G'Afternoon Sian,
Dartmouth Museum - though small - have also just acquired permanent use of an extra room which is multipurpose and is the size of a small classroom as one of those.
We took advice and found that the interactive whiteboards were being replaced generally so we decided for only a small greater cost to invest in a 55 inch Smartboard. The local Academy is now completely 'Smart' with a board in each classroom and many other spaces round the school; we therefore went for the same software. The pupils all use either iPads (or equivalent) or laptops capable of wireless working within the school and their 'efforts' on their own machines can be displayed on the main board. We have yet to experience that capability! Together with the board we also have a 'visualiser' which operates a bit like an old style magic lantern or an OHP. It puts on the screen anything placed on the platen or can project light through a negative (can make it electronically a positive) or glass slide and again put it directly on the screen. Good for difficult-to-read archives. For a more normal Power Point lecture, such as for an adult group, the speaker can remain facing the audience at all times and merely tap the screen for the next slide. All of that and as already stated it acts as an interactive board with class members able to come up and write on it etc. Wonderfully, in one mode you can draw your own version of a straight line or circle etc and it shows it as perfect! There is still probably much that we have not yet discovered but it is a good acquisition. There is of course no projector involved. Our version uses a separate computer because one of the other purposes is to use the room as an office. Thus there is also a normal size screen as well and of course Wi-Fi. The same screen can come with an incorporated computer which makes it very suitable for hotels and lecture theatres where a speaker may arrive with just a memory stick.
The room in question is called the Jesse Room because its primary claim to fame is the Tree of Jesse (genealogy of Jesus) on the ceiling in relief plasterwork which dates from around 1640. After a certain amount of research we have been unable to identify another anywhere in the World. Plenty of 'Trees' but they are usually murals or stained glass.
If you are interested come back to me off list and I can provide full details of our board.
Regards,
David Lingard
Chairman, Dartmouth Museum
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Nicole Beale" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2014 2:15 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [MCG] Using smartboards/whiteboards
> Hi Sian,
>
> In my experience, the brightness of the images on SMARTboards can be an
> issue. But aside from that, they can be very useful tools. We use them in a
> Higher Education setting, and have found that the ability to annotate live
> on the screen can be quite useful. The fixed projectors which hang out over
> the top of the board are a bit of an issue however. They seem to need
> calibrating quite often, and over time can loosen. We have one that has
> been installed for three years, and always needs adjusting before each use.
> But it does mean that the board is mobile.
>
> We don't move ours, but the fixed projector does mean that we have the
> ability to do this. Although we always seem to end up with a situation of
> balancing the laptop on a chair somewhere, which can look quite messy. Not
> to mention the trailing leads! The SMARTboards that we have with ceiling
> mounted projectors do need calibrating sometimes, but not as often, and the
> picture does seems to be better. But this is only a personal observation.
> It could be that on the one with a fixed projector it was initially set up
> wrongly. Quite often I find myself resorting to standing on a chair trying
> to move it backwards!
>
> I think that the ones that we have are not used to their full potential.
> The training provided by SMARTboard is great, but people forget things like
> that very quickly, and much of the functionality doesn't seemed to be used
> by staff. However, the touch to move through a presentation function is
> used all the time by most staff. It removes the need for a clicker, and
> frees the speaker from the podium.
>
> The VGA cable and audio cable that our fixed SMARTboard came with are quite
> short, so you need to consider that, or see if they provide longer ones
> now. Or get extensions.
>
> The other thing to mention is that you only get one remote control. Or used
> to. As with all things not tied down, this can lead to problems!
>
> Overall, I have to say that they are fantastic for interactive things, such
> as asking audience members to come up and annotate things. So for a primary
> setting, they are great. Although of course the content needs to be geared
> towards this kind of usage. I would recommend considering booking the
> SMARTboard training, which is delivered by their staff post-purchase. It
> really does give an insight into the possibilities of the kit once you have
> it.
>
> Hope that helps!
>
> Nicole
>
>
> On 28 August 2014 13:46, Sheila Perry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Hi Sian,
>> Some of our meeting rooms have smartboards installed. In most cases they
>> are fixed to the wall with a computer fixed behind them, but I think there
>> is one that is attached to some sort of stand which may be theoretically
>> mobile. In the case of that one, I have found there is a bit of an issue
>> with trailing cables and the feet of the stand thing.
>> A lot of the time they are just used as giant computer monitors although
>> some people like to write things on them too.
>> In one room in particular the screen is just too large for the size of
>> room, and the chairs are more or less right under it. I sometimes have
>> difficulty reading what's on the screen, I think because of some
>> interaction between my varifocals and the angles and distances involved,
>> and there are also a lot of reflections. But having said all that, I still
>> find them really useful for computer training of various kinds.
>> Best wishes,
>> Sheila
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
>> Sian Woodward
>> Sent: 28 August 2014 12:03
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: [MCG] Using smartboards/whiteboards
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> as part of our new museum development we will have a "learning space" for
>> the first time, and are thinking about getting a smartboard or whiteboard.
>> Has anyone got any top tips that they wish they had considered or are glad
>> they thought about before doing this?
>>
>> We are particularly interested to know whether sites have gone for
>> smartboards and projectors that are fixed to the wall or more mobile,
>> integrated or separate, and whether this affected the flexibility of the
>> space at all.
>>
>> Were there any particular difficulties or considerations relating to
>> cabling and location of power and data cables?
>>
>> Best Wishes
>>
>> Sian Woodward
>> North Hertfordshire Museum
>>
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