Category

EdTech

Sep 13
0

Managing EdTech Costs in Ohio Schools

By | EdTech | No Comments

edtech costsStudents returned to school in Ohio last month, and with their return, administrators are challenged to not only deliver a quality education but also to meet new edtech mandates that require technology to be incorporated into the educational experience. By the 2014-2015 school year students will be required to complete their final exams using a computer-based testing system rather than the old bubble-answer-sheet multiple-choice exams.

Technology requirements are already written into the new education standards. And while the goals of the Ohio Department of Education are laudable, implementing the new requirements has proved to be both costly and difficult for school administrators. Sourcing equipment at a reasonable cost, updating infrastructure to handle the influx of users and handling the issue of security, both on campus and off, with devices that travel to and from school has made back-to-school time more difficult.

Even when school districts are large enough to employ their own IT staffs, the burden of managing student technology needs can be overwhelming. thinkCSC has partnered with a number of school districts in Ohio to extend the ability of their existing IT staffs, to handle the growing tech demands Ohio schools are facing and will continue to face. In addition to sourcing equipment at the most competitive prices, thinkCSC offers a warranty service for schools that removes the burden of repair and replacement issues, by offering a warranty service that costs less than the manufacturer warranty and includes pick up and repair services.

As schools face looming deadline requiring them to provide computer-based testing to all students in order to meet the latest round of Ohio tech mandates, the challenge will be to do so without sacrificing the quality of the education or spending more than the school budget can endure. thinkCSC is a successful Ohio education partner and can help Ohio schools meet the challenges of the new tech mandates more effectively, providing solutions that enhance the experience for students and teachers while removing the burden from the shoulders of administrators.

Contact us today for more information.

May 05
0

Schools, EdTech, and Budgeting

By | EdTech | No Comments

Making the Most of the EdTech Mandates

school technologyThere are many state-mandated requirements in order to introduce technology into schools for the 2013-2014 school year. While building their budgets, virtually every district is responding to these mandates differently. BYOD (bring your own device), BYOT (bring your own technology) and 1:1 are the most common methods used. Some of the most important considerations regarding the use of devices in schools, however, are largely geared towards the 1:1 wireless scenario.

Is Your Infrastructure Capable of Handling the Devices You Choose?

As these devices – iPads, tablets or laptops – are given to students, schools must determine infrastructure readiness. The physical structure inside the schools, in regards to Internet connectivity bandwidth, must be capable of sustaining all of the devices. There are many elements that go into that.

For example, an increasing number of mobile tablet devices use a larger amount of Internet bandwidth, versus a traditional laptop that uses a local service typically hosted at the school. The more cloud services that are being used, the greater the demand on Internet infrastructure and on the bandwidth that the school district has. When a school chooses to deploy a large number of devices, the process of ensuring that the network is physically capable of providing a reliable and seamless end-user experience is complicated.

Do You Have Enough Bandwidth to Keep Everyone Connected?

Consider the amount of bandwidth necessary for your network; you want to ensure that you have sufficient internal bandwidth to sustain the number of devices you are deploying, as well as enough bandwidth to support your connectivity to the outside world. Essentially, the amount of bandwidth necessary comes down to the applications that you are using on your devices. If students are using iPads or Chromebooks, these cloud-based devices demand a substantially higher external bandwidth, as opposed to those devices that are using a local resource hosted by the school.

Addressing Security and MDM

Some schools provide the devices and let students take them home. By doing so, they then have to determine how they will continue to manage content that comes through the device. Is there still content filtering taking place outside of the school? Mobile device management – or MDM – is another infrastructure readiness issue. Once you have all of the devices, you want to have the capability to easily maintain them.

If you have to deploy application software, you want to be able to do so for a group of devices at a time or all of the devices simultaneously. If you need to filter content, change security preferences or block certain applications because of content, you want to be able to do that quickly, as opposed to one device at a time. If you have MDM in place, that significantly reduces the amount of time it takes for you to deploy, maintain and monitor your devices, at the same time ensuring that the devices are secure.

