As the trite saying goes, the only constant is change. The trials and tribulations of COVID-19 underscore this idea by testing our ability to navigate uncertainties, a continually evolving “new normal,” and pivoting business models. Our schools are among the hardest hit in all three of these areas. Safety, new teaching and learning methods, unfamiliar technology, and daily go/no-go uncertainty of in-class instruction dominate many teachers’ and students’ thoughts. Simultaneously, many speculate on the potential long-term emotional impact on children of the COVID generation.
I am mostly optimistic. One life-skill contributing to long-term success is adaptability to change, and now is the perfect time to master this skill. I am not a child psychologist and expect to get some comments on how feeling safe and other factors shape the young mind. While I agree, I also believe we have an opportunity to favorably influence the long-term implications while building resiliency in our children through the example we set in our responses to our circumstances. A vital part of the modeling includes the attitude teachers demonstrate for students in the face of challenges. But teachers need help too. The AV community can minimize instructor stress and maximize adaptability by suggesting distance learning solutions requiring limited teacher intervention or training. Having taught for many years at the college level, I know firsthand that instructors and professors have enough on their minds that mastering a new classroom tool can increase anxiety and reduce education delivery quality. In the process, this stress response potentially adversely impacts their ability to adapt to the new COVID-induced realities and negatively influences students’ attitudes and long-term adaptability. Conversely, if we maximize teacher comfort in their new HyFlex and distance learning environments, they are more likely to model the adaptability needed for long-term student wellbeing.
When we first moved to remote models, leveraging Zoom got remote classes up and running quickly. Many schools rapidly adapted, and teachers learned the new technology. But as time progressed, they discovered they needed something more. The wish list and questions raised included several of the following items:
Zero teacher interaction – Start class and the technology works. When teachers need to remember to start recording, then the recordings often do not happen.
Minimal training requirements for the teacher – The more training needed, the lower the retention, adoption, and proper utilization, and the higher the stress
Reduced resource impact on teaching computer – Who thinks their computer is fast enough? Presenter PCs sometimes bog down. Running capture, streaming, or soft codec software on top of presentations further stresses the machines.
If the instruction PC seizes or needs a restart, what happens to the stream and recording? Does the instructor need to remember to restart the application?
After class, how does content get to remote students? Does the teacher need to upload the lecture content to an LMS or provide a link to students?
Could the network experience bandwidth issues while uploading content to the LMS during peak times? Does this potentially interfere with live classes running concurrently with the uploads?
Does the recording contain tags to simplify playback and searches? If so, what are the post-production requirements to embed the information?
How can we create student experiences similar to the classroom, where the students can individually control what they view and when? For example, sometimes they want to see the teacher, sometimes the content from the presentation computer, and at other times the whiteboard. Globally switching the content may cause some students to miss content when they need to see a source longer than presented.
What if the teacher moves around the classroom? How do you maintain their image on camera while ensuring they have good audio pickup? Speaking of audio, how do you pick up questions from students in the classroom well enough for far-end participants to hear?
Each of the items above represents a potential stress-inducing pain-point, reducing instructional quality and the student experience. Finding an ideal solution that addresses all of these issues could take a rack of equipment, control systems, and programming. Additionally, while there are technical solutions to address all of the above questions, how do you do it all without breaking the bank?
Frankly, in some cases, you can’t do it all without the end-user spending money. But, there are methods to make it more palatable. First, identify the priorities. Sometimes schools want everything but are willing to accept some trade-offs. Understanding your customers’ priorities can save you time hunting for the unicorn solution that fits their budget too. Second, familiarize yourself with some of the potentially lesser-known options on the market with user- and integrator-friendly feature-sets designed to address schools’ preferences. Some of the items to familiarize yourself with include:
CatturaCaptureCast – A recording, streaming, and publishing appliance that automatically captures classes, tags the content, and posts to an LMS with zero teacher intervention or burden on the presenter’s PC. The choice of HDMI or SDI inputs makes them source agnostic, and student controlled multiview playback emulates the classroom experience from the far-end. Remarkably affordable for the value.
