whitepaper

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays

Why Starting with Wireless Just Makes Sense
How all-in-one displays keep teachers tied to the front of theclassroom – and why this is bad in today’s learning environment.

introduction

All-in-one smart displays may have revolutionized classroom technology. But there’s actuallya better way to present lessons, putting the teacher – not the screen – at the forefront of thestudents’ focus. Increasingly, teachers are learning that an all-in-one smart solution may not
be wisest choice, after all. Let’s explore an alternative that puts teachers – not technology –back in control of their classrooms.
In the past several decades, all-in-one “smart” classroom displays that integrate
an interactive whiteboard, projection systems, and internet connectivity have become
the go-to solution for virtually every classroom, from K-12 up to higher education.
Teachers are tasked with delivering content and curriculum on this glorified whiteboard.
Upsells like click boxes, pens, and gizmos promise to help these devices achieve their fullcapabilities, but often create a clunky interface that is difficult to use.
But think about this: How “smart” does your classroom display really need to be?
In a world where less is more when it comes to technology – and simplicity reigns supreme- the all-in-one interactive flat panel has become too complex for practical use. Apart frombeing needlessly sophisticated, it can actually hold teachers back from optimizing theirinstructional time.

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays© 2023 ScreenBeam|2

table of contents

A Morning in theLife of a Modern
Teacher

Screen Time: How
Much Is Too Muchfor Students?

TechnologyShould Keep
Teachers in thePower Zone

The Perils
and Pitfalls ofInteractive Flat
Panels (IFPs) andFree WirelessDisplay Apps andSolutions

The High Costof Installing
IFPs Acrossan EducationalFacility

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The Magic ofScreenBeam: Your
Wireless Display
That Keeps
Teachers in thePower Zone

Conclusion

4 5 6 7 8 9 11

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Wireless vs All-in-One Displays

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© 2023 ScreenBeam|3

A Morning in the Lifeof a Modern Teacher

Teaching has always been hard work. But shifting
curriculum standards, ever-changing technology, andgrowing demands from parents and administrators – alongwith the socio-emotional challenges today’s children face –makes it even harder.
Teachers spend hours at home prepping lessons andcontent and arrive at school ready to share their lessons
through an entirely different medium – the big screen at
the front of the room. However, since the content was
created on the laptop, the teacher may not use all the tools
within the IFP.
When connectivity issues arrive – as they often do – theteacher becomes understandably frustrated, wasting
precious class time. Inevitably, the students begin to lose
focus, and now the teacher must bring them back on task.
Does it really make sense to spend all the time and money
buying and supporting complex systems when there justmight be a simpler way?
If this scene sounds familiar, you might
be an educator in a modern school.
But the IT and AV professionals in school districts,
especially those who spec the equipment, should also beaware of this scenario. While the nuts and bolts and dollars
and cents are important, your goal is to serve the needsof teachers and students by creating an effective learning
environment using the right technology.
We have been forced to believe the complex environmentis better, when we really can just take the simple and makeit super.
But before we broach the benefits of wireless displays, theantidote to complex all-in-one systems, let’s discuss thesubstantial role a front-of-room display plays in education –and why, perhaps, its role should be diminished in favor of
more flexibility and student-teacher interaction.

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays© 2023 ScreenBeam|4

Screen Time: How Much
Is Too Much for Students?
You might be surprised to hear an AV company –a company named ScreenBeam, no less – speaking
out against screen time for students. But the research iscompelling.
Correlational studies have shown that 8-to 11-year-olds
who exceed screen time recommendations scoredlower on cognitive assessments, with compliancerecommendations explaining about a fifth of the overallvariance in cognitive scores 01. A combination of screen
time and too little sleep has also been associated withheightened impulsivity in the same age group.02
Yet, if you’ve pursued quotes and estimates for in-room
technology, no doubt the integrators emphasized thescreen as the focal point of classroom instruction.

Before you sign on the dotted line for costly
displays with all the wires, dongles andaccessories they need, stop and consider thesequestions:
Is focusing on a screen all day the right pedagogicalapproach for your faculty?
Does more screen time equal better learning outcomes?
How much time do teachers lose when they don’t
understand the software well enough to make thetechnology work?
How much time do teachers lose when technology fails?
What happens to the students’ attention when the teacher
is stuck at the front of the room interacting with a display
screen?
This last point is key. Every minute teachers spendinteracting with the display at the front of the room is aminute they aren’t focused on the students. It’s anotherminute of teaching outside the power zone.

01 (The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, Vol. 2, No. 11, 2018)
02 (Pediatrics, Vol. 144, No. 3, 2019)© 2023 ScreenBeam|5

Technology Should Keep Teachers in the Power Zone
What is the Power Zone in education? The Power Zone
is widely considered one of the five fundamentals of
exceptional instruction, as outlined in the 2021 book TheFundamental Five Revisited by Sean Cain, Mike Laird,Sherilynn Cotten, and Jayne Ellspermann.

