At The Top Of Your Educator’s Wish List: Interactive Projectors

Teachers around the country will lock up their classroom and head home for the holiday break next week. Some will leave with a wish list for Santa that includes current technology, classroom engagement and true growth for their students. Maybe even some wishes for rest and relaxation! While we can’t quite help you bake cookies or rest up, we
can help grant some of your tech holiday wishes and make your classroom the life of the school!

Wondering what you could use your interactive projector for?? Well, besides live tracking Santa’s sleigh route or watching your favorite holiday movies, there are hundreds of ways to engage students of all ages with an interactive projector in the classroom. A few of our favorites are listed below:

1. Turn ANY surface into a whiteboard.

Always wanted a touch-screen whiteboard? With the right projector, you can have one at a fraction of the cost. You can touch the wall or table with your finger or a special pen, and it responds just like a finger on a phone, tablet or touch-screen device. How cool is that? We are looking forward to seeing social studies lessons with an interactive map projected onto a table.

2. “I can’t see the pictures!”…not anymore!

The classic teacher struggle…reading a picture book to the entire class. At some point you will hear, “I can’t see!!”. Well now you can throw out that towering stack of big books from the ’90s that are taking up valuable space in your classroom. Never again worry that you’re going to hear, “I can’t see the pictures!” from one of your students. There’s nothing like gigantic images of favorite stories to keep kids engaged. If you’ve got an interactive projector, you can invite kids to the board to interact with the book while you’re reading. You can ask students to circle pictures, point out words, pronounce them properly and point to what the word describes…while the entire class is engaged. Awesome!

3. Interactive lessons to excite and engage students.

This is where you can really grab students of all ages. Many teachers build units to do with their students, which make it possible to create games like Bingo and Jeopardy! and even track classroom behavior. Some teachers have designed interactive units that invite children to collaborate on the big screen. Really, the possibilities are endless. We’ve been blown away by some of the lessons we’ve seen for interactive projectors.

Does designing your own lessons sound like a lot of work? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered there too. You can actually find pre-made lessons for interactive projectors all over the web. You’ll be amazed with the attention your lessons are getting when they are truly interactive and since the complexity of information and the way it’s displayed is totally up to you, your lesson can resonate with students of all ages. Free interactive resources here!

SMART Exchange – This SMART Technologies collaboration site provides thousands of free lesson plans and activities for teachers to use in the classroom. SMART lessons are available for a variety of ages and subjects

Scholastic – Scholastic provides interactive lessons for math, science, history and phonics. This site also features a search engine for lessons across North America.

Funbrain – Funbrain offers several interactive educational games. These fun games cover a range of subjects and grade levels.

4. Video streaming.

When boredom strikes children as young as 8 they are now likely to pull a tablet or phone out and disconnect from the group. You can avoid that scenario and captivate your kids with interactive opportunities to learn and have fun by watching videos together as a group on something other than their phone. Programs with very flexible schedules like summer and after school programs rely heavily on great technology to keep kids learning and growing without a set curriculum in place.

Can you imagine pausing a video on an interactive projector and then using your finger or digital pen to draw directly onto the screen to highlight a point or concept? Your kids will flip! You can also connect all their tablets to one screen for the independent-but-still-together experience. Get rid of the dangerous TV cart and do something better with their time!

5. Do everyday things more efficiently and more fun!

This might be at the top of the teacher holiday wish list, just doing the things you need to do every day, faster and while having more fun. Our solution is, you guessed it, an interactive experience! Take attendance with a fun slide set that was made for an interactive projector (like these), watch a video on how sprinkles are made for a birthday party, review your calendar and upcoming events efficiently. Check out Starfall!

READY TO SEND YOUR LETTER TO SANTA FOR ONE OF THESE? No need….just call CCS Presentation Systems and you’re taken care of, nationwide!

We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

Visit ccsprojects.com, call (480) 348-0100 or email us

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Twitter: @CCS_Arizona     Facebook: CCS Presentation Systems

CCS Supports Pipeline Worldwide!

