So we roll out of 2019 into 2020 and there’s nothing earth shaking going on that we’re really aware of. We’re all just cookin’ along like normal. The house I’ve had up for sale for a year finally comes under contact on January 14 and there’s a closing date of March 23. I’m very much looking forward to getting out from underneath paying two mortgages. The class and travel schedule is laid out and PTO is planned for the year.
Fast forward to the end of 2020. Thankfully, even after the lockdowns started, the house did close on schedule. But, for the first time in all my life, stretching all the way back to my paper route at 14 years-old, I was let go from a job in August. I had been there for almost 15 years. While life has it normal share of struggles and obstacles (and I’ve certainly had my share), this was a new one.
I was looking out my front window the morning following the unfortunate event and watched as a logging truck drove by. “He has somewhere to go. He has a purpose.” I had neither. Not knowing what else to do, I set up a large folding table and started sorting through all of the business cards that I had collected over the years from the people I’ve met in this industry. It was time to start working contacts.
And, yes, updating the resume. It’s a task I deeply despise. It’s like having to justify your existence.
But I found that people were willing to help review my resume. I made phone calls. People emailed and called to see how I was doing. I posted on LinkedIn and people responded with encouragement and suggestions. I filed for unemployment. I mapped out a rough plan as to what I thought I could sell and when. “How can you extend your runway?” – a lesson learned from Tom Stimson’s Business Survival Series earlier in the year was a constant thought in my head. Worst case, what were my options if I could no longer pay my current mortgage?
Thankfully, I landed a new position with Almo in late September. I was one of the fortunate. Some that I know are not yet employed again. One just landed a job earlier this week.
So what did I do now that I was gainfully employed again? I had a friend of 30+ years that was still unemployed. This was someone I knew that had a strong sense of responsibility and hadn’t been fiscally foolish. I was able to help them some financially. But how would I have known about their circumstances? They were honest about how they were doing – that’s how I knew.
There’s a line in a song that goes, “Truth be told, the truth is rarely told.” “I’m fine” is probably the biggest lie we tell even when things are dire. I’m not suggesting you 255 (broadcast) your life’s story but if you’re in need, be willing to let some people know. If you know someone that’s in need, see what you can do to help. If it’s not financial, real practical help can be just as valuable to someone in need.
For 2021, if you’re in a position to help someone, do so. I think that’s our lesson from 2020.
So where are you in all of this? Are you the one in need or one that can help? Don’t make 2021 a repeat of 2020 and just “get through it”. Thoughts? How can you personally make 2021 less of a dumpster fire than 2020? Drop a note below.
Going back to work is a perfect time for organizations to embrace technologies and solutions like digital signage to improve communication and employee engagement. They may have no idea how, but do know that they need to improve how their employees interact with the business in an ever changing environment. Others may know exactly what they want to do, but they need some guidance as to how to bring their vision to fruition. In both scenarios, it is important that we take everything into consideration.
“Digital signage has come into its own, as lock down has begun to ease in some areas, but the next challenge is how to extend the use of these solutions as the masses return to work”, says Shaun Oxenham, CEO at MediaStar Systems. Digital signage can be found in numerous public spaces. And the businesses that house these spaces are prone to “head back to work” at some point in time. Public spaces, highway signage, offices, museums, stadiums, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, educational institutions are all familiar with the benefits of signage. Using digital signage is a great way to attract customers and gain the attention of the masses. People are more likely to pay attention if you are displaying promotions, sharing business information or instructions. Digital signage is not only meant to digitally promote sales, or share social media. Digital Signage is meant to create an experience and should be entertaining.
2020 has been a year of challenges, yet we have and need the ability to adapt. Employers have had to make endless changes. As we move into 2021, employers from all verticals are beginning to contemplate a back to work plan. Not only will that transition plan need to keep their employees and customers safe, they need to entice customers to return to face to face engagement. In addition, businesses need to be able to effectively communicate between remote employees and employees who are able safely engage on site.
LG Technologies offers numerous solutions for endless digital signage needs. Take a look at the UH5F Series by LG. The LG UHD Signage offers sizes ranging from 55” to 98” in size. It has cutting edge technology and its brightness captures an audience. This solution has versatility and can be used as a meeting room solution or in a retail environment. It boasts Ultra HD resolution and wide angle viewing with IPS technology.
Many new products have been developed during the course of the recent pandemic. But what cannot be forgotten is communication with employees and customers. I would not call it a silver lining but an opportunity instead, in that the pandemic has elevated the digital workplace from a “nice to have” to a “must have” status. Reach out to your sales rep at ALMO PRO AV so they can work with you and ensure that you have the right technologies to help you deliver the right products to fulfil the needs of your customers.
Corinne Furmanek – O’Rawe, DSCE Business Development Manager
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
Enhanced video conferencing and state of the art furniture from Sharp and Salamander are bringing conference rooms to the next level.
It may be hard to believe during the current state of uncertainty in this country, but the Modern Workspace is a significant piece of the Pro AV industry. When offices eventually reopen, the modern workspace may look slightly different than we’re used to, but there is no denying that room analytics and smart space management will be a tantalizing feature for businesses regardless.
Companies that are upgrading their huddle rooms and conference rooms to enhance video conferencing capabilities should consider the Windows collaboration display from Sharp. The first display to be certified by Microsoft delivers Windows® 10 and Office 365® at room scale on a huge 4K screen, enabling multiple users to collaborate together. It is Skype for Business certified and Microsoft Teams enabled and can be daisy-chained via dual source side-by side capability and extend mode for an even larger collaborative canvas.
