Classroom Projectors Tips
Read these 23 Classroom Projectors Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Projector tips and hundreds of other topics.
How many Lumens is recommended for a Classroom Projetor?
You should select a classroom projector that has roughly 3000 Lumens for best illumination. This will ensure that large audiences can view the display with bright lights being displayed in the classroom. Also remember that the larger the screen you use, the more Lumens you should require from your projector.
Tips for using Power Point with Classroom Projectors
You can create wonderful Power Point displays for adding spice and zest to your teaching. Using classroom projectors you can add sound and video files to your power point displays. If you are displaying your Power Point displays in a room with bright lighting, choose a projector that has between 2000-4000 Lumens.
Multimedia Components and Classroom Projectors
The world is quickly learning the benefits of adding multimedia capabilities to educational environments. Today's choice of classroom projectors includes component video inputs that will allow you to network your projector to DVD players, VCRs, and more. By using digital video projectors and multimedia projectors you can view streaming videos from the Internet, play audio files, and teach with programs such as Cable in the Classroom.
Classroom Projectors and Audio Systems
Classroom projectors come with internal speakers, however you may want to bypass the internal speakers and set up your own sound system. Make sure that your projector has audio output connectors so that you can set up your own sound system for maximum audio quality. It should also include audio jacks, audio inputs for your computer and audio jacks for video.
How Much Should a Classroom Projector Weigh?
Some portable projectors weigh between 5-10 pounds. However, you will get more results from choosing a larger (and therefore heavier) classroom projector. You can set the projector on a cart making it more mobile from room to room. This is also an effective way to store other components such as VCRs and DVD players that are connected to the projector. For storing your projector and other equipment on a cart, you can select a projector that weighs between 20-30 pounds.
Classroom Projectors and Long Lamp Life
When choosing a classroom projector you should inquire about how long the lamp will last. Some will last as long as 2000 hours. It is also important to note the price of replacement bulbs. For classroom use, it is recommended to purchase projectors with long lamp life or ones that include replacement bulbs with the initial purchase.
Choosing Remote Controls for Classroom Projectors
When teaching with classroom projectors you can use a laser based on screen pointer that is operated with a remote control. Your classroom projector will most likely come with a remote control, but you can purchase an additional remote control with added features and capabilities that will assist you in your teaching. You will need to make sure that your selected remote control will be compatible with your projector, but for features such as pin point accuracy from over 100 feet away, and no need for direct line of site targeting, a wireless remote control can make a world of difference to your teaching experience.
Purchasing Classroom Projectors and In Focus
Many resellers of classroom projectors are registered with the In Focus program. By choosing to join this program you will receive special discounts on the purchase of your classroom projector, receive additional free educational resources. Before making your final purchase make sure the seller is an In Focus Authorized A+ Educational Partner.
Classroom Projectors: Projector Throw Distance
Can it be read from the back row? The rule of thumb is that the type in the projector presentation must be at a minimum of 24pt type to allow everyone in the room to read it.
In addition, the distance from the back row to the screen is the diagonal measurement of the screen times 6. As an example, if you have a 60” diagonal screen (5 feet), then your maximum distance is 30 feet from the screen. Any further from the screen, and you would not see the image well.
Classroom Projectors: Alternative Way of Teaching
By not forcing a teacher to rely solely on books, a classroom projector makes more educational information available to students. It changes conventional habits and rituals in the classroom. In fact, some survey participants believe a multimedia projector could soon replace the chalkboard and overhead projector.
No matter how you will be using your multimedia projector in your classroom, you can be sure that it will benefit both the students and teachers.
Classroom Projectors: Visual Aid
Multimedia projectors allow teachers to provide diverse content to all students in the classroom at once, allowing students to have a visual and colorful learning experience during a given lesson. These multimedia projectors are perfect for this generation's visually oriented youth because they help make abstract concepts easier to understand.
Classroom Projectors: Projector Inputs / Outputs
It is important to make sure your new school projector will accept data from all the primary sources you want to display. If you are using a VCR or DVD player then an S-Video input is a must. If you want to connect your school projector to external speakers, then audio outputs are important.
Choosing Data Signal Ports for your Classroom Projector
The classroom projector that you choose will have to connect to your computer. Whether your school is using Macintosh or IBM PCs you will need to check the Data Signal Ports on the projector to ensure that it will adequately connect to your computers and other equipment. You may need to purchase additional adapters to connect the computer projector to a Macintosh computer. Keep this in consideration when purchasing a projector and make sure that it is compatible with a Macintosh.