Saving Money on Device Investment, Warranty and Repair Services

In addition to infrastructure concerns related to bandwidth and connectivity of technology in schools, the cost of purchasing devices and warranties must be considered. School districts often purchase the manufacturer’s warranty and offer additional accidental damage insurance to the students – passing the cost onto the parents – on top of the manufacturer’s warranty. thinkCSC purchases from the same supplier as CDWG, so we can offer highly competitive rates for devices. As well, our warranty is less expensive, and we provide convenient device pick-up, repair and drop-off, thereby saving you time as well as money. In many cases, we can complete repairs on site.

Many district IT departments are capable of deploying technology devices themselves, but CSC can help, either with a particular portion or with the entire process. Our experience with both small and large school districts helps us steer you away from what doesn’t work and focus on what does. thinkCSC looks at the big picture, ensuring device deployments go as smoothly as possible. If you would like more information about our school technology and warranty services, please contact us.

Apr 25
0

Physical Security in Education

By | EdTech | No Comments

physicalsecurityedu_smallerThere has been a huge increase in concern about physical security in schools, especially with the recent tragic shootings. Schools are being pushed by communities, school boards and parents to improve physical security, but, as with education technology, sometimes those tasked with deciding how to implement these important security measures may not understand the underlying technological implications. For example, physical security cameras can offer greater peace of mind, but if you simply choose analog cameras, there’s a lot of cable wiring that has to be done throughout the school. If you go wireless, can your network and switches handle the additional traffic? And what about authentication and encryption to prevent snooping or interception of the video signal?

Bottom line, from digital physical security cameras, which can allow the school property to be monitored from anywhere, to mobile device management, to more comprehensive technology solutions, there are many best practices for meeting growing demand for better technology and physical security. But the first thing you need to ask is whether your technological and internal process infrastructure is ready. An iT service provider can help you set up the ideal IT infrastructure that will achieve increased physical security while doing so in the most cost-effective way possible.

Feb 11
0

Is Your School Ready for the EdTech It Needs?

By | EdTech | No Comments

schooltechAs a Columbus IT service provider, our goal is to do more than simply provide a one-time solution and then walk away. We want to engage in a partnership to make sure our clients receive the technology, technological support, and security they need in the most economical way. Recently, there has been a huge push to move towards one-to-one technology deployments using iPads and other iOS devices as well as to increase the physical security at schools. EdTech is the future of education. But is your infrastructure ready to handle these changes?

Because we work quite often with people in the education sector, budget constraints are always at the forefront. The struggle for administrators is that while budgets are shrinking, the tech requirements school administrators are being asked to implement keep increasing. And sometimes these devices are being deployed before the infrastructure is ready to handle them. In helping one school prepare for the purchase and deployment of 1700 iPads, we asked the following questions:

  • Do you have enough bandwidth and enough wireless access points?
  • What is the management policy you are implementing?
  • How will you use these devices to deliver curriculum?
  • How will you filter content?

Sometimes the people tasked with deciding whether to adopt these devices may not fully understand the underlying technological requirements for a successful implementation. And since most schools have limited IT staff (if they have any IT staff at all), a Columbus IT service provider can help facilitate the introduction of the technology in a way that is the most cost effective without sacrificing security. From networking to ensuring you have enough bandwidth to handle the connection of that many devices, thinkCSC partners with education providers to overcome challenges like content filtering. Have you considered the complications of filtering content on an iPad? It’s almost impossible to manage if it’s being taken off school grounds. We help schools create workable solutions to these and other infrastructure issues.

Jun 11
0

Budget Crunch + Tech Mandates = Back-to-School Headaches

By | EdTech | No Comments

csc_laptops in schoolsBalancing the demands associated with providing technology to students and meeting Ohio tech mandates, along with meeting the demands of a limited budget can be difficult for school administrators, but there are solutions. thinkCSC believes the right answer for schools is in taking a balanced approach to investing in technology.

