Richardson Independent School District – Texas, USA

BARCO SOLUTION

  • wePresent

KEY BENEFITS

  • Improves student learning & drives engagement
  • Ease of use for teachers & stimulates interactive teaching
  • Supports different BYOD operating systems & perfectly integrates in the network

The Richardson Independent School District in Texas, USA, was not looking for just any wireless solution. They wanted one that would accommodate all users. This is a must in an age when Bring Your Own Device practices reign supreme and every classroom is inhabited by a mix of Google, Apple, Android and Microsoft devices. For Technology Project Manager, Terry Balch, finding such a solution was far more difficult than it should have been:…Read More

These 8 schools have A+ mobile device programs—here’s why

Technology continues to raise the bar of what is possible in education. As more schools discover the power and benefits of education technology, mobile devices such as Chromebooks, Macs and iPads in the classroom are becoming commonplace.

Here are eight innovative, real-world examples of schools that are using mobile devices along with a mobile device management (MDM) solution to unlock what’s possible in the classroom:

1. School District of La Crosse: Providing Student Equity for All & Managing a Massive Student iPad Handout…Read More

In the marketplace: Gaming, digital citizenship, PD initiatives, and more

Remaining a tech-savvy educator means keeping on top of the myriad changes and trends in education, how technology can support those trends, and how teaching and learning can best benefit from near-constant change.

Below, we’ve gathered some of the latest and most relevant marketplace news to keep you up-to-date on product developments, teaching and learning initiatives, and new trends in education.

Teq, a Long Island-based educational technology and professional development (PD) company, has received approval from the New York State Department of Education to provide Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE). Teq Online PD offers educators unlimited access to over 200 live and archived professional development sessions focused on the effective integration of technology into instruction. There are certification tracks on Google, Microsoft, Apple, SMART, among other topics, like online assessment, STEM, ELA, Math, Social Studies, and PBL. All of these courses and certifications are now CTLE approved. Read more.…Read More

All the ways iOS 9.3 will impact school iPad rollouts

Apple’s latest overhaul will impact one-to-one and shared device rollouts

In March, Apple upgraded the iPad and iPhone operating system to iOS 9.3 (quickly followed by iOS 9.3.1, which tweaked a few bugs). The lead up to the release caught the eye of the K-12 community, which had been waiting for a few tweaks of their own that would help it better manage both shared and one-to-one iPad implementations. It’s only been a couple of weeks since the new operating system hit prime time, but the feedback is already coming in—and it’s largely positive.

New features in iOS 9.3, for example, make it easier for IT to set up and manage devices via a new managed home screen layout. This feature allows administrators to deploy iPads configured for students, and to select which applications will appear on their device home screens. It might be most useful in shared environments, where more than one student is using a device—but where not all of the apps are relevant for all of those users. Schools can also locate and recover stolen or lost devices via ongoing location tracking that doesn’t compromise student privacy.

Expanded capabilities…Read More

TabPilot launches app for classroom management

TabPilot released Teacher Tools for iOS, an app that allows teachers to control student iPads in their classrooms with tools that have previously only been available through the cloud-based teacher console, normally accessed on the teacher’s computer.

Teacher Tools is a set of features of TabPilot MDM for Schools. Teachers choose a class to manage and then have the ability to freeze student screens, lock students into a single app, clear student passcodes with a few clicks, or lock students into a single web site or group of pre-selected sites. Teachers can also choose a student iPad to be broadcast to the classroom projector via Apple Airplay.

“With the launch of Teacher tools for iOS, we’re showing once again how a school-specific MDM is the best choice for both teachers and school IT administrators,” said Jarrett Volzer, founder and CEO of TabPilot. “With our new Teacher Tools app for iOS, the teachers can now take control in their classroom directly from their own iPad.”…Read More

The complete guide to picking the right device for every grade level

Ed-tech expert Kathy Schrock weighs in on mixed platform solutions for all grade levels

mixed-devicesA few years ago, many school districts jumped on the iPad bandwagon, when they were still brand new. The fact is they were easy to justify for a purchase of a shared cart since the Apple app store had so many wonderful applications for remediation, practice, and extension. These districts purchased the first iPad, which did not mirror and, believe it or not, had no built-in camera. Other districts waited for the second version to be released, which did have a camera and could be mirrored via Apple TV or the Reflector app, but only purchased the model with 16GB of RAM.

