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The traffic light at the MIT School dinning room

The MIT School dinning room is not only a place to have lunch, but also a place to learn good manners: how to sit, how to hold the cutlery, what to do to indicate that we are done with a plate, etc. And a few months ago, it is also used to train the ability of the students to adjust their voice’s volume in order to accomplish the goal of getting everyone to understand each other without having to shout.

The traffic light in the photo, which became famous after appearing in a Salvados report  about the education in Finland, is used to control the noise level of the dining room. Its functioning is very simple: if the volume exceeds the permitted level, the light changes from green to yellow. If the increase is even greater, the light on will be red, and thus the traffic light will be sad.

The message of this eye-catching equipment is clear and explicit, while remaining attractive to children. And thanks to it, and to the dining monitors, the lunch time is getting even nicer!