My wife teaches English to high school freshmen and seniors. It’s a good thing that she’s the one teaching them, because if it were me, I’d probably end up in a mental institution. The hard part about teaching teenagers is finding effective methods of communication. Sometimes it seems like they just don’t understand words. But there are things they do understand. High school teenagers understand images. They understand video. They understand multi-media, multi-sensory communication. This is one of the reasons why we at Acoustics By Design are seeing a significant uptick in Digital Signage system design for K-12 schools.
“Digital signage” is a catch-all term that encompasses any digital media that is displayed for viewing and is easily changeable. Gone are the days of a cork bulletin board, paper flyers, and thumbtacks. Now, LCD panels are hung in hallways and cafeterias to display announcements and upcoming events. Instead of a printed flyer, these announcements are typed into a software program and distributed over video cabling or over the existing building IT network. Schools are even enlisting students to help design the content, often incorporating it into an art class.
The beauty of digital signage is that whoever controls the input of the content can schedule all the different announcements (slides, video, etc) in any order desired. Some schools deploy this type of signage not just in one building but sometimes across an entire district. A communications director or an administrative assistant can load and run content on displays that can be physically located many miles away.
A well designed system will allow for almost any type of digital media to be displayed. When implemented, it is very feasible to have high quality content that effectively communicates to high school students. Need proof? Just walk into your local mall. Retailers are using digital signage in stores everywhere to promote their products. And teenagers buy their stuff. If you want your message to have the same kind of impact, consider a digital signage solution. The cost can be much more affordable than you think, and the return on investment can be astounding.