Stem Audio ecosystem – Broad coverage or a controlled, narrow pickup area, Stem provides ceiling, wall, and table, mics with speakers and integrated DSP, in a simple to design and implement format. A couple of units cover most classrooms, while PoE convenience, USB connection to a soft-codec, and system self-tuning help the budget while ensuring intelligibility for all participants.
VDO360 AutoPilot and CompassX – An auto-tracking camera that does not require a lanyard or third-party control, along with a decent conventional PTZ camera. With the Autopilot covering the teacher, the CompassX on the content and connected, to a CaptureCast (with Stem Audio), provides the “killer app” in lecture capture.
It seems like I have the same conversation with integrators daily. They have a school system that tried the lowest cost mic and camera connected to the presenter PC, but now they need something better. They need something easy to integrate and low stress for the teacher that provides a positive learning experience – and all three of the items above, along with new other options, frequently receive favorable responses from all parties. Most importantly, however, is the impact on students. As a father of three remote high school students experiencing varying Covid-19 outlooks, and teacher influences, I appreciate students’ need to see role-models successfully navigating today’s challenges. Technology in the new-classroom can enhance or impair the teachers’ experience, and by extension, the students’. So, the next time you are working on classroom projects, remember your design may impact the teacher experience, and by extension, the long-term resilience of the students in their charge.
I welcome your insights. Please share your thoughts on balancing quality distance learning solutions with teacher comfort and budget constraints. What are your views on how the teaching experience can impact student adaptability and the long-term resilience of the COVID generation? Feel free to comment below or reach out to me at [email protected].
In any given career, you will find opportunities that present themselves and your job is to take that opportunity and run with it. In past blog posts I have written about my opportunities like being offered the role of Business Development Manager for Harman, being asked to visit the Harman Experience Center in Northridge, CA, and utilizing Almo’s Tuition Program to further my education and development. In a year full of challenges and obstacles, the latest opportunity came in the form of sadness turned to generosity and happiness. Allow me to explain.
My wife’s grandmother had been experiencing failing health for quite some time and sadly, she passed away in the beginning of 2020. Her services were held at Groveville United Methodist Church in NJ where she had been a longtime and very active member. After a few days had gone by, my mother-in-law approached me to mention that her mom had always wanted to update the sound system at the church because during the sermons and choir concerts she had a hard time hearing everything. Apparently, it was always a thorn in her side! Certainly, I was glad to help and began looking for someone who could not only install the needed hardware, but also handle the situation with the care, understanding, and delicacy it warranted. Through a recommendation from our Regional Sales Director, I was brought to Jak Daragjati and DARA AV from Staten Island, NY. Jak was more than willing to help us and offered to make the drive from NY to conduct a site visit. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to not only help my mother-in-law and the church, but also attend the site visit myself to gain a better understanding of what it entails and to learn more about the House of Worship vertical. What we found that day was an antiquated system that certainly lacked the technology, not to mention organization that this house of worship deserved. There were some items we found that were not even plugged in and functional, not to mention switches and cords that younger members had easy access to. What I learned from attending this site visit was not only was Jak very thorough with his questions and with surveying even the tiny basement of the church, but he was knowledgeable to boot. Jak knew about different forms of religion from all over the world and could tell us what type of system would work best for the types of sermons they held on Sundays. He was thoughtful enough to ask about the members who might have trouble hearing and what they would want. It all blew me away to be quite honest.
Thanks to many generous donations from family, friends, and the congregation, the church was able to move forward with the entire set up that Jak had recommended. No thanks to the Covid-related delays we experienced this year, the church reopened recently and Jak wasted no time in scheduling the install. Now, when members show up on Sundays they will be greeted by two Samsung UN75RU7100F displays hanging on Chief RLT2 mounts with a pair of JBL CBT70J arrays, so not only can the members see what is being presented but also they will certainly hear it from all corners of the church. Additionally, there is a Crown DCI2x1250 amplifier powering this and a BSS Blu-100 for the control functionality. All of this is sitting in a Middle Atlantic rack with a Middle Atlantic PDS-615R Power Sequencer for organization and safety. As I was writing this, my mother-in-law received a call from the minister simply telling her how thrilled he was the amazing outcome. He could not wait for Sunday!
