K-12 Solutions
Acoustical Treatment
Speak with our system designers about treating room surfaces to control sound and eliminate unwanted noise in your rooms
The most important aspect of sound reproduction and intelligibility is also the most overlooked and neglected aspect of a properly designed audio system. Poor room acoustics have a major effect on the transmission of sound from the source to the listener. Controlling background noise, distance from the source to the listener, early and late reverberation are all equally as important as the audio system itself. By properly treating room surfaces to control sound and eliminate noise, undesirables such as reflection, vibration, and transmission can be reduced. Some of our acoustical treatments include: Sound Absorbers to Eliminate sound reflections and improve speech and music intelligibility, Sound Diffusers to reduce the intensity of sound by scattering it, Noise Barriers to block the transmission of sound through walls, floors, and ceilings, and Vibration Control to absorb vibration energy and prevent structural noise.
This system is often included in the following room types:
Control Systems
Improve the classroom experience with reliable and easy to learn environment control systems
In the K-12 learning environment, technology needs to be ready to use in a matter of seconds. Classroom control systems replace the need to use multiple remote controls for the projector or TV, DVD/VCR player, cable TV box, and amplifier. More often than not, these remotes are lost, and even if you do have them they’re difficult to use.
Our solution is to replace these remotes with a simple wall mounted keypad that turns the system on/off, selects source, raises/lowers volume, and controls the DVD/VCR player. This provides a single reliable interface for the entire system – anybody can use it without training or searching for remotes.
This system is often included in the following room types:
Digital Signage
Share critical information with students and visitors to your school
Sharing information has never been more critical. Of course, most educational communities have many events that could use more exposure. But school communications are no longer just about quality of life, they can also help save lives. Digital Signage Systems make it quick and easy to push urgent updates, even to mobile devices and remote locations. Students, staff and visitors are generally savvy when it comes to technology, and they’re more responsive when notified visually. Visual communication software also makes it possible to share sophisticated multimedia presentations that enhance student life by engaging and informing audiences about the many details of social and athletic programs, administrative announcements, and academic achievements. Automatically display greetings, instructions and updated scheduling throughout the day. And if your creative resources are limited, we offer creative backgrounds and templates that produce effective, eye-catching displays. Schools can use digital signage to deliver important announcements as they happen, post current event schedules and special events, deliver instant emergency announcements, announce changes to classroom schedules, personalize visitor greetings, welcome notices and guest announcements, advertise PTA offerings and share live weather, traffic, stock and sports information.
This system is often included in the following room types:
Streaming & Recording
Flip your classroom and send students home with recorded lectures and screen capture videos
Would you like to capture a presentation from your computer or record video of your lecture? Why choose? Our podcasting systems are capable of capturing audio only, full screen computer graphics, while simultaneously capturing full motion video from the camera of your choice. You decide whether to overlay the feeds into a picture-in-picture layout, or display them side-by-side. Recorded content can be delivered via Moodle, Blackboard or any other web based content management system as well as with all podcast feed readers, including iTunes and Google Reader. Our systems are cost-effective and require no training to operate. We offer a variety of configurations depending on what you want to broadcast. Each solution offers the same great usability and hosting options. From audio only capture, to simultaneous full motion video capture from multiple devices (computers and/or cameras), we have a range of products to meet your needs.
This system is often included in the following room types:
Interactive Technology
Enhance your lessons and inspire collaboration with interactive white boards for the classroom
Our interactive SMART products help teachers engage students in extraordinary ways with lasting results. Independent research conducted around the world over the past decade shows that using interactive whiteboards improves student engagement, achievement, motivation and attendance, as well as teacher productivity. SMART solutions include innovative products, professional development, resources and support, so you have everything needed to successfully and efficiently implement technology-enabled learning environments. Ease of use and finger-touch functionality are two unique features of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard that make it educators’ most popular choice. Teachers tell us ease of use matters to them. Whether they’re tech-savvy or not, it means they can immediately incorporate SMART products into their teaching and start experiencing the benefits of improved student learning and engagement more quickly. It’s also easy for technology-proficient teachers to take teaching and learning to exciting new levels.
This system is often included in the following room types:
Assisted Listening
When everyone hears the message everyone benefits.
Not everyone hears in the same way. In fact, about 20 percent of adults – and 3 percent of children – in the United States suffer from hearing loss. Technology can help. Assistive listening systems, which involve transmitters and receivers that students wear in their ears, allow hard-of-hearing students to clearly hear what they otherwise might not. In fact, these systems are required by the ADA in assembly areas. PPI is proud to be ADA-compliant when it comes to assistive listening and all other relevant systems. Assistive listening systems take whatever system audio is being played over speakers and transmit it over RF to receivers. Think of the systems like backwards wireless microphone systems – instead of wireless ear-worn mics connected to pocket transmitters, they feature pocket receivers connected to wireless ear-worn speakers. Is your assembly area system ADA compliant? Contact PPI to start the conversation today. Room Types:
Distance Learning
Learning, wherever you are.