While many schools are joining the trend of buying iPads for their students because of their extreme portability, iPads are also costly – around $500 each. iPads are also more difficult to maintain, because the proprietary technology and warranty requires Apple-certified technicians. When you’re talking about technology for students and you realize the amount of handling (and mishandling that might occur), iPads may not be the most cost-effective solution in the long-run.

Some of the schools we’ve been working with over the past year have been able to obtain much better deals on laptops and netbooks, allowing teachers to introduce the technology to more students than ever. When you’re shopping for laptops for your school, be sure to work with a local vendor who can negotiate directly with the manufacturer for the best possible pricing. thinkCSC was able to save one school more than $10,000 by leveraging our access to the Venture Tech Network.

Implementing new technology in schools cannot be about the price of the equipment alone, however. One of the most important cost savers a school can consider is the kind of warranty available. When many different hands will be using the equipment and many different minds will be finding creative ways to experiment with the technology, the warranty becomes the most important investment a school can make in technology. The extended manufacturer’s warranty might be tempting, but having to call the manufacturer each time a piece of equipment breaks and having to troubleshoot over the phone to determine whether or not they will repair it can add a lot of frustration and cost to having technology in the school.

Instead, work with your local tech vendor to obtain extended warranty coverage that includes repair service. thinkCSC offers a 20% discount to schools on warranties for laptops, iPads and PCs. For example, if the manufacturer’s extended warranty costs $100 for three years, we’ll provide the same coverage for $80.

More importantly, rather than being required to troubleshoot equipment over the phone, ship product to the OEM or install the part- thinkCSC takes care of all those details, saving you not only money, but time! All your school has to do is fill out a web form or give us a call. With an average of 10-15 laptops needing some form of repair each week, thinkCSCare warranties can eliminate the need to hire a FTE Tech(s) and allow your IT Dept to focus on your mission: Supporting your students, faculty & administrators

Dec 15
0

School Computing: Wireless Networking and Security

By | EdTech | No Comments

edtech costsAs we move more and more into a cloud-based environment and online learning becomes the norm, many schools are switching from land-based to wireless networking. And, with extensive budget cuts to education, many schools are turning to a bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) methodology, where students are required to bring their own equipment to school.

There is simply not enough space to provide a computer lab for every student. With a new law that requires mandated online testing, schools are trying to convert to wireless and BYOT as an easy way to provide localized data management for the entire student population.

The problem for many schools is that their infrastructure is outdated. Often, servers and other electronic hardware must be replaced before even attempting the installation of a wireless system and implementing BYOT. From thinkCSC’s perspective, the key to wireless in schools is planning.

There is still a year or two before the mandated online testing takes effect, so it’s imperative that schools not wait until the last minute to make the necessary changes. Until we get a team in the school to examine the infrastructure and take readings, we don’t know if there are any wiring needs, which can add time and expense.

The physical structure of the building and what it is made out of, such as drywall or brick, can have a tremendous effect on wireless capabilities. We set up an access point and take measurements on its strength to determine an appropriate setup.

Once we know what the school needs to accomplish their wireless goals, the school can secure finding and find a time during which we can install the access points. Some schools may have a technology budget, but many schools have to obtain grants or pass special budget addendum.  Most schools also try to avoid disruptions during classes, and try to schedule the installations for vacations. While these systems can be built in as little as three days, we have to know exactly what we are dealing with before we can give them an accurate estimate.

Luckily, we have partnered with an easily deployed cloud-based system called Meraki. Unlike most interfaces that require a physical piece of hardware in the school controlling the wireless access points, Meraki lets schools use the company’s website to control the access points with only a few clicks of the mouse. It’s easy to install, set-up, and change.

Some people worry about security with a wireless system, but the system can be as open or locked down as the school needs.  A lot of these schools want wireless access for events or other functions so parents and guests can have access to their system. As far as security is concerned, there really are no major issues as long as it’s professionally installed.

Many schools wait until it’s almost too late and end up rushing to get it done. With the mandate still more than a year away, there is still plenty of time for us to review the school’s infrastructure and draft a proposal so that the school can find funding and install the system before the deadline for the mandated testing arrives.