A proper start to the morning

Live morning announcements for education are a mainstay, as they offer schools a chance to reach students before class even begins. They’ve been around for decades, in one form or another, and they remain a powerful teaching, creative, motivating, informing and unifying tool for schools. Modern video streaming and display technology allows educators and administrators to do much more than blast garbled audio over the PA system. Schools can now do some impressive things with their video technology, creating morning announcements that will draw attention. Organizing live morning announcements on this level doesn’t have to be a daunting concept. Drawing on the knowledge of an experienced A/V integrator to produce an announcement stream and presentation solution is the ideal way to make an impact with live morning announcements for education. There’s a lot of hardware and software options, as well as safety issues to consider, and A/V professionals can make the entire process a breeze.

Important considerations for live morning announcements for education

When planned out precisely, morning announcements are engaging for the viewers, which means the message will get the attention it deserves. How can educators set up a safe environment for video streaming, and how can schools deliver their content in an effective manner? There’s much to consider here. For example:

1. Safety – There is no shortage of video streaming services online, including a couple that are practically household names in YouTube and Twitch. The former, in particular, is something that a lot of schools rely on, and there are obvious reasons why. YouTube is friendly to beginners and is one of the first sites that young internet users get familiar with. As such, if a school streams its announcements on Youtube, people will find it.

And that’s the major double edge that comes with using streaming sites that draw a lot of public traffic. Are you, as an educator, comfortable with your students’ faces and names, as well as the school’s name and location, publicly available for anyone who can access the video? Will those students’ parents also be okay with their children front and center in the school’s video content?

Further, assume the worst case scenario when working with students. What if the students get unfettered access to the school’s YouTube account? Obviously, students shouldn’t have this access, but what if they do get it following a simple oversight? The damage that a single student could do to a school’s security or image on YouTube is immeasurable.

2. Delivery method – Live morning announcements can now be produced using video streaming equipment, allowing for a high-quality production that is simple to edit and deliver. There are numerous audio and video input and output systems, and there is no single best setup for a school. This is where having a talented and involved A/V integrator can make a huge difference. Their job is to assess the school’s needs and resources, and then match those up with the right equipment.

But think bigger than just cameras and microphones. The truth is, even a modern smartphone is capable of recording high definition video, though most integrators wouldn’t recommend it (a quality webcam is a popular choice here). Schools should also consider how their announcements are delivered to students, and the campus at large.

There are several reasons why A/V integrators recommend their educational clients consider digital displays with digital signage capabilities. Digital signage is an effective means of informing students and faculty of upcoming events, testing and holiday scheduling. It also helps visitors and parents attempting to navigate the campus. And, of course, digital signage can reinforce school spirit and engage students both in and out of class.

What should digital signage software look like? Consider Discover Video’s DEVOS technology. DEVOS is a robust digital signage platform that is tailor made for educators. DEVOS can be used to control individual displays, or an entire building’s worth. It can incorporate a variety of media sources, like PowerPoint, Google Slides, RSS feeds, websites, emergency alerts and, yes, recorded or live video. DEVOS can be managed remotely and preprogrammed so that particular layouts are only active at certain times.

Perhaps best of all, when DEVOS is combined with Discover Video’s video capturing and streaming software, Streamsie, morning announcements can quickly and easily be sent to every display on the network. Streamed content can also be viewed on computers, smartphones and tablets.

3. Ease of use – Today’s students are so capable with technology that it may seem like they can tackle any piece of hardware or software presented to them. Still, educators need a streaming and signage system that students can get up to speed with quickly. Schools can ensure this by selecting A/V technology that is designed for education in mind, as there are subtle differences between software developed for the classroom, and its professional counterparts.

Putting together live morning announcements for education and delivering them affords students excellent learning opportunities. Handling recording hardware, editing video, designing layouts and creating graphics gives students a lot of room to stretch their creativity. Make sure the software your school chooses gives users a lot of flexibility out of the box, as this will encourage students to get bold with the technology.

4. Pricing – In the end, any morning announcement system has to pass the cost test. And this is another area where an experienced A/V integrator can help schools and administrators maximize their technology options. A/V integrators can package together hardware and software offerings to reduce upfront costs, compensate when the budget is tight, and ensure all installed technology is maintained throughout its life, so that schools get maximum value from their new system. Ongoing support is especially important, as poor maintenance and system configuration can bring down expensive technology before its time.

Live morning announcements for education are foundational for relaying important messages and getting students and faculty ready for the day. Get the most out of it by modernizing how announcements are created and delivered.