Pipeline Worldwide Action

Pipeline Worldwide is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded in 2008 by Chris Carrell and Jamie Nollette with the goal of: 1) creating opportunities that allow people to use their strengths and expertise to serve the needs of people 2) providing awareness, resources, and solutions to people in need. Since Pipeline began, we have had the privilege of connecting professionals in the state of Arizona to people and projects not only here in greater Phoenix but around the world.

Pipeline has made a significant impact here in Arizona by serving families in need who have faced hardship due to the loss of a parent or a child with special needs. We have also provided tens of thousands of bottles of water to the homeless here in Phoenix through our partnership with the Salvation Army. In addition, Pipeline has drilled over 25 wells in rural areas of Uganda, Rwanda, and India, providing clean water to thousands of men, women, and children stricken by poverty and disease.

These are some of the projects completed in just the past two months!!

Water tower at St. Monica’s in Gulu, Uganda

New playground surface at Visamo in Ahmedabad, India

Borehole for Good News India Dream Center in Dhenkanal, India

4 new students attending Double Portion Farm Vocational Training Center in Wakiso, Uganda

Borehole for George’s village in Lira, Uganda

Sewing Machines, bedding and mattresses were delivered to women in the slums in Kampala, Uganda

Can you believe that these projects were all completed in the last TWO MONTHS? This organization is hard at work making a difference across the globe and we couldn’t be more proud to support them.

Learn more about the Borderline Projects, their exact costs and what you can do to help here:

http://pipelineworldwide.org/borderline-projects/

10 Tools And Apps To Help You Get The Most Out Of Your Avocor Interactive Flat Panel In The Classroom

Check out these epic apps for engaging the classroom with your AVOCOR interactive flat panel!

1. Class Dojo

Used in 2 out of 3 schools in the US, ClassDojo helps you build your own classroom community, connecting teachers with students and parents. The principle centers around creating a positive culture both in and out of the classroom. Teachers can encourage students for any skill or value whilst students can showcase and share learning by adding photos or videos to their own portfolios. With a wealth of resources available on the ClassDojo website, teachers can get started easily and quickly with this tool, including engaging materials such as the Classroom Decoration Pack or a funky video to introduce this unique tool to students.

Find out more www.classdojo.com

2. OneNote clipper

Digital notebooks are becoming common place in today’s teaching and learning and now Microsoft have introduced OneNote clipper – just add OneNote web clipper to your web browser so you can save, annotate and organize anything from the web. Perfect for adding digital content to your lessons and keep those minds from wandering.

Find out more

3. Bouncy balls

A fun way to monitor noise levels the classroom when students are engaging in any collaborative activity. With a range of highly visual options to choose from, including balls, emojis, bubbles and even eyeballs, simply connect a microphone and see the balls start bouncing all over the screen. The more that the noise picks up, the more the balls will bounce, providing a visual cue for the noise to be taken down.

4. Random name picker

Web based tools such as Random Name Picker from Class tools is a fantastic way to test learning and understanding during any lesson. Add students names into the Spinning wheel and hit Spin, the wheel will then select names at random, enabling you to do spot quizzes in a fair and impartial way.

For more info 

5. Google Earth

Explore the world straight from your interactive panel, choose from a variety of rich geographical content to make every subject matter exciting and engaging. Zoom from outer space or fly around cities in 3D. You can even go back in time with the wealth of historical imagery available or dive beneath the surface of the ocean, bringing the entire world into your classroom.

6. Kodu Game Lab

Kodu lets users create games on PCs or Xbox via a simple visual programming language. Perfect for teaching computing coding, Kodu can also be used to improve creativity, problem solving and storytelling skills. There is a wide range of resources available on the Kodu website and once your game has been built it can be shared and played through the site across the world.

For more info 

7. Fixed Office Lens

Available now for Windows 10, Office Lens trims, enhances and makes pictures or whiteboards and documents readable. You can use Office Lens to convert images to PDF, Word and PowerPoint files, you can even save images straight into OneNote where they can be annotated or edited.

Find Fixed Office Lens on the Microsoft Windows Store

8. iXplain

A fantastic screen casting app for recording lessons, great for explain more complicated scenarios. The app, available from the Windows app store, records your voice and pen and then you can use images to annotate on them. An mp4 video file is then created which can be shared via email, OneNote or even uploaded to social media.

