Hopefully, we're fully past the remote and hybrid learning era but, among all that we've learned in the last two years, we know that education can certainly continue outside the classroom. Even if not an emergency situation, hybrid learning will probably continue in various cases—especially in higher education. So, isn't it great to have technologies that could help teachers make these out-of-classroom experiences fluid while keeping them personal? So, while we're on the topic, there might not be any as impactful as the Owl Labs meeting tools. With a 360-degree, three-in-one camera, a live-streaming whiteboard camera, or an entire virtual meeting system, their offerings certainly combine innovation, efficiency, and angles that many K-12 students haven't seen before.
The Owl Labs team originally developed these solutions for use outside education—largely for corporate settings. With the onset of the pandemic and remote learning, however, they quickly began redefining how students could access learning. Fast forward to today and they remain a very impactful product line in 21st century education. As such, we're excited to offer these tools on our store. There (and below), you'll find all our various Owl Labs solutions: the Meeting Owl 3, Whiteboard Owl, the Owl Labs Premium Pack, new Owl Labs Meeting HQ, and some accessories. They're all unique and super easy for teachers to integrate. Plus, the technology is certainly impressive and always being updated.
The Meeting Owl 3 videoconferencing camera.
Starting with the Meeting Owl 3, this 360-degree, three-in-one camera, mic, and speaker combination can help teachers replicate the feel of in-person instruction when students may be in different places. Everyone in the group can enjoy 360-degree views, clear audio, and automatic zoom-ins on the speaker. It also has a built-in 1080p camera, Wi-Fi, and eight omnidirectional microphones that give it an 18-foot audio pick-up range. What's more, those eight microphones allow this device to identify exactly where each person is as they begin speaking. And, though it improves how educators host classes or small-group meetings, it's not hosting meetings by itself. It pairs with a computer so users can access the video platform of their choice.
The Meeting Owl 3 is platform-agnostic and works with video platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, and Google Meet. What really sets this device apart, however, is its intelligent autofocus technology, quick meeting launches, and Owl Intelligence System. Essentially, this is an AI tool that can see and hear who is speaking, which makes it easier for many students to simultaneously follow fluid classroom conversations from different locations. Its 360-degree field of view also creates frictionless coverage of every inch of your room. Plus, the Owl Intelligence System and its AI-driven software helps install regular upgrades. And, this makes teaching and collaborating with the Meeting Owl 3 even more efficient and enjoyable.
The Owl Labs Premium Pack and Whiteboard Owl.
For just $200 more, educators can also opt to go with the Owl Labs Premium Pack. This one includes the same Meeting Owl device with some noteworthy extras. Among these are their lock adapter, a 16-foot USB extension cable, and extra coverage with the Owl Care protection. Perhaps more importantly, there's also a third year of coverage added to the warranty with this option. And, as a courtesy to educational customers, you can access a one-time damage replacement with immediate shipping and unlimited training. Since any of these devices could get damaged if moving between classrooms, this added peace of mind is valuable.
Next, we have the Owl Labs Whiteboard Owl—another unique device when it comes to virtual instruction. Once teachers point it at their classroom whiteboard, the Whiteboard Owl live-streams written content from the whiteboard to all students who are connected remotely or in the same room. This live-streaming feature helps enhance the content teachers are covering, simplifies understanding, and bolsters engagement. And, don't worry, it has some impressive features of its own, like Whiteboard Capture. This technology enables the Whiteboard Owl to automatically save whiteboard notes and share them among students during class.
Owl Connect and the Owl Intelligence System.
The Whiteboard Owl also has a feature called Owl Connect. This allows educators to pair it with standard Owl Labs devices hassle-free. Teachers can use the Whiteboard Owl around the entire classroom but it still works best when they're 1-12 feet away. Though it's a standalone camera and not an audio device, it often still helps enhance the feel of your in-person instruction. Very much a niche solution, the Whiteboard Owl is mountable on other whiteboards or wherever it fits in the classroom. After capturing notes directly from the whiteboard, the Owl Labs technology generates a unique URL and codes to send to each student, helping transform live meetings and simplify retention for all.
Ultimately, the Owl Labs solutions help ensure hybrid or potentially remote students can fully engage with every lesson—not just passively sitting on the side and taking notes. This is due largely to how educators position the camera but, rest assured, there's not too much of a learning curve when it comes to using this technology. They don't need remote controls to use Owl Labs devices and there's no live data for teachers to monitor. It's very simple and instructors tend to pick it up quickly. Also, the camera tracks and spotlights whoever is actively speaking and, anytime they want to try the spotlight view feature, teachers can split the screen up to three times to show more than one participant. This wrinkle, in particular, helps students and teachers observe non-verbal feedback from those who aren't speaking.
The Owl Labs Meeting HQ and new accessories.
Perhaps the most robust of the Owl Labs tools, the Meeting HQ system is our newest offering. Basically, it serves as an in-room control center, allowing teachers to launch meetings or virtual classes with one single tap thanks to its Quick Start Software. It also integrates with digital calendars (Google Workspace or Office 365) to help create greater fluidity. Whether using the Meeting HQ to facilitate discussions with students or for attending virtual meetings with fellow faculty members, it's a super simple tool. Plus, it easily pairs with the Meeting Owl 3 for even more versatility. Actually, educators must pair the Meeting HQ with the Meeting Owl 3 or an older Owl Labs device for it to work.
Besides this compatibility, the Meeting HQ includes a 1-year subscription to this Quick Start Software and many external components. These include a quick-start guide, an Owl Adapter and Lock Screw, an AC/DC power brick with a DC line cord, a 3-foot DC extender cable, and a 12-foot AC cable. Plus, the Meeting HQ integrates with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet for added efficiency. And, as for the most recent Owl Labs accessories, we're now stocking the Owl Labs Expansion Mic and Owl Labs Lock Adapter for the Meeting Owl 3. With the Expansion Mic, teachers can simply expand their audio range when using the Meeting Owl 3 in instruction. And, with the Lock Adapter, they can keep their Owl Labs devices secured to any structure in any learning environment.
Adding the Owl Labs solutions to the classroom.
To wrap things up, teachers can choose to incorporate the Owl Labs app with their Owl Labs solutions but don't have to. It does, however, help enhance classroom meetings and it's available on mobile devices with a Windows version in development. Finally, with Owl Labs' Presenter Enhance feature, the device's camera will follow any moving speaker instead of a stationary speaker. In this mode, it will follow them while they're moving around classrooms or instructional environments to truly replicate in-person learning. With this new feature, the device picks up shapes and voices instead of facial recognition while reducing the distractions from moving cameras. If you're impressed, click below to find these solutions on our store, create a quote, or place an order. And, follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more!
