In the ever-evolving landscape of education, the integration of technology has become pivotal in enhancing communication, engagement, and overall learning experiences. In this case study, we delve into the enlightening conversation we had with Kailee Rowell, the Media Specialist at Nahunta Primary School. Nestled in the heart of Brantley County, Georgia, Nahunta Primary sought to address a critical challenge in their educational landscape.
Kailee Rowell, Media Specialist, plays a crucial role in fostering a dynamic learning environment at Nahunta Primary. Her dedication to creating engaging and informative content for students and faculty alike has positioned her as a leader in leveraging technology for educational purposes.
Nahunta Primary, located in rural Georgia is a small school with around 450 students from pre-K to grade 3. The primary school is one of the approximately 47% of public schools in the US qualifying for Title 1 funding.
The decision to implement Rise Vision at Nahunta Primary School was initiated through a collaborative effort driven by the school's leadership. Kailee Rowell, the Media Specialist, shared, "That [Rise Vision] was something that my principal asked me to head up." In pursuit of a solution, Kailee consulted with Josh Rowell, a Media Specialist at Nahunta Elementary School, who was already utilizing Rise Vision. She explained, "He's a media specialist at the elementary school, and he said that he was using Rise Vision and that he really liked it."
The positive feedback from a fellow educator in the same district who was experiencing success with Rise Vision played a pivotal role in the school’s decision to explore the platform further.
Securing the necessary funds for the implementation of digital signage at Nahunta Primary School was successful in part from the school being granted Georgia's Literacy for Learning, Living and Leading, the L4GA Grant. Kailee said, "Yes, so I actually was able to buy the Android media player used to run the Rise Vision [presentations] with my L4GA grant money."
The utilization of grant funds underscored the school's commitment to leveraging available resources to enhance communication and engagement. However, Kailee faced some limitations in the use of grant funds, noting that the school was not able to pay for the digital signage subscription. Despite this constraint, she strategically allocated the grant money towards essential components, stating, "...We already had an extra display laying around. So I didn't have to buy the TV, but I used it to buy the Android media players."
This resourceful approach allowed the school to make the most of the available grant funds, ensuring the successful integration of Rise Vision without additional financial burden. Kailee emphasized the seamless setup, stating, "And once [the school] got hooked up, it was easy and [Rise Vision] just automatically works."
Read more: 7 Tips to Get Grant Money for Digital Signage
Every educational institution faces unique challenges, and Nahunta Primary was no exception. Nahunta identified a need for more effective communication and engagement within the school community.
Digital signage was a means to communicate with the student’s parents and keep them informed of important events and the daily going ons of the school, and engage with their students.
Kailee Rowell highlighted the successful integration of digital signage to communicate effectively with parents. She expressed her satisfaction, stating, "It's going really well. I really like it. I use it weekly. If not, sometimes daily to update current events that we have going on."
Nahunta strategically placed displays to maximize visibility with one display in the media center and one in the lobby. The one in the school’s lobby is for our parents while they're waiting for school pickup.
Furthermore, Kailee leverages the power of digital templates to streamline communication efforts. She explained how the Google Calendar template makes managing digital signage easy, saying "I have our Google Calendar linked to [the template]. I love that template. It's so easy. I linked it one time, and whatever I put on my staff or my public calendar, which is what I update for our parents like PTO meetings [and] things that they're invited to, awards day, field day, all those kinds of events.”
This automated synchronization of the Google Calendar template demonstrates the time-saving benefits of digital signage, allowing schools to maintain consistent and up-to-date communication with parents. “I don't even have to think about updating [it]," says Kailee.
Nahunta Primary School uses digital signage to promote a culture of reading and literacy among its students, turning the displays into an interactive and rewarding experience. Kailee enthusiastically shared how she runs a contest to get students interested in reading. The students read and they earn AR (Accelerated Reader) points from the books they read. Whoever has the most points for each grade level at the end of the year wins a bike! This innovative approach not only incentivizes reading but also fosters healthy competition, motivating students to actively participate in the program.
Kailee highlighted a remarkable achievement from the previous year, stating, "We implemented [the competition] last year, and it was really good. We had one kid get over 300 AR points in first grade.”
In addition to recognizing top performers, Kailee creatively showcases the achievements of students through visually appealing displays. She explained, "I also like to put our top students for the month on [the display] and I put the top 10 for each grade level." Celebrating academic accomplishments makes students feel valued and motivated to continue their reading journeys.
Furthermore, the school leverages digital signage to highlight special events and accomplishments related to literacy, such as the Young Georgia Author winners. Kailee described the creative display, saying, "When we did our Young Georgia Author winners, which is a writing contest, I put the kids' pictures in stars and they were on display on the TV."
To make reading even more exciting, Kailee shared a delightful example: "I did a little animated [presentation] for our read-a-thon, and the award was if we read… over 180,000 minutes for the school, we got to slime the principal. So I made a little gif, and it was the kids dumping slime on our principal." When the students saw the gif of their principal getting slimed, they would become invigorated to read to collectively hit their goal.
Nahunta Primary School's experience with digital signage offers valuable insights for educators and school administrators. The case study illustrates how digital signage can be a powerful tool even at the primary school level, serving dual purposes of effective parent communication and engaging students through animated visual content.
Placing displays strategically in high-traffic areas maximizes visibility for parents, streamlining communication with timely updates.
The animated visual content, exemplified by a read-a-thon gif, adds excitement to initiatives, catering to students of all ages and making learning more engaging. Leveraging digital templates, such as the Google Calendar template, not only saves time but ensures consistent and up-to-date communication.
Nahunta Primary School's success underscores the adaptability and impact of digital signage in primary education, emphasizing its role in fostering effective communication and creating an interactive learning environment.