Find iXplain on the Microsoft Windows Store

9. Project Siena (Beta)

New from Microsoft, Project Siena enables you to create and build custom apps with rich visuals, with no programming skills required. Build a modern app with all the capabilities of mobile devices, including touch, pen input, hand writing recognition, voice annotation and camera integration.

For more info 

10. Physamajig

Create your own Physics game and simulations, just simply sketch something out and its translated into a realistic physics object. Add attributes such as bounciness, friction and joints, then create your own games by adding behaviors to the objects, for instance, play basketball, land a ship on the moon or even destroy critters with a cannon.

Find Physamajig on the Microsoft Windows Store

Ready to learn more about AVOCOR and interactive flat panels? Visit ccsprojects.com, call (480) 348-0100 or email us

Systems Contractor News: CCS Presentation Systems a Top 5 Integrator in US

CCS Presentation Systems, one of the largest audio visual integrators in the U.S., is proud to announce the company has been named to Systems Contractor News (SCN) magazine’s Top 50 Systems Integrators of 2016. The list continues to establish credibility among A/V leaders and is an important bellwether in the commercial audiovisual industry.

For the past 10 years, SCN Magazine has identified 50 U.S. integration firms that go beyond their peers to set exceptional industry standards. Ranked by projected A/V systems integration revenue, the list is comprised of audiovisual integrators highlighting business stability, financial responsibility in addition to growth in 2016. This year, CCS placed No. 5 on the list.

“We are honored to be recognized as a top integrator, especially as we celebrate our 25th anniversary this year,” said John Godbout, CEO of CCS Presentation Systems. “CCS is considered a trusted resource for A/V products and audio video integration thanks to our professional and experienced staff. The CCS team has impacted and defined our success as one of the largest audio visual systems integrator in the country and this ranking validates that success.”

Since 1991, Scottsdale-based CCS Presentation Systems has served customers in the corporate, government and educational sectors. The company provides full-service integration, installation, training and maintenance of audio and video equipment. CCS delivers outstanding service to each customer. Today, CCS has expanded its integration expertise to the high-end custom home market with its Home Division, a full-service design-build capability now offered throughout Arizona.

“While the bottom-line is important, the Top 50 is just one way to view an industry where success is determined by more than mere numbers,” said Lindsey Adler, editor at SCN Magazine. “There’s much left to learn, and we look forward to continuing to explore the inner workings of this business throughout the year.”

View the entire SCN Top 50 list here. To learn more about CCS Presentation Systems visit www.ccsprojects.com or call (480) 348-0100.

About CCS Presentation Systems, Inc.

Since 1991, CCS has served customers in the corporate, government and educational sectors. CCS provides full-service integration, installation, training and maintenance of audio and video equipment, including large format LCD displays, digital projectors, interactive whiteboards, room control systems, audio systems, high definition videoconferencing systems and more. The company has expanded from a two-person operation to one of the largest A/V integrators in the U.S. with more than 300 employees, sales offices in 14 states and annual revenue in excess of $115 million. CCS was recently ranked by Commercial Integrator as the No. 1 commercial audio visual integrator in the country.

Visit ccsprojects.com, call (480) 348-0100 or email us

About Systems Contractor News

Systems Contractor News magazine provides audio and video systems integrators and consultants with the business technology and trend information to improve the bottom line. Each monthly issue covers industry news, product reviews, installation profiles, government developments, and business solutions.

For more information, visit www.avnetwork.com.

5 Ways You’ll Be Using Virtual Reality By 2017

We are seeing these top 5 industries being impacted by virtual reality as all having one thing in common: a need for unique AV integration experts. We need to be involved when new technologies are being implemented to craft the most efficient and effective spaces for VR users.

Your integrator should design an optimal space that delivers a seamless user experience, from cable and connection management (you need to be able to jump around the room safely!) to surrounding viewpoint displays. In classrooms, virtual reality is already being used to effectively illustrate building processes in 3D and educate medical students on the complexities of the human body all the way down to neurons. We’re excited to see where virtual reality and audio video continue to go together. With the current activity in these markets the possibilities are endless!

