Installation Spotlight: HuddleVu
WHERE: Princeton, NJ
WHEN: March 2014
WHAT: FSR HuddleVu HV-600
WHO: Michael Taggart, Instructional Technology
Coordinator, Princeton Academy
When Collaboration Influences Behavior in a Pre-K through Grade 8 Environment
When the Princeton Academy was planning their massive school renovations, one of the new technology rich spaces Michael Taggart, Instructional Technology Coordinator at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, envisioned was a small group collaboration area that would allow for intensive cooperative sessions for both students and faculty. Princeton Academy is an innovative school, emphasizing technology and active learning in all their classrooms. They wanted an extension of their technology rich classrooms in other areas of the building; one in the form or a modern group collaboration space. While researching furniture for the space, Taggart discovered a table perfectly in line with his vision. The Backbone Media Platform by KI is a media sharing platform that supports technology in a collabora- tive setting and is designed for up to 6 users. Knowing the school had standardized to HDMI connections, the next piece of the puzzle was to find the specialized technology to support the interactivity re- quirements. Taggart says, “FSR’s HuddleVu fit the bill perfectly.” It worked not only with the design of the table, but allowed for the type of reliable, intuitive collaboration that the school desired for the room. With simple and quick installation, the students didn’t have to wait long to start sharing.
Two months after the Princeton Academy started using the Hud- dleVu system in their new “Technology Discovery Lab” or TDL for short, Taggart says the system has been working like “a champ.” They have had phones, laptops and iPads ® hooked into the HuddleVu connec- tions, each working seamlessly. The room is running all day during school hours, and the students “cannot wait to get into the TDL.” The lab has a posted “Norms for Conduct” that include requirements such as: each student must be on the top of his game, be the best student he can be and respect the work of others while in the TDL. Taggart claims that these norms are strictly followed “because the students want to be in that space, so they adhere to the rules of the lab.”
About HuddleVu
The FSR HuddleVu collaboration system is per- fectly designed with educational users in mind. It is intuitive to use; just plug in a source to one (or all) of the color coded HDMI cables and press the corre- sponding button. Built on a very durable, steel con- structed table box that won’t break under high use, this collaboration system was built with kids and adults in mind. FSR offers the option of HDMI or VGA connections which are easy to replace or update with no proprietary components on the cables. The table box offers customizable keystone snap in inserts as well as power outlets.
No need to worry about security or reliability is- sues- the HuddleVu system is completely hard-wired and doesn’t contain any pucks or additional equip- ment that can disappear. A true compliment to the BYOD movement, the HuddleVU does not require downloading of additional software applications onto personal devices. It needs no loading time, access to wifi or programs at startup, allowing for immediate connection and quick start of presentations, commu- nications and sharing.
FSR’s HuddleVu is sold in easy to install pack- ages for 3-7+ users with or without the Flex Control option. Packages can also be customized to individ- ual school or room requirements. FSR acknowledges that educational clients are moving toward pre- packed, expandable, scalable and future-proof sys- tems. This is one of the first packaged systems that FSR had developed, with more on the way soon!
The HuddleVU system allows for multiple users to share and view their laptops, tablets, and smart phones screens on a main display. Unlike conven- tional presentation systems, anyone participating can be a presenter or the
audience at any given time at the push of a button. LED’s indicate which user is currently live and when the system is busy to each user.
HuddleVU creates the ideal environment for people to view and share ideas. The systems include all the necessary video switching equipment, control hard- ware, display power control and color-coded captive HDMI cables. It is a very simple yet effective system to quickly install and use.
About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of signal management and infrastructure solutions for the audio / video, datacom, education, hospitality, govern- ment, and religious markets, including floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of in- terfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and HDBaseT & CAT-X signal delivery solutions. The company is an Energy Star Partner and complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to demonstrate its deep commitment to preserving the planet. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives.
For more info: fsrinc.com.
About Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart
Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart is an inde- pendent Catholic school for boys in Princeton, NJ, sup- porting Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8. They are committed to academic excellence within the context of a faith-based community.
For more information: www.princetonacademy.org .
