Have you standardised on a Touch Screen Panel Manufacturer?

[kennysarmy]

For those in secondary schools, say 800+ students have you standardised on a touchscreen panel or have you let individual departments dictate what solution works best for them?

 

Additionally is anyone running the Basic Smart Notebook software on non Smart boards successfully?

[Rob_D]

Boards are payed for from the central capital budget so departments don't get any individual say. When we first started the move from projector/IWB combos to full touch screens we polled the staff and did some AB testing with IT friendly teachers on different boards before making a whole school choice. But now they get the current Smart SB6000 series board (size is negotiable but more often than not dictated by the size/layout of the room more than anything else). (Initially we went with E70s but as Smart discontinued the line we're phasing them out)

 

I don't see why you would let departments choose. It sounds like additional complexity and work for you, for not a lot of return. I mean they're all big screens that you hang on the wall and poke.

 

(As we're all Smartboards I can't help with the second question)

 

Edit: Oh and we're a secondary with approx 1500 students.

[robyholmes]

No, I just purchased the best value boards at the time of replacement. We've been replacing boards yearly over the last 5 years and this year will be the last few rooms. The only rooms which this hasn't been applied in are Maths who 'MUST' use ActivInspire. So the additional cost for Promethean boards has come from them to make it fair to other departments. For everyone else, it's just a touch display and any make will do.

[Vegas]

We've just started to replace our Smartboards (580, 680 & 880) with CTouch and also Iiyama, and yes we are successfully using Smart v19 on the new touch screens.

[localzuk]

Yup. We have standardised on SMART MX265s in most cases. We use SMART Notebook everywhere so it's the only cost effective way of doing so, as licences for non-SMART hardware are expensive.

 

Without SMART hardware connected, you will have a large watermark displayed when using the basic version.

 

If you use the paid version on Non-SMART hardware, you pay over double for the license costs.

Edited January 18, 2021 by localzuk

[kennysarmy]

Are people put touch-screens in Art and DT rooms too where they possibly just need to "project" the biggest image possible?

 

Is there a long term future of projectors still being installed in teaching rooms?

[robyholmes]

Are people put touch-screens in Art and DT rooms too where they possibly just need to "project" the biggest image possible?

 

Is there a long term future of projectors still being installed in teaching rooms?

 

Yes touch screens all round, only place projectors are still useful are school halls. Even then LED walls are coming down in price.

 

DT is expecially good place for a touchscreen as projectors love to eat the dust in the room. Yes the touchscreen will do the same overtime but it shouldn't affect it as much until thermals are a problem.

[Rob_D]

Are people put touch-screens in Art and DT rooms too where they possibly just need to "project" the biggest image possible?

Is there a long term future of projectors still being installed in teaching rooms?

 

We're touch-screens in all the class/teaching rooms with projectors in the halls (same as robyholmes). I would say, no, there isn't any long term future projectors in teaching rooms. If they don't want interactivity, you could save money and go for something without touch (not my preference, but it's an option).

Realistically, when would you be projecting bigger than 75" apart from a hall or auditorium? And a screen will be brighter and sharper than most projectors, especially once you get up to larger display sizes.

[localzuk]

Are people put touch-screens in Art and DT rooms too where they possibly just need to "project" the biggest image possible?

Is there a long term future of projectors still being installed in teaching rooms?

We put touchscreens everywhere these days. We've even put one in one of our smaller school halls (they don't have a stage, so it was an easy install).

 

In our largest rooms we've put 75" screens in (Drama basically). In that hall we put in an 84" (though that was before we standardised on SMART, so it is a Promethean, but they don't use SMART Notebook in the hall).

[BenQ_Chris]

Hi,

 

Should you have any questions regarding interactive touchscreens I'd be more than happy to assist, we have touch screens available from 55" through to 86". We could also arrange a demo if this would be of benefit. As for software we supply Oktopus but any Windows based software will work with our boards which also feature an Android OS including an Android Whiteboard and floating toolbar tools. Should you have any questions, please let me know.

[Aprice]

My site had a mix of promethean activboards and a couple of activpanels, gradually we are replacing the activboards with BenQ's.

 

The departments don't seem to be bothered which model of flat panel they have, so I'm sticking to the BenQs from now on.

[SamanthaD]

Are people put touch-screens in Art and DT rooms too where they possibly just need to "project" the biggest image possible?

 

Is there a long term future of projectors still being installed in teaching rooms?

 

Factually speaking, Art probably have less of a need for a large image than Maths. By the time you start to think about the content and visual acuity, eye strain etc then I'd rather have more space for equations to be made larger than a jpg that will probably just look pixelated at larger sizes?

 

Future of projectors in teaching rooms? Still needed. Once you get above a requirement for 86" / 90" screens then it makes more sense. You can mount them higher on the wall, improving sight lines (how many of your touchscreens can all your staff reach fully, all the way to the top, and still have a good sightline?). You don't lose wall space with a roll away or motorised screen, handy for maybe a Drama department who need a more flexible space or Maths where a large penboard wall is needed (or chalkboard if your Maths department still insist on using them, like mine!)

 

That said, touchscreens are our default option in teaching rooms. 86" for a 30 capacity classroom, going down to 75" for 25+ and 65" for smaller, depending on the room layout. I'd recommend that even if touch isn't needed get a touch monitor anyway. The cost difference is negligible, you're standardising across the estate (who's to say a different teacher won't move into a non-touch room one day and expect a touch system available?) and touch displays have toughened glass as standard, not a bad thing.

 

And edit to answer original question - yes, we're Iiyama.

Edited January 22, 2021 by SamDavis