With Interactive Flat Panel Technology, You'll Have It Made in the Classroom

The field of education sometimes takes a while to adopt new technologies. Between the needs of individual students and the ever-changing regulations imposed by the administration, teachers’ attention tends to be pulled in many different directions at once. It can be comforting under such circumstances to stick with tried-and-true methods of handling the classroom, to give yourself have one less thing to worry about. Plus, introducing a new device often means having to sort through a complex array of cords and setup menus — assuming you've gotten the school board to approve the expenditure in the first place.

Reasons to Convert to IFP

Why switch to an interactive flat panel when older instructional methods have always worked fine?

First, because it integrates all common classroom features into one piece. Instead of having to pull a screen down in front of the whiteboard when you want to show a video clip, an IFP combines video playback space with a writeable digital surface. (And unlike normal whiteboard markers, you don't have to worry that your IFP stylus will dry out.) You can also set an educational image as the screen saver when the screen is not in use, using the screen as a changeable poster.

Second, it allows students to get more involved. There are only so many markers or pieces of chalk to go around at a traditional board, but an IFP allows each student to add his own contributions in any color. As an added bonus, errant swipes can be modified or erased without destroying the whole board.

Third, the simple interface design of a classroom IFP requires minimal maintenance and few to no replaceable parts. The wide compatibility of these screens likely includes the devices you already have around you. These two factors ensure that this investment will pay for itself before long.

Early adopters of IFP technology for their classrooms have come up with even more ideas to make this tool indispensable to the teaching process.

Learn More About an Interactvie Flat Panel

If you think an IFP would be a worthwhile addition to your learning environment, here are some features to look for:

• A high number of touch points, ideal for multi-student collaboration
• Bacteria-resistant glass — just what the doctor ordered for flu season
• Educational games pre-loaded into the screen's memory
• Blue light reduction technology, which lessens the chance of eyestrain
• A high-resolution display, rendering scanned lesson content in sharp detail for students throughout the room