In early 2022, the East Cleveland City School District decided it was time to upgrade its classroom technology. Leaning on tech companies Samsung and MantelMount, what they ended up with was far more than an upgrade – this resimercial job was a true transformation.

At four of the district’s seven schools – two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school – the overhaul included 150 Samsung commercial grade (75-inch) touchscreen monitors; Neat Bar Pros and Control Pads (for management of Zoom interactions); soundbars; MantelMount mounting solutions; and Magpie Voice Lift Systems.

Samsung’s MagicINFO Digital Signage Software, a powerful content management solution, topped off this high-tech project.

The schools now possess myriad capabilities they didn’t have before. Their newfound assets allow them to stream videos, access apps (including specialty education apps), and conduct Zoom calls.

Everything from the cafeteria lunch schedule to highlights from the basketball and football game can be displayed for everyone to see. An invited speaker or guest can converse with the entire student body simultaneously, without the need to assemble everyone in a central location. And it’s all controlled by the teachers, in their assigned classrooms. 

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Samsung Interactive Displays, MantelMount Systems Part of Tech Answer

Ohio-based Business Network Team (BNT), a well-respected telecommunications and IT network consulting firm, served as the conductor of this technological orchestra, bringing in additional vendors to handle their respective tasks (a 110v outlet and two Cat-6 cable drops were placed behind each monitor).

BNT – a recipient of Samsung‘s “Most Innovative Video Solution in the World in 2021 –also handled the extensive equipment installation. An important question was how to ensure the limited classroom space was efficiently used.

Stakeholders agreed that the front wall was the only viable solution. But the job became more challenging when the district insisted on retaining as much chalkboard and bulletin board space as possible while keeping the screens easily accessible.

Kurt Nelson, vice president of Sales at BNT, realized that the space above the chalkboards was the best location that would make this all work, even though there was not exactly an abundance of space up there either. Further, the monitors, if permanently stationed at that height, would not provide an ideal viewing angle or height for students and teachers trying to access the interactive screens.

“I just started searching for adjustable mounts online, and I came across MantelMount,” Nelson recalls. “It seemed like a sturdy, well-constructed device, which was critical given the total weight of the equipment we were installing and the way the mounts would be used.”

What really grabbed his attention was the vertical movement that the MantelMount units offered. This allowed Nelson’s Business Network Team to install the monitors high on the front wall where they would not block any classroom equipment.

When the monitor was in use, it could be effortlessly pulled down to eye level; after the activity was finished, teachers could just as easily move the monitors back to their original position. After working through the Samsung Panel specifications and soundbar compatibility, Nelson and MantelMount selected the company’s MM710 model. BNT then secured the P.O. for 150 of the MM710 units.

Post-It Notes Play Important Role in AV Design

Working independently, each vendor – as well as the BNT installers – was given clear placement instructions that included the required height and distance from the centerline and the ceiling for the Cat-6 box, 110v box, and the MM710. Additionally, they received a floorplan showing the wall in the room where the installation was to be made and a picture displaying the room number and the wall, according to Nelson. 

BNT devised a clever system in which an adhesive sticker was placed in every room showing the centerline of each monitor’s location, which served as a guide for pinpointing the exact position of each mount. The position in each room varied depending on the amount of space above the chalkboard, the length of the wall, and any built-it cabinets.

The Cat-6 and 110v drops were then positioned a predetermined distance from the posted center line so they were concealed behind the monitor.

Four crews, sometimes five, were assembled to execute each part of the install in an “assembly line” approach; each team performed its function, with the next team close behind.

“We had a mounting crew doing nothing but installing the mounts,” explains Nelson. “The next crew took care of the monitors. That was followed by the team for the Neat bars, with another for testing and validation. This approach allowed us to employ teams from multiple vendors, operating independently, to install all the required equipment in a very short timeframe.”

BNT began work in late May 2022 and finished in early August, completing 150 complete units in just 50 working days. “It went like clockwork, and we didn’t have a single incorrect installation,” Nelson adds.

Some minor obstacles cropped up, but BNT had no trouble working through them. Nearly every installation required drilling and mounting into either cement block or brick walls, which did slow the process, according to Nelson. “And because it was summer, the school’s hours were more limited. Still, the installation issues were relatively minor.”

After all the installation work, BNT shifted attention to training the teachers and other school personnel on the new equipment. Austin Fleischer, one of the project managers and trainers for BNT, was primarily responsible for this part of the project. He had been very involved on the technical side, programming the monitors, double-checking IP addresses, and ensuring proper configuration of the Zoom connection.

“I spent a couple of days at the schools meeting with various teams individually, and then spent a whole day conducting very detailed training” Fleischer says. “I answered their questions, addressed their concerns, and ultimately got them energized about the kinds of things they would be able to do with this new technology.”

Project Manager Becomes Teacher Training Teachers

Given Fleischer’s background, he was the ideal trainer for this audience. “I taught in public school for 15 years,” Fleischer said. “As a former educator, I spoke the teachers’ language. I didn’t just tell them how to use the technology, I explained how it can be used in real-life classroom situations, like creating lesson plans or exposing the students to experiences that would expand their world.”

Though they are the lowest-tech element to this entire installation, the mounts play a significant role in almost every type of usage. When a teacher conducts a lesson onscreen, bringing the screen down to eye level removes the discomfort students can experience from craning their necks.

When they’re doing a Zoom, the interaction between the two parties is truly “eye to eye.” This perspective is not only ideal for students but for teachers conducting a Zoom meeting with a parent, for example.

Teachers and other school personnel have embraced the updated technology with open arms, Nelson reports. When teachers first saw the installation, they thought the monitors were stationary. “When I was doing my training, I would tell them, ‘You know, you can pull that monitor down,’” Fleisher says.

“They were amazed. They were afraid they would rip the monitors off the wall. That certainly was one of the ‘wow’ factors during training.”

BNT will be putting more equipment into the schools’ common areas, such as the gym and the cafeteria. Plus, owing to the success of the initial project, similar installations will be put up in three more of the district’s schools, including one for the School of Performing Arts.

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