In the end, this opportunity was unlike any others I had been presented with. We were able to honor the wishes of my wife’s grandmother while at the same time I was able to experience what our integrators are capable of when presented with a project. Jak and the team from DARA AV went above and beyond in our time of need and left all of us thoroughly impressed. I would ask all of you look for opportunities similar to this in which we have a chance to help someone solve a long-term issue while at the same time continue to further our own education and development by learning something new every day. A special “THANK YOU” goes out to everyone at Groveville United Methodist Church and DARA AV for being the best choice when it comes to any house of worship project!
Q. What will school look like this fall – and beyond?
A. We are living through precedent times. While it is typically difficult to predict the future, I think it is safe to claim that there will be more volatility, uncertainty, chaos, and anxiety on the part of administration, faculty, students, and families. The primary concern for higher education needs to be the safety of students and faculty alike, which is why so many institutions are pivoting to online and hybrid learning in order to maintain the continuity of meaningful and authentic learning. However, many higher education faculty have little or no experience as online learners, and so the prospect of becoming an online teacher is a lot like becoming a lifeguard without knowing how to swim. Some learning systems are committed to following the guidance provided by research about online learning that works. These institutions are making more intentional choices about the fall term and, as a result, they will be more successful than institutions that are less committed to intentional online learning.
Q. How can we do a better job of AV setup for hybrid learning?
A. Again, we have to follow the guidance provided by the highest quality research available about online learning that works. Panasonic has partnered with Dr. Sonny Magana, an online learning pioneer and Oxford Research Scholar to embed his methodology, what he calls the T3 Framework for Innovation, into the Panasonic higher education solution. The peer-reviewed strategies in the T3 Framework has shown to have an effect equivalent to quadrupling learning performance. The T3 Framework was recently inducted into Oxford University’s Research Encyclopedia for Education, which is what prompted us to partner with Dr. Magana. Our intention is to package AV tools with The T3 Framework’s concrete strategies, protocols, and resources so that our AV equipment is not just used, but used in the most reliable way possible to improve learning outcomes. It’s not just about the AV, but it’s about reliably improving remote and hybrid learning based on the research evidence on what works. That will make all the difference in the world.
Q. The student experience – can they get what they need being remote?
A. There are different levels of need. The human social/emotional aspect of learning is not only foundational, but it is difficult, but not impossible to reproduce in remote learning environments. So, having said that, students can get their learning and social/emotional needs met by practicing what Dr. Magana calls “Contributive Learning.” Contributive Learning theory suggests that meaningful learning is a function of both active participation in the learning experience and collective interaction. Many faculty see learning as a solo experience, like long-distance running, in which learners consume information from a lecture, commit that information to memory, and then demonstrate their recall ability on some examination. Contributive Learning Theory indicates that learning is more like a team sport–we learn better together than we do in isolation. That means shifting remote learning conversations from monologues to dialogues. That is a shift that is ideally suited to remote learning–with the right tools, training, and resources to help faculty and leadership make this shift.
Q. How do we avoid overburdening tech support, short of turning teachers into broadcast engineers?
A. There is going to be an amount of “front-loading” by tech support folks in higher education, let us make no doubt about this. But that should be seen as a starting point, not an ongoing situation. The evidence indicates that building faculty capacity with research-driven online learning methods and strategies will reduce the burden on tech support personnel. This logic follows the old “teach a person to fish” allegory: when tech support don’t build capacity–in other words they give away fish–they are building dependency. Many higher education learning organizations are falling into this trap. However, tech support personnel who work with trusted, knowledgeable partners, like Panasonic, to build instructional capacity with online learning that works, it’s like teaching teachers how to fish. That model is much more sustainable, and, in the short- and long-term, will serve to reduce the Pandemic Slide Effect, so that higher education learning curves upwards rather than continuing to spiral downwards.
