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Educators Give High Marks to Cisco Video Solutions

By Raju Shanbhag, TMCnet Contributing Editor

For an educational institution, it will always help if it can reach students dispersed in various locations with new technologies. For this reason, educational institutions are among the first ones to embrace any new technology in the field of communication. This is proved once again as the K-12 school districts and higher learning institutions give thumbs up to the new technology introduced by Cisco (News - Alert). The new technology is the video application from Cisco desktop video and digital signage.

 

By integrating visual networking experiences into a learning environment, the K-12 school districts have been able to create a fascinating learning environment where it can be more interactive and engaging. For example, the Mobile, Alabama County Public School System complemented the day’s lessons by providing by using the Cisco DMS Desktop Video solution to share educational videos on demand. Teachers can explore a playlist of videos with which they can alter and create more compelling lesson plans at any time.

 

Educational institutions are now able to use the learning environment by delivering on-demand tutorials to students' desktops, streaming live broadcasts into classrooms and dorm rooms, and providing schedules, news, emergency messaging and relevant information on digital signs around campus.

 

One high school in the district uses DMS to pre-record a student-hosted show called, "Education Today." Here, the students can try their hand at broadcasting, which offers them insights into campus happenings. By broadcasting live video from school events, such as graduation ceremonies, the district has also extended the reach of the Cisco Digital Media System beyond the classroom.

 

Enabling students' families and other viewers to watch from computers at home or other non-campus locations, the school plans to broadcast football games, theater musicals and other activities in the near future. Looking to offer students the opportunity to participate remotely in college preparatory courses, the Mobile County Public Schools are also establishing new partnerships with higher education institutions.

 

“Recent advancements in video are changing the way school administrators, faculty and students work together to create a stronger community," said David Akridge, chief information officer, Mobile County Public Schools. "Our students are tech-savvy and are clamoring for new tools to help them better collaborate with each other. With the Cisco Digital Media System, we've created a new classroom environment that will prepare them for the 21st-century workplace.”

 

Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page