Gaming

Obviously video games are one of the main applications for virtual reality today. Many successful global corporations and public agencies are developing open-concept rooms for their employees to enjoy video games and recreational, unwind atmospheres. Classrooms have seen an increase in game-based learning software, engaging students with platforms familiar to them from recreational gaming at home.

Education & Simulation

Where CCS shines is in audio video system integration, and virtual reality integration in education and simulation is a natural fit for CCS. When you’re ready to integrate VR into your education or simulation environment, the communications and display systems you use to present that experience will need to be implemented by a trusted AV expert.

Tourism and Exploration

Imagine visiting Mars or experiencing a 360-degree video of a live concert from the front row. Virtual reality is making its way into memory exploration by encouraging recording video now to enjoy in virtual reality later in life or to trigger memory recurrence.

Psychology & Meditation

Your virtual reality experience could be a place to stop and think, or better yet escape stress and develop distractions from persistent negative thoughts.

Entertainment

Watching virtual reality movies and even videos of real live adventures around the world, with you in the first perspective.

Virtual reality booths and experiences can be found across the nation in malls and corporate business centers, but if you’re ready to bring VR home today, here’s some of the Virtual Reality products you can get your hands on right now:

Google Cardboard

The easiest and cheapest way to try virtual reality, Google Cardboard is just a piece of folded cardboard with some cheap embedded lenses. When you stick your phone inside and press it up to your face, you can feel like you’re in another world.

Samsung Gear VR

The best smartphone-based VR headset (for now) Samsung’s Gear VR costs just $99, assuming you already have a Samsung phone. It has more sophisticated sensors than Google Cardboard and is relatively comfortable to wear. Plus it’s got a decent library of purpose-built apps and games.

Oculus Rift

The $599 Oculus rift is far more immersive than strapping a phone to your face. It tracks your head in all directions, so you can lean in and get right up close to virtual objects. The catch: it requires a powerful gaming PC to generate its graphics, along with a tether leading up to your head.

HTC Vive

HTC Vive lets you reach out and grab objects in virtual reality, and even walk around a room! Again, you are tethered to a powerful gaming PC, plus you need to clear your living room furniture and plug in loads of cables to fulfill your holodeck dreams.

Sony PlayStation VR – Available October 2016

The affordable alternative to an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, the $399 Sony PlayStation VR will let you grab things in VR without requiring a pricy gaming PC as intermediary. Instead, it works with the PlayStation 4 console that you might already own. Just know you’ll need to add controllers, and you shouldn’t expect the graphics to be quite as good as those of the Oculus or Vive.

Do you already have an education or entertainment application in mind that you’d like to integrate VR headsets, gaming centers or experience display screens? Email CCS Presentation Systems

7 Seriously Sweet Video Wall Installs by CCS

Our July 2016 client newsletter contained a blog on the top 10 need-to-knows of video walls, from understanding the heat the equipment emits to the importance of being active in the application planning phases. We wanted to include a top 5 video wall installation lists since this topic was so much fun, but we couldn’t pick five favorites out of the seven we included, they’re all just too cool!

Award-winning Casino Arizona at Salt River’s Bingo Hall – Scottsdale, AZ

Casino Arizona at Salt River – Scottsdale, AZ

CCS installed over 140 55” NEC video wall monitors in a variety of configurations. The majority are 2×2 systems in Willows Bar, Pima Bar and Grill, and in the Bingo Hall. In addition, CCS installed two 2×8 configurations in the Bingo Hall and an overhead scoreboard flanked by 2x2s hanging from the ceiling. Guest Services features a 4×5 wall back to back with a 4×6 wall inside the Arizona Grill. Both of these are connected to a TVOne Corio Master video processor so they can show multiple windows on the walls in several custom layouts created exclusively for Casino Arizona. All of these systems are controlled by AMX touch panels in the various areas. The backbone of the system is a Magenta Research system with approximately 100 sources available to the various displays.

The goal of the project was to boost the casino’s high definition audio visual system and set them apart from every other casino in Phoenix with stunning video wall displays in key focus areas, including: The Bingo Hall, Guest Services, Willows Bar, Arizona Grill and Pima Bar and Grill.

