Equipping the "smart" media center

This came in this afternoon's e-mail:

Hi Doug. I came across your handout for "Is Technology Making a Difference in Your School" while searching for some prototypes for long range media center equipment.
 
Do you have any planning instruments to help us plan for Media Center equipment as we move from standard classrooms to smart classrooms?
 
Any ideas you can share would be helpful. 

 Good question. No planning instruments, I‘m afraid. Off the top of my head, I’d certainly include these things in my “smart” classroom planning if justified by your program.

Media center classroom

• Ceiling-mounted LCD projector.
• Interactive whiteboard.
• Good computer with Internet connectivity.
• Sound amplification for computer and speakers.
• Remote pointing device/wireless mouse.
• VCR/DVD/CD combo.
• Some sort of easy to use switch to select projected devices.
  

Media center production lab

•     Powerful computer with photo and video editing software.
•     CD/DVD burning and duplicating equipment.
•     Video and still digital cameras.
•     Good microphones (movie narration and podcast creation)
•     21” LCD display.
•     color laser printer that will print on photo paper
  

Media center should have wireless connectivity throughout with some laptops for check out.

I still think there is a place for a computer lab in or adjacent to the media center for large group instruction in productivity software and research (along with a separate stations dedicated to library catalog access and research for both individuals and small groups).

Consider the media center being adjacent to any interactive television classrooms or housing distant learning equipment.

This is off the top of my head. I’d be anxious to hear what others think might make the media center a “smart” classroom from an equipment standpoint.

OK, Blue Skunk readers. What did I forget? I promised the writer of this question that you would have wonderful ideas. Don't let me down.

Comments

[Tom Hoffman]

One thing I never resolved was whether it was better to get a consumer video camerss or high end ones. We got some mid-range consumer Sonys, and they didn't really hold up to regular use over a couple years. I've been wondering if for regular classroom use the video capabilities of the new digital still cameras aren't good enough & you'd just need a few pro video cameras for big projects.

[Susan Tanner]

Hi, Doug,

An excellent list and pretty comprehensive list! Can't really think of any hardware to add except possible a couple of card readers - the kind that read multiple types of media cards from digital cameras. We've found them handy; you don't have to connect the camera to the computer to upload the images then. If not, make sure the printer has that capability!

I'd also like to suggest a software piece - Altiris Vision or something similar. We have it in our instructional lab, and I find it extremely useful, as it's easy to see at a glance whether any of the students are falling behind; it also allows you to take remote control of a station to demonstrate directly to a single student or the entire class, and it also has a chat capability which allows the students to ask the teacher a question by typing & sending it - great for those more timid types who might be afraid to ask it aloud! Several of our libraries around here have it and really like it.

[Sara Kelly Johns]

Gee, Doug, sounds like a great piece for your revision of Indispensible Librarian! I used the 1997 version for my planning for three new libraries and we need new specs like this...Maybe it should be an e-book...Sara

[Amy]

To Tom...
Go High End. I use video with my broadcast journalism students and find we should have had quality cameras as opposed to having a "camera in every hand" to save a buck. Just my opinion.

Amy Bowllan

[Amy]

Doug,

A MUST software for video is Visual Communicator. It's inexpensive and fun to use. Also, a few tripods, firewire cords; BTW, Roxio and Nero are good video capture devices.

Best,
Amy