Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/531522
E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y Tu e s d a y, J u n e 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 3 0 is the realization that devices are under- utilized or the deployment of the devices is slow and frustrating for users and teachers. It's important to think through how the devices will be deployed to users, such as: Will classrooms share a cart? Will devices be distributed one-by- one with students carrying an armful of devices or will teachers distribute them? Will devices be assigned to work groups or whole classrooms? Answering these questions before a deployment can not only impact the storage and charging solution that is selected, it can greatly improve the usage and satisfaction peo- ple have with the devices. ESD: Why should schools roll out mobile devices with storage and charging solutions? JS: Rolling out devices with storage and charging solutions is critical for setting a consistent experience for fac- ulty, staff and end users. When provid- ing incomplete solutions to educators and students – just devices, with no way to secure, distribute, charge and store them – they ultimately can become frustrated with the technology as an added stressor. By looking at a complete package for their deployment versus a piece by piece solution, dis- tricts can expect more significant cost savings and price breaks from their IT vendors, allow initial and ongoing sup- port and training on device storage to be streamlined and simplified, and incorporate best practices utilized by other schools and districts. LocknCharge (Cont'd. from p. 1) ESD: What kinds of features are impor- tant for schools to consider when select- ing a mobile device charging and storage solution? JS: A universal design is key to support future changes in the schools' mobile products. Administrators and IT staff should look for carts and charging sta- tions that are designed to support mul- tiple device types, like LocknCharge's Carrier 30 Cart™, Carrier 40 Cart™ and EVO 40 Carts™. Accommodating several devices of several different sizes – from Chromebooks to tablets to iPad ® devices – ensures that the cart or charging station has a longer shelf life and can be easily used for deployments of mixed device types. In addition, because technology changes so quickly, assure that the solution is upgradeable and modular. Another key feature administrators should look for is security. Deployments are very high profile within a community and assuring that these devices are secured from potential theft is critical. If a storage and charging solution can easi- ly be broken into, the district stands to lose tens of thousands of dollars. Additionally, administrators should look for a product that is extremely durable and can withstand the tough school environment so that schools don't have to continually deal with purchasing new carts or charging stations. Ideally, the solution will have a lifetime warran- ty, similar to LocknCharge's, to protect school investments. For more information, visit booth #1400 or go to www.lockncharge.com. way to reach your visual learners. ESD: How does it do that? RH: By creating curriculum based sup- porting posters and banners to support the material being delivered orally. One example would be a lesson on the bones of the body. A large poster of the skeletal system would be displayed with blank lines for the instructor to fill in as the les- son proceeds. ESD: Do you have any other examples? RH: Let's say you are teaching a unit on the solar system. Having a large poster sized template of the solar system would certainly be helpful for the students to visualize the solar system. If you were teaching a unit on a math concept, a large poster template of the concept with formulas would reinforce the subject. ESD: How can the Learn OnDemand poster maker help me specifically with this? Presentation Systems South (Cont'd. from p. 1) RH: The Learn OnDemand poster maker comes with over 1200 curriculum based templates to choose from. The poster templates are divided by subject, includ- ing (but not limited to) reading, writing, math, science, character education and more. All a teacher needs to do is select the template click once and the poster tem- plate prints in about two minutes. The templates are fully editable. ESD: Do you have any new additions to the templates? RH: Yes. We have now converted over 100 templates into Spanish. We also have a new section called administra- tive templates. The templates allow school administrators to track progress of students in a large visual environ- ment. Please come by our booth #1562 and request a free sample pack to be sent to your school. For more information, visit www.carolina posterprinters.com, call 800.729.2836 or stop by booth #1562. the education sector faces. She served on the Federal-State Joint Board that was instrumental in the creation of the E-Rate and Rural Health Care programs and was then appointed to oversee Cox's new cross-functional education strategy aimed at establishing a strong Cox pres- ence in the K–12 education market. In 2003, Duff was appointed by FCC Chairman Michael Powell to the cable industry seat on the USAC Board of Directors, which oversees the administra- tion of the four federal universal