InFocus Projectors Underscore Reputation for Innovative Learning at Estacada School District
All too familiar in many of today's schools is a pervasive question: Where money is tight and the desire for technology so great, how does a school district keep up with today's ever changing age of information to ensure a student's success? Answering this question with conviction is Brad Stonecypher, Technology Coordinator for the Estacada School District near Portland , Oregon , who works every day to ensure the towns' schools are known for their adoption of technology. Under his guidance, the district developed a three-year technology plan in 2001. Key to the plan are computer labs and InFocus digital projectors.
"Teachers were looking for something more progressive," says Stonecypher. "They realized how much more information they could get on the Internet and wanted to take advantage of that without having thirty kids crowd around a computer monitor." InFocus projectors were the natural complement to computers and enhanced their learning capabilities as teachers could navigate to various Internet sites while students viewed them projected on the big screen.
A limited budget means that school technology must be funded from a variety of sources. A combination of grants, donations and student body fees purchased several of the district's new InFocus projectors. Recognizing that maintenance-free projectors require less time and money to operate, brand and quality have become Stonecypher's first considerations when purchasing new projectors. By making InFocus projectors the standard for his school district, he realizes a higher ROI (return on investment). Not only can he troubleshoot any user issues with ease, but he can also buy the same replacement parts to fit any of the schools' projectors.
Stonecypher notes the cost-effectiveness of the projectors. "TCO (total cost to owner) is a big issue. These InFocus projectors give us the most features for our money."
In the last six months, Stonecypher doubled the number of projectors in the district, realizing that as more teachers use the technology in the classroom, their colleagues are seeing the value, which further increases adoption. "Since teachers have begun sharing with each other their own innovative ways of using technology in the classroom, we've had an explosive growth of projector use."
According to Stonecypher, the top selling feature of the InFocus projectors is versatility. The ability to connect to a VCR, DVD player, or computer makes them more desirable than a television. In addition, teachers enjoy using them to project their lessons on the big screen. "The projectors are so easy to adjust for teachers who can quickly and conveniently change out new PowerPoint lessons," says Stonecypher. All current models used by the district are "plug and play" type machines with manual zoom lens and expandable/contractable screens, making them extremely easy to set up and use.
While most of Stonecypher's purchases are teacher driven, he highlights the fact that students have been the biggest proponent of technology. "Most of our students have grown up with computers and have really pushed for technology in the classroom. In fact, we've actually seen students teaching teachers how to use the various technologies. Teacher-student interaction has increased tremendously."
Stonecypher is convinced that incorporating digital projectors is a big factor in a student's development and has witnessed this firsthand. Last year, more than forty percent of the 260-student senior class used the projectors for their senior projects - from PowerPoint presentations to videos and web demonstrations. The projectors are also integral to a growing vocational arts program that includes specialized training in video arts, business, accounting, drafting and more. The computer workstations in conjunction with the digital projectors create an enhanced learning environment. Whether students are looking up stocks on the Internet or editing video segments, the ability to view their work on the big screen increases participation and provides excellent feedback.
"Students get immediate gratification for the work they put into projects," says Stonecypher. Speaking of a video shown at the graduation ceremony, he says, "Seeing it broadcast on the big screen gave her (the author) an entirely new perspective on her work and her impact as it became 'bigger than life'."
Utilization of the projectors goes far beyond pure educational activity in the Estacada School District . Throughout the year, they are used at dances, assemblies, sports awards banquets, training and in-service days. The general public even makes use of the projectors at school board meetings.
With the visible results it's seeing and its continued focus on innovative learning, it isn't surprising that the Estacada School District has emerged as an area leader in school technology and will remain on the forefront of student achievement through technology. "As teachers have seen the value of using technology in the classroom, there's been a marked difference in how students interact with it," says Stonecypher. "While technology will never completely replace traditional paper and pencil methods, there's an undeniable increase in excitement for learning with computer/digital projector activities, lessons and projects."