New Sony Digital Tools Will Help Promote Active Learning
Today’s classroom is a far cry from the traditional rows of desks facing a blackboard — and new tools from Sony are adding even more flexibility to the 21st century classroom.
Earlier in February, Sony announced two new lamp-free, LaserLite projectors and a new collaboration tool called Vision Exchange, reports Campus Technology.
The projectors — the VPL-PHZ10 and the VPL-PWZ10 — will have enhanced picture quality, a wide lens shift range for a variety of classroom types, and a single cable interface.
“Projector users need options, since every room is different with varying installation and environmental challenges,” says Yoshi Koike, Sony’s marketing manager for business projectors in the article.
Vision Exchange was designed to support active learning and work within interactive bring-your-own-device and one-to-one programs.
“Flexible and cost effective, Vision Exchange brings together students, lecturers and presenters in a dynamic workgroup-based environment that encourages creative discussion and knowledge exchange,” reports Sony’s blog.
With Vision Exchange, students can share content from a variety of devices, and teachers can even add remote users via video conferencing for presentations, reports Campus Technology.
All of these new tools are perfect to support the demand for active and personalized learning, which have seen success with students.
Active and Personalized Learning with Technology Boost Student Engagement
Experts at ISTE have found active learning environments to be so important that they’ve written a book.
“Active learning spaces offer students opportunities to engage, collaborate and learn in an environment that taps into their innate curiosity and creativity,” reads Get Active’s synopsis.
At Hawthorne Elementary School in Baltimore, active learning has been “a paradigm shift in both how and where learning happens,” a K–12 Blueprint case study reports.
After breaking up the school day with more collaboration and interactivity, the school found that there were fewer disciplinary problems.
“While our classrooms need to accommodate collaboration, discussion, reading, writing, and problem solving, they also have to feel like they belong to the students: reflecting their unique personalities and preferences,” says former Hawthorne Elementary principal Yvonne Barhight in the case study.
As the case study reports, technology has been a huge part of adding flexibility for students to collaborate and explore.
Active learning goes hand-in-hand with personalized learning, which is all about finding what the learner needs to succeed.
“The physical learning environment in a classroom should be adjusted to help promote personalization,” writes CDW·G K–12 education strategist Amy Brown on EdTech.
Tapping into this trend, Sony’s new projectors and collaboration tool, with their wireless connectivity and adaptability, can bring flexibility to these learning environments.
All of the new Sony products will be released this summer.
