School CIO: Mobile/Wireless


Kentucky's largest school adopts latest technology The largest school in Kentucky opened its doors for the first time on August 3rd to an eager crowd of over 1,200 students and staff.
Wireless expansion keeps traffic flowing Like many districts throughout the country, East Brunswick School District (EBSD) sought to enhance its student’s learning experience by increasing access to computers
Portable speakers amplify Georgia learning Located in Marietta, Ga., Daniell Middle School serves nearly 1,000 middle school students in grades 6-8 and has projector systems and laptop computers installed in multiple classrooms for teachers to use during class instruction.
One to One computing platform helps kids explore technology, world “Kids today live in a world of technology. To take them where we as educators need them to go, we must meet them on their playing field using a digital platform,” said Andi Langdon, a language arts and social studies teacher in her 16th year of teaching
IP network supports security upgrade Located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Council Rock School District serves more than 12,300 students in its ten elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, and an alternative high school. The schools are spread across 72 square miles.
Large Texas district looks to wireless for bandwidth, speed The second largest school district in the San Antonio area, North East Independent School District (NEISD) has more than 70 schools and magnet programs, with an expected fall 2010 enrollment of 66,000 students. The district offers a web-based curriculum and provides students with technology resources to conduct research, complete assignments and communicate with others to complement their learning experience.
P.D. program readies teachers for digital platform Public School 69 – The New Vision School, an 87-year-old school in the Bronx surrounded by single-family homes and low-rise apartment buildings, has plenty of experience with technology.
Wireless network expands technology use in Massachusetts HS After less than a year on the job Framingham (MA) Public School District, director of technology Adam Seldow faced a daunting challenge – how to turn the district’s aging network infrastructure and PCs into the reliable system that students, teachers, and the community required.
Florida elementary monitors progress while teaching Monitoring students’ progress is ay critical aspect of education. But are students losing valuable instruction time to increasingly frequent testing? At Bunnell Elementary School (BES), of Flagler County, Florida, they’re trying to balance
Online technology maximizes 1:1 computing As school districts across the country are putting in the hands of every student, they must also consider how they will tailor the curriculum to the new technology.
One-to-one pilot success leads to school-wide program Students entering Watauga High School (WHS) in the fall of 2010 are opening a new chapter in the history of this public school in North Carolina’s scenic Blue Ridge Mountain high country.
Software analyzes one-to-one laptop use in Kansas district North Kansas City Schools serves more than 18,000 students in suburban Kansas City-North and prides itself as a place where “learners achieve excellence, embrace change and forge new traditions.”
Open source or proprietary? When it comes to assessment solutions, it doesn’t have to be an either or decision. Packaged assessment solutions are much like a prix fixe meal—satisfying but limiting. Open source software is like homemade chicken soup—delicious but a pain to make.
Digital system sparks science inquiry One of the largest school districts in Oklahoma is adding digital handheld science learning systems to science classes at all nine of its high schools.
School uses 1:1 technology to enhance math, language and science St. Paul Academy and Summit School (SPA), an independent co-educational school located in the Twin Cities, enjoys a stellar academic reputation and is one of Minnesota’s oldest independent K-12 institutions. The 855-student school is committed to the role technology can play in improving and enhancing the learning experience.
Texas district pioneers one-to-one curriculum Like many of her fellow educators, Dr. Susan Simpson is continually striving for better ways to keep her students actively involved in their classrooms - and their education.
Handheld pilot program shows early success With 99 schools and over 90,00 students, Fulton County Schools is the fourth largest in Georgia. Its leadership believes in excellence and academic achievement. Many of its leaders also believe that the current generation benefits from the integration of cutting- edge technology into the classroom – and beyond.
Atlanta school overcomes sound barriers in assembly hall Established in 1926 in midtown Atlanta by forward-thinking educator Ms. Eva Edwards Lovett, the Lovett School continues a tradition of excellence today, with over 99% of its students going on to attend four-year colleges. The private school has some 1,400 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Filling the Gap in Emergency Response When disasters occur, from tornado warnings to domestic or international terrorism, PDAs, cell phones and email are of little help to those without them or those ignoring them. To protect school campuses and the wider community, wireless PA systems compatible with existing two-way radio systems are filling the emergency response gap at some of the nation's school campuses and municipalities.
