The following resources are for instructors who teach in one of TU's 160+ smart classrooms, also known as technology-enhanced classrooms.
Support and Questions: Who Should I Call?
Projecting Images from Resident Computer
Support and Questions: Who Should I Call?
If a problem is related to the resident computer or network connection, (e.g. cannot get to Internet sites, PC won’t boot, etc.) support is provided by the Faculty/Staff Help Center (410-704-5151).
If the problem has to do with any other component or issue (e.g. data display projector, Elmo, DVD/CD, audio, etc.), including repairs, equipment problems, or projector lamp replacement, support is provided by Media Resource Services ( 410-704-8765).
OTS provides planning, design and purchasing assistance for new smart classroom construction as well as for upgrades, replacement, and enhancements. Smart classroom technologies follow a set of university standards to ensure that the systems meet instructor needs and fit into the campus infrastructure. Contact Michael Bachman at 410-704-3811 or mbachman@towson.edu for assistance.
Smart classrooms are equipped with audible alarm security devices that are monitored by the Towson University Police Department. If you need to have a device disarmed for routine purposes such as moving or cleaning equipment please contact Media Resource Services at x4-8765.
Click on the link above for a comprehensive listing of smart classrooms on campus with photographs that detail instructional technology in each room. Use the virtual tour to familiarize yourself with a learning space before you teach in it.
Turning on the VCR/ DVD Player:
1. Press the VCR or DVD player’s POWER button to turn on the unit.
Using the VCR /DVD Player with the Projector:
1. On the Document Camera, locate the options under MONITOR OUTPUT and select RGB1 or on some older units, AV1 (as though you were using the computer).
2. On the Projector’s Remote Control Unit, press the button marked VIDEO.
*Some older remotes may have a button marked “INPUT” which allows one to toggle between computer and video sources.
These two steps select the VCR/DVD Player as the output source to the projector.
Most dual DVD/VHS players on campus have a button for switching between the VCR and DVD functions.
Playing a Video Tape:
1. Insert the VHS tape into loading door.
2. Press the PLAY button.
Playing a DVD:
1. Press the DVD Player’s OPEN/CLOSE button to open the DVD insertion tray.
2. Place a DVD in the tray and press the OPEN/CLOSE again to close it.
3. Press the PLAY button.
Additional VCR and DVD Player Tasks:
To stop play, press STOP.
To pause play, press PAUSE.
To resume play after pause, press PAUSE or PLAY.
To fast-forward the tape or DVD, press FF.
To rewind the tape or DVD, press REW.
Shutting Down the VCR or DVD Player:
1. Remove the VHS tape by pressing the VCR’s EJECT button and then pulling out the tape. Remove the DVD by pressing the DVD Player’s OPEN/CLOSE button once to open the tray. After removing the DVD, press the OPEN/CLOSE button again to close the tray.
2. Turn off the VCR or DVD Player by pressing the POWER button.
Remember to turn off the projector.
Projecting Images from the Resident Computer
1. Turn on the projector. Please see “Using a Projector” for details.2. Turn on the document camera. Please see “Using a Document Camera” for details.
3. Press the RGB1 button under MONITOR OUTPUT on the document camera. This selects the computer as the output source for the Projector.
4. When finished please remember to log off the computer.
To Access Internet:
1. Open your Internet Explorer Web browser. The shortcut for it is a blue "e." If this shortcut does not exist, click on the Start button on the lower left corner. Move arrow up to Programs and click on Internet Explorer.
Troubleshooting:
- If page is not found, make sure your Ethernet cable (looks like a big telephone cable) is securely fastened in the back of your tower and in the Ethernet port (like a telephone jack) in the wall.
- If the problem persists click on Tools in the toolbar at the top of your Internet Explorer browser. Click on Internet Options and select the Connections tab. Make sure the Never Dial a Connection circle is selected (if all the options are grayed out, this is OK). When all else fails make sure to restart your computer and don’t forget to save any necessary files that are being worked on.
- When encountering difficulty, click on Tools in your Internet Explorer browser, click on Internet Options and select the General tab if it is not already selected. Click on Delete Cookies and Delete Files in the Temporary Internet Files box and click OK or Apply. It is further recommended that you do this following each use of the Internet, in addition to clicking on the Clear History button underneath.
- Always remember to log off the computer when finished.
Using PowerPoint (2003)
Making a Presentation:
The quickest and easiest way to start a presentation is to click File and then New at the top left corner. Then, a new navigation pane should appear on the right hand side from which you can click on the blue link titled, From AutoContent Wizard… and proceed through the Wizard by clicking Next a few times and Finish. If you do not see this link, click on the drop down arrow in the navigation pane and select New Presentation. This will provide a quick template and framework from where you can proceed to merely input information.
For more liberty on design and formatting, do not go through the wizard, but rather click on the drop down arrow of the navigation pane and select Slide Design and Slide Layout and choose the background and layout desirable from the list of options. If the navigation pane on the right hand side is not present, click File and New and it will appear.
- To add text, move the arrow inside the textbox and when the arrow becomes a cursor resembling “I” click once and type.
- To create a new slide, go to Insert in the toolbar and click New Slide.
