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Kids stay learning longer

Kids stay learning longer (distraction :60)

Students can get to learning faster, waste less time waiting, and stay learning longer with Chromebooks powered by Intel processors

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Today’s students need fast, responsive electronic devices with long battery life—if the device they use to do school work takes too long to load something and forces them to constantly worry about battery life, it can be hard to keep them focused and engaged. They need to pick up their device, get going right away, and move from one thing to another quickly and easily. Teachers need this, too—the less time their students spend waiting for their devices to open an app or document, the sooner they can start learning and the more likely they are to be engaged and stay engaged instead of distracted or frustrated.

As more Chromebook™ models enter the market, it’s becoming harder for schools to choose the right one.

Engineering firm Principled Technologies put two Chromebooks through scenarios that included tasks such as watching a TED-Ed video and taking notes. They also looked at how long the two Chromebooks could keep running without a charge and how many frames per second they could deliver rendering an anatomy simulation.

Their research found that the Intel® processor-powered Chromebook aced the test, lasting over 57 percent longer unplugged and also delivering up to 50 percent less waiting in four student scenarios and twice as many frames per second while rendering an anatomy simulation. The report card is clear: With the Intel processor-powered Chromebook, students can get to learning faster, waste less time waiting, and stay learning longer. Clearly, the Intel processor-powered Chromebook is the better choice for schools.

New software lets teachers control student devices

Posted By By Dennis Pierce, Editorial Director of Content Services, @eSN_Dennis On In Business News,District Management,eClassroom News,Featured on eSchool News,Innovation Insights,IT Management,News,Teaching & Learning,Top News | No Comments
mobile-device-control

Educators now have more options for gaining control over students’ mobile devices, helping them ensure students stay on task during lessons or testing

Mobile device management companies have begun adding classroom-based controls as well.

The lines are blurring between mobile device management (MDM) and classroom management software, as both now offer some classroom-level control over students’ mobile devices.

That’s good news for educators who are looking for more control over what students can access on their iPads, Chromebooks, and Android tablets during class—an ability that will be particularly useful for online testing.

When MDM software first emerged, it gave administrators an easy way to push out applications to tablets, smart phones, and other mobile devices, while keeping track of the contents and location of each device. Now, MDM providers have begun adding classroom-based controls as well.

Meanwhile, providers of traditional classroom management software—programs that allow teachers to see their students’ computer screens and freeze, control, or broadcast screens remotely—have begun releasing versions that work with iPads, Chromebooks, and Android devices, too.

The result is that educators now have more options for gaining control over student devices, helping them make sure their students stay on task during digital lessons or testing.

MDM software provider AirWatch [1] earlier this year announced what it calls “Teacher Tools” to help teachers manage their students’ mobile device use.

Features include “All Eyes Up Front,” which freezes devices during whole-class instruction to remove distractions; “Single Application Mode,” which locks a student or a group of students into a certain application for a specified amount of time; and “Clear Passcode,” which enables teachers to clear and reset a student’s passcode without having to look up the device serial number.

“We developed Teacher Tools to help ensure mobile devices become a powerful resource for educators, instead of a hurdle for teachers,” said Preston Winn, director of business development for education.

The Teacher Tools functionality will be available this spring for managing iOS devices. Control of Android devices will be available this fall, AirWatch said.

JAMF Software [2], which specializes in Apple management tools, already enables teachers to control students’ iPad activity with its Casper suite of MDM software. A component of the suite, Casper Focus, allows teachers to handle routine device management tasks that normally would be time-consuming for IT departments, such as resetting passcodes, distributing eBooks, and preparing devices for online exams.

(Next page: More details about Casper Focus—and how classroom management software now offers some control over mobile devices as well)

With Casper Focus, teachers can focus students on a single app, guide classes through apps, or temporarily restrict students to a single app on their iPad. If the classroom is equipped with an Apple TV, teachers can display from their own device or prompt a student to display from his or her iPad. And if a student forgets his passcode, the teacher can reset it without disrupting the lesson.

The most chaotic times during a class period are the transitions from one activity to another, said Dave Saltmarsh, a former educator and IT administrator who is now field marketing manager for JAMF. He said JAMF designed Casper Focus to “answer those pain points.”

Teachers are often reluctant to use quiz apps with iPads, because these aren’t secure, Saltmarsh added; students can leave the app and go somewhere else on their device. But Casper Focus “lets you ensure that kids are locked into the assessment,” he said—and teachers can do this right from their classroom, without involving IT administrators.

