A lot of schools are stuck printing out schedules for each room, putting them up, and taking them down each day. This isn’t efficient or practical. That’s a lot of money being spent on paper, ink, man-hours and recycling. A better solution is to put a small digital sign outside each of your shared spaces.
Now that may sound expensive, but with the introduction of e-paper signs, the market has finally introduced an affordable option for K-12 schools. Most units are only a few hundred dollars, and although that may mean a larger cash outlay at the outset, you’ll recoup those costs over a matter of months.
Place Them Anywhere
One of the greatest advantages of e-paper signs is that their completely wireless. That means that schools don’t have to worry about running electrical or network cables to them, which can be a huge project and expense. They work a lot like a Kindle – they’re battery-operated and the batteries are only used when the information on the screen changes. That means your batteries can last for years, so you don’t have to worry about manually changing batteries very often.
Most models on the market are very lightweight (under 1 lb.), so you can put them up anywhere – outside classrooms, offices, meeting rooms, computer labs, theaters, auditoriums, gyms, stadiums, library cubbies, study rooms – anywhere that people need to reserve space or find their event. You can even hang them on cubicles or stand them on desks.
The signs will show whatever information on screen that you like – event schedules, logos, QR tags, date and time. You can usually work with templates from the manufacturer to create your own screen layouts. Of course, the most important information is the room schedule.
Easy to Use
When it comes to reserving the space, you’ll want to streamline the process as much as possible. Instead of using paper sign-up sheets, you can create a Google calendar for each room where people can schedule their time. That calendar can then feed that room’s schedule to the sign using RF communication. You’ll need to install an RF transmitter, but it’s a small piece of hardware and not very costly.
Another fun aspect of these signs is their ability to be customized. Designing unique frames for your room signs is a great way to show school spirit and enhance your décor. You can design virtually any shape in your school colors, add a mascot or photo, and of course you’ll want to include the room name or number. The room name should be large and easy to read, and you’ll want to include braille for ADA compliance.
If you’d like to help people find their rooms faster, save paper and waste, and make your life easier overall with better room management, electronic paper room signs might be right for your school.
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