Hardware

Monitor Mounts Improve K–12 Classroom Flexibility

With the new mounting accessories from Legrand | AV, educators can comfortably provide seamless instruction to hybrid, remote or in-person students.

Adam Stone

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Adam Stone writes on technology trends from Annapolis, Md., with a focus on government IT, military and first-responder technologies.

In a traditional classroom, computer monitors can create a visual impediment between teachers and the students using them. In a hybrid setting, however, those same monitors allow educators to reach students, both in person and remotely.

As a producer of monitor mounts, including the Chief Koncīs™ Series Monitor Arm Mounts, Legrand | AV offers educators a way to work around this visual obstacle. The mounts allow teachers to reposition their monitors in order to open lines of sight. This versatility extends the power of the screen as a learning aid.

“With a monitor on a mount, you get greater flexibility,” says David Albright, business development manager at Legrand. “You can view it standing up or angle it toward another part of the room. If you’re standing at the whiteboard and still want to reference something on the monitor, you can tilt it back or swing it out of the way.”

Adjustable monitor mounts make it easier for teachers in traditional classrooms to use their screens as a presentation medium, sharing on-screen content with students.

In a hybrid learning model, teachers can readily reposition monitors to more easily share content while maintaining a connection to remote learners. Educators can use the monitor’s screen along with a webcam to create continuity for both remote and in-person students.

“With the shift toward larger monitors, teachers want to be able to put up content on the monitor, turn it around and share that with part of the class,” Albright says. “We’ve also seen these used in lab environments as a flexible way to provide content.”

Educators with different classroom needs will have different ways of using their monitors. Legrand offers multiple products to help instructors get the most out of these screens.

EXPLORE: Find solutions for your remote, hybrid or in person classroom from Legrand | AV.

Single- and Dual-Arm Monitor Mounts Give Educators Options

The Koncīs family of products includes three models: A single-arm monitor mount and a dual-arm version available in black or magnesium silver.

“The single-arm mount is ideal for any single 15-pound monitor, which today would include monitors as large as 32-inch diagonal, or in some cases even larger,” Albright says.

The single-arm mounts can aid educators in the classroom and are also useful for those teaching from home. The mounted monitor frees up desk space and provides more freedom of movement in a home office environment. This flexibility can increase user comfort and allow movement around a space while still maintaining a connection with students on-screen.

The same is true of the dual-arm products, which can support two monitors with a combined weight of 30 pounds. “They can also be used to support a monitor and a laptop or tablet device,” Albright adds.

With two monitors, a teacher can reference instructional content on one screen while sharing presentation materials on the other. An educator can also use one screen for classroom content while using the other as a webcam connection to students working remotely.

KEEP READING: Create flexible hybrid classrooms with audiovisual tools.

Monitor Mount Features Offer Comfort Without Disrupting Learning

A number of key features differentiate the Koncīs mounts from similar offerings.

Monitor mounts are often clamped to the edge of a desk or attached using a utility grommet, if the desk is properly equipped. While most commercial mounts offer one option or the other, all Koncīs mounts are designed to support both attachment methods.

“In a lot of schools, there may not be the same exact piece of furniture in every classroom,” Albright says. “This gives you the flexibility to adapt to that.”

Legrand’s Koncīs mounts deliver premium-grade features for school districts that want to invest in teacher comfort and productivity. These features include a quick-release interface to simplify the mounting process, along with a cable management system to keep cords tidy while still allowing for full range of motion in the mount arm. A rotation stop helps ensure a mount arm won’t damage a nearby wall with repeated contact. Educators can use the mounts to maintain a sense of organization in their classrooms without disrupting the flow of learning.

“This is about helping make teachers comfortable throughout the school day, giving them the ability to position that monitor for their preferred seeing distance or viewing angle,” Albright says.

In classrooms where ambient light causes glare, flexibility in positioning monitors can help. Teachers who wear bifocals or reading glasses can also use the arms to adjust their screens to meet their needs.

“The flexibility of the monitor really enhances the teacher’s experience, helping them be more productive and improving their wellness over the course of a long school year,” Albright says.

MORE ON EDTECH: K–12 teachers share how they keep students engaged while learning remotely.