- To delete a slide, go to View and select Slide Sorter. Highlight the slide you want to delete by clicking on it once, and press the delete key.
- To insert graphics from a drive, disk, CD, etc., go to Insert and then Picture and click on From File. Navigate to where the picture is located and double click on it, or highlight it by clicking once on the picture and click on Insert.
- To format, go to Format and click Font. Select all the desirable attributes you would like and click OK. To format a part of a slide, highlight the part desired and then proceed to follow previous instructions.
- To set up how the slide show will be run, go to Slide Show and click Set Up Show. Customize it how desired by checking boxes, etc., and then click OK.
- To play slide show, press F5. If this does not work go to Slide Show and click View Show, or go to View and click Slide Show.
- Make sure to save file to at least two sources when finished. It is highly recommended you immediately save files when first working on it, and perpetually resave as work is being done.
- Always remember to log off the computer when finished.
The document camera, also known as a digital ELMO and visual presenter, can generate images through the projector by placing transparencies on its base or by placing any nontransparent document on the base and using its upper camera.
Starting Up the Document Camera:
1. Turn on the document camera by switching its ON/OFF switch to ON, typically found on the unit’s upper right hand corner.
2. On the document camera’s control panel, under MONITOR OUTPUT options press MAIN. This selects the document camera as the output source to the projector.
The output options on the ELMO determine whether images will be projected from the ELMO itself, the resident computer, a laptop or a VCR/DVD player. To navigate through these functions, locate a set of buttons on the ELMO under the MONITOR OUTPUT options: MAIN, RGB1, and RGB2.
To use the document camera, press MAIN.
To use the computer, press RGB1.
To use a laptop, press RGB2. This option is provided if you choose to bring a laptop for use with the projector. In the back of the ELMO, there is an RGB2 cord, marked accordingly with a tag or by the label next to the input port. Locate the cord and plug it in to your laptop.
Using the Base and the Upper Lamps:
The document camera can generate images through the projector by placing transparencies on its base lamp or by placing any nontransparent document on the base and using its upper lamps. To navigate through these functions, locate the LAMP options: UPPER, BASE, and OFF. One can toggle through these options by pressing a single button until you select the desired function. To turn off all lamp options, press the UPPER/BASE/OFF button until both the BASE and UPPER lamps are turned off.
Using the Zoom Feature:
The document camera has a zoom feature that is useful for zooming in on documents to make them bigger or zooming out to make them smaller. To navigate through these functions, locate the ZOOM options: TELE and WIDE.
To zoom in for a close-up, press TELE.
To zoom out, press WIDE.
Though the document camera has the ability to zoom in and out, you may prefer to use the same kind of zoom features through the projector by using the projector’s remote control unit.
Focusing Images:
The document camera automatically focuses, but if additional focusing is necessary, press the AF button.
Shutting Down the Document Camera:
1. Turn off the document camera by switching the ON/OFF switch to OFF.
2. Remember to also power off the projector.
1. To use a laptop, you must connect it to the document camera. On the back of the document camera, there is a VGA cable plugged into the RGB2 port that is marked accordingly with a tag that is attached to it. You can also identify the cord by locating the RGB2 port on the back of the document camera. Locate the cord and plug it in to your laptop.
2. On the document camera’s front panel, press the RGB2 button under MONITOR OUTPUT. This will select the laptop as the output source to the projector.
All projector operations can be executed by using its remote control. Projectors are usually centered near the front of the classroom and mounted from the ceiling. The remote control must be pointed at the projector in order for it to receive the infrared signal.
Turning on the Projector:
1. Turn on the projector by pressing the ON/OFF button once. The projector will briefly warm up before displaying a complete and clear image, often displaying a countdown in front of a blue background.
Adjusting the Volume:
1. The projector’s remote is used to control the master volume in the classroom. Most smart classrooms have a single powered speaker mounted to a wall. Use the VOLUME button to adjust the volume to a desired level.
Zooming In and Out:
1. You can zoom in and out using the remote’s D. ZOOM button.
Temporarily Stopping a Projection
1. Use the NO SHOW button when you want to temporarily discontinue use of the projector within the same class period. Press NO SHOW once to end projection.
2. Press NO SHOW again to reinstate use of the projector. This is a better option than shutting down, as the shut down cycle can be time consuming.
Shutting Down the Projector:
1. Turning the projector off requires pressing the ON/OFF button twice.
Please remember that when you turn off the projector it enters a cool-down phase, and it cannot be turned back on immediately. If you wish to turn it back on, you must wait for it to shutdown completely and then press the ON/OFF button only once. Therefore, if you choose to temporarily discontinue use of the projector, press the remote button marked NO SHOW. When you are ready to use the projector again, press NO SHOW to display the image.
The front of the projector displays a red or green indicator light. A red light indicates that the projector is turned off. When the projector is turned on, a green light appears in its place. Being attentive to the indicator lights can be especially useful for ensuring that the projector has been shutdown successfully, as indicated by the presence of a red light.
IMPORTANT: At the end of its use, before leaving the classroom, it is imperative that the projector is turned off and has completely shutdown. Otherwise, the lamp in the unit remains on and will burn out. A projector’s lamp is very expensive, so please help to conserve the university’s resources by ensuring the projector is completely shutdown at the end of class.
