Transforming Teaching Techniques with Technology

At the heart of any teaching environment is the aim to develop and inspire individuals and communities through engaging, educating and empowering them with theoretical knowledge and practical skills. As technology outside of the classroom succeeds in informing people at so many points in their lives, isn’t it time that education facilities also take advantage of today’s latest audio visual and information technology? However, with so much technology to choose from and so many tools to help bring lessons more to life, where should teachers even start?
 

Projectors are certainly a familiar feature in many classrooms and halls, but new models like the Sony VPL-EX4 have revolutionised their capabilities. Designed with Sony’s unique 3LCD high brightness technology, the EX4 is capable of projecting film and still images with sharp contrast and high quality natural colour, eliminating the tiresome need to close blinds for every projection. The EX4 has been developed to save teachers more time and give them more mobility in the classroom.

With a four second start up time, a basic wheel mechanism for the zoom and focus, and a remote control which can be used from the front or back of the unit, teachers can start projections quicker and move around their class. All of these features can help bring a lesson even more to life with for example extraordinary close up images of a dangerous chemical reaction, or the panoramic views of a receding mountain glacier.

A popular addition to these benefits is the VPL-EX4EDUPLUS, which includes a warranty that is only available to educational facilities. This consists of a three-year service plan in which users are guaranteed unlimited lamp replacements and what is known as de-install and re-install. Simply put, if your classroom unit breaks, an engineer will replace the unit with a temporary one during the repair time and then re-install the repaired unit.
 

As projectors bring students content from beyond the confines of a classroom, videoconferencing (VC) enables students to interact with people beyond geographical limitations. In addition to providing a terrific opportunity for cultural exchange, VC can also present a platform for guest speakers from a wide range of locations to talk to the class. Furthermore, it allows students who are home taught to be included in the lesson; and within higher education, lecturers can reach distance learning students beyond the theatre.

Whilst many teachers may have used group VC positioned at the front of the class, desktop VC units, which are great for one-to-one use and more focussed exchanges, may not have previously been considered. The stylish Sony TL33 desktop unit is not difficult to use with calls made by simply clicking on picture icons in the address book, meaning students are able to use the units without constant teacher support.

With the cost of technology continually decreasing, bringing media into the class can be a great method of engaging with students. From filming group work to arming individual projects, it generates the perfect opportunity for students to embrace their creativity. This Autumn, Sony introduced a revolutionary, compact and affordable High Definition (HD) camcorder, the XDCAM EX. Essential for media studies, drama, or art projects, the XDCAM EX tapeless camcorder is versatile, durable and easy to use, making it ideal for field trips.
 

Apposed to the Sony HVR-A1E, another entry level, compact HD camcorder, the XDCAM EX is tapeless and uses SxS PRO memory cards. Unlike tape, the memory cards can be used over and over again without content quality deterioration and with two card slots in the camera, 140minutes of HD footage can be recorded with use of two 16GB SxS PRO memory cards.

Once content has been gathered by the students, their involvement and creativity does not have to stop there. HDXchange allows content captured by students to be stored on a central server and accessed by anyone on that network for basic editing cuts or extraction. The opportunity for several students to simultaneously access content on HDXchange makes it great for group work. Teachers and lecturers are however able to control what is accessed by students on the server using system administration rights. This can be assigned on a per-user basis with password-protected access, safeguarding against unauthorised deletion or alteration of files. For a more professional edit, perhaps a final year university project, Sony Vegas editing software is available.

As soon as students have made their production, it is important they are able to screen their hard work to their peers. What better way to achieve this than though digital signage displayed throughout the teaching facility. Screens can either be set up individually in a room, or alternatively linked on a network that can be controlled from one central source.
 

In addition to screening student media work during an open day to visitors throughout the facility, these screens can also be used to display information such as daily theatre timetables, or information regarding an event happening in the building or around the campus. An unfortunate but realistic concern within any teaching facility is security, both of students and teachers within the venue and of the schools’ assets themselves. Building on its heritage in audio visual and information technology, Sony has developed a market leading range of intelligent networked security and surveillance applications which are ideal for the education industry.

With vandal-resistant features, designed for both indoor and outdoor use, and with a day/night function, the units are perfect for teaching environments. The recently launched Sony SNC-DF80P mini-dome has built in intelligence meaning it can literally think for itself and determine whether an image it is seeing should be recorded or an alarm raised, offering education professionals peace of mind.

What all these technologies have in common is that they are a cost effective, scalable and compelling form of communication that connects students and teachers alike. Sony is committed to helping education professionals build better schools for the future so that students are empowered with the most relevant and timely knowledge and skills. At Sony, we believe it is an exciting time to be in this industry.
 

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