Mason County Central School District in Scottville, MI prioritized updating classroom technology when allocating its Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. As the district started to explore technology for classroom updates, their two key priorities were interactivity and versatility. With this in mind, the district equipped classrooms with BrightLink Interactive Displays, as well as Epson document cameras, a speaker system, computers, laptops, and wireless accessories for the teacher’s document station.
[Enabling Immersive Classrooms]
Transitioning each classroom from a traditional lamp-based projector to an interactive BrightLink display provided much higher brightness with incredible image quality, so every student in the room could see the content being projected. “The interactive BrightLink displays are a huge upgrade from our old projectors,” said Miguel Quinteros, K-12 technology coach for Mason County Central School District. “It is great to walk down the school hallways and see big, bright images inside the classrooms.”
When it came time to update each classroom, the emphasis remained on implementing interactive and versatile technology, and as the district started testing out interactive flat panels and displays, they added image size to the priority list. “The size of the flat panel was a big turn off for teachers. They are difficult to see and aren’t big enough for the classroom,” said Quinteros. “If a student is sitting in the back of the classroom, they aren’t able to read the flat panel no matter how big it is.”
The flexible display capabilities of BrightLink were another deciding factor. “Teachers love their whiteboard space. With BrightLink, they can have high-quality images and video along with a digital whiteboard experience that can be saved,” said Quinteros. “And by projecting on the whiteboard already in the room, when the projector is off, they get their whiteboard back.”
In addition to BrightLink displays, classrooms were updated with new computers, laptops, speaker systems, a document station, and wireless keyboards and mice. Teachers also have a pendant microphone so students can hear them speak clearly. With this complete technology ecosystem, teachers were given the flexibility and option to move around the classroom however they like while teaching.
Science teachers, for example, can connect their Epson document camera with a microscope so everyone in the class can see what is being examined. Epson document cameras come feature-packed in a compact design with easy setup, amazing image quality and seamless connectivity to help bring lessons to life in any classroom. Teachers can also use the document camera as a webcam to capture and share the entire classroom or record creative lessons and share them later with other students.
Teachers are also using the free Epson suite of annotation and casting software to mirror their phones to the projector, allowing them to showcase student work or display live video of objects for the entire class to see. This feature has been particularly useful for real-time demonstrations, such as zooming in on a book page, modeling problem-solving techniques, or sharing student-created content instantly. Additionally, teachers can wirelessly annotate over projected content, enhancing interactive discussions. The ability to move freely around the room while maintaining control of the display fosters more dynamic and engaging learning environments, making lessons more immersive and student-centered.
Once classrooms were updated, teachers were trained on the basics of using the technology in the classroom. Teachers learned how to use Epson iProjection and Miracast and utilize the interactivity features of the BrightLink displays. It was important for teachers to initially have the basics down, and now looking ahead, the district plans to offer additional training for teachers. “The BrightLink is more than an ordinary projector, there is so much we can do with it,” said Quinteros. “We’re excited to see how this technology will continue to transform our classrooms.”
“Epson engineers classroom displays to deliver what teachers value most; interactivity, versatility, and large, easy-to-see images that enhance every lesson,” said Tom Piche, product manager, Epson America. “We look forward to continuing to support Mason County Central School District’s display needs as part of the district’s classroom revamp initiative. This school district has embraced today’s technologies and created learning environments that are more connected and better equipped to support teachers and students for the long term.”
