without compromising the rest of your team? How can you get more long-term productivity and loyalty out of your staff?
Discover what motivates (your) people: Discovery can be hard work and time consuming. But since your departmental productivity and project timeliness rely on your team, discovery is a worthwhile journey. Motivation isn’t always money. It could be growth potential, professional development opportunities, vacation time, a defined career path, recognition. Whatever “it” is, understand that it can be highly individualized. Don’t just observe your employees but ASK them what is important to them. Listen, outline, and then act on it. Motivating...
This post was originally published on AV Technology and avnetwork.com here: http://www.avnetwork.com/news/0006/you-need-classroom-design-standards-&-it-may-just-result-in-a-raise/95459
1) Reduces training time necessary for faculty and staff: Consistency across classrooms offers you the ability to train end users on equipment that they will see in every...
Read more: You Need Classroom Design Standards & It May Just Result In a Raise
As we gear up for one of the largest AV shows that any of us attend, I consider how many trade show, conference, and seminar opportunities we are bombarded with, yearly. Do you find it difficult to determine which are worth your time? From which will you take the most useful information? What type of event gives you the best return on your financial investment?
The answers to those questions can be as numerous as the shows themselves. But there are a few things to keep in mind when planning your time away from campus:
-- Do you hold an industry designation which requires you to stay current? Is there an opportunity to receive credits toward your certification or for professional development? Shows and conferences which offer renewal credits give you great bang for your buck. Not only are you able to learn about trends, products and project, you can also check those credits off your to do list! Two birds….
-- What are the attendee demographics? Are they mostly peers or are their responsibilities varied? I find that the most worthwhile shows are those during which I am surrounded by others who do what I do on a...
Originally published in the Spring issue of SEEN (South East Education Network) Magazine: http://seenmagazine.us/articles/article-detail/articleid/4702/designing-modern-classrooms.aspx
(This is part one of a two-part series on designing the modern classroom.)Technology rich classrooms offer incredible benefits for both students and instructors. From fostering blended learning environments through collaboration, critical thinking and practical problem solving to flipped rooms centered on student engagement; the classroom that was focused on traditional teaching has evolved into active learning.
Often, when renovating existing or creating new classrooms, incorporating the technology into the room begins after the furniture placement and room configuration is set. Frequently this process creates an obstacle to the implementation of truly modern active learning classrooms that wasn’t considered or foreseeable when the room was originally laid out. Many schools have installed technology in just about every classroom as a result of grants they were awarded. Understand that these grants were issued following successful research indicating technology rich educational spaces increase assessment scores, collaboration and retention. Technology in the classroom is only as effective and useful as the environment allows it to be. Limiting the potential for interaction, engagement and collaboration will reduce or eliminate the advantage of having a technology rich classroom. The unfortunate feedback to...