[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The new reality in education is more home and remote instruction. In both cases, AV technology can enhance the way teachers deliver their lessons and engage their students. Some of the most effective AV technology for home and remote instruction include:
With these tools, teachers can foster collaboration between students, increase participation and craft memorable lessons that students look forward to.
According to the Census Bureau, the number of homeschooled children has doubled since 2019. There are a lot more students learning from home, but whether you’re a homeschooling parent or independent teacher who leads a homeschool group, AV technology can make your job easier.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
How Can AV Help Homeschool Teachers Deliver Lessons More Effectively?
Homeschooling and technology aren’t usually considered together, but they should be. Modern AV solutions provide educators with powerful lesson creation and delivery tools, and that comes with a few notable benefits. For example:- AV connects teachers and students - Among parents who opt for homeschooling, many place their children in homeschooling groups that are taught by independent educators. Some of these groups rely on remote instruction to an extent, and AV technology can bridge the distance. If an independent educator has the right AV solutions in place, they can do more than just talk into a camera, engaging students in new and exciting ways.
- AV engages students - If a teacher has an interactive display, they can start a live whiteboarding session that students can watch and interact with. AV has always been about engaging people with better visuals and audio, and teachers can leverage this for their lessons. Whether they’re in the classroom or at home, it’s tough to keep students locked into a lecture. With interesting media and one-of-a-kind learning experiences, this is no longer an issue.
- AV saves teachers time - Educational AV technology has also been designed with the teacher in mind. Interactive displays, AR and VR solutions come with pre-built lessons and additional lesson planning software for added convenience. These solutions are also supported by their creators, who are always looking to add quality of life features and lesson material for users.
What AV Solutions Are Designed For Homeschool And Remote Teachers?
The AV industry has produced a wave of educational solutions in the last five years, including technologies that were once considered science fiction. Now, these solutions have been developed to the point where they can be utilized in a homeschool setting. Some of those solutions include:[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1647370052545{padding-right: 60px !important;padding-left: 60px !important;}"]Video Conferencing
Video conferencing has been around for more than 30 years, but it didn’t become an educational tool until recently. If you’re teaching remotely, video conferencing is the minimum for effective lesson delivery. Fortunately, there are conferencing solutions designed for individuals and designed for ease of use. Software-based conferencing platforms have made conferencing much easier. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are the two most popular and they have partnered with leading hardware manufacturers like Poly to enhance their offerings. For instance, Poly produces a line of USB video bars that include the camera, microphone and speakers in a single package. A couple of Poly’s models are designed for individuals like teachers and offer industry-leading audio and video quality.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1647370091323{padding-right: 60px !important;padding-left: 60px !important;}"]Interactive Displays
Interactive displays are a valuable tool on their own or in conjunction with video conferencing. With an interactive display like the Clevertouch, for example, teachers can video conference from the display while using it for whiteboarding lessons. Any remote student connected to the whiteboarding session can see what the teacher is doing in real time and, when prompted, annotate as well. For teachers running a homeschool group, an interactive display works well for keeping students engaged and collaborating. You can prepare lessons in advance and present them using the display, bring in media like images or videos into the lesson, and offer a novel learning experience that relies on more than just lecture.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1647370124897{padding-right: 60px !important;padding-left: 60px !important;}"]AR and VR Technology
After decades of sci-fi movies forecasting how they would look, AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) are finally here. Unsurprisingly, AR and VR are making a major impact in education because the potential here is limitless. AR and VR are both breathtaking technologies to witness in person, but they deliver that experience in different ways. AR systems like zSpace use a special AR-enabled computer, a pair of tracking goggles and a special stylus to bring the experience together. While using zSpace, the AR-enabled computer will project images out of the screen and into physical space. You can see it if the tracking goggles are on and interact with it if you have the stylus in hand. Using this approach, students can examine a detailed 3D model of a beating heart, watch dinosaurs battle each other on their desks, or survey the terrain of a distant planet. As impressive as that is, VR may be even more striking. Instead of projecting images into reality, VR brings users into a virtual world via a headset. While inside, teachers maintain full control and can guide students through the experience. That experience could be anything, too. See how the great pyramids were built, go on a moonwalk, explore the ocean floor - there’s no end to what virtual lessons can provide students.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Work With An Integrator To Improve Your Homeschool Technology
Homeschooling teachers and parents have enough to think about before considering AV technology. If you’re interested in AV but don’t know where to begin, a certified AV integrator can provide everything, from guidance to post-installation maintenance. Reputable AV integrators target the optimal technologies for their clients, matching needs with solutions. An integrator can make informed recommendations for your teaching space and situation, select the right equipment, install it, configure it and maintain it with an optional service agreement. The goal is to make it as simple as possible for every educator to deliver a compelling educational experience. The classroom of the future may be in the home, or at least in a shared homeschooling group. In either case, AV solutions are proven drivers of engagement and participation among students, so whatever the future classroom looks like, AV will be there.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]To learn more about how to homeschool effectively with AV technology, partner with a reputable AV integrator that is passionate about education and equipping future generations with the tools that will help them love learning.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Sandy Hill
Sandy Hill, Director of Business Development for Education, is an audio visual integration representative for Data Projections with 10 plus years of experience selling to the K12 market in all areas of Texas. She strives to seek the best audio visual solutions for the education market and enjoys supporting school districts and other organizations within the vertical. She has participated in many of the area technology shows and events as well as TCEA and the Texas K12 CTO Council.