On Topic Episode 12: Other Duties as Assigned
Recorded August 27, 2021
This month’s topic is “Time for Change,” which we interpreted as “how do we think of classroom AV systems in 2021 as opposed to the same systems in 2019?” The technology hasn’t really changed, but the tasks in those classrooms most certainly have changed, which means we now select the technology differently.
But before we get into all that, we cover some recent news from QSC—or at least leaked from QSC via Rave—about how they’re responding to on-going supply chain shortages. Rather than continuously delay orders, QSC is apparently telling their industry partners (but not necessarily their end-user customers) that some product lines simply will not be available for the foreseeable future. It’s an interesting tact to be sure, and Jamie and Rachel are especially appreciative of it. Rachel also highly recommends an article by a colleague on communicating with customers during a crisis (linked below).
Then we discuss what a classroom system should look like in 2021 or 2022. Sure, the general technologies are the same as we’ve been recommending for years, but now what was once considered an optional add-on is a critical component that is absolutely required for day-to-day teaching and learning. Additionally, “classrooms” clearly extend beyond the four walls of the physical room, so other technology items that were previously considered to be core components can be removed as they no longer easily tie into the new model of mixed hybrid and hyflex learning.
Articles discussed:
