Embrace New Teaching Possibilities Through Multimedia Projectors
By: Jack Rudenga

Projectors have proven to be an invaluable tool for incorporating multiple perspectives and materials into a curriculum so that as many students as possible can understand a lesson’s subject matter. However, the days of fumbling with a reel-to-reel or having to pause to switch the transparencies on an overhead have given way to operating wirelessly networked projectors, hooked to DVD/VHS players and BOSE Surround Sound outdoor sound systems, with just a click of a remote control.

Able to handle anything from PowerPoint computer files to YouTube videos, modern projectors offer educators an array of options for increasing the clarity and structure of lesson content. For example, instead of drawing a diagram of a cell on a whiteboard or putting up a picture, teachers use a projector to display a detailed image from their computer or the Web. If the projector is used in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard, users can move seamlessly between several multimedia activities over the course of the lesson.

Projectors also facilitate projects such as student-developed videos or PowerPoint slides. As digital natives, today’s students, including the less motivated individuals, are enthusiastic about opportunities to create their own original movies and slideshows, especially in lieu of writing lengthy papers. While schools may provide cameras, most students have access to their own video or digital camera and can even make 30-second videos with cell phones.

Ease of Use
Prior to using today’s multimedia projectors, our educators had old-fashioned projectors that required them to manually resize the image on screen everytime they used the projector. Some educators even tried to avoid the hassle of using these projectors by carting computers with huge monitors into the classroom. However, those monitors usually proved not to be big enough to allow students in the back of the classroom to see text, pictures, or video on the monitor screen. Now, modern projection devices allow for the operation of zoom functions by remote control and automatic keystoning so teachers barely have to pause in their presentation.Classrooms’ ambiant light used to be another common obstacle, but today’s projectors have such great lumen quality that images can be seen even in well-lit rooms.

Purchasing and Implementation
Educators should ask for recommendations of reliable devices. Some projector brands have more problems than others, such as the remote controls not working well, bulbs burning out too quickly, or malfunctioning motors.

A knowledgeable vendor is invaluable when it comes to purchasing projectors, particularly if that vendor will visit the campus. A tour of classrooms slated for projectors will enable a vendor to give concrete advice regarding what size screen the room will accommodate, what amount of lumens (the measurement unit denoting the projector’s brightness) will offset the light leaking into the space, and the models that will fill those requirements. Since a school may have classrooms with two large windows, some other rooms with an entire wall of windows and so on, that type of customer service can be worth paying a little extra rather than saving money by ordering products online without any access to guidance.

Despite modern multimedia projectors’ having become increasingly sophisticated, many models are specially priced for schools and other educational facilities. If funding is an obstacle, schools can try creating a grant request for equipping classrooms with projectors and other multimedia devices. Some parent groups work with schools to raise money through a variety of ways so that they can specifically fund teacher requests such as multimedia A/V equipment.

Another way to keep costs down is to take advantage of in-house talent. For example, a school’s woodworking skilled teacher could build any cabinets needed to house the devices. Also, that instructor, the technology coordinator, or both individuals could install the projectors instead of having the school rely on vendor support.

Whenever possible, projectors should be mounted rather than being used as portable devices because projectors that are not bolted down are often fiddled with by students. I recommend having one device that can be carted into any classroom or used anywhere in the building and doing phased installations so administrators can assess the amount of use existing projectors receive as well as spreading the expense over a period of time.

For example, our school installs three projectors each summer. This phased installation results in the school having a variety of models as the manufacturer updates exisiting models and introduces devices that offer more features to meet eduators’ needs.

Schools should first put projectors in the classrooms of  teachers who are comfortable with technology and so are likely to use them. Once other teachers see the possibilities and start asking for their own multimedia projectors, the technology coordinator and principal should discuss and determine which individuals are the best candidates. Newer, younger faculty members who grew up in the digital age and went through teacher education programs that stressed educational technology tend to be very savvy. They can provide informal help to older faculty members, as well as conduct workshops during inservice time and share ideas or strategies.

Of course, not every teacher wants a high level of interactivity in the classroom. Some teachers may prefer to have their projector connected only to the classroom computer even though their colleagues are incorporating the devices with interactive whiteboards. What matters is finding out what will motivate students and what aligns with the subject matter of the class.

Jack Rudenga is a business teacher and technology coordinator at Illiana Christian High School in Lansing, Illinois. This article was written in coordination with Epson, www.epson.com.