Using classroom management software with mobile devices

Makers of classroom management software have released apps that extend some of their functionality to mobile devices as well, though not all features of their software work on all platforms. For example, Apple so far has not allowed providers of classroom management software to send an image of a student’s iPad screen to the teacher’s console.

NetSupport [3] has upgraded its NetSupport School software to support iOS, Android, Kindle, and Chromebook devices. With the latest version of NetSupport School, teachers can broadcast their screen to students’ devices, broadcast messages to specific students, and launch chats and student surveys, said marketing coordinator Allison Hedges—regardless of what devices their students are using.

If students are using Android devices or Chromebooks, teachers also can view thumbnail images of students’ screens, launch websites or applications on student devices, and lock down or “blank” students’ screens—but as of press time, these features were not yet available for iOS devices, Hedges said.

The latest version of Stoneware’s LanSchool [4] software also supports some features for iOS and Android devices, such as the ability for teachers to broadcast their screen to students’ devices.

Students must have the LanSchool Student app on their device to allow this functionality. The iOS version of this app includes a built-in browser that allows schools to limit their students’ web use by “whitelisting” and/or “blacklisting” websites, but the Android version lacked this capability as of press time, said marketing manager Greg Tan.

Netop’s [5] Vision software enables teachers to share their screen with any student device, but locking student iPads or Android tablets is not available yet.

“A lot of classroom management products are trying to take the exact feature set that worked in PC classrooms and labs and overlay it onto iPads. That’s not what educators want,” said Cindy Banks, director of marketing for Netop. “What teachers want are the tools that help them teach effectively in the new paradigm—they need specific tools to fit the technology.”

Even companies not traditionally known for MDM or classroom management software have developed programs that give teachers some level of control over their students’ mobile device use.

For instance, Samsung has developed software that enables teachers to control students’ Galaxy Note tablets as part of its Samsung School [6] solution. And Promethean’s ClassFlow software, which was designed to facilitate teaching with technology, enables some degree of teacher control [7] over student devices as well.

Follow Editorial Director Dennis Pierce on Twitter: @eSN_Dennis [8].

eBook addresses internet safety, digital citizenship

Posted By Laura Ascione On In eClassroom News,IT Management,Teaching & Learning | No Comments
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Free download helps parents, teachers, and students with internet safety awareness

First introduced during National Internet Safety Month in June, NBCUniversal’s The More You Know, in collaboration with NBC News, has launched Growing Up Online [9], a free, interactive eBook for parents, teachers, and kids about digital literacy and internet safety.

The first release from The More You Know Learning Series, Growing Up Online offers informative, media-rich tools to help parents in discussions with their children about using technology responsibly and safely, as well as entertaining video comic books focused on real-life situations that might arise when kids go online. The eBook features NBC News journalists including Brian Williams, Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Dr. Nancy Snyderman speaking about the importance of keeping kids safe online.

Growing Up Online is available as a free download on Apple’s iBookstore for iPad and iPad Mini, Barnes and Noble’s Nook Tablet, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Kobo, as well as online for desktop and laptop viewing at www.themoreyouknow.com.

“When 52 percent of children have access to a mobile device and one in three kids has experienced cyberbullying, we are proud to provide resources and tools so that people can address the pressing issue of how to navigate the digital world securely,” said Beth Colleton, NBCUniversal Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility.

In collaboration with leading experts from Common Sense Media and NetSmartz Workshop (an education program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children),Growing Up Online addresses the increasing concern around kids’ online privacy issues and cyberbullying in a unique way.

“We all have a part to play to ensure that our kids are navigating the digital world safely and responsibly” said Jim Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Media. “The eBook content is relevant and practical, and it’s organized to encourage conversations between parents and kids. With the right tools and guidance, every kid can thrive with media and technology.”

Engaging virtual field trip apps, resources

Posted By By Laura Devaney, Managing Editor, @eSN_Laura On In Blended Learning,Featured on eSchool News,IT Management,Teaching & Learning,Top News | No Comments
virtual-field

Virtual field trips can broaden students’ educational experiences and increase engagement

Once a foreign concept, virtual field trips and tours have skyrocketed in popularity, due in part to tight school budgets and a growth in classroom mobile technology tools.

Schools save time and money when students can explore national and international landmarks from their classrooms, and educators have access to a vast number of resources that expand students’ learning opportunities. Virtual field trips help engage students even at a time when financing such trips in person isn’t feasible.

As their application and popularity have grown, so, too, have organizations offering virtual field trip software and resources. From exploring national museums to navigating famous caves in France, there’s a virtual field trip for nearly everyone.

What’s your favorite virtual field trip or virtual tour? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below.

