- Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore, Md., formerly known as Southern High, is being touted as one of the most progressive in the nation, forging into a new and exciting era of automated audio/video electronics and integrated AMX® Control Systems. Led by the design and project management expertise of Convergent Technologies, a leading industry consultant also based in Baltimore, Digital Harbor High School represents one of the largest education technology project currently underway in the country.
"With this level of audiovisual systems integration, the teaching and learning possibilities are endless."
- "The educational technology systems being incorporated at Digital Harbor are providing a design model that other institutions with similar program needs are looking to use as a benchmark for future projects," says Paul Corraine, Principal Consultant of Convergent Technologies.
Art of Design
- Retained by the architectural firm selected to handle the high school's technology transition, Convergent Technologies oversaw the entire design and equipment specification process. The total cost determined to evolve the school into a technology magnet: approximately $44 million, with $6 million budgeted for audio/video and automation/integration features.
- To meet the requirement of maintaining a fully operational high school environment during the renovation, the architect prescribed four separate project phases. After designing and specifying the necessary equipment and scope of each installation phase, Convergent Technologies released the project for competitive bid, ultimately overseeing three separate A/V contractors hired to integrate the audiovisual systems on the project.
- "With multiple construction phases on this renovation project, our biggest challenge was planning an infrastructure that would support new technology systems, while not disrupting the daily flow of activities at the school," said Corraine. "As the project designers and consultants for this job, this required strategic planning on our part to keep the school up and running."
- With three different contractors involved, the project also required a unique level of management by Corraine's team. "We are heavily involved in managing various contractors' scope demarcations, coordinating logistics, and playing referee in situations involving project responsibilities."
- Phase One has been completed since early 2004. Sixteen classrooms, a tiered lecture hall and master control room are now fully integrated, automated and functional. Today, a total of 75 AMX Modero® Touch Panels and dedicated in-room NetLinx® Integrated Controllers may be found in what has been tabbed as one of the most technologically advanced high school in the United States.
Details Matter Most
- As the project manager and designer from Convergent Technologies, Bill Holaday managed the daily design details of the project since it began in January 2002. He coordinated with the architectural firm regularly and directed the installers to resolve any issues regarding the audiovisual and multimedia systems. "I've had many opportunities to take part in technology-rich projects that demand the utmost attention to detail and a dedication to achieving excellence," Holaday says. "As an advocate for the client, I want to not only meet their needs but go beyond every expectation."
Lead By Example
- The Baltimore City Public School System made a commitment a couple of years ago to join in a major technology rebirth surrounding "Digital Harbor" in the heart of downtown. Digital Harbor High School is one of the first area schools to be transformed from a zoned school into a citywide technology rich academic environment.
- Students here get the chance to work on laptop PCs, experience the Internet, and take part in distance learning sessions. Teachers command the room using AMX Modero Touch Panels to activate projectors, projection screens, VCR and DVD players, control audio levels, and for video preview. A tiered lecture hall, complete with plasma screens, projectors, video conferencing and surround sound capabilities, provides the ideal environment for video conferencing. A specially designed master control room allows on-site technicians to monitor entire facility operations, remotely troubleshoot any issues with the local network, and proactively maintain connected devices.
Touch Panel Solution
- Phase One includes 12-inch Modero Touch Panels in 16 classrooms and two seminar rooms, conveniently mounted on instructor podium workstations. Hidden on a small rack below sits a dedicated NetLinx controller that handles the integration and signal routing between the available electronics. The lecture hall and master control room each house a 15-inch Modero touch panel and NetLinx system.
Mastering Modero
- Adding a custom feel to the Modero user interface, each panel page displays a Digital Harbor High School logo designed by one of the art teachers. Functionality and ease-of-use, however, remain priority number one.
- Ensuring that only teachers and authorized staff are allowed to take control of a room, the Modero Touch Panels are programmed with a virtual combination lock. Before a teacher can initiate the system, a secured code must be punched in on screen before they can proceed to the systems' main menu.
- Whether a device goes down or does not respond to a control command, a teacher has the ability to call for help using the Modero. A help button on the user interface connects the classroom to the master control room, where a technician can hear and view what is happening. Audio is linked back to the control room using a back channel. This allows the teacher to speak directly with the technician. Video is present through the document camera, so the technician can see into the room if necessary.
Commanding the Room
- Focused on preparing students for college and careers in technology, Digital Harbor High School classrooms are set up like computer labs. Presentation systems share media using VCR and DVD players, the Internet, PCs, cable TV and document cameras.
- Each classroom holds about 25 to 30 students, who can follow material on a front-room projection screen that receives images from a ceiling-mounted digital projector. All of the rooms include the same type of A/V devices, including the Modero Touch Panel and programmed navigation tools. Keeping the automated environments and functions consistent translates into greater flexibility for the teachers. Now they can move from room to room and take control with extreme confidence, minimal stress, and real-time support.
Managing The Lecture Hall & Control Room
- The tiered lecture hall and master control room are more advanced, handling distance learning, videoconferencing, remote facility management capabilities, and media retrieval. The tiered lecture hall's primary function is to seamlessly connect via audio and video feeds with other high schools, colleges and universities for the purpose of distance learning. The lecture hall can also be used for administration and faculty planning and training sessions, larger classes, and public meetings.
- Holaday says that the proverbial lifeline of the school can be found within the walls of the master control room, a 25-by-10 foot office area on the second floor. As many as three technicians can follow operations in every integrated area through a 15-inch Modero panel. The NetLinx system tracks each networked device and is programmed to identify when a piece of equipment is unplugged without authorization or a component needs attention.
- For example, a technician can reference NetLinx to generate an alert when a projector's bulb has reached its life expectancy and should be replaced. NetLinx can even identify when a PC is still powered on, after the final bell.
- These proactive measures make the most of time in the classroom, and assist support staff with limited resources in maintaining the audiovisual systems. Now teachers can facilitate without worrying about technology. It simply works.
- These measures also reduce building-wide energy consumption and the overall costs associated with expensive electronics and peripheral devices. Now administrators can maximize budgeted funds.
- The control room is used not only for maintenance and monitoring, but as a cable TV head end and source for school-wide resources. Any requested media is physically loaded into the system by a technician and then routed to the designated classrooms. Equipment racks hold much of the same technology used in the classrooms, as well as space for a digital server.
- "Throughout this process, the Baltimore City School District has been an ideal client to work with because the roadmap they put in place provides a solid infrastructure for our design team to work from," said Corraine. "With this level of audiovisual systems integration, the teaching and learning possibilities are endless."
