Interactive technology classroom choices

TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Interactive technology
classroom choices
Interactive whiteboards, whiteboard/projector systems,
interactive projectors, LCD interactive touchscreens
Where a school has been using interactive whiteboards for several years, the
ceiling or wall mounted projectors may be nearing the end of their useful life. So
do you replace them or choose a whiteboard projector system or opt for interactive
projectors or select from the many LCD interactive touchscreens on the market...
With so many choices, here we
look at a few of the options that are
available to you. You could replace
your interactive whiteboards and
projectors or opt for all-in-one
interactive whiteboard systems which
give you have a choice of having
a short throw projector or ultra
short throw projector on a fixed or
adjustable wall mount or mounted
on a mobile trolley. And what about
the whiteboard, do you want single
touch, dual touch or 3 or more
students to use the board at the same
time? You could choose interactive
projectors where you can utilise dryerase whiteboards or even project a
large image onto a wall as you don’t
need to use an interactive whiteboard
with these. Manufacturers of plasma
or LCD interactive touchscreens
include software, some of which is
tailored to the education market. No
wonder it can be confusing when
there are so many choices!
When I mentioned to a teacher I was
writing this article, I was asked which
technology was best. There is no ‘best’
technology only different technologies.
Take interactive whiteboards for instance.
A few years ago it was a choice between
resistive or electromagnetic. Resistive
touch works by sensing pressure from
your fingers or other objects such as
an upside pencil. Electromagnetic
whiteboards are pen-based using the
special pen supplied.
environmental ceramicsteel, which is
extremely hard wearing. The board is
maintenance free and uses a stylus. All
eno whiteboards and eno mini slates
enable up to three users to use the board
at the same time.
These technologies are still available,
as are interactive whiteboards which
use infrared, HD camera in the pen and
optical sensing. Rather than go into
details about technologies, what is likely
to matter more in the classroom is the
size of the board and whether you want
to use pen, touch or both, single touch,
dual touch, or 3 or more users to get
involved in group interactivity. So let’s
look at what manufacturers have to offer
(in no particular order).
The eno family includes eno classic, the
3-in-1 board; eno one which includes
an interactive whiteboard, 87” or 96”,
an ultra-short throw projector on fixed
or adjustable wall mount or trolley,
educational software and stand/mount;
eno flex which is a multi-surface solution
that integrates dry-erase surfaces with
PolyVision’s eno classic, supplied with
PolyVision ultra short throw projector.
Accessories include eno play which
brings sound to the eno boards and eno
mini which is a mini interactive whiteboard
(wireless slate).
Interactive whiteboards
and all-in-one projector
whiteboard systems
PolyVision eno
PolyVison eno boards are 3-in-1 boards
in sizes 78” and 96” and comes with
Easiteach software. You can write on
them with a marker pen, attach magnets
or as an interactive whiteboard using
a projector. The board’s surface is
SMART Boards
The SMART Board® family includes 400
series, the 600 series and the 800 series.
The 400 series uses the classic pen
and finger based technology. The 480iv
is a ready to go system which comes
complete with a SMART V25 short throw
projector and integrated speakers.
SMART Board 865ix
touch or write
SMART Board 480iv
Within the 600 series there are integrated
short throw projectors/speaker options as
well as standard and widescreen options.
With the 685ix touch recognition you can
write, erase, move objects and control
applications simply by touching or writing on
the board. The SMART Board 800 series
allows two users to work together, using
simple, intuitive gestures to flick, rotate or
zoom in on objects.
PolyVision eno one all-in-one solution
PolyVision flex supplied with ultra short throw projector
14_Copyright © 2013 Wedgwood AV Ltd. Suppliers of audio visual equipment in the UK. 01754 769967 www.wedgwood-group.com
Panasonic interactive whiteboards
Promethean ActivBoards
ActivBoard 300 Pro series of interactive
whiteboards, which use a special pen,
combine interactivity with integrated sound
(built-in speakers and amplifier). In sizes
78”, 87” and 95”, the surface is durable and
the series is available as a fixed, adjustable,
mount or mobile system with a choice
of short throw or extreme short throw
projectors. For wireless connectivity there is
an optional wireless upgrade pack.