Talking Stick Resort – Scottsdale, AZ

Designed in conjunction with Casino Arizona, CCS is using its years of experience to create and install an impressive new venue in Scottsdale, AZ. Over 1,000 speakers and 100 displays will be spread throughout the 15 story hotel, casino and conference center, featuring a continuous video wall of fifteen 103” plasma displays on a custom designed lift system.

All audio systems, visual displays and digital signage throughout the new Talking Stick Resort including the 15-story hotel, state-of-the-art casino and fully equipped conference center. Opened—Spring 2010.

Zion and Zion Advertising Agency – Tempe, AZ

Grand Canyon University – Phoenix, AZ

Maricopa County Court Towers -Phoenix, AZ

CCS implemented elaborate audio visual technology across the court’s lobby, 16 jury deliberation rooms, six conference rooms and four training rooms. Dual stacked lobby docket monitors, measuring 12-feet high, display court schedules showing where a certain case is being held for lawyers, jurors and guests, representing a true way-finding application. Touch panel controls were installed in the jury assembly room to operate the side-by side dual displays for sending analog or digital signals for cable TV, movies, Internet application and primarily for “agile jury.” The monitors display all of the panels and jurors’ names and numbers, alerting them to head over to the staging area for organizing jury panels. A camera focuses on the presiding judge for addressing jurors on what to expect and the process ahead on 64 monitors in the main assembly area.

The goal of the project was to give jurors and individuals who have been summoned a much better experience over that of the nearby 1950s court building, made possible with a big boost in technology.

Services Group of America – Scottsdale, AZ

“The literal centerpiece of SGA Corporate Center’s high-end conference room is its pentagonal plasma video display system, weighing nearly 1 ton. A major challenge was designing a structurally sound and maintenance friendly lift mechanism that doesn’t intrude on the room’s sight lines or elegant aesthetics. Dominating the space is the conference table, a massive wooden structure measuring 40ft. across and seating 32. The idea was to seamlessly incorporate technology that would enable everything from local PowerPoint presentations to company-wide videoconferences.

Another key requirement for the room was for the conference table to provide an uncluttered look, while still providing laptop connectivity and voice pickup of meeting participants.”

Services Group of America wanted to seamlessly incorporate technology into its new corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ.

Thinking about your next video wall? Contact the CCS corporate office to schedule a project walk! jsolomon@ccsprojects.com

Floor to Ceiling Impact – The Video Wall

The Video Wall

High impact, absolutely! Video walls can be used for everything from entertainment, retail, advertising, education and more. These applications all have different technical needs and content to display, so a well-versed integrator should be part of the planning phases as soon as the need is identified. We encourage our clients to learn all about the many types of installation and projection styles there are, and choose the best fit for each unique wall. Whatever the intended use, its definitely going to end up being one of the coolest AV installations you’ll ever see come to life!

This list of the top 10 video wall fundamentals will help you get the most from your video wall project while thinking through each application possibility.

  1. Determine your digital signage needs and goals

It’s important to give strong consideration to the video wall’s purpose, size considerations and client goals. Will the video wall be used for branding, advertising, wayfinding, or something else? Will it be interactive? If these questions can’t be answered with specifics, then a highly functioning video wall system will be difficult to design. And executives will not be happy after they spent a lot of money on it.

  1. Content is king – determining the number of images for display at one time

Talk about the types of content to be shown before the hardware gets installed. You don’t want to be tweaking content on-the-fly minutes before a grand opening. Also, in what resolutions and formats will the content be designed? It’s imperative to have this conversation with the content creators up-front.

  1. Go native

Content needs to match the screens with native resolutions. All the hardware components should match so you don’t have bandwidth restrictions. Some graphics cards can’t handle full HD. Flash has limitations. You need experts involved to stretch Flash content with native resolutions, for example.

  1. Choose professional grade products

Use displays that can be color calibrated to achieve brightness and color uniformity from screen to screen. Industrial-strength monitors can handle the most rugged of applications, while consumer-grade products sold at “Big Box” stores don’t run 24×7 and can’t handle commercial demands. Go with high-end products for their reliability, inputs and color calibration capabilities.

