Smart Board Technology and Learning in the Classroom

Smart Board technology in the classroom has grown leaps and bounds in recent years.

As the world around the classroom advances via new technologies, so too are students starting to move away from books and paper to interactive whiteboards. Teachers and school administrators are eager to embrace the advances in technology for learning opportunities. They want to create a more data-driven classroom environment by incorporating the use of technology. In some instances, interactive whiteboards for learning are already in place within the school.

The biggest manufacturer of whiteboards for education is from market-leading SMART Technologies. In 2011, SMART’s share in the interactive display product category was just over 45% globally. More than 2.3 million SMART Board interactive whiteboards have been installed globally in education, business and government settings, with more than 1.9 million installed in K–12 classrooms, reaching more than 40 million students and teachers. SMART Notebook collaborative learning software has been downloaded by more than six million users in over 175 countries around the world.

SMART products offer multiple ways for students to express themselves, interact with activities and comprehend concepts. SMART makes these teaching and student tools available on its website through its interactive SMART EXCHANGE.

Usually schools seeking to implement Smart Board learning will work with local audio-visual installers to provide the installation and setup of interactive whiteboards. This ensures a proper set-up of the technology.

“One of the largest markets for growth has been schools and classroom installations for interactive Smart Boards for learning and teaching, as well as an influx of flat screen TVs being used throughout school districts,” says Julie Solomon, manager of marketing & business development for CCS Presentation Systems, an audio visual systems installer based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

CCS Presentation Systems is also at the forefront of bringing interactive technology via its manufacturing partners to the classroom. The company is working with Arizona educators for teachers to win classroom technology solutions through its CCS Classroom Solutionz Grant contest.

Innovators with the SMART platform of education software are using social media and blogging to highlight the opportunities available with the SMART interactive platform. Teachers love Smart Boards is a blog created by a technology consultant Jamie Willis, who blogs with an aim “to help teachers find quality resources to use with their SMART Board.”

SMART’s award-winning interactive boards help teachers bring more collaboration and interactivity into the classroom. By doing so, SMART provides innovative and interactive education solutions helping teachers integrate technology into the classroom and enhance learning.

Maintenance Service for Your Audio-Visual Systems

Audio-visual systems are like most other high-maintenance electronic solutions. If you work with the equipment regularly, you may start to notice the effects of dust (especially in Arizona), changes in the optical features and other problems. This general wear and tear is normal, but with a little maintenance, you can help to maintain its normal lifecycle and protect your investment.

If you’re experiencing some wear and tear with your audio-visual systems from CCS Presentation Systems, then it might be time for our CCS Factory Authorized Service Centers to take a look. The CCS audio visual services group can diagnose problems and show users how to take care of the equipment. The team provides a fast turn-around on all your audio visual repairs, as well.

If you’re using a visual projector in your place of business, it’s important to keep your projector free from harmful dust elements, and making sure to turn off the light on the projector after use. We’ll describe the effects of dust below. But in the case of the light, your projector’s lamp deteriorates the optical coatings that ultimately create the colors in your projected image. So if the light is left on and burning the optical coatings, you might find your audio-visual presentation is less than you’d prefer.  Additionally, dust in the light path has a direct effect on the image color, as well as the indirect effect of retaining heat against the LCD’s and polarizers, thereby shortening their life.

Here’s how you can spot if dust is becoming a problem: a dirty projector first shows itself as a magenta colored cloudiness in what should be a white background.  If your lens has enough focal range, you can shift the focus away from the front of the prism (your projected image) back to the surface of the LCDs.

The actual particles of dust can then be seen, and their location can be determined by their color.  Magenta specs are contamination on the green LCD, yellow ones are on the blue LCD, and blue ones are on the red LCD.  The magenta color shows most to the human eye due to our eyes being most sensitive to green light.

Effective cleaning of these surfaces cannot be done without opening the projector, and should not be done by persons who are not trained to handle them, as they are easily damaged.

The CCS Service Department can help you protect your investment.  It’s important to do so. Service contracts and preventative maintenance agreements can extend the life of installed equipment and can provide onsite response to ensure peak performance.

We are a factory authorized warranty repair center for NEC, Epson, InFocus, Panasonic, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi projectors.  We are also a warranty service center for NEC, Panasonic, LG, and Samsung commercial LCD and Plasma displays.

