Technology

Manual for MathStat Technology Classrooms

This document does not really tell you how to operate the equipment, just how to get it going. The DVD player and video play are standard and you are on your own (ask a student, if you can't cope). The document viewer is fairly obvious. The Sympodium is too awesome for these feeble notes. You can load the Smart Notebook software on your own computer and simulate it to your hearts content and even prepare the notebooks that are used with the Sympodium in advance.

Projector

The projector should be in standby mode at all times and is operated with the remote in the desk. Each piece of equipment requires pressing the correct remote button on the projector remote. The settings below specify the button. Press On (ie the On button on the remote) to turn the projector on and Off to turn it off. See how easy it is! Well, when you turn it of, the projector may not respond instantly, but be sure it eventually does respond. When the bulb goes off you have done your duty, the fan may continue to run but you do not need to worry about it. Each of the following pieces of equipment is independent of the others, so that only one can be viewed on the screen at a time. You can leave them all on and operational, but you cannot mix the outputs to the screen.

Sympodium/Computer

Computer: On

Sympodium: On

Projector: RGB1

The Sympodium should be on in standby mode, but just in case, the power button is in the upper right corner just above the screen itself, in 430 there is no obvious switch, just poke the plastic. The buttons across the top allow you to easily switch between the pen being a mouse and being a pen. There are two pieces of software associated with the use of the Sympodium

SMART BOARD which should run automatically. It allows you to use the pen as a mouse or to write on the screen which you select using the buttons across the top of the Sympodium. You can also "capture" all or parts of the screen for the SMART Notebook (below). If you need to access the program directly click on the icon on the desktop that says SMART BOARD Tools. Calibration: If the mouse cursor does not appear directly under the pen point, you need to calibrate the pen. Open the SMART BOARD Tools and choose Control Panel - a window appears containing, among other things a box with the word "Orient" in it. Select the box and touch the crosses as they appear on the screen.
SMART Notebook which you start yourself or will start automatically if you do a screen capture. This is a tool for creating and recording you presentation as you go, or presenting one you have prepared in advance. You can load the Smart notebook software onto your own computer so that you can prepare notebooks in advance.

Document viewer

Viewer: On

Projector: RGB2

Lift up the lights on the side, if needed, and the camera. The camera is released with a dark button at the base of the camera arm. The button is a bit testy so, hang in there. You also have to press that button to fold the camera back down. There is a lens cap! The LAMP button changes the lighting and cycles through three settings by repeatedly pushing it. The settings are

the "upper" or side lamps for viewing things like books or papers
the "lower" or lamp on the table for viewing overheads or the TI-89 viewscreen
off

If nothing shows up check the two buttons on the lower right side, INT/EXT and MODE. If a light by the INT/EXT button is on (brightly), press the button until all are off. The MODE should have the XGA light on. You can use a calculator with the document viewer, but the ROOM lights should be ON. It is better to use the TI viewscreen placed on the document viewer with the lower light on because the overhead lights may put the shadow of the camera across everything.

DVD player

Player: On

Projector: Video

Black Box: Button 1

The Black Box sits on top of the DVD and video players and has four buttons. The first two control the DVD and video and the others control nothing.

Video player

Player: On

Projector: Video

Black Box: Button 2

The Black Box sits on top of the DVD and video players and has four buttons. The first two control the DVD and video and the others control nothing.

Connecting a laptop

Document viewer: On

Projector: RGB2

The laptop is connected by a VGA cable which should be in the desk with the viewer or already attached to the viewer..

Connect the cable from the video output on the laptop to one of the the VGA-IN inputs on the Document Viewer on the back where all the other wires are.
Punch the INT/EXT button on the lower right side of the viewer until the Ext1 or Ext2 light comes on depending on which of the VGA-IN sockets you connected the laptop to.

You may have to select XGA or SVGA with the MODE button depending on the resolution of the computer.