Digital signage for school – here’s 5 easy hints and tips
By Tim Jones
A familiar story… a screen in the school reception area purchased with the idea of using digital signage to showcase students’ work. Although the equipment and software were bought with the right intentions, it eventually lays dormant gathering dust on the wall. Why? The software was hard to use, with features that are certainly not user-friendly. There was also the issue of how to get student work on to the screen without involving a load of processes or having the schools IT technician kick-off!
It needn’t be like this! This is why we created TrilbyTV, we knew what the problem was and with the right software in place, digital signage features can be utilised, showcasing what makes your school so great. Beyond that, it can inspire both the next generation and teachers alike and do you know what the crazy thing is? With TrilbyTV it’s SO EASY! This is why we’ve created this simple guide with five ideas of how you can switch on your digital signage…
1. Use digital signage to promote your school
You’re probably already doing this on a daily or hourly basis through a service like Twitter. Schools are very busy spaces and teachers are very busy people. This means that it can be difficult to deliver effective CPD outside of inset training days or after school meetings. Many schools are allowing staff to actively contribute to the Twitter-sphere. This means that the tweets from staff can be used to make excellent digital signage content. TrilbyTV’s software has a feature that allows you to showcase your Twitter feed. If you are already adding photos and snippets of the day to Twitter, showing that content on screens means they are always fresh. It’s a great way to keep everyone up to date with the day’s progress.
Don’t forget, your screens represent the school, you want them to create maximum impact, with engaging content. You probably get many parents and visitors from the wider community every day, you want them to see what makes your school so great!
2. Be up to date using the equipment that you have available
Anyone with an iPad is your roving reporter. The built-in cameras for photo and video mean they can capture media anywhere. Think about how great your digital signage would look if pictures from today’s field trip were showing back in school. This adds value and justifies the cost of that expensive trip out. This also lets the whole school see what their friends and colleagues are up to via digital signage. It also makes a great viewpoint for parents who can see what their children have been up to.
3. Give students a voice at a low cost
Students are creators. More than ever we all have access to the equipment to capture, record and publish our thoughts, ideas and opinions. Consider tasking some students to gather video from their friends and fellow students around a hot topic of the week. It could be the latest sports updates, reporting back on a successful project or picking something current from world events. With TrilbyTV you know that the software is in place to get the end-result pushed out through digital signage screens around the school. This creates a sense of community amongst students and their peers. It will also encourage students to perform well and aspire to showcase – the cost of doing this is second to none.
4. Take advantage of features and share EVERYTHING!
Video needn’t be a student only focus. Staff, when encouraged, can also make good use of the many cameras on devices and equipment they have access to. How about capturing evidence of best practice and sharing this to a screen in the staffroom. With on-screen rolling examples of outstanding classroom practice, staff are learning every time they grab a drink. Staffroom screens also make a great place to use digital signage to showcase tweets of well-known educationalists such as @TeacherToolkit or @ICT_MrP. This allows staff to take in short bursts of CPD before heading back to their classrooms. As mentioned before, there’s a great feature on TrilbyTV’s software that allows you to showcase your tweets and we even have new optional hashtag filtering This means that you can add additional hashtags such as Apple’s #everonecancode and #everyonecancreatefor example.
5. Celebrate success in school and utilise digital signage software
In its simplest form, digital signage is just that – a sign. The ability for anyone in your school to use the equipment that they have readily available, easily grab an image and add a message on any device. Once uploaded it to the digital signage software you can celebrate “Student of the day”. Take a picture of morning assembly to remind everyone throughout the day of the inspirational message. Word of the day or this weeks’ subject focus also makes great content. This can easily be shown in between the rest of your rich media. If you don’t have time to create your own then check out the Content Catalogue which is TrilbyTV’s very own collection of hand-picked education focused signage content ready to be added to your screens with one click.
TrilbyTV has plenty of features that can help do all of the above and more. We work with suppliers who can provide you with the equipment that is compatible with the software that we provide. If your screen is off or your digital signage solution is old, slow, clunky and not easy to use, sign up for a free 30-day trial here.