The ActivBoard 500 Pro system has the
same sizes and is both pen and touch
sensitive, featuring dual user functionality.
Up to four students can work together on a
task (Windows 7/8 only). Included software
for both series is ActivInspire Professional
Edition or Promethean ActivOffice. For the
500 Pro series there is also Promethean
Apps. ActivInspire software has open content
and teaching resources, such as math tools,
sounds and templates, whilst ActivOffice lets
you create PowerPoint® slide shows. USB
power and USB port simplifies connection to
your computer.
ActivBoard 300Pro fixed system
PolyVision eno classic interactive whiteboard
SMART Board 886ix
dual touch
Panasonic Panaboard copyboards are well established in the industry,
however, Panasonic also have interactive whiteboards in its range. The
UB-T880 and the widescreen T880W boards allow up to three students
to use the board at the same time, you can also use the special pen.
You can create an all-in-one system by adding a Panasonic short throw
or ultra short throw projector, along with a wall mount. The boards
have built-in speakers and optional wireless kit. Comes with Easiteach
software.
ActivBoard 300Pro adjustable
ActivBoard 500Pro short throw
ActivBoard 500Pro fixed UST
For comparison charts, prices and manufacturers brochures please visit www.digital-whiteboards.co.uk
For demonstrations and sales enquiries in the UK please contact • 01754 769967 • [email protected]
Copyright © 2013 www.teachingtechnology.co.uk_15
Hitachi FX board with ultra short throw projector
Hitachi Starboards
Hitachi FX-79E1 and FX-89WE1 series
has a large interactive area and two
simultaneous inputs for collaborative
work. You can use your finger, stylus or
any object to operate. The Magical Touch
function enables you to easily scroll by
motioning with the flat of your hand, or
shrink and expand the display by motioning
your fingers, and you can control by using
multi-touch hand gestures. The boards
also have a low glare surface to minimise
projector reflection. StarBoard educational
software is included. Hitachi’s interactive
ultra short throw projector lets you project
onto a dry-erase whiteboard or plain
white wall turning it into an interactive
surface. Environmentally friendly, it comes
with Hitachi StarBoard software and an
interactive pen. It is also supplied with a
versatile wall mount.
Hitachi StarBoard LINK EZ2-Pen is a
portable interactive unit that allows you to
turn any regular dry-wipe whiteboard or
a wall into an interactive area with all the
features of an interactive whiteboard.
Interactive projectors
Where you have classrooms and meeting
rooms with existing dry-wipe whiteboards
and do not wish to replace with interactive
whiteboards, then using an interactive
projector maybe a solution for you.
Hitachi StarBoard LINK EZ2-Pen portable interactive unit
Hitachi interactive projectors
Hitachi interactive projectors work like
normal projectors with the additional
feature of an interactive pen and
StarBoard software. This enables you
to transform any dry-erase whiteboard,
wall, a table top or a flat surface into
an interactive teaching aid. Using the
StarBoard software you can annotate and
interact with your training material rather
than just project static images. However,
unlike the multi-user interactive TRIO
boards, only one person at a time can
annotate using the interactive projector.
Epson interactive projectors
You make almost any wall or even
a tabletop interactive with Epson’s
interactive projectors. The network ready
projector and interactive pens integrate
interactive functionality into one machine
without having the expense of buying a
separate interactive whiteboard. You can
annotate from any source, directly onto
projected images sent over the network
or on content from DVD/Blu-ray® players
and document cameras, without the use
of a computer. With dual pen support,
two people can write simultaneously, and
being ultra short throw you can project
WXGA images up to 100” without shadow
interference.
Sony VPL-SW525C interactive projector
Example Installation of the NP01Wi2 interactive
whiteboard kit with an NEC U Series projector
NEC NP01Wi2 interactive whiteboard kit
with mouse driver and software
SONY interactive projectors
Designed for education, SONY’s interactive projectors are the ideal teaching
tool for glare-less projection in changing light conditions. They offer ease
of installation, multimedia connectivity and dual pen (teacher-student)
interactivity. A low brightness mode reduces power consumption and
extends the lamp lifetime to approximately 6000 hours, lowering overall
operating costs. This projector is ideal for small or difficult spaces as its
ultra short throw ratio can produce a 2.03m (80”) diagonal screen image
from only 0.47-0.49m (1.54-1.61 feet) away from the screen. SONY’s
VPL-SW525C ultra short throw interactive projector, compatible with an
interactive iPad, has dual pen interactivity to allow you and your students to
create, present, interact, playback and save work with most presentation
files and 3rd party interactive software. SONY projectors have a 3 year deinstall / re-install warranty for educational environments.