For the uninitiated, the book’s authors outlined
the five fundamentals as follows:
1 Frame the lesson.
2 Recognize and reinforce.
3 Frequent, small-group, purposeful talks aboutlearning.
4 Critical writing.
5 Work in the Power Zone.
Teaching in the Power Zone is “the mortar that connects
and strengthens the other fundamental practices,”
according to the authors.
The Power Zone is directly about the physical space,“the teacher being in close proximity to students duringinstruction or monitoring. The Power Zone is whereeffective teachers spend more of their instructional timeto ensure learning is occurring,” the book reads.
In his groundbreaking book Teach Like a Champion,
Doug Lemov referred to teaching in the Power Zone as“Breaking the Plane.”
Lemov describes the plane as an imaginary line that runs
across the front of the room, separating the teacher fromthe students as if the teacher were on a stage. Many
teachers already hesitate to break the plane.
An interactive, touchscreen flat-panel display full ofsoftware and gadgets at the front of the room pulls
the teacher’s focus directly out of the Power Zone andpushes them behind the plane, not just for comfort butconvenience.
03 Plus One, Published online 2021 Jan 7.
Wireless vs All-in-One Displays

On the other hand, research shows that when a teacher
spends more time in the Power Zone:• On-task behavior increases• Retention increases• Discipline issues diminish• The teacher has more opportunities to leveragehigh-yield instructional practices
One peer-reviewed study03 on the influence of teacherstudent proximity, teacher feedback and near-seated peergroups on classroom engagement showed that teacherstudent proximity enhances the effect of teacher feedback.
The study also showed that proximity engagement
improves classroom teaching and management.
But how do technology integrators rectify the situation,
given the significant role these front-of-room displays play
today?

Before a major equipment upgrade, ask thesequestions of your teachers and administrators:
Given another option, would teachers still prefer to betethered to the front of the room at a touch screen?
How would their teaching and student engagement
improve if technology permitted them to work in the Power
Zone more often than not?
How much time and training resources go into helping
teachers learn the software, display, and how it integrates
with the classroom tech stack?
If you could design your perfect classroom, without any
cost barriers, what would it look like?
Could a wireless display system change the game?

The Perils and Pitfalls of Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) and Free
Wireless Display Apps and Solutions
Interactive flat panels (IFPs) are costly to purchase and install, bulky, and often difficult to use.
Yes, you can gain the benefit of “untethered teaching” with a free, built-in wireless solution that integrates with your IFP. But
this subjugates an essential, effective teaching principle (untethering teachers) to a free service.

As a result, you’ll face some or all of the following drawbacks:
Non-native, App-based solutions that often don’t do
the basics well. All your devices already have wirelesscapabilities, but non-native, app-based solutions aredesigned to bypass their capabilities in favor of softwarethat doesn’t even accomplish the basics.
Bloatware on the screen that delays startup. Turning
on a screen to connect to a device shouldn’t require amanual and a separate training for every app. The process
should take seconds, not minutes.
Lack of consistency in versions and availability year
over year. Display companies change or upgrade apps
with alarming frequency. Each time an app is replacedwith a newer version, staff needs more training.

Little to no dedicated support for wireless display.
Wireless display apps are often a free add-on, whichmeans that when something goes wrong, you can’t get theservice and support you need.
No support for 4K content. You may have a 4K screen,but most apps won’t let you send 4K content from anotherdevice to the all-in-one display at the front of the room.
You’re still tethered to the front of the room. In spiteof the ability to send wireless signals through the app, alleyes are still on that monster IFP at the front of the room.
You have little flexibility to re-direct students’ attention toother screens.

Poor performance in dense RF environments. Today’s
schools have high RF density, with hundreds of children
and teachers each with their own wireless device –sometimes more than one if students carry smartphones
along with their tablets, netbooks or laptops.
Trying to operate a wireless display in that environment
requires specialized technology that’s not found in typical
all-in-one displays.

© 2023 ScreenBeam|

7

The High Cost of Installing IFPs Across an Educational Facility
Wireless challenges aside, there are also high, sometimes hidden, costs that are associated with a full deployment of IFPs
as the standard across your educational facility.
Installation. Installing a huge IFP is a heavy lift compared
to projectors or a standard display.
Cost for management. If you don’t have a service
agreement for management, you’ve got to update eachscreen individually, which could cost as much as $9 permonth for each display. In an average-sized school district,these costs add up quickly.
Out of warranty replacements. An IFP can cost $1,500
to $3,000 to replace if the warranty has expired. Newermodels may have a different OS, which means more timespent training staff.

