InfoComm 2003: A Technology Feast for Educators
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The challenge of meeting the technological expectations of the digital generation with limited teaching funds is often brought up by education professionals, 300 of whom are affiliated with the International Communications Industries Association Inc. (ICIA). These are technology buyers and directors from well-known institutions of higher learning that are tasked with networking their audiovisual systems, offering distance learning and videoconferencing, and keeping up with advanced presentation capabilities.
As members of an association that puts them in touch with their peers as well as the entire AV community, these education professionals have access to numerous resources that enable them to make the wisest systemwide use of available funding. As the Chair of ICIA's End Users Council, Greg Bronson, CTS-D of Cornell University, says, "Fortunately, within ICIA membership ranks, there is a wealth of trained and experienced AV design professionals ... who blend science, experience and art to plan technology infrastructure that meets defined programming goals and is comfortable to use."
In addition to sharing ideas and tips on ICIA's End Users Council listserv, education technology managers attend InfoComm to advance their knowledge and skills, as well as to network and explore the latest technologies that suit their needs.
At InfoComm 2003, to be held May 31 to June 6 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., more than 150 courses in two-hour, four-hour, eight-hour and three-day formats will be presented by expert peer instructors. The following is a sampling of the courses specifically for the education community: "Facilities Design for Universities," "The Renovation Survival Kit," "Smart Classroom and Conference Room Maintenance," "Upgrade your Classroom: Basic Elements of AV Upgrades," and "The Fundamentals of E-Learning: Create and Scale Technology-Based Learning Experiences."
The array of systems technology demonstrated by the more than 500 companies on the InfoComm show floor encompasses state-of-the-art display and projection, sound, network and control systems, video- and Web-conferencing, streaming media and video production, as well as all the cabling, racks and furniture required for appropriate installation. InfoComm is simply a technological feast.
For more information on InfoComm and ICIA, visit www.infocomm.org.
This article originally appeared in the 05/01/2003 issue of THE Journal.