Classroom Technology Project at Sharjah Colleges
Joanna Seyfi
70 inch Interactive Flat Panel
State of the art technology
The Sharjah College classrooms are currently undergoing an exciting new classroom technology upgrade. Faculty are now starting their first semester of using the unique, state of the art technology being installed in classroom and lab environments.
Many months of planning have been invested in this major Classroom Technology Project. The IT team have been working around the clock for the past month to get classrooms ready for the new semester and the highly effective installation program has now been completed. The project, which is valued at around Dhs. 4.5 million, has improved 160 classrooms across SHC. These rooms now have new technology comprising: a 70 inch Interactive Flat Panel with Apple TV for iPad connectivity, a 23 inch All-In-One computer with 4th Gen Intel Core i7 processor (256GB SSD and 16GBRAM) with USB 3.0 & HDMI connectivity for laptops.
Benefits
The aim of installing the new technology is to provide an improved learning environment for the students. Teachers will be able to use multimedia content in their lessons without the associated technical problems which commonly lead to loss of learning time. The new computers start up within 10-12 seconds- far faster than their predecessors! The new classroom environment integrates comfort and practicality as teachers will no longer be tied to the desktop computer. Instead they will be able to move around the class using the Bluetooth Presenter Laser Pointer to control the visual display on the Flat Panel TV which will provide the cutting edge in the teaching- learning experience. The laser pointer is USB charged, so battery problems in the classroom are now history!
Bluetooth Presenter Laser Pointer
Training
After attending the training session on using the unique new technology, faculty were visibly impressed and commented on the high level of connectivity across all devices and platforms. Of particular interest to English teachers was the much improved audio quality due to the Slim Sound Bar with Built-in Subwoofer and 60W RMS Power output speakers above the screens. They will enable teachers to play audio files with clearer sound which will support students in their language acquisition and development of aural skills.
Project expansion
It is rumored that other colleges in the system are looking on enviously and have already started asking if they are going to benefit from a similar Classroom Technology Project in the near future.
Yes, it's a great setup, though I haven't got the hang of the Bluetooth thingy yet. No more crackles and bangs playing the e-book audio, much easier switching between iPad and PC – those are the big improvements for me. And the instant start-up, of course.