July 27, 2020
A teacher was walking along the beach and she spotted a bottle in the sand. When she picked up the bottle, a Genie popped out and told her she could have one wish.
"I've always wanted to go to Hawaii,” the teacher said. “But I get seasick on ships and I'm afraid to fly. Could you build me a bridge to Hawaii?"
The Genie thought for a moment and said, "Do you know what you’re asking? That’s an enormous undertaking. Just think of the steel supports required to reach the bottom of the ocean. I’m afraid it would require too many resources and too much maintenance. You’ll have to choose another wish."
The teacher sighed and said, “Can you make distance learning easier and more engaging for my students and me?”
The Genie quickly answered, "Would you like that bridge with two lanes or four?"
To say that COVID-19 has turned teaching upside down is an understatement. Any school district that’s tried to quickly pivot its technology and its lesson plans to accommodate distance learning understands the Genie’s pain. But, I’m here to assure you that if the Genie had known about Marco’s Audio Visual solutions, he would have jumped on that second wish. Because unlike everything else about COVID-19, our audio visual solutions are predictable and can make life easier and more productive for teachers, students and school administrators.
What Marco offers
- Interactive video components that enable teachers to create, manage and deliver video content to students anywhere and on any device
- Audio solutions that amplify the teacher’s voice and distribute high quality sound throughout the classroom
- In-classroom interactive video panels that connect seamlessly to third-party video applications
- Bells, paging, intercom and alert capabilities that tie into a school’s fire and emergency system
How Audio Visual solutions benefit teachers
Inside the classroom, our audio solutions equip teachers with microphones connected to speakers that deliver high-quality sound throughout the classroom. This is especially important in an environment where teaching staff may be wearing masks that could muffle the sound of their voices. Besides saving their teaching voices, instructors say this equipment makes students more engaged, especially those with hearing disorders or seated in the back of the classroom. Beyond audio, our interactive flat panel displays and video solutions promote classroom collaboration; allow teachers to always face the room; and automate classroom tasks such as grading, collecting assignments and taking attendance. Our paging and intercom solutions enable teachers to alert the office via call buttons if there are emergencies in the classroom, giving them an added lifeline of support in unpredictable times.
Outside the classroom, our audio visual solutions offer easier ways for teachers to transition from paper to digital lesson plans through an intuitive platform that enables them to create, manage and deliver personal video content to students. To create the content, teachers can capture video directly from a mobile app, an installed or mobile cam, or the web cam on their desktop or laptop. From there the content is uploaded, stored and delivered to the recipients they choose. Students can download the video files onto any device or access them through Microsoft OneDrive, Google Classroom, Canvas or other preferred LMS.
How AV solutions benefit students
Inside the classroom, students reap the benefits of audio visual solutions that provide enhanced audio that’s easily heard and visual displays that are interactive and engaging. Our classroom flat panels can transform everyday lesson plans into more retainable experiences by giving students access to fun subject-relevant games, high definition videos or easy-to-read white board instructions, when needed. Visual displays also allow students to collaborate through file sharing, sharable annotations and digital classroom forums while still social distancing.
Outside of the classroom, students have the benefit of face to face instruction both in real time and in formats that are pre-recorded. Students are able to log in and access content that’s stored on a learning management system with any device from any location, offering them a more personalized educational experience.
How our solutions benefit school administrators
COVID-19 has abbreviated the amount of time most districts have to plan and roll out new technology, so school administrators need solutions that are flexible, mobile, easy to use and quick to implement. Our audio visual solutions offer templates that help schools get up to speed quickly. They’re also designed to complement the tools a district may already have in place by easily integrating with applications such as Zoom, Teams, Google Hangout and Schoology. And, because they’re internet-based, IT and school administrators can easily access their solutions from any location, making updates and customizations that much more convenient.
Of course, with any technology, there’s always the concern of security. Our district partners know Marco always takes an added step towards safety by ensuring their information is secure.
Possibly the biggest benefit we offer school districts is what happens before and after our solutions are implemented. Marco’s real value is not just providing the technology, but also strategies and support. Before any solutions are put in place, we meet with the district team members to create technology implementation plans that fully address the needs of administrators, teachers and students. Because of Marco’s depth and breadth of solutions, we’re able to provide a turnkey solution from audio enhancements to video to network support and beyond. After the solutions are implemented, we continue to stay engaged to meet ongoing needs as things change. Because if there’s one thing COVID-19 has taught us, it’s that things are bound to change. Even a Genie can’t stop that.