(Next page: Virtual field trips and tours)

FieldTripZoom [10] is a cloud-based service that uses high-definition video conferencing technology to help schools connect with museums, libraries, and other content providers who offer virtual field trips or tours. Schools need just a PC or a Mac, high-speed internet, and audio-visual equipment that is most likely already in the school.

The Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration [11] offers a way for educators to search through content provider programs and locate virtual field trips, tours, and distance learning resources.

The Life of Art,iPad [12], Free
How do objects end up in a museum? Discover the answer to that question from the artworks themselves in this app from the J. Paul Getty Museum. The Life of Art app enables users to retrace the lives of a lidded bowl, a silver fountain, a side chair, and a wall light in the Getty’s collection by examining physical clues. The interactive app features stunning photography, animations, video, and 360 rotations that bring the rich biographies of these objects to life.

Smithsonian Mobile, iPhone/iPad [13], Android [14], Free
Smithsonian Mobile is your digital mobile guide to the Smithsonian, built collaboratively with our visitors. Find out what’s on where, discover highlights, search our collections, access tours, podcasts and other apps. Add tips and photos from your visit for other visitors, or share your experiences and photos with Twitter and Facebook followers and friends.

The Lascaux Cave [15]
Visitors to the site are presented with a three-dimensional digital version of the cave, which allows them to go from room to room, completely immersed in the site. As they travel from the Great Hall of the Bulls all the way to the Shaft of the Dead Man, they can stop at each of the many images, read descriptions, play video sequences and examine overlay lines that helpfully reveal some of the more difficult to identify figures. A zoom feature enables visitors to get as close as possible to the walls that these talented artists decorated.

Sphere, iPhone/iPad [16], Android [17], Free
Users can take 360-degree photos and also can step into existing photos of landmarks all over the globe. Step into the future of photography. See Paris from a hot air balloon, feel the energy from the American ldol stage, and hold onto your raft as you approach Hubbard Glacier. With Sphere, a user’s device is a movable window under their control. Students can create their own virtual field trips and can step into “spheres” created by other Sphere users.

Museum of Science and Industry [18]
This virtual field trip opportunity for high school students takes participants into an operating room at Advocate Christ Medical Center. Students can ask a surgical team questions about an open heart bypass procedure while the procedure is actually occurring.

The White House [19]
As part of President and Mrs. Obama’s commitment to open the White House to as many Americans as possible, this partnership with the Google Art Project allowed their 360 Street View cameras to capture the rooms that are featured on the public White House tour. Now anyone, anywhere, can experience the history and art of the White House via their computer.

Toolkit helps educators confront online privacy threats

Posted By By Carly Buchanan, Contributing Editor, @buchanan_carly On In Featured on eSchool News,IT Management,Teaching & Learning,Top News | No Comments

New privacy toolkit for school leaders seeks to help school systems confront privacy issues when shopping for and using an online service provider

At its annual conference, the Consortium for School Networking [20] (CoSN) released a detailed guide designed to help school officials follow federal laws on privacy issues– specifically the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act [21] (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act [22] (COPPA).

The guide, “Protecting Privacy in Connected Learning Toolkit,” was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation and endorsed by The Association of School Business Officials International [23]. Harvard Law School’s Cyberlaw Clinic [24] also assisted in its development, according to the official CoSN press release.

The toolkit’s purpose is to help school systems appropriately handle issues of privacy when shopping for and using an online service provider.

(Next page: Protecting yourself from online security threats)

“School system leaders need to understand how to comply with FERPA and COPPA given increasing cloud computing and app environments,” said Keith Krueger, CoSN CEO. Because complying with these laws and navigating through privacy matters can become confusing for school leaders, the toolkit says, it is organized in the form of a decision tree.

Beyond this decision tree, or flowchart, there are definitions, both of privacy laws and terms such as “education records” and “school official.” There are also checklists, examples, and key questions that school officials should ask themselves as they read.

“It is also important to remember that protecting the security of student information will likely require your school system to look beyond the letter of the law,” according to the toolkit. “For that reason, this document includes industry suggested practices.”

These include suggested contract terms, security questions to ask online service providers, and negotiation factors to consider concerning metadata and de-identification. The toolkit also contains guidelines on directory information and click-wrap software, as well as links to other resources.

“Because the interpretation of privacy laws is evolving, as well as privacy laws themselves and the technology services they seek to govern, the CoSN Protecting Privacy in Connected Learning Toolkit will also evolve,” the toolkit states. It will be updated throughout the year to include more information in order to stay relevant and remain useful to schools.

Carly Buchanan is an Editorial Intern at eSchool News.