Students today are digital residents – they’ve grown up with technology all around them and are used to getting information from screens in some way, shape or form. Also, blended learning, e-learning and distance learning are very much at the forefront of today’s educational discussions. So it makes sense for K-12 administrators and teachers to tap into what their students are already doing, and bring their school or entire district into the 21st century. Digital signage for K-12 schools can help improve communication without disrupting instruction!
Engage Students
We all know that some students are more visual than others, and digital signage is a great way to captivate and engage those learners. And all kids today need to be digitally literate – so why not use your digital signage system to educate them on best practices for internet safety, downloading files, and so on? See how digital signage for K-12 looks.
In fact, you can use your screens to scaffold and support your instruction by showing key terms and teaser graphics for upcoming or ongoing lessons. As they walk around the school, your displays reinforce what students are exposed to in the classroom, adding additional layers of information and instruction.
Go Hands-On
You can even get the learners directly involved. Let them try their hands at designing messages and digital presentations, and let their peers vote for the best design. This recognizes good work, creates a sense of community, and teaches them key values they need to communicate effectively in the information age.
We all remember having to write reports in school. Why not have the teachers choose the best two or three and then the entire class can work together to turn it into a series of slides to be displayed around the school? Everyone gets involved, the students with the best work are recognized for their achievement, and the students who maybe didn’t do so well the first time have another opportunity to interact with the material.
Organize Fun Projects
If your learners take to this sort of thing, extend their use of the digital signage system to long-term projects. English class students could collaborate in teams on a four-week series of messages about Shakespeare, while math students could find simple ways to get across the basic ideas of algebra to the whole student body. They say that we remember 90% of what we teach others, and projects like this show you that they really understand the material.
School should also be a place of fun, so why not get students and teachers creating timelines, cartoons and videos that tell stories in a new and creative way? Reoccurring characters and themes will provide a sense of continuity, and give the learners something to talk about in the school yard.
Another buzzword these days is “gamification“. Turn things into contests and games to motivate learners to participate and explore, and reward them for their efforts. You can have teams competing against one another with real-time progress displayed on your screens – everyone will know the standings and get more involved. This could be projects like those mentioned above, or something like a Christmas toy drive. Just make sure that the rewards are something tangible – a pizza party, t-shirts, discounts at the local mall. This will make even the most reluctant learners want to get in on the action.
Your digital signage system is more than just a way to advertise an upcoming bake sale or football game. It can also pull your students together, stimulate them and help them create a learning community that is as fun as it is educational.
If you’d like help with digital signage for your school, contact us.