Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Overcoming the top barrier to school connectivity

As federal efforts to connect students to high-speed internet make headway, districts identify their top challenges

internet-connectivityFunding remains the largest and most-cited obstacle when it comes to updating schools’ infrastructure and installing high-speed broadband internet access, according to a survey from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).

CoSN’s second annual E-rate and Infrastructure Survey, conducted with AASA and MDR, reveals that 58 percent of school districts said monthly recurring and ongoing expenses are their biggest barrier to connectivity.

In all, 60 percent of surveyed districts said funding is their biggest challenge when it comes to meeting the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) short-term goal of 100 Mbps/1,000 students.…Read More

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LAUSD plagued by student information system problems

District’s rollout of a student information system has become a technological disaster—and serves as a lesson for others

systemWith a few taps on a computer keyboard, a student’s entire school history from kindergarten to high school graduation was supposed to show up on the screen. That perfect score on a third-grade spelling test, that trip to the principal’s office for talking too much in class, that day of ditching math as a senior.

The computer software was supposed to help school officials schedule the classes a student needed to earn a diploma or attend college and to allow parents to track their children’s grades and attendance.

Instead, the Los Angeles Unified School District’s student information system, which has cost more than $130 million, has become a technological disaster. The system made its debut this semester and promptly overloaded the district’s database servers, requiring an emergency re-engineering. In the days and weeks that followed, many teachers were unable to enter grades or attendance or even figure out which students were enrolled in class.…Read More

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HP hopes its breakup will benefit schools

Venerable Silicon Valley company HP is splitting into two separate firms—one for printers and computers and one for enterprise solutions

HP
By splitting into two companies, HP hopes it will be more nimble to compete and innovate. (Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com)

Innovations in mobile computing, 3D printing, and cloud services are what HP hopes to deliver to schools and other customers as a result of its decision this week to split into two separate companies.

HP spokesman Jim Christensen said the move ultimately should benefit HP’s K-12 and higher-ed customers.

“Our customers are at the heart of our business and strategy, and we believe this move better positions us to meet their needs in a rapidly changing market,” he told eSchool News.…Read More

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End of support for Windows Server 2003 to affect schools

Microsoft is ending support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015—and schools should start planning now if they need to upgrade, experts say

serverMicrosoft’s decision to end support for its Windows Server 2003 edition next July means the clock is ticking for schools that continue to use this older server platform, industry experts say.

If these schools don’t upgrade their server infrastructure by July 14, 2015, they risk exposing their networks to critical security risks.

That’s the date Microsoft says it will end all support for Windows Server 2003, meaning the company no longer will issue security updates or non-security “hotfixes” for the software. Free or paid support options and online technical content updates will not be available after that date, either, Microsoft says.…Read More

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What to look for in a cloud provider of Microsoft Exchange

Here are five key things to consider when looking for an Exchange Server host

microsoft-exchangeMicrosoft Exchange provides a rich feature set for email, which has made it a popular option among schools and colleges. And the latest version, Exchange 2013, is a more robust offering than its predecessor, delivering many improvements for schools. These include:

  • Better availability. Exchange 2013 offers higher availability and is more fault-tolerant than previous versions.
  • Greater transparency. Servers are now self-monitoring and work in teams to ensure high availability. When a server detects a problem that could affect the user experience, it transparently switches users to another database.
  • Increased speed. Exchange 2013 provides users with significantly faster speed than Exchange 2010.
  • Windows 8 interface. Microsoft’s Windows 8 interface simplifies navigation on mobile devices.
  • Improved support for mobility. The Outlook Web App has been modified for mobility and will adapt to the user’s screen, whether it’s an iPad, iPhone, another tablet, PC, or laptop.

That said, some educational institutions face challenges in setting up their own Exchange Server. It can be costly and labor-intensive to do this, and using the advanced features of Exchange 2013 requires hardware and training that aren’t financially feasible for some schools.

To overcome these roadblocks, an increasing number of schools and colleges are making the switch to Exchange Server hosting. A dedicated, remotely hosted Exchange Server enables schools to save money on administration and the total cost of ownership, while also redeploying IT staff for other projects and initiatives.…Read More

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Survey finds gender gaps in school IT leadership

Data from CoSN’s 2014 ‘K-12 IT Leadership Survey’ raise important questions about gender equity in the school technology field

IT-leadership
Forty-eight percent of men in school IT leadership positions earn $100,000 or more, compared with 36 percent of women.

While women who occupy leadership positions in school technology are better educated and have more experience, on average, than their male colleagues, men in the school information technology (IT) field generally earn more money and hold more prestigious job titles: This is the main takeaway from an analysis of IT leadership in K-12 education by gender.

The findings are based on a sampling of data from the Consortium for School Networking’s 2014 “K-12 IT Leadership Survey.” They raise important questions about fairness, compensation, and leadership for women in school IT.

“Our findings reveal that, despite equity gains in recent years across industry sectors, gender disparity and bias [still] exist … in our nation’s schools,” said Keith Krueger, CoSN’s chief executive, in a statement.…Read More

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Wi-Fi in schools: Security vs. accessibility

Wi-Fi in schools can enhance student learning, but addressing the security risks is a good learning opportunity for administrators as well

wi-fiWi-Fi has been adopted with great enthusiasm by schools around the country; the opportunities it presents for learning are vast.

So, recent news that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will spend $2 billion to boost wireless internet connectivity in U.S. schools and libraries during the next two years is a great step forward. While FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler has called it a “watershed moment” to give wireless access to an estimated 10 million students, privacy experts are raising a collective eyebrow.

One of the possible downfalls to having students on Wi-Fi networks at school is the clear security risk: The network could be hacked, or a student could bring a virus from home onto the school’s wireless network. The very benefit of Wi-Fi in schools—easy, open access—is also the biggest threat. If it’s easy for the students to access, but it’s just as easy for hackers, that means everything on a school’s Wi-Fi network is vulnerable.…Read More

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5 key steps to safeguarding student data

Understanding data can improve student performance and lead to greater productivity for administrators and teachers; here’s how to protect this information

safeguard-dataToday, more than 90 percent of school districts electronically store data on everything from student demographics and course enrollment, to attendance and test scores on statewide assessments.

As uses of student data continue to expand, districts must be prepared to protect this information and ensure it’s only used for its intended purpose: to help students succeed. Here are five things school districts can do to safeguard their student data.

1. Understand the difference between data privacy and security.…Read More

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