Colleges and universities, long considered bastions of classical learning, have been trying to figure out ways to properly incorporate technology in all of their classrooms. Classrooms frequented by professors of the science and technology departments are often the first to implement the newest tools and toys; it is important that the fields that demand up to date scholarship be on top of all the latest trends. However, large sections of universities, the departments that deal with the humanities and the arts, can find incorporating new technologies quite difficult and not very intuitive. The modern smart classroom manages to incorporate all of the old tools of the teaching trade with the latest in modern technology.
Almost all schools have a campus wide wireless network that keeps the students connected to the university and their professors. Programs like Blackboard bring the classroom experience to the dorm room as assignments are handed out, turned in, critiqued and graded without the physical classroom. Speaking of the physical classroom, the newest Smart Rooms incorporate one control panel that allows the professor to operate a projection screen, the projector and speaker system, a computer that allows web pages or pictures from individual flash drives to be displayed, DVD players for watching movies and programs, and a monitor so teachers never have to turn their back on the class to see what is being projected on the screen. Document cameras have taken the place of the overhead projector so any item can be broadcast without needing light to shine through it. The latest classrooms often incorporate video conferencing software so lessons can take place across cities or even oceans. By utilizing all these tools, the professor can take the old method of lecturing and writing on the chalkboard and make it a multi-media experience. Combined with the proper training of university faculty, these classrooms are the future of education.