Q. What is your best advice for resellers and schools/universities as we approach the 2020-2021 school year?
A. There is no question about it: learn about the recent breakthrough findings by Dr. Sonny Magana on online learning that works. He has based his T3 Framework for Innovation on four decade’s worth of investigation on finding the sweet spot between learning and technology. We invite interested faculty and leadership to enroll in what we call Project Moonshot–our effort to build instructional capacity with the T3 strategies and protocols in order to minimize the Pandemic disruption on learning continuity, and begin to shift the learning curve upward. Disruptive situations must be met with disruptive innovations to first minimize losses and then begin the road to recovery. We are currently seeking about 10-15 more faculty members who want to become Project Moonshot Pioneers who learn how to implement the T3 strategies and protocols, and then, with the help of Dr. Magana, evaluate the impact on student learning and engagement.
Author: Rob Goldberg, Panasonic Group Manager of Visual Systems
As the powerful Joe Rogan says “we are living in strange times”. Who could have anticipated a virus would shake up our world to the degree it has? We have all been forced to adapt to a new way of living in such a short period of time. Through that adaption though has come a new wave of ideas, innovative ways to achieve results, and an overall sense of evolution.
Outsourcing Audio Video work is not a new concept to our industry, but much like the Zoom Boom we have experienced as of recent, this new world has caused many of us to re-think our approach to business. Zoom was also not new to the industry previous to the Covid-19 outbreak, but it has allowed us in these turbulent times to connect with our peers, customers, and partners in ways we never took advantage of before. Taking advantage of outsourcing capabilities now could mean the difference between AV integration businesses thriving or folding.
Here are 5 reasons why your business should start thinking about outsourcing AV needs moving forward.
Overhead – During these times many AV integration firms have had to make very tough decisions in either furloughing employees or in the worst case scenario, laying them off, and while I always support the effort to bring folks back to full time employment, I think there is an increased need to do so methodically and cautiously. Outsourcing can help you achieve the results you need out of your business while minimizing potential risk and liability.
Time equals Money – Many AV business owners and personnel are currently trying to figure out how to re-open their doors, follow the guidelines of new state and federal regulations, strategize for growth in a new environment, and re-organize the 80% of mass that is the iceberg underwater we don’t see. Spending time managing design, installation and service, means time taken away from strategizing for the future. Outsourcing can minimize the impact on time spent on task level work and insure that you are focusing on the long term sustainability of your business.
Economic repeat – Many researchers and epidemiologists speculate a potential re-occurrence of the Covid-19 virus spike in the fall time frame. I think its safe to say we all hope that doesn’t occur but it is still wise to prepare in case it does. This first wave has not been friendly to the AV industry, essentially putting all projects on hold, restricting cash flow and profit to the bottom line. Interrelated to reason #1 its important to mitigate risk and outsourcing common tasks that are profit generators that don’t necessarily require the deployment or effort of your internal work force is a great way to insure your business stays healthy during troubling times.
Expansion – Many businesses have and will continue to react to this pandemic in a “Woe is me” fashion and while they are reflecting on better times, other businesses are looking through with windshield and gearing up to create positive opportunity for themselves. Outsourcing can help as an organization is throttling up for expansion. You can increase your geographical footprint by outsourcing labor/installation in regions that would not be considered in your immediate focused geography. You can also expand your capability which could be inclusive of things such as drafting, rendering, digital content creation, programming, as well as ongoing managed service agreements for the end client. These are all areas you can create expansion in and do so quickly and confidently with the help outsourcing.
Expertise – It’s impossible to be a master of all trades and often times you find your business walking away from opportunities because your organization simply doesn’t have the internal expertise to meet the demands of the end client. Outsourcing is a great way to insure you can capture those projects and do so knowing the expertise to complete the project is there. Also consider this: To be considered an AV expert, we often create an association with the obtainment of CTS, CTS-I or CTS-D credentials. In the fiber and networking communications it’s RCDD, and for project management it’s PMP. There are many industry credentials and in some cases they are required if you want to work with particular hardware equipment or software. My point is, to be an expert in any one area, requires a serious time and money investment in the area of ongoing training. You can mitigate the expenditure impact simply by outsourcing the expertise that you need, when you need it.
