As the COVID-19 crisis rolls on, schools across America are conducting classes online with live streaming for education. But there’s more to school than coursework — it’s also about culture. In part one of this two-part series on school live streaming, we covered the top platforms for connecting students and teachers. In this post, we’ll share some common ways that schools and districts can keep culture alive, even while socially distanced.
Reach students where they live
School live streaming can help capture the culture students may be missing from the security of their own homes by broadcasting sports games, concerts, plays and special events. These school streaming platforms can also connect faculty, parents, administrators and associations through virtual meetings and conferences.
One key way to connect is by building community on all of the social media platforms students, teachers and parents already use. With Switchboard Live, it’s easy to send a single live video stream from your phone, laptop or connected camera to all of your online channels at once, including Facebook Live, YouTube and your school or district website. To learn more about how this works, check out our handy getting-started guide, which will show you how to go live in three easy steps.
By broadcasting on the platforms people already use and sharing videos of all aspects of school life, you can keep students engaged and communities strong.
Types of school streaming
Even when schools reopen for in-person instruction, live streaming for education is here to stay, and its uses go beyond the classroom. Teachers, administrators, coaches and association members can use school live streaming for a wide range of purposes, including:
- Teacher streaming (coursework and lectures)
- Group discussions
- One-on-one instruction or tutoring
- Parent-teacher association (PTA) meetings
- School board meetings
- Parent-teacher conferences
- School-wide meetings
- District-wide meetings
- Sports team meetings and practices
- Activity meetings (e.g., drama troupes, drill teams, science clubs)
Video platforms for education provide a safe, socially distanced way for classes, meetings, tutoring and more to continue.
Streaming education platforms bring special school events to your home
Special events are a big part of school life for many students, families, faculty and fans. Live streaming video platforms can bring these events into the home and connect viewers wherever they are. Here are some examples of special events you can take virtual:
- Back to school events
- Assemblies
- Graduations
- Pep rallies
- Proms and dances
- Mixers and socials
- Sports games and athletic events
- Band and orchestra concerts
- Plays and drama performances
Just because students can’t be in the same physical space doesn’t mean they can’t participate in fun and interactive digital activities. For online back-to-school events, teachers can host a virtual show and tell, have students record and share welcome videos, create Bitmoji characters as a class, conduct “raise your hand if…” activities over chat, create surveys and more.
While events such as proms, dances and socials may seem challenging to take online, school live streaming provides a virtual space where students can gather, no matter where they are. Schools across America held virtual proms in the spring, where everyone tuned in to the same live streaming video feed to listen to music, dance, chat and celebrate while in their living rooms.
In May 2020, there was even a national event streamed on Instagram Live, the WE ARE WELL PROM, which connected high school seniors across the country in one giant celebration that featured celebrity appearances and live music from ‘90s icon DJ Jazzy Jeff.
For schools that are holding sports games and practices, but cannot have a live audience, school live streaming platforms provide a perfect way to bring the big game to parents, friends and fans anywhere in the world — even the massive audiences college and university sports command.
Switchboard Live makes school streaming simple
Whether it’s a dance, a school assembly or a Pac-10 game, Switchboard Live allows schools, districts, universities, associations and athletic departments to easily stream to audiences online, whether it’s a single student or thousands of sports fans. It offers native integration with all of the major educational video streaming sites and can be configured to connect to any custom streaming destination.
Want to see how it works? Sign up for a free trial, or schedule a personalized demo today.
Ellie Coverdale, an education writer at Ukwritings.com and Academized.com, shares her tips and tricks on digital and social media education. She’s interested in how students and teachers can improve their experiences in the classroom. She also teaches writing skills for Boomessays.com in her free time.