  1. Choose Appropriate Mounting Systems/Access for Maintenance

This is very important since labor is the most expensive part of any video wall project. Is the existing wall structure sound? Get a structural engineer involved to make sure that it can support a video wall. For the maintenance portion, ensure that you use pull-out mounts to service the video walls correctly and safely.

  1. Keep it cool

Video walls produce a lot of heat. Proper cooling and ventilation need to be part of the overall project and budget. Purchasing displays that offer integrated cooling fans will ensure unfailing operation.

  1. Determine electrical requirements

Make sure you have thought through all the necessary components for the video wall system. If you’re deploying 15 screens, you can’t power them off of one outlet. You need dedicated power. If you’re a hotel, you don’t want to turn on the microwave in your kitchen and discover that your video wall has shut down. Discuss power conditioners and surge protection with your systems integrator.

  1. Use trained professionals for your video wall installation

Do yourself a favor and connect with an experienced partner for the installation. That partner will help you locate power sources and data jacks, and help you do the job correctly the first time.

  1. Perform color calibration as part of system maintenance

This will ensure a consistently great-looking video wall for years to come. Also make sure you budget maintenance and cleaning of your video wall to ensure functionality and a great look for the long term. If you don’t vacuum vents, for example, the ensuing heat accumulation can destroy the monitors. Maintenance contracts should be discussed upfront. Keeping this checklist in mind can help you make the most of your video wall and endear you to core audiences and bosses alike.

  1. Trust your integrator to keep you up to date on the latest and greatest!

For the best value and highest quality integration, talk to your local CCS office about designing a video wall system that does exactly what you need it to do.

Want to see more of what we can do? Check out our latest post 7 Seriously Sweet Video Wall Installs by CCS

Popular and versatile, video walls of all types are available through CCS Presentation Systems nationwide. Contact the CCS corporate office to schedule a project walk: jsolomon@ccsprojects.com

CCS Awarded $1M UTK Strong Hall Project

University of Tennessee – Strong Hall

The two-year $114 million Strong Hall Project at the University of Tennessee is winding up. The new building will have 7 floors and house the anthropology and earth & planetary sciences departments and also will provide critical instruction and lab space for the general biology and chemistry departments.

CCS Presentation Systems Southeast has been awarded a $1.1 million contract for all of the A/V in the new building. Installation will start in August and wind up at the end of December. The building is slated to open at the beginning of January.

For more information on this project or potential others, please contact:

Doug Mann, General Manager – CCS Midwest

5530 South Florida Mining Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32257

o: 904.998.7227 x316 | f: 904.998.7225 m: 904.607.2032

Southeast US Paper Giant Contracts CCS For High-Tech Boardroom Renovation

When the largest supplier of printing paper and envelopes in the Southeast United States sought to renovate their headquarters in Jacksonville, FL, they turned to CCS for an innovative solution that would match their reputation for excellence. Working together with the customers’ executive team, CCS created a compelling statement about our approach to technology in the corporate environment.

Prior to CCS’s AV installation, the clients’ boardroom lacked the technology to have quality meetings. CCS developed a subtle and transparent integration to allow for ease of use and seamless collaborative meetings to take place across all levels.

One key challenge was to address the placement of 90” flat panel display on the room’s angled front wall. The CCS design team was able to overcome this with the use of an articulating mount which can easily swing the display 30 degrees out from the wall. A custom speaker bar with a cutout for a camera was integrated just below the display so that the camera would follow the display and properly positioned for optimum viewing and web-conferencing.

The system supports multiple presentation sources including PC’s, cable TV, web-conferencing & laptops, all of which is controlled with a single touch panel. The touch panel can be located either at the table or at the custom credenza. The table is outfitted with three cable cubbies with the ability to connect power, network, USB jump drives, digital & analog video signals.

The ability to walk in and easily use the integrated technology was a huge step forward. Since the installation, the Boardroom is now viewed as the hotspot for brainstorming and collaboration.

Doug Mann, General Manager – CCS Midwest

5530 South Florida Mining Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32257

o: 904.998.7227 x316 | f: 904.998.7225 m: 904.607.2032