service programs, including E-rate. Duff said, "We pride ourselves on partnering with schools and helping them develop customized solutions to meet their specific needs – regardless of how rapidly those needs evolve; and we're always looking for ways to supplement our core offerings to schools to better assist them with their technology goals and help them figure out how best to move forward." She went on to say, "Our network has been fiber-based since we began offering broad- band services almost 20 years ago. Our services can be customized to meet schools' specific needs; such as bundling Internet, voice, and video solutions." Cox offers state-of the-art, scalable, fiber-based Wide Area Network and Internet access solutions. Additionally, its Managed WiFi service provides secure Internet access that includes secu- Cox Business (Cont'd. from p. 1) rity, content filtering, usage reporting and mobile device management functionality that can integrate with the school's exist- ing networks. "We know that one of the biggest concerns for schools today is cyber secu- rity and our Managed WiFi service is just one of the products we offer to help them with that issue," Duff said. The technology piece is a big compo- nent of the way Cox Business invests in education, but they don't stop there. "We've been part of a number of local national ini- tiatives aimed at improving children's use of technology," Duff said, "like Cable in the Classroom, which for years provided free cable service and educational program- ming, and 'Innovation in Education' grants for teachers, to name a few.'" In 2014, Cox contributed more than $9 million to the Connect2Compete Program, which provides discounted Internet access to low-income students at home, and recently announced plans to extend it to $15 million in 2016. As Duff said, "What differentiates us is that we are always looking for ways to partner with our schools to give them the broadest mix of products and services to meet as many of their needs as possible – we want to be their one-stop solutions provider." For more information, visit www.coxbusiness.com/education or stop by booth #224. HOW SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE ARE USING BIOMETRICS West Virginia West Virginia is leading the country in biometric technology in K–12 education. In fact, about 70 percent of the counties in West Virginia use finger scanning for student identification in their schools. Beverly E. Blough MS, RD, LD, former Director of Food Service of Wood County, West Virginia, was a pioneer in implementing biometric technology in her schools. Beverly was responsible for serving over 1.8 million meals a year and needed to accurately identify students for reimbursement. They were using student ID cards and a 9-digit PIN. On some days, more than 80 percent of students would show up for lunch without their cards. Lines backed up, mistakes were made manually keying in ID numbers and each month irritated parents called claiming their children did not eat the meals they were charged for. The school district then had to bear those costs. They decided that finger scanning was the solution. Students would never forget their fingers! Hawaii 4000 miles away in Hilo, Hawaii, David Dinkle, Vice Principal at Waiakea Elementary School, was experiencing the same headaches. "We wanted something that students could not forget, lose, dam- age or steal. But it had to be compatible with our existing cafeteria software and it had to be cost-effective. We also needed biometrics that worked with four, five and six year old children without any dif- ficulties." According to David, "In food- service, seconds count. Our goal is to make sure every student has a nutritious and enjoy- able lunch with plenty of time for recess. We also have to make sure that our students' accounts are accurate and secure. The identiMetrics Finger Scanning ID System[TM] as part of our cafeteria point-of-sale is doing just that. Our food- service operation has really improved. In fact, the cafeteria is empty for about 10 minutes before the next lunch. Our stu- dents are zipping through the lunch lines super quickly…identiMetrics works!" New Jersey In another part of the United States, Newark, New Jersey, Lady Liberty Charter School, had yet another require- ment. Almost all of their students are in the free and reduced lunch program. In order to receive their reimbursements, they required a reporting system that worked with their student information system where there would be no question regarding the accuracy of the records for the Department of Agriculture. Finger scan- ning was the perfect solution. Pennsylvania And in neighboring Pennsylvania, Manheim Central School District had concerns with the security of students' accounts. Students shared and forgot their cards. Misplaced or lost cards had to be paid for by parents. Their goal was simple: find a way to guarantee the secu- rity of the students' accounts. "When I put money in my bank, I know that my money is safe. I wanted the same level of security with our system." The adminis- tration realized that the real privacy con- cern was lost and compromised cards and that biometrics was the best way to pro- tect the privacy of their students' accounts. For more information, visit booth #438 or go to www.identimetrics.net.