After a while, it became evident that maintaining a shared cart of iPads was no small feat. Taking care of the installation of apps and maintenance of the devices, as well as providing a positive experience for each shared user, was not easy. The 16GB of RAM was quickly eaten up by graphic-intensive apps, i-books, and PDF files, and the use of the camera for taking photos and videos. Schools began to think twice.

Enter the Chromebook, a device which was much cheaper and required little maintenance. However, even here there were difficulties at first as students needed to be attached to the internet to use the online Google tools and many of popular Flash-based sites were simply incompatible.…Read More

4 ways Apple may soon solve the iPad deployment headache

It’s no secret iPad deployments are a slog for schools. But all that may be changing

ipad-deploymentThe ultimate goal of technology deployment is for device use to become “invisible,” where students create and communicate with their devices as easily as they might pick up a pen.

That goal unfortunately remains a distant vision for most schools regardless of the technology students are using. Device deployment has been a particular challenge for schools with iPads. In fact it’s been such a headache that iPad sales into schools have started to lose momentum over the last year. Apple has taken steps recently to make device management somewhat simpler and rumors are circulating that significant changes might be on the way in the next year.

The iPad is built upon the same building blocks that made the iPhone so successful. It’s a personal device that requires an Apple ID for access to iTunes, apps, and eBooks. I’m not sure that anyone anticipated the enormous success iPads would have in schools. Educators viewed them as devices that were mobile, could deliver eBooks, manage online course content, and had powerful built-in media tools for creative inspiration. However, from a management perspective, they were designed for individual use and didn’t come with a simple, effective strategy for institutional deployment.…Read More

5 apps for creative iPad storytelling

A clutch of tools for writing ebooks, poems, flipbooks, and more

storytelling-ipadNarrative writing and storytelling skills are useful in nearly every discipline, from English language arts to science and history. Students that might not be able to explain their thinking one way, might fare better using audio, visuals, or some combination of the two. The iPad, a recognized content-creation tool, is a natural companion.

Here, we’ve gathered a handful of apps for story creation, in all its forms, that were originally summarized on APPitic.com, an app resource site with more than 6,000 apps in more than 300 subcategories.

[Editor’s note: eSchool News has selected these apps, which were originally curated by Apple Distinguished Educators, that may help you meet your instructional needs.]…Read More

Not your average trip to the Apple store

Apple stores offer free field trips, teaching kids how to use tech and navigate iOS programs

apple-field
360b / Shutterstock.com

Field trips can be difficult to coordinate and costly for schools to execute on tight budgets. Last week, eSchool News compiled a list of virtual field trip apps and resources–virtual field trips save schools time and money while giving students new learning opportunities.

That being said, this nationwide free physical field trip has benefits that outweigh its time costs, giving students a hands-on learning experience that encourages innovation and creativity.

Every fall and spring, Apple stores offer free field trips for K-12 students and teachers to create projects and learn about Apple technology.…Read More

Place your bets: An Apple tablet, laptop — or both?

Is Apple going to take a crack at a hybrid? Or is it eying a more conventional product? Those are burning questions that analysts and the supply chain are trying to figure out, CNET reports. Predicting Apple’s next move has become a sport. With the supply chain (in the case of Apple, largely the collection of component suppliers) the arena where, after some trial-and-error, a final product emerges the winner. Market researchers are the bookies, calculating the odds based on their best educated guess from supply chain sources.

The iPhone 6 is the latest example: the odds seem to favor a 4.8-inch (roughly) phone and, possibly later, a larger phone-like device…

Read more…Read More

The godfather of Apple design spots 4 looming tech trends

Before there was Jony Ive, there was Hartmut Esslinger, Wired.com reports. The founder of the influential design consultancy Frog started working with Apple in 1982, establishing the design language that drove the look of the company’s hardware for years to come–a shift that reverberated throughout the PC industry. It was Esslinger who first pushed Apple out of a drab beige world toward cleaner, whiter hardware, and his partnership with Steve Jobs in this period helped define Apple’s core values as a user-focused, design-centric company that endure to this day. Esslinger documents this partnership in his new book Keep it Simple: The Early Design Years of Apple. “It became very clear to me that we were competing for an opportunity to help Steve Jobs create much more than a visual design language,” Esslinger writes…

Read more

…Read More