Some schools experimented with pod-based learning in which desks were clustered and not all front-facing, but the prevailing overall design and instruction flow remained fundamentally unchanged. And there was minimal deviation from that standard. Occasionally, a student would come to the front and solve a problem on the board, but that was about the extent of their interaction with the primary visual aid tool. Interactivity was a significant challenge, and often discipline and classroom management challenges would pop up as students struggled to stay focused through class time. Instruction was primarily unidirectional, with teachers lecturing and students listening. Some classrooms had an analog overhead projector, or if they were fortunate, a whiteboard with dry-erase markers. Until the mid-to-late 1990s, most classrooms looked the same: single-file rows of students in desks facing toward the front, with a teacher standing before a chalkboard, often with their back turned while scrawling on its unattractive green surface. Look how far we’ve come: the rapid evolution of classroom standards I’ve also provided a list of questions you should ask vendors and consultants before buying education technology (EdTech) products and services. I’ve done some homework for you by outlining AV solutions that increase engagement and collaboration in classrooms and relevant services. As a former teacher and current EdTech pioneer at Bluum, I consult with educators daily and help them determine the best AV picks based on the current landscape of classroom AV, what’s changed, what’s available, and how to make those decisions.

There are so many options that it can be overwhelming.

and Canada are looking to update and upgrade their classroom audiovisual (AV) equipment. Technology purchasing decision-makers in K-12 school districts across the U.S.

Slide projector used in education