There is no doubt outsourcing in AV has become less taboo over the recent years and more widely adopted as a part of regular business practices. The COVID-19 Pandemic has certainly accelerated the need for outsourcing adoption. Distributors like Almo Pro AV have recognized the importance of thoughtful outsourcing early on and during these challenging times. We (Almo Pro AV) have worked diligently to evolve our services program in a way that closely aligns itself with the ongoing needs and demands from our integration partners and their customers. There is no better time than now to start integrating outsourced AV services into your business.
Get a behind-the-scenes tour of Harman’s Experience Center
In my last blog I chose to discuss how you can improve your knowledge of audio solutions simply by knowing the different support channels and asking the right questions. One facet I did not discuss was the need to have a desire to learn. Simply put- you will make every opportunity that much harder if you refuse to grow independently. I am no exception to this rule. As I admitted previously, I came into my new role “not knowing audio” but thanks to the plethora of support channels and various opportunities that exist, gaining this new knowledge is quite easy, all thanks to the team at Harman Professional Solutions.
While attending the most recent stop on the Almo E4 Experience tour in sunny California, I was afforded the opportunity to visit the team at Harman and their new Harman Experience Center which is located at 8500 Balboa Blvd. in Los Angeles. Pardon the pun, but WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! The moment you walk in the front door you are greeted by a light show through the winding hallway which works in step with the images on the large video wall further down the hall. Thanks to my unofficial “tour guides”
Mark Wilson and David Tewksbury, I was able to really entrench myself in all of the technology that surrounded me! A few steps further we were greeted by a row of actual Grammy Awards presented to Harman for their JBL and Lexicon lines amongst others. Truly innovators in the professional technology space! Coming from a retail background, I really focused in on their Connected Retail Experience display. As a business owner, imagine being able to KNOW who your customers truly are and then cater to those specific customers. From displaying male/female centric marketing to displaying specific content when a customer picks up a certain item, it’s all tied to improving the overall experience at a given store. It was very intriguing to see where we are headed in terms of custom shopping experiences.
The next steps on our tour was really the “heart of the Experience Center where I was able to learn about the Connected Huddle Space featuring the AMX Acendo Vibe speaker (which happens to be an Almo Best Seller!), an actual recording booth where we could test out all different models of AKG microphones (if you are lucky, David might sing for you!), and several Martin Lighting displays which were absolutely breathtaking! Martin Lighting has been used in Las Vegas, London, and so many more of the world’s biggest attractions so to EXPERIENCE that up close was amazing. One of the final stops of our tour was a large room where Harman has hosted several gatherings such as corporate events and parties. The room is set up to resemble part club, part concert hall, part Broadway stage. Directly in the middle of the room was a Soundcraft Vi3000 Digital Live Sound Console and boy was that impressive. It is the only console in its class that can be used by two engineers at the same time and despite all of the added features and functionality it also retains all of the features that have made its series the preferred choice for sound engineers. I had commented to Dave how many times I had seen similar models at concerts and various shows and how it only further demonstrated the theme of the day which was “EXPERIENCE”. This room allows you to demonstrate how Harman products function in certain environments. Listening to Phantom of the Opera on Broadway vs a lecture in a college auditorium vs smoke machines and disco lighting in a dance club….awe-inspiring! Out of this entire room, one of the final yet coolest experiences was the live concert demo complete with drum kit, lighting, smoke, and some of the loudest yet clearest speakers I’ve ever heard! The JBL VTX A12W is a dual 12” line array loudspeaker. The kind you would see at the largest world tours from some of the most popular music acts. Various Harman resellers have said “this might be the single best speaker that JBL has ever made” and after seeing/hearing it live I would have to agree! Starting with the simple installation to the crisp/clear vocals you hear it’s clearly a step above most. At one point, David told me to stand in a specific area and I found myself directly under this massive speaker. David walked over to join me and we had a typical conversation. He then looks over and says “pretty cool huh”….we were standing directly under this line array loudspeaker and I could hear him clear as day. When was the last time anyone went to a concert and didn’t have to shout all night to friends just to be heard? That is what clear/powerful sound will do for you!
