Immersive Learning GoesDigital (NAPSA)—Homes and businesses have advanced into the digital age over the past few decades, but many classroomsarestill relying on technology first developed in the 1800s. Chalkboards seem mundane, but they revolutionized the classroom setting by conveying information to large groupsof students. Since then, a centralized display has been the focal point of every classroom. Today’s technology can do even more. Using a computer and a digital projector, classrooms are being transformed instantly into an interactive learning environment. Whether a classroom full of eighth graders is using digital projection to hammer through a complex geometry problem together or a teacher is projecting crisp images of Picasso to transform her classroom into a day at the Louvre gallery, students are surrounded by digital content displayed 10 feet wide. Streaming video illustrates hard-to-grasp concepts, and free online tools such as Google Maps allow the class to globe-trot on a whim. Recent studies show visual enhancement increases learning retention because of the power of multimedia education. Digital projection also allows for sight, sound and motion to be incorporated into the classroom, addressing every style of learning and assisting students for whom English is not the first language. Shaun Owen, a sixth grade teacher at Greenbrier Middle School near Augusta, Georgia, thinks the classroom technology available today makes her generation of educators very special. All her instruction is done with a pro- Today’s students have the chanceto use digital technology to learn better. jector and laptop, creating a virtually paperless classroom. Enriching multimedia video content, animations, virtual field trips and audio effects allow students to travel the world and visit historical time periods right from their desk. “Technology allows me to bring each lesson to life. My classroom resembles a sporting event with loud music, clapping, cheering and enthusiasm galore,” Owen says. “My entire class is geared around the concept that if students are not engaged, then they are not learning.” InFocus, a long time staple of digital projection in classrooms, has several products for educators. The InFocus Learn Big projectors connect easily with many devices including computers, TVs, digital cameras and DVDplayers, displaying a wide variety of content directly to students. Designed to be easy to use and reliable, Learn Big projectors create bright, vivid images, capturing every detail of a multimedia lesson or presentation. For more information about InFocus digital projectors in the classroom, visit www.infocus.com.
