Precautions while using Overhead Projectors

1. Business owners often use overhead projectors to present ideas visually during presentations. Overhead projectors display images onto a screen via a bright lamp, a large fresnel lens, a smaller objective lens and a mirror. Although overhead projector designs vary by manufacturer, design elements shared across manufacturers can pose certain dangers to you and your audience. .....

Function

2. An overhead projector is a metal box with mirrors, lenses and a bright light. The bright light from a bulb reflects on the Fresnel lens inside the overhead. The light then bounces to a reflecting mirror under a stage where you set the overhead transparency. This image is in reverse form. A convex mirror then reflects an enlarged image with the proper orientation from the overhead transparency to a screen behind the speaker and the overhead. .....

Types

3. The three types of overhead projectors are the transmissive, reflective and opaque. The transmissive overhead projector is the most commonly used type. It relies on the Fresnel lens to reflect the image from the overhead transparency to the screen. Reflective overhead projectors work from an overhead light source rather than one underneath the presenters hand as in a transmissive overhead projector. This type of overhead projector gets the most u .....

Precautions

4. Business owners can reduce these dangers by using overhead projectors per manufacturer safety rules. For example, if you have a child who spends time with you at your business, don t allow her to play or stand near the projector at any time whether it s in use or not. Position the projector close to an electrical socket, or use bright yellow or red reflective tape to alert others of the cord s position. Additionally, move seats away from the proj .....

Toxins

5. Given that an overhead projector can overheat enough to make parts melt or catch fire, another danger of using this equipment is potential exposure to toxic smoke. When certain parts, such as plastic, metal or fire retardant chemicals heat up or burn in equipment, toxic chemicals and heavy metals enter the air. Even with adequate indoor ventilation, you might experience short term or long term health issues including skin or eye irritation, upper .....

Electrical

6. Because an overhead projector is an electrical device, it might experience a short or fire when plugged into an electric socket. For example, you might cause the projector to short if, while drinking a beverage during your presentation, you accidentally spill some of it into the projectors air vents or another opening. Additionally, an electrical short or fire might occur if you use the equipment without getting it checked out after it falls, or .....

Falls

7. During a presentation, you might move around a lot or gesticulate with your hands. Unless you ve clamped or bolted the projector by its housing to the tabletop, you might knock it over. The projector might injure you or someone nearby as it falls. Additionally, if you position the cord over the side of the table or on the floor, you or a member of your audience might trip and fall bodily, pull the projector off the table, or both, resulting in in .....

Heat

8. An overhead projector contains several parts that heat up during use. You might burn yourself on these parts if you don t wait for the projector to cool completely before performing maintenance or repairs, such as lamp replacement. Certain actions might also cause these and other parts, including the fan or electrical cord, to overheat and burn. For example, you might cause the projector to overheat if you block the cooling air vents, use an exte .....

Basic Understanding

9. Spend time going over the equipment manual in detail and practicing in advance. Learn where the On/Off switch is located and where the lamp is if you need to replace it mid presentation keep a spare bulb on hand for this purpose. Before the presentation begins, tape the electrical cord to the floor for safety reasons and clean the projector glass. Adjust the projector so the image is easily readable and sitting high on the screen to provide al .....

Overhead Transparencies

10. When preparing transparencies, use a variety of colors and no more than six bullet points per page. Use large type that is easy to see and read from a distance when it is projected on the screen. Place a piece of paper underneath the first transparency so the screen is blank and dark even when the projector is turned on. Slide the paper to reveal one bullet point at a time. Judge from the audience s reaction when to move to the next bullet point .....

Additional Tips

11. If a point requires several minutes of discussion, turn off the overhead projector to focus the audience attention on you and away from the screen. Turn the overhead projector back on when youre ready for the next bullet topic. Use this same tactic when you move transparencies across the glass. If the projector is not turned off when you exchange transparencies, a bright light projects on the screen, which causes a distraction. Consider using whi .....

Beneficial Strengths

12. This projector definitely has a number of advantages that would outdo most other visual teaching aids. For instance, a lecturer can use it in just the same way that he or she would use a chalkboard, but the biggest advantage would be that with the projector, lecturers all over the world now get to face the whole class and maintain eye contact all times with their students instead of having to turn around and write. As a teacher, you would know th .....

Possible Weaknesses

13. The drawbacks of this projector include the basic fact that it requires a constant power supply and also requires a white flat surface on which its image can be projected. Another disadvantage is that if the surface is not suitable inclined at the correct angle, the image will suffer from a phenomenon called .....

Overhead Projector Usage

14. There are many a time when (for better or worse) a speaker decides to use an overhead projector to enhance a presentation. This, more often then not, can destroy not only the presentation but the integrity of the speaker, if not handled properly. Overheads are a powerful tool in a presenters arsenal. They help convey ideas, drive particular points home as well as giving one the ability to display charts, graphs and pictures clearly. The proper us .....

The Use of Overhead Projectors in Education

15. Teachers trying to use more modern ways to communicate information and develop understanding might not consider overhead projectors as their first choice. When overused, they bore students and lose their efficacy. However, they can still prove extremely beneficial when used appropriately. .....

