The LCD Killed The Overhead

Very popular song lyrics, “video killed the radio star!” Those lyrics definitely apply to this post, “LCD Projector killed the Overhead Projector!”

I don’t know about your school, but less and less teachers are using an overhead projector. Our school is fortunate to have been fitted with hanging NEC VT800 LCD Projectors.

The overhead projector has ran its course and has served  us well since the 1970’s. During my high school years, they played an important part in classroom instruction. I will never forget the sounds and awkward smells that radiated from these metal monsters. I’m sure you won’t either. It’s bittersweet to see it go, but I am happy with the replacement.

LCD Projectors are so useful in a classroom. Having sat in classrooms where these are used dynamically for educational instruction justify the cost of this technology. The internet provides so much useful content for projection. The ability to project videos, pictures and text in large format make an impact on how a lesson is taught. At least I believe so. The LCD Projector should be used as a compliment to any teaching method.

Here are some websites that can be useful for projection:

• Google Earth
• YouTube Videos
• Wikipedia

There are so many websites out there! Do your research beforehand and bookmark those sites you plan to use. Have fun using your LCD Projector as another teaching tool. Sometimes larger is better…

Google Earth Great Teaching Tool

The song lyrics, “he’s got the whole world in his hands” become a virtual reality with Google Earth! I’ve been using it since 2006 when it was called Earth Viewer. It’s quite amazing to be able to ‘fly’ to any spot in the world and get hi-resolution imagery on your computer/projector screen. It’s almost like being there, believe me.

You can add many layers to the virtual map such as terrain, roads, 3D buildings and images. It’s getting better and better with the addition of 3D renderings of The Grand Canyon, Eiffel Tower, Red Square and many more. You have to see them to appreciate them. Here’s an example of how Downtown Tucson, AZ looks with the 3D buildings layer turned on:

Downtown Tucson in 3D

It’s a very simple program to use and the best part is that it’s a free download available for Windows and Mac. Here’s how to install it: 

1. Visit http://earth.google.com/ to download the program free.

2. Complete install and you are set.

3. Visit the brief video tutorials site that helps you get going. Here’s a sample:

That’s it! You can really use this as a teaching tool to transport your class to the destination on the globe you may be talking about, including Antarctica! I use it all the time, even more so now that it’s available for the iPhone & iTouch. See it in action as it zooms in to Pueblo:

Forget my hands, now I can have the whole world in my pocket!