These days, you don’t have to be in the classroom to be a part of the class. Schools are more focused than ever on allowing students who are elsewhere, who are sick, who have disabilities, or who otherwise cannot make it to the classroom to still be involved in the lesson. This is called distance education, and technology is what makes it possible. High definition, pan-tilt zoom cameras and wired or wireless microphones capture the video and audio of both the teacher and the students. Video conferencing codecs, of both the hardware variety (like Cisco and Polycom) and the software (BlueJeans and Microsoft Lync) do the video processing and transmit camera feeds and content to the far end. They also often record classes so that students can view them after the fact. Large format TVs or projectors and screens allow students to view lecture content as well as, optionally, students who are not in the classroom. Previously, distance learning systems were generally installed in standard classrooms which often functioned only as such – a standard classroom. Now, with the increase in distance education, more and more dedicated distance education rooms, used solely for this purpose, are being built. There is no reason to think that this trend won’t continue.
Live Event Systems
Inspire students with exciting live events.
In the K12 world, most audiovisual systems do not require a dedicated operator. Of course a SMART Board in a classroom needs to be controlled, but generally this is done by a teacher. Some systems, however, require enough dynamic control to necessitate an operator. These are called live event systems, or production systems. These systems are generally installed large spaces like theaters, auditoriums, and multi-purpose rooms, and feature AV equipment for presentations, Q&A sessions, video conferences and more. Multiple pan-tilt-zoom cameras, some facing the presenter and some facing the audience, need to be switched between and controlled. High counts of microphones and program audio sources need to be mixed via a live audio mixer. Video sources need to be seamlessly switched between; preview monitors help with this by giving the ability to see what source is active, what is up next, and every camera’s feed. Streaming and recording systems need to be managed as well, so that those who are not at the event can still see and hear presenters, audience members, and content. Many live event systems have an “automatic” mode, which sets the system to pre-programmed levels and settings so that an operator isn’t necessary every time the system is used. But for high-pressure, high-attendance ceremonies, presentations, lectures, and more, a production system with an operator provides the pinpoint AV system control that a live event requires. Room Types:
Projection Systems
Illustrate your lesson perfectly with the right Projection System.
In a small classroom, a large TV on the front wall is a nice solution for displaying class content. This solution, however, is not appropriate for midsize or larger classrooms – students in the back simply won’t be able to see. Multi-purpose rooms, auditoriums, and theaters are on a different size scale entirely. This is where projection systems, comprised of a projector and a projection screen, come into play. Projection systems are seen almost everywhere in the AV world – from corporate to higher education to K12, from conference rooms to classrooms to auditoriums. High definition, high brightness, widescreen projectors are more affordable than ever, enabling crisp, 1080p images across almost limitless screen sizes. Unlike TVs, projection systems are more complicated to design properly – ceiling height, viewer distance from screen, viewing angles, content type, ambient light readings, mounting locations, and more all need to be taken into account. But when done right, projection systems are the eye-catching, brilliant visual focal point of your audiovisual system, whatever the type of room. PPI has been designing projection systems since the company’s inception – contact an Account Manager to start the discussion today.
Room Types:
AV Furniture
Integrate your AV equipment and furniture to create a seamless experience
A key element of any AV system is its interaction with other elements in the room. AV is just one piece of the puzzle – lights, furniture, millwork, flooring, ceilings, and much more combine to complete a space. With this in mind, manufacturers and integrators alike have worked hard at integrating AV into furniture in order to keep rooms as clean, simple, and functional as possible. PPI is a firm believer in this strategy. Podiums at the front of lecture halls and classrooms may feature gooseneck microphones, built-in touch panels, laptop connections, annotatable touch screens, and even small racks for AV equipment to ensure simple and efficient presenter usage. Credenzas with sufficient interior space and proper ventilation for AV equipment are key elements in the majority of conference room installations. PPI coordinates with furniture providers to ensure cutouts are made in conference tables for microphone installation. Failure to coordinate AV furniture is an easy pitfall for a disorganized build out team – PPI puts a strong emphasis on this process from the start to ensure its smooth execution. Contact an Account Manager today to discuss how AV and furniture interact in your space.
This system is often included in the following room types:
Video Distribution
Whatever your message, make sure it’s seen
AV systems aren’t confined to just a single room. Sometimes, singular systems span floors, buildings, and even campuses. This has myriad advantages: content can be routed to a variety of locations; administrators have only one system to be responsible for and a single point of control; and its usually cheaper to only need one large video processor, one large control processor, etc. than it is to need many small ones. Video distribution systems are one of the most popular large-scale systems. Corporate offices often have dozens of TVs across their floors – some in conference rooms for presentations and video conferences, and some in common areas for TV channel monitoring and digital signage. A single video distribution system, which can be installed via category cable, fiber cable, or over IP, allows content from any source to be shown on any combination of TVs. This allows maximum flexibility of use – conference room presentations can be broadcast into common areas, welcome signs for visitors can be displayed everywhere, etc. Hotels and college campuses can use the same flexibility to their advantage as well. Video distribution systems unify otherwise independent and uncoordinated AV systems across hotels, office buildings, and campuses. The systems streamline messages to viewers, ease use and control for administrators, and do not break the bank for decision makers. Contact PPI today to start the conversation.
This system is often included in the following room types:
