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Smart Classroom - Images from

Portland State University



I attended the Portland State University Faculty Development Institute in the summer of 2000 and took the following pictures to illustrate their use of technology in the classroom.

Smart Classroom

All images on this page are described in the text for those with visual disabilities.

Large 9 x 12 screens fill one wall in the classroom. The screens may show (left to right) a web page, a video or the view from an Elmo projecting machine.

There is an elevator on the left for wheelchair accessibility to platform.

9X12 foot projection screens

The instructor at the podium sees the large viewing screens on 3 computer monitors and controls them via the touch pad at the lower left. The Elmo is sitting to the left of the monitors. There is a stand microphone and also a clip-on mike.

instructor podium

Or the screens may show one image that continues across the three large screens. (In this case a panorama of Portland.)

9x12 screens showing panorama

Text may also be displayed via a computer screen or the Elmo. But font size is still critical for legibility.

9x12 screens showing text
Elmo (the document camera) images can be frozen and displayed across the large screens. live images on instructors document camera
The equipment for controlling the media is in cabinets below the screens. It includes slide, VHS, DVD, laser disc, sound, and the usual computers, etc.

Media

computer

The seating area can be arranged in various ways, depending on the needs of the instructor and audience. The instructor can work from the floor, rather than the podium. An inset hidden in the floor (see below) has hook ups for a laptop. Or they can use the hookups hidden in one of the columns (lower right).

Window shades can be automatically lowered from the control panel. Speakers are mounted in the walls.

seating area
floor hook up column hookup

A control room for facilitators is located behind the podium with further connections/equipment. Access to the area behind the screens is located here.

The projector is mounted to project through a mirror (bottom right-- apologies for the poor image) onto the back of the screen (bottom left) because of limited space.

control room
projector screen projector

 


For My Students | Admin/Research | PSY | CTL | WKU 



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All contents © since 1996 by Sally Kuhlenschmidt. Copy only with permission.

Attendees at Summer 2000 Portland Faculty Development Institute are welcome to copy this page/use these images.

Website created: June 1996. Page Created: June 27, 2000. Last Modified: May 4, 2001.