Abstract

Smart Classroom on wheels and on demand: a Bergen Community College Solution
Session II, Thursday 11:45 - 12:45
Rong Wang & Yolanda Sheppard

Smart Classroom on Wheels Do you have a limited budget? Is the demand for Smart Classrooms at a record high? How do you support your teaching faculty with new cutting edge technology? How do you get your faculty on the high tech highway? If you have any of these questions, you may find an answer from this presentation. This presentation will be on supporting faculty and students to use new technology to enhance teaching and learning. The presentation will be done through PowerPoint, hands on demonstration, Q&A Flip Video Do you teach a speech, Performing Art, American Sign Language, etc.? Are you frustrated with the formats students bring in for their projects? Flip Video will help you to solve this headache. This session will show you how to use Flip Video to help your students video tape themselves and upload their final products onto a website.

1. A Portable Electronic Teaching Station (PETS) and a Flip Video will be on site for presentation and hand on experience.

2. Smart classroom on wheel Bergen Community College (BCC) had 81 classrooms equipped with LCD projectors with the brightness of the old LCD projectors ranged from 300 ANSI lumens to 700 ANSI lumens. Many faculty were trying to teach in the classrooms with projectors. With limited budget, it is impossible to turn every single classroom into a smart classroom. Media Services in the library has created this PETS cart equipped with all the equipment in a smart classroom. This mobile smart classroom has become so popular, reliable, and cheaper than permanent installation. Flip Video: A conversation started with a speech faculty. Students in a speech class, American Sign Language class, Performing arts, etc always need to tape themselves for the class projects. The students bring in all kinds of formats. Faculty has difficult time to find proper equipment to review each format. A Flip Video came from suggestion of one faculty member. The library purchased 3 Flip Videos as trial. Both students and faculty like Flip Video so much and the library purchased 5 more to fill the requests from faculty and students. Also tripods were purchased to help with self taping. The instruction on how to use the Flip and how to upload the final product was developed. The students can upload their projects fast, and easy. Faculty won’t have to look for other equipment.

3. Both projects have been such a successful practice for students, faculty, and the Media Services Staff. PETS is much cheaper than permanent installation. PETS can be utilized more than a smart classroom because it’s compact and mobile. Flip Video make digital products. Students can upload anywhere they have access to a computer. Faculty can review the projects from their office or home.

4. For the institutes with limited budget, PETS will be a best way to have the technology faculty can access, and a smart classroom can be wheeled to any classroom. Flip video can help students to concentrate on their projects rather than worrying what format they have to choose. It also improves quality of students’ projects. Faculty will be relieved from locating equipment to review different formats. Faculty can review the students’ projects more easily.