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Hi, this is Mike Leiboff for
mediaineducation.com.

Today, we will take a brief look
at the classroom of the future.

What will it be like?

Judging by recent classrooms being built
across the country, it may be possible to

identify several trends that can
help us answer this question.

It would have multiple
electronic display surfaces.

Some would be large projected images,

using dedicated
ceiling-mounted projectors.

The images projected onto these
screens would be used to engage

larger groups of students or
the entire class.

Other displays would be wall-mounted
flat panels, 42 inches or larger.

The orientation of which could
be shifted from side to side.

Groups of students would utilize these
screens to display computer-based

materials within smaller workgroups.

A good portion of the perimeter walls
would be made up of writing surfaces.

They might even be magnetic to enable
them to be used as tack surfaces.

Traditional court board surfaces
would also be available for

the display of longer-duration
wall-mounted projects.

The furniture would be sturdy but
lightweight, movable and

reconfigurable to accommodate
workgroups of various sizes.

Chairs would be comfortable and on wheels.

And the room would be sized to allow for
comfortable circulation and

a certain messiness, even chaos,
during the classroom project activities.

The teacher's workstation
would be mobile and small.

Most of the time, instructors would be
wanderers, listening in on discussions,

moving around the room and
guiding students forward.

The floor would be covered with
a sturdy carpet material and

designed with a grid of power and
data receptacles.

Though maintenance of floor boxes might
be more demanding the, trade-off for

flexibility is well worth it.

Though the entire building would
have wireless network connectivity,

an extensive array of hardwired outlets
would be furnished to provide connectivity

to support ultra-high-bandwidth
multimedia applications.

Wall outlets would provide power for

recharging purposes as well as to
support various portable equipment.

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The lighting would be zoned such that
fixtures closest to the projection screen

could be turned off independently
of the other fixtures.

Indirect lighting would provide
a comfortably soft illumination and

be daylight balanced.

Room sensors would automatically
extinguish lighting when the room is not

occupied.

The HVAC, or heating, ventilating,
and air conditioning system,

would be quiet and independently
controlled from within each room.

The acoustics of the room would ensure
that the space would not be too hard or

reverberant.

And would be well isolated to ensure
that exciting or overly enthusiastic

learning activities in one room
would not disturb adjacent classes.

Though the school might
not assign laptops,

one to the student,
a mobile cart of laptops would

be available to support computer-aided
learning activities where necessary.

There would be fixed work surfaces along
a portion of the periphery of the room.

On them, students would assemble projects,
use the document camera, printer,

or desktop computers dedicated to
the room, laminating machines.

Or other equipment used to support
the production of multimedia materials.

Remote control of the room's
audiovisual technology would be

controlled from a wireless
tablet computer.

Using it, teacher or
student could surf the web,

access network multimedia,
control display device, etc.

All of the audiovisual equipment
would be IP connected and allow for

central monitoring, control,
remote technical support.

This would, among other things,

help to limit the head count needed
to support advanced technology.

The room would be designed with
an enclosed equipment niche,

which would provide access to
the technology when necessary and

hidden from view when appropriate.

Rear access to the equipment would
facilitate periodic maintenance and

servicing.

The room would have a dedicated PC, DVD
player, provisions to receive cable and

satellite, as well as
Internet-based video programming.

And the display systems
would have connectivity for

personal video devices,
such as the video iPod.

Ceiling speakers would be used to
provide the sound from any recorded or

live program material.

Dedicated video origination capabilities,
consisting of cameras located in

the front and rear of the room, would be
used to capture classroom activities.

These activities could be recorded
digitally for later viewing,

distributed anywhere in the building, or
used for distance learning activities.

Also, video conferencing would allow
collaboration with field teams and

remotely located groups.

Guest lecturers would also
participate this way, as well.

All the classrooms would
be interconnected so

that any room could serve as
an overflow area for any other space.

The degree to which permanent
storage was provided within the room

would depend on the particular
requirements of classes being held there.

Hopefully, storage would not be
the forgotten trade-off in the inevitable

building value engineering exercises that
accompany every new building project.

There can and should be no single
vision of the classroom of the future.

The ideas here will get you started.

And remember, future flexibility for

any classroom lies not within the specific
technology or equipment choices made,

but in the basic room geometry,
sizing, juxtaposition.

And base-building infrastructure,
which includes power, conduit,

connectivity, pathways, etc., provided in
the bricks and mortar of the building.

This has been Mike Leiboff,
thanks for watching.

For more videos like these,
please go to mediaineducation.com.

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