Considerations

16. An overhead needs an appropriate space in the classroom. Ideally, it should sit near an outlet and have an extension cord if necessary (one that wont trip students by lying across a walkway). The projector should sit in the front of the room on a flat surface; classroom desks that have an angle are often problematic unless you can use books to prop the machine up. .....

Significance

17. Writing on transparencies and using an overhead projector to share them with the class helps facilitate group discussion easily. Groups in the class can also quickly record their work and conversations to share with the rest of the class. Such strategies particularly benefit students who respond to visual learning cues. .....

Benefits

18. Although overhead projectors seem outdated in more technologically advanced classrooms, they provide a valuable back up if the Internet or another technological tool fails to work, and the teacher needs to share visuals with the whole class. Teachers can keep salient information on a transparency to continue with an alternate lesson. .....

Expert Insight

19. Deaf or hard of hearing students benefit from overhead projectors used to display visual aids to the lesson or discussion. Although teachers need to remember to dim the lights to make the image visible, a deaf student may also need to see her classroom translator in conjunction with the images on the projector. .....

Features Overhead Projectors

20. Overhead projectors are familiar features in many classrooms and conference rooms. While the LCD projector is becoming more common, many public speaking venues still offer overhead projectors to illustrate key points in presentations. Because this form of technology is readily available, overhead projectors are quite inexpensive to operate. Many educational institutions have overheads in each classroom because of the low cost and the adaptability .....

Size

21. One key component of the size of an overhead projector is the lumen output from the bulb. A higher lumen projector is visible in a brightly lit room. A lower lumen projector requires dimming the room lighting to be clearly visible. The size of the stage is also another element of the size of an overhead. The stage of a projector should be adequate to hold a standard size sheet of paper, which is also the standard size of an overhead transparency. .....

Provide best view

22. An overhead projector should have an on/off switch. This switch should automatically allow the cooling fan to continue running even when the switch is off so that the bulb can cool properly. Overheads also allow you to get the best view of your overhead transparency by offering different methods of adjusting the focus. You can raise and lower the head on many models with a knob or lever. Other models have a keystone feature that allows you to ad .....

Warning

23. Remember to always keep a spare bulb for the overhead projector nearby. While newer models have two bulbs that you can easily switch during a presentation, older models dont. Always allow the fan to cool the bulb properly before shutting off the projector. Turning off the bulb before it has time to cool can lead to damage. Handle bulbs with care. They can be extremely hot. .....

How it bowled its way into the classroom

24. Many students who have been educated in North American classrooms during the latter half of the 20th century have experienced lessons taught by teachers using overhead projectors. .....

Overhead projectors are more reachable and less costly

25. Overhead projectors are more reachable and less costly for the many school budgets. Moreover, overhead projectors are easy to use. This is another consideration you must think about while using them for your demands. In this case, you have to know well that these are easy to use so you do not need to learn more about the process of operating. Since of ease of use provided by them, each of people will be able to operate it very well.Therefore, it .....

Overheating of projectors might cause melting of different parts of the device

26. Overheating of projectors might cause melting of different parts of the device. This may lead to exposure of toxic smokes. .....

Good presentation

27. Proper care must be taken while using these devices so that a good presentation may not be jeopardised and people might never get hurt.mHire projectors from reliable rental companies in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and other important cities in Australia and take proper measures while using them. .....

Overhead projector has been a favorite presentation tool

28. The overhead projector has been a favorite presentation tool for educators and business people alike. Its origins in technology go back to the turn of the century, but in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company 3M introduced the use of transparency film for educational purposes and became a major manufacturer of overhead projectors. With the projectors user manual and a little practice time, youll be r .....

Effectively use the overhead projector

29. Master two key components to effectively use the overhead projector in a presentation environment. The first is to understand how your particular projector works and the second is to gracefully integrate your use of the transparency film with the projector. When this is done well, the overhead projector blends into the background and your audience focuses on the projected images rather than the hardware. .....

Practice giving your presentation

30. Practice giving your presentation using your visual aids to check out how well they project. This is a good time to also check for spelling errors. Have a friend sit and watch your presentation and make notes on any problems or needed improvements with your visual aids. Practice using your overhead transparencies so you will be comfortable with handling them correctly. .....

Stand off to one side of the overhead projector while you face the audience

31. Stand off to one side of the overhead projector while you face the audience Too many people stand between the overhead projector and the screen causing a shadow of the presenters body. Standing to one side will allow the audience to see you as the presenter and will prevent you from blocking their view of your visual aid. .....

Do not face the projected image on the screen

32. Face your audience and not the screen. Many presenters face the screen and end up talking to the screen. Although overhead projector designs vary by manufacturer, design elements shared across manufacturers can pose certain dangers to you and your audience. .....

Cover the transparency when you are done using it

33. With an opaque piece of cardboard (I usually mount a solid sheet of paper on one of my transparency frames). You may also turn off the projector completely, but beware, this can cause the projector bulb to burn out sooner. Overheating of projectors might cause melting of different parts of the device. This may lead to exposure of toxic smokes. If you are taking drinks or any beverage during the presentation, make sure that the projector is far o .....

Bring a spare bulb

34. Nothing is more unsettling than to have your overhead projector bulb burn out during your presentation. Bring spare bulbs and a glove to change the bulb. The old bulb will be HOT! Make sure you know how to change the bulb. CAUTION: Remember HOT glass looks the same as cold glass. .....