The Challenge of Coordinating District-wide Communications The great American conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein once said that technique is communication; to conductors the two words are synonymous. For school executives and administrators who are orchestrating communications across their districts, technology is communication; and their ability to piece together the right array of technological solutions in a time of tight budgets is likely to determine whether they’ll be applauded or have to face the music generated by disconcerted constituents. It’s not an easy task.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Turns to E-rate Manager for Applicants for Assistance with E-rate Program In 2008, through the E rate program, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools received more than $1 million in funding for vital telecommunications services such as phone and Internet connections. E rate Manager for Applicants, an online suite of tools developed by Funds
YES Prep Public Schools adopts faster PCs NCP engineering GmbH announced that its 64 bit Windows VPN client has helped the YES Prep Public Schools of Houston, TX to adopt faster PCs for its staff. The school system selected the NCP Secure Entry Client because it supported
Testing goes wireless in Arizona Marie is in the seventh grade at Pine Junior High School. She starts every morning by text messaging her friends on her cell phone. She continues through breakfast, one hand spooning cereal, the other texting. During the day, she spends
New York State's Alden Central School District goes wireless The more than 1,900 K 12 students and teachers who returned to New York State's Alden Central School District on September 1 gained ubiquitous high performance wireless Internet access for the first time using a district wide Meru Networks 802.11n
Western Wayne SD chooses thin clients In efforts to keep up its strategic use of technology in classrooms, the Western Wayne School District (Northeast PA) has announced that it will implement Wyse Technology thin clients. Western Wayne received a “Schools of Excellence in Technology” award in
Free virtualization assessment CDW Government, Inc. (CDW G), source of Information Technology (IT) solutions to governments and educators, has announced an assessment services offering that enables qualifying K 12 schools, higher education institutions and government agencies to consider the potential benefits of server
Rutherford County picks Lenovo for new pilot program Rutherford LEAP announced its selection of the Lenovo IdeaPad S10e netbook as the computer for its pilot program at Kittrell School in Rutherford County (TN) for the upcoming school year.The county’s technical administration team and Rutherford LEAP found the netbook
More evidence online learning works A new study examined more than a thousand empirical studies of online learning from 1996 through July 2008. The resulting report, Evidence Based Practices in Online Learning A Meta Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies (2009), found the following
Tennessee school launches netbook program On June 20, Rutherford LEAP announced its selection of the Lenovo IdeaPad S10e netbook as the computer for its pilot program at Kittrell School in Rutherford County (TN) for the upcoming school year.The county’s technical administration team and Rutherford LEAP
Alabama schools overcome data corruption issues Mobile County Public Schools (AL) recently turned to Information Transport Solutions to overcome data corruption issues and update the technology for its K 12 schools. System users were complaining about the slow performance of school based applications, and the IT
Minnesota Online High School delivers virtual PCs The Minnesota Online High School (MNOHS) has selected SIMtone to deliver virtual PC environments to students and faculty of the as part of its Education Thunder Program. The program aims to provide access to full PCs in the cloud to
Pilot Chosen for One-to-One Laptop Project North Vista Elementary, Florence, SC, has been selected to participate as a pilot site in the state's One Laptop per Child initiative. The One Laptop per Child push is a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Education and the
A Virtual Good Idea: Virtualization software allows districts to stretch dollars, conserve resources School districts across the country always have had to do more with less. Funding only goes so far, leaving administrators and IT staff to find innovative ways to save money while maintaining a high level of academic quality. Creating virtual
Wireless WAN Helps Students Improve Since the Nederland (TX) Independent School District installed its high speed broadband network, student achievement has improved. The district has been recognized by the Texas Education Agency for education excellence for improvements noted from 2004 to 2008. During that period,
Bringing Plug and Play Wireless to the Classroom By Richard Raymond, SAU 41 District IT Coordinator Schools nationwide are increasingly shifting from fixed computer labs to mobile laptop carts, giving students improved access to technology. Deploying laptops into the classroom can be challenging, a fact that our New Hampshire school district, SAU 41, has learned from
Bulletproof Remote Access Making school or district database and network resources available to IT employees, administrators, and teachers from remote locations can greatly improve productivity, but at what cost? Despite the vast improvements in
A Wireless World by Richard Hoffman Charles County Public Schools Makes Wireless Universal
Preparing Teachers for One-to-One by Sheila Riley Ten tips to help educators working in laptop environments thrive.
