The BrightLink 450Wi is an intelligent, interactive projector that allows educators to turn any standard whiteboard or smooth wall into an interactive learning area. Because interactive capabilities are built into the projector and not the board, this innovative classroom tool eliminates the need to purchase and install dedicated interactive whiteboards. The ultra-short throw Epson BrightLink 450Wi comes with two digital infrared pens and wall mount hardware for easy installation.

THE PROS
The Fullerton School District serves over 13,600 K-8 students in 20 schools in Fullerton, CA, northern Orange County, where suburban neighborhoods have replaced many of yesterday's orange groves. We are very technology driven with a strong focus on integrating new and exciting teaching tools into the curriculum in meaningful ways.

BrightLink is the latest Epson projector model to join our district. We already have Epson projectors in hundreds of our 600 classrooms because we find their overall quality and performance more than meet our standards. We installed the BrightLink units that Epson provided as part of its product testing and have been serving as a beta site for the company.

I believe BrightLink is a big step forward in interactive learning because it combines both projector and board in just one interactive projector with very good image quality. The projector and pen combination integrates functionality into one machine without the limitations and cost of an interactive whiteboard. The projector can display an interactive image area up to 96 inches, a bigger and wider display size alternative than interactive whiteboards, which are limited to a predetermined size.  
This projector is very helpful to our teachers because its interactivity and exceptional image quality increases the engagement of our students. Teachers tell me that the collaborative nature of the projector allows the students to feel as if they are generating the information actively, rather than just sitting and listening passively.  

THE CONS
The biggest challenge for me is finding the time and resources so all instructional leaders will buy into the same vision. I am constantly thinking of ways to motivate principals and teachers, so they have the information and training they need to understand how technology can be integrated into the classroom.

A large part of my workday is coming up with cost-effective ways to obtain and integrate the right digital learning tools for our classrooms. As a Mac district, we have to make sure we're choosing platforms that will upgrade as quickly as the PC versions. For a year, we've been purchasing different interactive whiteboards, and typically, we have to buy both an interactive whiteboard and projector. The installation is twofold because we have to install both parts to it. There are also some interactive whiteboards that are all-in-one units, but they tend to be more expensive than buying a board and projector separately.

Another disappointment has been the image quality of the DLP-based projectors that are part of some all-in-one interactive whiteboard solutions. Visual communication is essential in the classroom, so if you're going to project an image, it better be accurate. Although the interactivity of the whiteboards has had a very positive effect on learning, the image quality leaves room for improvement. I've frequently heard teachers complain that the image could be much brighter and colors could be more accurate.

THE APPLICATION
By eliminating the extra expense of the interactive whiteboard, BrightLink has the potential to bring big savings to a district like Fullerton. In a school district, having a low-cost alternative is really paramount. When we find something comparable at a lower price point, it's essential for us to pilot the product because we want to know for sure if it is a solution that we can spread out to as many students as possible.

As a test site for BrightLink, we've installed BrightLink in two kinds of schools, those like Hermosa Drive Elementary that are used to interactive whiteboards, and schools like Golden Hill Elementary that are just learning an interactive solution. The projector is compatible with each school's pre-existing curriculum software solution, so teachers don't skip a beat in their lesson plans when they start using it. For schools not already standardized, BrightLink is available with RM Easiteach Software to help teachers create their own lessons.

BrightLink allows our teachers to use virtually any smooth wall in any school as an interactive whiteboard, to create an environment of creativity and collaboration in the classroom. Students can walk up to the board and use the interactive pen to interact with whatever content the teacher is running, streaming or broadcasting.
The projector is anchored close to the wall and can project extra-large images from just a few feet away. No matter where they are sitting in the classroom, students can view projector images with bright 3LCD 3-chip image quality, plus 2500 lumens of both color light output and white light output.* The projector also comes with a built-in 10 W speaker, a closed captioning decoder, and can be monitored and managed over our network. Response has been so positive that we expect to order more BrightLink projectors for the next school year.

THE RESULT
I've observed how quickly teachers and students, no matter how familiar or new they are to interactive learning, come up to speed with BrightLink. Teachers turn on the projector, plug in all the links, set up their laptop, and they are ready to go. This technology seems to grab the attention of students in a new way. Kids who before had a hard time staying focused are very enthusiastic about wanting to participate.

There's no need to find space in the classroom for an interactive whiteboard because teachers can use the interactive BrightLink projector with a standard whiteboard or on almost any other surface. The ultra-short throw projector also does away with the common challenges of interactive systems, such as an intrusive classroom footprint. BrightLink has no such constraints, with a very large interactive learning area.

We've found that BrightLink projectors fit into multiple room types, projecting up to 96 inches in native WXGA (1280x800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio) and up to 85 inches in XGA (1024x768, 4:3). The ability to select the size of the projection is really important in the classroom because teachers can size it to whatever space available. Easy integration and the connectivity features of BrightLink allow the district to evolve classrooms as it incorporates additional technologies. The projector's maintenance flexibility, its easy monitor and control capabilities, its filter system and long lamp life all contribute to a low cost of ownership, especially important to districts like ours in today's economy.

The more teachers at Fullerton School District see BrightLink in action, the more they want to use it in their own classrooms.

What really captures our eyes at the Fullerton School District is just how beautiful the projected image is. When an image is eye-catching, with the color balance correct right out of the box, you have to take notice. You start thinking about possibilities. I think teachers want learning to happen wherever they are in the classroom, without being restricted to where a board can be installed. So, BrightLink gives us the freedom to install them almost anywhere and change the size of the display. We're especially excited about BrightLink because of the creative possibilities it brings to our classrooms.


THE PRODUCT: Epson BrightLink 450Wi Interactive Projector
THE MANUFACTURER: Epson America, Inc. (www.epson.com)
THE PRICE: Under $2,000
WHERE TO USE IT: Classrooms (K-12 and higher education), meeting rooms

*Light output varies depending on modes (color and white light output). White light output measured using ISO 21118 standard.