- Students, educators and administrators in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) are experiencing a radical shift in the teaching environment. AMX® control and technology, along with audio/video (A/V) equipment, such as DVD players and projectors, are rapidly becoming an important facilitator of the learning process. The result: Scholastic performance has skyrocketed.
"When I build one of these classrooms, one of the first things I say at the meetings is 'If you aren't willing to put an AMX Control System in, then I'm not going to do it.' This is the central nervous system of the room. In the end, they totally believe it, realizing you can't run the room without it."
Ahead Of The Learning Curve
- At the simple touch of a button, technology-enhanced classrooms harness a multitude of electronic equipment so that teachers and students can interact more freely, communicate instantly with peers in the same building, and even cue videoconferences to far away places. Through the assistance of state-funded technology-in-education grants and with the expertise of Data Projections, Inc., a Houston-based system design and integration company, HISD is revamping the face of education. One-touch AMX control has already been incorporated in three middle schools and 11 high schools, as well as auditoriums in three different administrative buildings.
- "You can see right away that the students are more engaged, more on task," said Tina Lang, director of business development at Data Projections. "When I build one of these classrooms, one of the first things I say at the meetings is 'If you aren't willing to put an AMX Control System in, then I'm not going to do it.' This is the central nervous system of the room. In the end, they totally believe it, realizing you can't run the room without it."
Teaching Consoles & Wireless Control
- The technology-enhanced classrooms appear rather unassuming - except for the specially designed L-shaped teaching consoles that house several pieces of A/V equipment and wireless AMX Modero® ViewPoint (MVP) Touch Panels. Simple on-screen navigation tools and buttons instantly activate integrated CD/VCR/DVD players, laptop and desktop PCs, videoconferencing equipment, document cameras, projectors and projection screens. Both teachers and students can take control, at any time, from anywhere in the room. "That's the beauty of the ViewPoint's flexibility and mobility," Lang said. "The Touch Panel is not tethered to the console. The teachers shouldn't be planted behind a desk. They should be engaging with the students."
Standard Integration District-Wide
- The largest public school system in Texas, with more than 40,000 teachers and more than 200,000 students, HISD relies on AMX as the standard system of integration and automation across the entire district. What this means: All currently integrated classrooms and administrative buildings share the same level of control capabilities. The Touch Panel's user interface design remains consistent as well, making it extremely simple to understand and operate. Anyone can enter a room and take control in a matter of moments. "So long as there are technology-enhanced rooms like these (in this district), there only will be AMX," Lang said. "This was a huge hurdle (to get HISD to choose AMX as the control standard), but we were able to justify it."
- Students respond to an interactive learning environment, including videoconferences with guest speakers from nearby NASA or tutoring sessions facilitated by subject experts from around the world. Teachers see significantly improved scholastic performance and enjoy the technology resources in place for professional development. Administrators from across the district can schedule and control meetings with virtually no travel time. Off-site locations, equipped with integrated videoconferencing capabilities, allow superintendents and principals to connect with one another at the touch of a button.
- The district's technology department depends on AMX to seamlessly monitor a wide range of third party equipment, immediately notifying the proper personnel of any service issues. The AMX Controller connects directly to the district's network for anywhere, any time access by authorized personnel. This maximizes efficiency and even helps to proactively resolve equipment or operational issues.
Basic Training
- Now comes the fun part, according to Lang. "I start by scaring them to death," she said jokingly. "I pull out all the remotes it would normally take to run all the equipment in the room. They freak, until I show them how it can all be done with a single AMX panel. I grab their attention real quick, and they love it."
- After grasping the concept of one-touch integration and automation, teachers and administrators are introduced to the AMX user interface - on-screen buttons programmed to activate specific functions instantly. Taking into account the many educators using the AMX control systems at different schools and administrative locations, Lang made sure to minimize - if not eliminate - the learning curve. The solution: A Touch Panel user interface design with a consistent easy-to-recognize layout. "We sat down with our on-staff programmer and planned out the Touch Panel pages, one by one," Lang said. "We went screen by screen, using the same terminology for equipment and functions used by educators throughout the district. Terminology that would make sense to them. You can go into any AMX-integrated location, pick up the ViewPoint and take control as if you were in your own room."
