Keep Students Healthy
With the turning of the leaves comes the first onslaught of this year's version of the flu virus. What proactive steps have you taken to help protect your students from runny noses and sick days? Hand sanitizer, flu shots, and having kids look down when they cough are all commonsense practices that you've likely already implemented; now it's time to get technology on your side.
Collaboration means Interaction
Collaborative learning has picked up steam in the education community as a great way to keep all students involved in and focused on the lesson. Many of the strategies popular with kids and teachers
involve touchscreens, which bring a lot of kids very close together to touch the same items and breathe the same air. Sickness, already famous for spreading quickly in classrooms, has the chance to wreak even more havoc in such close quarters.
To safeguard student health, teachers should urge their administrations to consider interfaces made of glass that is bacteria-resistant. These are screens that use an ion coating that allows up to 20 students to participate in collaborative lessons without the risk of transmitting germs by touch.
Overall Tech Related Health
In addition to the immediate seasonal risks presented by the flu, keep an eye on your students' overall tech-related health. Having any sick child miss class is bad enough for academic progress; but if multiple students are experiencing eyestrain due to poorly lit work environments, or muscle cramps from trying to watch videos on inconveniently placed screens, they won't learn much more than the one who's stuck at home in bed.
The best lighting solutions for learning mimic natural light and focus kids' attention. If it isn't possible to have every light fixture replaced right away, try covering some of the lights with colored screens to mitigate the harsh glare of stark fluorescent bulbs.
Also, keep in mind how far students have to crane their necks when watching informative videos. If you plan to use a wall-mounted monitor for such a purpose, make sure it's installed on an ergonomic swing arm that allows for adjustable viewing heights and angles. This ensures that everyone will be comfortable and sitting with correct posture.
Let us know any other ways you've discovered to promote greater overall health in your classroom, from day-to-day maintenance to specific flu-season tactics.