Digital Signage comes to Kaplan High School

KAPLAN - Walk into Kaplan High School and one of the first things you will see is a 50-inch flat screen TV hanging on the wall in the main hall. The purpose is to educate students and faculty on what is happening in the school and possibly around the world.
For the last two months, two TVs have been on the walls of the school; however, what you will not see on them are ESPN highlights, MTV or old episodes of the Simpsons or Family Guy.
Instead, throughout the day and night, what is being displayed on them is happening in the school that day or week. Need to know what is for lunch that day? Stand in front of the screens and it will show you. Want to know who the basketball team is playing that night? View the screen. If there is a 4-H meeting this week, it will be displayed on the screen.
But where the TVs have really been helpful for students, teachers and administrators is to have displayed the daily schedule for “Intervention.” Every day, certain students have to attend 20-minute study classes to get extra help on future testing coming up. The list of students changes.
Before the TVs, the schedule was typed and then displayed throughout the school on sheets of paper.
Now, the daily schedule appears on the TV screens every time the bell rings to change classes, and through lunch period.
The brainchild behind the technology of “digital signage” at KHS is
Kaplan senior Austin Gaspard.
Two months ago Gaspard approached Kaplan High Principal Laura LeBeouf about the idea of putting the TVs in the hall and the positives he saw from it. Gaspard, who will major in computer science at UL-L next semester, also envisioned putting the Intervention Schedule on the TV for everyone to view it.
LeBeouf told him to write a proposal of what he envisioned and how much would it cost.
The first place Gaspard went to was KTC Pace in Kaplan. KTC donated the two 50 inch TVs, the mounts for the TV and all the cables. School Board’s maintenance department installed the TVs and ran the cable wires.
Gaspard installed the “digital signage” program.
Teachers and administrators are able to control what is typed onto the screens. Within seconds, whatever is typed appears on the screen and can quickly be read by students.
While there are two TVs hanging, LeBeouf and Gaspard said they are hoping to get two more by next year. The cables are in place for the TVs.
Gaspard said it still excites him to see student stop in front of the TVs and read what is being displayed.
Also, the flat screens can function as a TV if there is a major event happening in the world or the United States.
“I am excited how it has turned out,” said Gaspard. “It has made it easier for teachers to schedule Intervention and other events. The students love it.”