Hitachi interactive projectors with StarBoard
Interactive touchscreens
The majority of your students have smart
phones with touch screens and they
used to using touch to make phone
calls, surf the web, access files and play
games.
Epson EB-1400Wi interactive projector
With an interactive projector you can
project onto a standard dry-erase
whiteboard or even a plain wall, annotating
and writing directly onto the projected
surface using a special pen. This means
you do not have to incur the expense of
purchasing an interactive whiteboard.
Where an interactive projector will let you
also position on a table top you can project
and interact onto a table, ideal for when
you want a small group of students to
‘gather round’ to discuss a subject. Some
models have dual pen support.
16_Copyright © 2013 Wedgwood AV Ltd. Suppliers of audio visual equipment in the UK. 01754 769967 www.wedgwood-group.com
Interactive tablets, are really just a larger
version of the screens used on smart
phones. Large format displays (LFD)
with interactive touch (touchscreens)
are larger versions of phone and tablet
screens, and therefore, students feel
quite at home using this technology.
Many display manufacturers offer
touchscreens in their range. However,
only a few come with interactive
whiteboard software tailored for the
education market. Amongst these are
BenQ’s TL650 uses SMART Notebook
software, which those of you who have
SMART Boards in your classroom will
already be familiar with this software.
Hitachi’s interactive large format display
includes Hitachi Starboard educational
software. CleverTouch includes Lynx
software and Wordwall for interactive
activities in the classroom. iiyama’s
TH5563MTS interactive LCD uses
Justeasy software.
BenQ TL650
LED interactive display
BenQ’s TL650 65” LED interactive
display is ideal for education and
can be bought with or without
SMART Notebook collaborative
licence. The display has an
ambient light sensor to adjust to
the room’s natural light; an RJ45
LAN control which lets you operate
the system and change display
contents at a remote location. It
is energy efficient and allows you
to assemble several displays as
a large one to accommodate
multiple windows or other usages
that require a large screen. With the built-in DVI port, you can splice an image into 1x2 to
5x5 screens for flexible placement of images. The display uses optical touch that gives
responsive feedback with accurate positioning. You can touch the screen to pan, zoom
and scroll images with two fingers through the Nextwindow™ technology. This eliminates
the need for a mouse or keyboard, so you can operate education software or presentations
like using a tablet to enjoy an engaging experience.
Manufacturers brochures, prices and product
comparisons are available in the UK from:
• Wedgwood AV Ltd
• 01754 769967
• [email protected]
• www.wedgwood-group.com
Copyright © 2013 www.teachingtechnology.co.uk_17
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Hitachi FX-79E1/FX-89WE1 Series
NEC interactive projectors
NEC’s UM-Series of ultra short throw
projectors, have dual HDMI inputs,
built-in 16 Watt speaker, so you won’t
need an extra sound system in your
classroom, and VGA, USB hub and
microphone input. The optional NEC
NP01Wi2 interactive whiteboard kit uses
eBeam® application software and stylus
in combination with NEC’s short-throw
or ultra short-throw projectors, from the
NEC U or M series, to transform any
existing flat surface into an interactive
area. This device is quick and easy to
install and is an easy upgrade of already
installed NEC projectors.
Wedgwood AV publish a Touchscreen
guide, free to download
www.teachingtechnology.co.uk
and a free LCD monitor guide at
www.lcd-monitors.co.uk
CTOUCH
CTOUCH interactive touch displays are the
latest generation of interactive large format
touch displays designed for the classroom.
The CTOUCH Leddura LED range is
available in sizes ranging from 47”-84”
and features clear and anti-reflective glass
options. Designed to be connected to a
laptop or PC, all models are Plug and Play
with no need to install drivers on Windows,
MAC or Linux. The range supports a
minimum of 4 points of touch (10 points
available) for enhanced collaboration.