Classroom Projectors: Pull-up Projection Screens
A pull-up projection screen is perfect for schools since they can be lowered and raised in seconds to expose the blackboard or start a projector presentation. These types of screens are fairly inexpensive and not too difficult to install.
Classroom Projectors: Makes Teaching Easier and Better
Instead of having students crowd around a computer, the entire class can view one big screen without difficulty. The multimedia classroom projector has made the teaching of Internet-related subjects and the demonstration of new software applications much easier - heightening students' awareness and expectations, while captivating their attention and increasing their motivation. The multimedia classroom projectors also accommodate the electronic submission and viewing of student work.
Classroom Projectors:Overall Benefits
The main reason that educators upgrade their overhead projectors and whiteboards to multimedia projectors is to improve the performance of their students. Multimedia projectors certainly do an exceptional job in helping students learn, but that's just the beginning. Classroom multimedia projectors provide many additional benefits that educators quickly realize once they start using them.
In a recent study, educators rated various benefits resulting from the use of classroom multimedia projectors. The result were as follows:
- 98% of respondents said that projectors provided a significant improvement in student attention
- 94% reported significant presentation quality
- 94% reported easier editing of presentations
- 94% reported a greater ease in presenting information
- 90% reported a significant improvement of understanding information
- 80% reported a significant improvement in retention of information
- 74% reported a significant overall time savings
- 62% reported a significant overall cost savings
There are numerous reasons to purchase a multimedia projector for your classroom.
Classroom Projectors: Portable Projectors
Many of today's data/video projectors are smaller than a laptop. These projectors are perfect for the traveling salesperson, but may not be the best choice for classrooms. If your data/video projector will be used in one or two main classrooms, then we do not recommend choosing the most portable projector you can find. Aside from a higher cost, the smaller the data/video projector is, the more likely it is to be stolen. Projector theft in classrooms is at an all time high. The larger the projector, the more difficult it is to conceal and steal.
Classroom Projectors: Projector Resolution
If you will be projecting PowerPoint type presentations with large fonts and graphics, then your classroom can save money by purchasing an SVGA resolution projector. If you will be using the projector in a high school or college class, we recommend spending a little more for an XGA resolution projector. XGA resolution projectors are designed for more detailed presentations that are perfect for math and science curriculum.
Classroom Projectors: Brightness
Classrooms can be deceiving with regards to brightness because of fluorescent lights. These lights are extraordinarily bad for the projected image. Fluorescent lights tend to make a room much brighter which will make your classroom projector appear much dimmer. To counter the effects of classroom lighting, make sure that you purchase a classroom projector that is bright enough to leave the majority of the class lights on. This way you can maximize your lesson plan and minimize the “goofing off” that happens when you turn off the lights.
Classroom Projectors: Projectors and Video Conferencing
Multimedia projectors + Videoconferencing = Long distance learning for disabled students as well as opening course availability districts that have fewer options. Today's videoconferencing is lightyears ahead of what it used to be. Today's video and images are clear and the audio is stereo quality. A school can use a multimedia projector in conjunction with videoconferencing to teach one on one to a student, or to an entire class.
Classroom Projectors: Cost of Ownership
The projector cost of ownership over the life of the projector can vary significantly from model to model. It is important to buy from an experienced dealer who knows the history of the manufacturing and model for service issues and lamp history. Just because the digital projector looks like a steal when you buy it, you may dump a lot of money into the digital projector with new lamps and service issues.
Classroom Projectors: Kensington Lock
If your projector will be on an Audio/Visual cart, rather than ceiling mounted, we recommend purchasing a Kensington lock for the projector. Most projectors have a slot somewhere on the data projector that is designated for a Kensington lock. Attaching a lock to the data projector and securing it to the A/V cart will eliminate any thoughts of theft. In addition, it may save your projector from falling to the floor if the cart is accidentally bumped.
Lighting For Classroom Projectors
In the past, overhead projectors were the only option a classroom had as a classroom projector. Because technology continues to grow, so do the options. So now that newer, more-advanced technology is available, the lighting becomes more of an issue. Since classrooms may want to keep the lights on, it is important to have a projector that will be bright enough to be useful. A light output of 1,000 ANSI Lumens is good for a only very dark rooms. Many projectors today have a brighter output, so look for the highest available. Brighter is better – go for at least 2,000 lumens.
| Guru Spotlight |
| PJ Campbell |