Portrait of a Leader by Amy Poftak Though hard work and a knack for relating to teachers, Cindy Wilson-Hyde has changed her school's relationship with technology.
Conferencing across Coasts by Lindsay Oishi CIO Frank Rizzo of East Aurora, New York, talks about the power of videoconferencing.
What's New in 2007? by Susie Meserve CTO Darryl LaGace talks about what was hot in 2006, what's not in 2007, and his big plans for the new year.
Data Warehouse to Go by Elena Malykhina Business intelligence vendors create scaled-down applications for smartphones
One-to-One in Michigan by Tom McHale Examining the challenges and triumphs of a statewide laptop initiative.
Class, Open Your Phones by Terry Freedman Trends suggest that mobile phones have educational potential.
Taking Wireless to the Max by Christopher Heun At the Milwaukee Public Schools, James Davis is building one the nation's first WiMax networks.
Book Excerpt: 1-to-1 Learning by Pamela Livingston Preparing your network for a laptop program requires careful planning. In her new book, Pamela Livingston lays out the issues.
4 Things to Know About 802.11n by Carmen Nobel As wireless protocols go, 802.11n is everything an IT leader could want. Just one problem: It doesn't really exist yet.
Building the School of the Future by Lindsay Oishi Introducing Philadelphia's new high-tech high school
Sending Kids Back to School with Cell Phones by Laurie Sullivan Although mobile phones are off-limits during school hours, more students are showing up with the devices.
Six Mobile Breakthroughs by David Haskin New mobile technologies are emerging that can change--and even save--our lives.
Laptops for All by Lindsay Oishi Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation president Bruce Dixon is on a mission to put a laptop in every child's hands.
Research: Wireless Laptops Motivate Students by K.C. Jones Students are self-directed and get highly personalized instruction with their own computers and Internet access.
Negroponte Unveils $100 Laptop by W. David Gardner The first working model of the $100 One Laptop Per Child debuts in Boston.
NYC's Ban on Cell Phones in Schools Sparks Challenge by K.C. Jones Many schools did not enforce the policy until last month when security guards used new metal detectors to confiscate more than 800 phones.
Air Time: Wi-Fi and Commoditization by Dave Molta Commoditization's Yin and Yang
Schools Could Be The First In U.S. To Use WiMax by Elena Malykhina The Federal Communications Commission has set a 2008 deadline for schools to either use or auction their portions of the spectrum. Some plan to use it for WiMax.
Unlocking The Business Benefit Of Wireless by The Advisory Council Untethering business processes creates value, even for everyday tasks. Here's how to find that value and unlock it.
Five Things You Didn't Know About Apple's iPod by Alexander Wolfe Despite the massive popularity of the player, there are still some little-known tricks that can help you get more mileage out of your music.
What Intel-based Macs Mean for CIOs by Richard Hoffman Wondering how Apple's new Windows-capable computers fit into your technology planning? Here are some strategic highlights.
Wireless Not for Everyone by Matt Villano According to one computer teacher, wireless networking may not be the best choice.
Best Practices: Wireless Security by Matt Villano Network manager Scott Friberg talks about how he's securing his district's new wireless network.
12 Tips for Launching a Wireless Laptop Program by Domenic Grignano The technology director for East Rock Magnet School in New Haven, Conn., a federal government test site for laptop learning, shares his secrets to a successful implementation.
World Without Wires by Matt Villano Should your disctrict go wireless? Consider these factors before making your decision.
A New Take on Tablets by Eric Svetcov Before you rush out to purchase your next round of laptops, consider whether a tablet PC might provide a few more virtual blades in your technology pocketknife.
Getting Results With Laptops What outcomes can districts and schools with laptop programs expect to see? And what's the best way to ensure they're positive?
T&L Announces the 2009 Awards of Excellence Winners Tech & Learning magazine named 65 education technology products as winners in its prestigious 27-year-old recognition program.