One of the biggest challenges of the 2020-2021 school year has been providing a high quality of education to students while being mindful of COVID-19. Educators are so eager to engage with students on an in-person level, but there are still restrictions in place and parent concerns that are preventing 100% in-person learning in many states.
AV technology has played a crucial role in allowing K-12 schools to deliver high-quality, engaging education to both in-person and remote learners. Let’s take a closer look at how schools are doing this.
1. Interactive displays enhance in-person learning
For students who are attending school in person, it’s important to find ways to take lessons to the next level in a way that is mindful of social distancing and contact guidelines. Interactive displays with content sharing, multi-touch, and whiteboard capabilities can increase engagement and focus. In some cases they can also be connected to software and cloud-based programs so at home learners can participate in the collaboration as well.
2. Video conferencing for hybrid classrooms
Many K-12 teachers are simultaneously giving lessons to students in the classroom and at home. High quality video conferencing equipment (with a camera and microphone) can give remote learners high quality video and sound that mimics being in the classroom. It also gives students the opportunity to participate in the classroom and maintain face-to-face contact with other students and teachers.
3. Leveraging AV carts for mobile connectivity
It’s important for teachers to be able to move around the building to accommodate their in-person students, while remaining connected to their remote learners. If pan-tilt-zoom cameras with advanced autotracking features are not realistically within budget, an AV cart is a great option. These carts hold a large display, a camera, a wireless mic, etc. — everything that a teacher would need to connect with at-home students, in a much more portable format than built-in technology.
4. Keeping all students involved in “hands-on” activities
Hands-on learning has always been such an important part of K-12 learning. However, hybrid/remote learning and COVID-19 guidelines have made this difficult. With AV technology, teachers can conduct science experiments or give a technical demo in a robotics class that is more impactful than finding a video on the topic from YouTube. Students will have the ability to ask questions in real-time and have an experience similar to that of witnessing the activity in person.
Government assistance like the CARES Act have allocated funding to K-12 schools to help them secure the tools they need to create a successful learning environment. For many schools, that involves completely rethinking their AV technology setup and heavily investing funds in that area.
IVCi prides itself on being a trust technology partner that schools can turn to when they need help with their AV technology. From strategy to deployment to ongoing support, we can help K-12 set up and maintain systems for long-term success. Contact us today to see what we can do for your school.