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays

If one part breaks, it all breaks. All-in-one displays, bydefinition, are integrated. That means if one component
breaks, you lose access to the whole system while it’s
being repaired. For example, if the main display needs
repairs, you lose access to any software running on thatpanel, including wireless connectivity capabilities. Since
most classrooms can’t operate without their front-of-room
display, you’ll need to keep extras on-hand.
Staff Time (for training and use). Basic tasks that takeseconds on a laptop, like opening a website or doing animage or video search, can take 39 seconds up to 1:21
minutes on an IFP. Those time estimates come from staff
who have already been trained on the software for at least
three hours. The time teachers spend on these tasks –which can add up to 35 minutes per week, or almost a fullclass period in a high school – is time the teacher is at thefront of the room with her back to the class.

The Magic of ScreenBeam: Your WirelessDisplay That Keeps Teachers in the Power Zone
When IT and AV managers build out technology for the classroom, they should start withevaluating what effective teachers need and find solutions that meet those needs within
the school district’s technology budget.
Counterintuitively, IFP manufacturers start with the premise that you will use theirtechnology all the time in the front of the room. These manufacturers place the essential
needs of a teacher in the hands of a free app with little to no support and rarely takebudgetary constraints into consideration.

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays

ScreenBeam

All-in-One Displays with Free Apps

App-free, cross-platform wireless operation

Non-native, free apps to add wirelesscapabilities

Integrated Digital Whiteboard Application

Integrated Digital Whiteboard Application

CMS Enterprise: Management console withno annual license fees

Updates can cost as much as $9 / screen permonthScreenBeam Conference BYOM Solution

Restricted to flat panel display at front of room

Multi-view mode without an app

Reliant on apps

Emergency messaging capabilites

N/A

4K max resolution

Limited display capabilities for 4K content

Dedicated and reliable U.S.-based service
and support

Service for free apps may not be readily
available

No wires or dongles

Wires connect all-in-one display, tetheringteacher to the front of the room

Intuitive system doesn’t require hours oftraining

Requires 3+ hours of training for staff

Reduced latency; works as quickly as yourwireless device

Basic functions such as opening a website cantake up to 1:21 minutes

Affordable, scalable solution

Expensive to install, service, and maintain

Free movement around the classroom

Tethered to IFP display at front-of-room© 2023 ScreenBeam|9

Standardizing on ScreenBeam creates a dedicated wireless solution that works with any display
by connecting with native software for an intuitive, user-friendly experience.
ScreenBeam offers the app-free solution IT and AV
managers and teachers, alike, have needed for decades,
without realizing these capabilities were possible. It is
not dependent on apps or software to function. It is notdependent on cannibalized, third-party solutions which
may or may not have support.
If you were to reverse engineer an effective instructional
environment, it should start with finding a solution like
ScreenBeam, proven to untether teachers and allow themto teach with technology as comfortably as they can teachwithout it.

“ScreenBeam changes the dynamics
of our classrooms. When both teachersand students can move freely aroundthe classroom, the level of interaction
exponentially increases.”
Jason Murray
District Technology Coordinator
Cornwall-Lebanon School District
With ScreenBeam, enhanced features don’t get in the wayof normal use.

Here are just some of the benefits today’s teachers will
discover when they abandon all-in-one displays for a true,
native wireless solution:• App-free, cross-platform experience• Integrated Digital Whiteboard Application to enable
functionality on dumb interactive displays• Latency-free Touchback with our patented GhostInking (Windows exclusive) – maintain the benefitsof a touch screen without staying tethered to the frontof the room
• CMS Enterprise: management console withno annual license fees reduces operational costs• Native mirroring and extended screen modes• ScreenBeam Conference BYOM solution (1100P only)• 4K max resolution• Multi-view mode without an app (up to four screens atonce)• Digital signage player platform• Orchestrate by ScreenBeam™ (for classroommanagement)• ScreenBeam Alert function for emergency messaging
adds advanced capabilities• Quick switch mode to change users without
disconnecting saves time
• Classroom agility enabling teachers to work from thePower Zone
• Dedicated and reliable US-based service andsupport

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays© 2023 ScreenBeam|10

conclusion

If untethering teachers is essential (which, based on researchstudies, it is!) it makes sense to build your classroom arounda solution that emphasizes that objective and frees teachers
to leave their battle stations at the front of the room and explore
the Power Zone.
The combination of ScreenBeam 1000 EDU G2, a dumb interactive flat panel, and ahighly-capable teacher device loaded with instructional applications provides a completesolution that puts the power in the teacher’s hands, makes the classroom completely
flexible, and reduces the total solution cost.

“Complexity creates confusion, simplicity focus.”
Edward De Bono
Maltese physician, psychologist and inventor

ScreenBeam is here to help with the solutions
you need in school districts of any size. Reachout today to get started.

Wireless vs All-in-One Displays+