Making spaces smarter with the embedded sensor hub is what makes the Windows collaboration display even more special. Using Azure IoT, the sensor hub can detect room occupancy to determine the location of people to turn on displays nearest each individual and even amplify their voice with a three-dimensional microphone. In turn, this allows the opportunity for better management of room-booking systems. Additionally, temperature and lighting are detected by sensors to help provide a better understanding of energy utilization. Whether there’s small breakout with 2-3 people or a large meeting with 12 or more, the sensor hub can help provide data allowing you to optimize your meeting spaces for a more comfortable and productive environment for all involved.
Simply enhancing the video capabilities is but one piece of upgrading collaboration. When it’s time for a technology refresh, it’s time for Salamander Designs. Now is the perfect time to leverage this high quality, fully customizable solution to transform and refresh your workspace. Even simple, preconfigured cabinets and carts will immediately improve productivity and collaboration with premium furniture engineered to make today’s offices mobile, global and better than ever before. Whether your needs require display stands or cabinets, Salamander stands will keep everything safe and supported while still looking great. Mobile stands are also available for easy portability between workspaces.
With Sharp and Salamander products combined, you’ll have top of the line smart display technology supported by the best furniture to bring any conference room to the next level.
Sharp has strategically partnered with Salamander Designs and Almo to offer five Windows Collaboration Display Bundles giving you incredible savings opportunities never seen before. Integrators that become Windows collaboration display certified will save $1700 per display as well as up to an additional $300 on the mobile stand or cabinet when purchased as a bundle.
One way or another, school is coming this fall. Tips for being prepared. Written by Rob Voorhees, Business Development Manager, ALMO
We find ourselves smack in the middle of July when days are getting hotter and in years past, we might find ourselves looking forward to August vacations or days by the pool. However, 2020 has continuously thrown curveball after curveball, and we continue to adapt as best as we can. If your house is anything like mine, one of the biggest topics has been “what is happening when schools open in September?” Considering my wife is an elementary teacher and my daughters will be entering 7th and 4thgrades respectively, I multiply that same question by 3 every day. My home state of NJ is fortunate in that we have begun to reopen in phases, and it was recently announced that our schools could reopen although with a very large “IF” attached to it. School districts nationwide are being advised to space out desks, close cafeteria lunches, and ban recess time in order to protect our children, our teachers, and our communities as a whole. Some schools have already announced the continuation of remote schooling or even a hybrid model for the upcoming year. This is where the term “Distance Learning” really resonates with us all.
Distance Learning is not as simple as just recording a lesson and emailing it to your students. I certainly learned that earlier this year as I saw the hours that my wife was spending on lesson plans, zoom calls, and videos to help her students as best as possible. Not to mention the frustration she would have with managing the shrinking attention spans of children and ensuring her video calls did not crash on a daily basis. A close friend of mine, who is also a teacher, has told me “distance learning was challenging. I worked more hours than I did while in the classroom and nearly everything had to be created from scratch to best accommodate each of her students. The technology component was also a challenge because teachers were expected to learn each of these new platforms with little to no preparation or background.” As most can attest, one particular challenge in distance learning is the need to now rely on the internet and technology more than ever. Simply put, if you cannot access the internet, you cannot access the day’s lesson. Comcast, amongst other internet service providers, took the initiative early on and made affordable internet available to everyone while others managed their nationwide networks to prevent from congestion or outages. You then also need to ensure you have the proper tools to access the internet. Several districts across the country will supply students with Chromebooks each year, which is a great start.Internet Bandwidth Service remains an essential service and if schools are debating on hybrid schedules or full remote learning models, they will need to ensure the bandwidth is available for the lessons to be streamed each day. Hybrid models will mean every teacher has a smaller class during the day while simultaneously being recorded so their remote students at home can learn at the same time. Now imagine 20+ teachers all doing this at the same time and you can see where network congestion and outages will become a headache. It becomes important to team with an A/V integrator and solution partner like ALMOwho can provide an analysis of the current bandwidth at the school and then make recommendations for improvements based on the number of employees and the number of devices. In several cases, this type of analysis could also lead to larger cost savings over an annual basis, which is one thing most school districts would love to see! “What about the students at home?” you might be asking. School districts can now supply mobile hotspots or tablets with built in access to students in need to ensure that everyone can access the same material. There is also a reporting and device management layer to this, which the schools would find essential. Administrators can have access to deactivate lost or stolen devices, escalate issues due to improper usage, or even identify cost saving measures by using the account analysis features. All of this becomes a necessity if we are truly looking to embrace a new norm for our children and educators. I think my closest friends and I are in agreement in that virtual schooling has become a necessity. While currently imperfect, there is definitely a bigger opportunity in September for improved engagement between teacher/student as well as some much needed social interaction between student/student.
In closing, I commend our school districts for navigating these difficult times and my hope is with the above suggestions and by partnering with the right integration firms and AV distributors they can alleviate some of the technological stress our students, teachers, and parents are facing and will face moving forward. To help, ALMO Pro AV will be hosting a special Distance Learning Preparedness webinaron July 31st at noon ET to share ideas and insights on pivotal technology equipment for a smoother and more effective hybrid learning environment when school is back in session. Lastly, let us all continue to stay safe and do our small part to make the learning experience easier this fall and beyond.
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