The Leddura range includes built in
speakers and displays Full HD content
from 2 HDMI sources. Plenty of other
connection options including 2 USB ports,
ensures you can connect up other devices
Sharp
BIG PAD
interactive
touch
screens
such as laptops, a TV digibox, DVD player
or visualiser. There is also an option to
insert a small form factor PC via the OPS
slot. Every CTOUCH ships with a 3 user
licence of Ctools Plus interactive annotation
software and a DisplayNote Presenter
licence is also provided that allows for
collaboration with iPad and Android tablets,
laptops, PCs and smartphones. Comes
with three year on-site next working day,
de-installation/reinstallation warranty (can
be extended to 5 years). Onsite mainland
UK demonstrations are available, please
telephone Wedgwood AV on 01754
769967 to arrange this.
iiyama
iiyama ProLite TH5563MTS touchscreen
comes with Just2Easy educational
software. Full high definition (HD), the
touchscreen has an LED backlight for
energy efficiency, and an ambient light
sensor which also saves on power. This
55-inch commercial screen uses IPS panel
technology which means you can see the
display from all angles, with high brightness
and colour clarity. IPS technology gives
higher contrast, darker blacks and much
better viewing angles than standard TN
technology. The screen will look good no
matter what angle you view from. It also
supports picture-in-picture (PIP) which
lets you watch images coming from two
different sources as the same time. The
TH5563MTS uses cameras and infrared
backlight for touch accuracy when the
infrared light is blocked by your finger or
stylus, and with this technology it is almost
impossible to ‘wear out’ the screen. In fact
you don’t even have to touch the screen,
you just need to put your finger (gloved or
not) or any kind of stylus close to it. Dual
touch is supported when using Windows®
7/8 only.
Clevertouch
Sahara Clevertouch is one of the
largest ranges of interactive displays,
with sizes from 42” to 82”. The latest
touchscreen technology is integrated
into the screen enabling it to be dual
touch or multi touch, including gesture
control and allowing multiple users.
The Clevertouch range does not require
drivers, calibration or set up, meaning
that Clevertouch is always ready to
go when you are. The high brightness
display means that images are clearly
visible and there is no shadowing.
Every Clevertouch comes with the
interactive software, CleverLynx with
Wordwall, which has been created for
use with any interactive device. You
can construct fantastic activities for
your classroom or use the 25,000
pre-created activities. A variety of
subject specific screen backdrops are
available to enhance lessons including
lined, graph, isometric, squared,
hexagonal and music manuscript
paper. Clevertouch also includes
DisplayNote software which lets you
share content with any other connected
device.
NEC touchscreens
NEC have a range of touchscreens from
desktop models 17”, 20” and 22”, to
large format public display touchscreens
from 32” to 70” using a variety of touch
technologies to suit various applications.
These include Surface Capacitive which
is unaffected by on screen contaminants
such as grease, dirt and water; Projected
Capacitive touch which uses electrical
signals to show where your finger
touches the screen, not suitable for use
with gloved hands or pens; Dispersive
Signal touch technology which will
operate with static objects or other
touches on the screen, making it ideal for
tabletop applications; Optical Sensing
which uses cameras in the corners
of the screen making them ideal for
annotation. Dual touch is only possible
with Windows®7/8.
ELO Touch
elo Touch screens offer a range of
touch technologies to suit many
applications. For example, in the 19-inch
desktop touchscreens there is a choice
AccuTouch, APR, IntelliTouch, P-CAP
(Projected Capacitive), and medical
versions ideal for university teaching
hospitals. AccuTouch five-wire resistive
touch technology has long product life,
stable drift-free operation, contamination
resistance, giving accuracy in high use
applications, used for medical equipment,
pharmacy and office automation.
Acoustic Pulse Recognition (APR) works
with finger, glove, pen or credit card, is
resistant to water, dust and grease, works
even with scratches, has excellent drag
performance, thin borders of 5mm, ideal
for interactive digital signage. IntelliTouch
uses surface acoustic wave (SAW)
touch technology, which uses pure glass
construction for good image quality, has
stable, drift-free operation, can work even
if scratched and has a 10-year warranty,
ideal for kiosks and interactive digital
signage. Projected capacitive can be
used for outdoor (IP rated screens), in
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Sharp BIG PAD
E-learning is increasingly popular with
YouTube and iTunes being widely
used sources of educational content.