Systems Integration: the Heart of CCS Presentation Systems

CCS’s systems integration division is at the heart of our company’s mission. Dedicated systems integration teams interface throughout every project with architects, consultants, facilities managers, IT staff, and corporate management.

With dozens of experienced system engineers and programmers, project managers, audio engineers, video conferencing specialists and 30+ full time installers, CCS provides high-quality, on-time project installations of any size in the most demanding of environments – board rooms, conference rooms, training centers, educational facilities, marketing centers, command/control centers and more.

In our Design and Engineering area, our top industry design professionals are experts in creative, cost-effective solutions for our clients. Our engineers design and complete a multitude of projects in conference rooms, executive board rooms, training centers, class rooms, auditoriums, hotels, and casinos. CCS offers ‘Design-Build’ contracts where our clients work with our engineers in partnership to meet all of the requirements on any size project. This allows the customer and the general contractor to use CCS as the one source solution for a project’s audio-visual requirements.

In our Control Systems area, CCS has manufacturer-trained and certified programmers who are highly experienced in GUI design and the use of high-end graphics applications to produce intuitive, user-friendly touch panel displays that reflect your company’s desired look and feel. For complicated systems, we have experts in writing the control system logic that will make the system flexible and expandable far into the future. CCS can provide control systems for every budget: from the smallest wall panel to large combinable rooms or whole building/enterprise systems.

Our Project Managers stay closely involved throughout all jobs to a timely and successful completion of client projects. They are our clients’ single point of contact for the duration of any job. Project Managers develop and maintain a project schedule and table of responsibilities; provide timely, consistent communication among the team members; supervise all project resources for accountability; negotiate with other trades regarding any adjustments to the schedule, and ensure that training and all close-out documentation is provided.

Our Installation Department has 30+ installers who work on a variety of project types that can range from simple flat panel installs to multi-million dollar projects. Our in-house resources install thousands of classrooms and a sizeable number of integrated projects every year.

CCS Presentation Systems is Arizona’s largest systems integrator of audio visual equipment. We take systems integration seriously for our clients’ audio visual solution needs.

Benefits of Digital Signage for Restaurants

If you’re a restaurateur seeking expansion in a new location for your existing restaurant brand, what steps do you take when considering audio visual solutions for your customers? As the cost of flat panel HDTVs has dropped, more and more restaurants are looking to interact with their customers, prospects and employees through the use of digital signage solutions.

One of our manufacturing partners is NEC, which is well-equipped to tailor display systems designed specifically for restaurants. In a recent white paper, NEC outlined the new uses for audio-visual solutions in restaurants, from digital menus to interactive entertainment options. The benefits to restaurants are numerous – here are a few:

Digital signage reinforces your brand image: Digital signage can power your brand with a consistent promotional message. Logos look great on professional HD and LCD screens, and combined with NEC’s award-winning SpectraViewII™ technology, the look far surpasses the varying reproduction quality of printed signage.

Digital signage decreases perceived wait time: 20 minute wait for a table? No more customer complaints with a professional audio-visual display system. Use the waiting room screen to get customers excited about their impending dining experience, or use it to promote the restaurant’s seasonal promotions, daily specials and new product offerings.

Digital signage entertains your customer: Digital signage can entertain your customers throughout their dining experience. TV dinners have become commonplace among American families (for better or for worse), so having screens around will put your customer right at home.

Digital signage can help minimize waste and food spoilage: Some restaurants use the visual screens to post daily specials on menu items that are either low in stock or not selling well. Say goodbye to chalkboard scribbles.

Digital signage connects your staff: Having a digital display system facilitates communication among your employees — from hosting, to the wait staff, to the kitchen. Tables are turned over more quickly and orders are fulfilled more efficiently.

Digital signage saves on costs: Forget about window signs or in-restaurant sign boards. Digital screens are easier to change, moving straight from design phase to live display. No more waiting on printed materials or paying extra for fast shipping. Play that photo or video slideshow for your customers, and save on costs.

These are just some of the ways that audio-visual solutions like those outlined by NEC can help restaurants provide better atmosphere for their customers and their own staff. If you’re a restaurant in Arizona, let us help you come up with digital signage solutions. We’re Arizona’s largest audio visual systems integrator. Contact CCS today for insights, consultation and installations.