It is always a pleasure in my line of work to spend time with our vendor partners. It provides an opportunity to learn more about the people and products that make the machine run smoothly. However, getting to spend time with Mark and Dave at the Harman Experience Center was unlike any previous meeting I’ve ever had. It was all part of the learning EXPERIENCE that I talked about previously. While you can certainly learn from online materials, various books, etc, there is something to be said about good old fashioned hands on learning and experiencing for yourself! I challenge each of you to experience all that Harman has to offer by visiting them in Los Angeles at 8500 Balboa Blvd. I know they would be more than happy to host you and your teams much like they did for me! Remember, this is all part of the desired end goal — to learn more about audio and better position your respective companies in the eyes of your customers. Thanks to Harman’s support system, educational opportunities, and unparalleled approach to technology and innovation, they should be the first stop along the way!
If you’d like information on Harman products, please feel free to contact me.
More times than not, it seems the “A” in A/V becomes an afterthought. I like to think it is the first letter because it is the most important, but opinions will vary on that. Much like any other product or service offering, salespeople will always gravitate towards their comfort zone, whether it is the right solution or not for the end user and even if it means leaving margin/revenue on the table. The concept of audio systems is a prime example and my goal in writing this piece is to illustrate how to avoid doing a disservice to your customers and to your own company.
It was 7 months ago when I was approached with an offer to manage our Harman product line. My first thought was pure excitement of the new responsibilities, not to mention the opportunity to become further entrenched in the Pro A/V industry. I have always considered myself a “student” and the more I can learn, the better version of me I would become. With that being said, my 2nd thought was a resounding “but I don’t KNOW Audio!” From my past experiences in consumer A/V, I was well aware of how vast of a product lineup Harman carried, however I also became aware of the fact there were now 9 different lines I would be responsible for learning. Yes, I said 9! My competitive side wanted to immediately learn every feature of every sku of every line…..which I later realized was not the wisest decision by any means. That is when it dawned on me- Harman and pro audio were no different than my responsibilities in Telecommunications in that all I needed to do was ask the proper qualifying questions while also relying on the support team I was given. Harman has an incredible team of inside support staff and product engineers who are available for the simplest inventory requests to the most complex system designs. I found that you only needed to learn WHO to turn to and at WHAT time should you turn to them. This also allowed me the ability to learn the products and features as we went along in the process.
Let’s dive into the one aspect I mentioned above which was, learning to ask the right qualifying questions. I have always been a firm believer that you can’t sell something if you don’t ask. Simply put- if you don’t ask your customers about their audio solutions, chances are they won’t be asking you! So how exactly do you ask about audio if YOU DON’T KNOW AUDIO? “Mr. Customer, based on your needs I think we can put together a perfect display solution for you. Now let me ask, what are you currently doing to address your AUDIO needs?” THAT’S IT! That one question is normally all you would need to ask in order to get the conversation started and get your foot in the proverbial door to audio. This is the moment where the customer might state that he has never thought about audio or he might say he is already sourcing that elsewhere and it gives you a chance to try and win the business. It will allow you to gather the customer’s needs, how they want the system to function, the dimensions of the room, etc., and then provide that detail to the support team in place at the appropriate vendor to begin designing the proper solution.
Harman happens to not only have one of the widest audio product lineups in the country, but I have found that they also have a wide array of training resources available regardless of your skill level. Did you know that simply by going to https://pro.harman.com/applications you can select the application you are working on and see an example of the necessary hardware required? It is through this method that I was able to learn about JBL Surface Mount Speakers, Crown Amplifiers, as well as DBX Zone Processors and how they function in a restaurant environment. Another tool I have learned to value is through the Harman Professional University Training Program. Through these resources that Harman has invested in, it becomes far easier to dive into the world of Professional Audio whether you are initially comfortable with the idea or not.
Hopefully I have started the thought process for you on how to begin offering Audio to your customers. Aside from added value to your clients, you will be pleasantly surprised by the increased comfort you have recommending new services/products not to mention the HIGHER MARGINS! I challenge each of you to explore new opportunities involving audio and start the process TODAY. Contact me and I will get you and your team registered on Harman Professional University and begin reviewing possible leads where we can easily integrate audio into the mix. So, the next time you speak with a potential client, feel confident in saying “Lets Talk About Your Audio Needs” because you now KNOW AUDIO!
