Hardware for the Hybrid Classroom and Funding Resources for Schools

Districts, schools, and institutes of higher education around the world are looking to design learning environments that are modern, flexible, and adaptive for today’s needs. At the same time, leaders and administrators are considering how their hardware and application investments can redesign their classrooms and offices for the future to support education in the long run. 

Schools are incorporating hardware that optimizes blended learning environments for classes and services, and institutions in the U.S. are using federal CAA and CARES Act funding for these purchases. 

Here are a few ideas for enabling classrooms and campuses with educational technology that gives faculty, students, and staff new opportunities to learn, engage, and interact in person or remotely.

One of the challenges of hybrid education is making sure students at home have an equitable learning experience — that they can see and hear the teacher and participate in the conversation as easily as a student in the classroom. Zoom Rooms education designs help bridge that gap by making it easy to integrate multiple cameras, audio inputs, companion whiteboards, and document cameras.  

Check out these examples of hybrid classrooms in action:

From Monte Vista Christian School using DTEN technology in Watsonville, California, to schools in Ulster County, New York, educators have found amazingly creative ways to utilize this technology in courses like auto repair, culinary arts, theater, and physical education.

Burke’s School in San Francisco, California, equipped its classrooms with powerful, purpose-built hardware like Neat Bars to make the virtual experience even more immersive and interactive. 

Quinnipiac University created “Zoom Rooms on wheels” by putting hardware on carts to make them more mobile, enhancing educators’ ability to teach remote and in-person students simultaneously.

Appleby College used Logitech touch controllers and conference cameras powered by Zoom Rooms software to make it easy for faculty to start class online at the touch of a button.

The good news is, federal funding can help U.S. schools address the growing need for virtual and blended learning environments.

K-12 and higher education institutions in the U.S. can leverage Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) funding to support technological capacity and access to learning, including hardware and software that enables remote learning.

Visit our funding resource page to learn more about the grant options available and see how you can connect your classroom, school, or district with Zoom.

Educators and administrators have an opportunity to reimagine what classrooms, lecture halls, meeting spaces, and libraries look like and redesign communication systems across campuses, school districts, and their educational community. Here are a few resources to get started:

Take a look at your hardware options to get inspiration for your hybrid classroom or smart campus:

• Zoom for Education hardware design guide
• Zoom Rooms for Education overview
• Hybrid classroom hardware
• Hybrid classroom/cart system

Hear directly from Zoom customers on how they designed engaging environments to optimize blended learning:

• Webinar with Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services
• Webinar with Harvard University and Choate Rosemary Hall 

And check out our tips and features for teaching in a hybrid classroom.