Consequently, educators are looking to
introduce innovative learning solutions to
engage the ‘digital generation’. Today’s
students are keen to embrace new
technology and improve their learning
experience and this is why Sharp have
developed a range of BIG PAD interactive
monitors. These robust touch screens in
60”, 70” and 80” sizes, are designed for
optimum performance in the classroom. An
anti-reflective coating ensures comfortable
viewing even in brightly lit areas, and highly
accurate high definition (HD) imagery
means everyone can see content in crisp
detail wherever they are sitting. Sharp
BIG PAD 60” and 70” screens use infrared
technology that ensures its easy to write
quickly using either the supplied pen or
your finger, with no need to continually
calibrate the screens. BIG PAD supports
dual-touch function when used with
Windows®7/8. The 80” size screen uses
optical imaging technology that uses optical
cameras in the upper right and left corners
of the screen to detect shadows made on
the screen by your finger or the touch pen.
NEC V462-TM touchscreens
rain, snow, ice and dust, and the touch
function operates through customer
installed materials including vandalresistant glass up to 18mm thick. Works
with gloves, even if glass is scratched.
True-flat front surface is possible with
no bezel. elo Touch has touchscreens in
many sizes from 15-inch to 70-inch, with
other touch technologies including Surface
Capacitive and ReverSys bending wave,
the latter used multi-touch and 3D. elo
Touch are happy to provide you with a
no-obligation onsite demonstration in
mainland UK educational and university
teaching hospitals to ensure you select the
correct touch technology for your needs
before making purchasing decisions. To
book a demonstration please telephone
Wedgwood AC on 01754 769967 to
arrange this.
Hitachi
Hitachi LED 65 screen is designed to
make lessons bright and memorable. Its
dual and multi-touch capability allows your
students to collaborate simultaneously,
encouraging cooperation and teamwork
in the classroom. The LED 65 screen
comes with StarBoard software, which
has a dynamic set of lesson building tools
designed specifically for teachers. It is
compatible with most operating systems,
has a customisable floating toolbar, hand
writing recognition, direct access to the
Internet, allows importing of Microsoft
Office files (Word, PPT, etc), supports
interactive whiteboard common file format
(CFF) for easy sharing of educational
content and has a remote conferencing
feature. As Hitachi StarBoard software is
used with Hitachi interactive whiteboards,
teachers who already have Hitachi’s
whiteboards onsite, would not need to
learn another software package, when
using the LED 65 screen. Unlike with
interactive whiteboard and projector
solutions, there is no shadowing with LED
screens. Also, with the LED 65 screen
there is no on-going maintenance required
as there are no lamps to change, and
Hitachi give a comprehensive 3 years
warranty. Unlike interactive whiteboards
that use resistive touch technology, which
can be scratched or damaged, the LED
65 screen has 5mm toughened glass with
a steel bezel, combined with guaranteed
24/7 usage, makes it a durable solution
for many applications. Where you have
an interactive whiteboard and projector
solution, to view images in high definition
(HD), you would need to use an HD
projector (1920x1080), whilst the LED
65 screen has a full HD (1080p) high
brightness display making your interactive
software and images clear and detailed.
Wedgwood AV publish a free LCD monitor
guide at www.lcd-monitors.co.uk and a
Touchscreen guide, free to download at
www.teachingtechnology.co.uk
Clevertouch C-Series with Wordwall
Manufacturers brochures, prices
and product comparisons are
available in the UK from:
CTOUCH Leddura interactive touch screens
iiyama TH5563MTS with Just2Easy software
Clevertouch with DisplayNote software
18_Copyright © 2013 Wedgwood AV Ltd. Suppliers of audio visual equipment in the UK. 01754 769967 www.wedgwood-group.com
elo Touch touchscreens
Hitach LED 65 screen
• Wedgwood AV Ltd
• 01754 769967
• [email protected]
• www.wedgwood-group.com
Copyright © 2013 www.teachingtechnology.co.uk_19