Mobile Devices and Laptops in Education
Making the most of today’s technology to create
collaborative learning environments that benefit
students, teachers, and schools
Table of Contents
Introduction
The 1:1 Program Today
The Challenges of Computers in the Classroom How Technology Provides Teachers with Control The StudentManager Platform
TeacherView App Conclusion Resources
Introduction
1:1 laptop programs have been around for about 20 years, starting with the Apple Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) in 1985. Although they were initially about getting technology into students’ hands, today’s 1:1 initiatives are about transforming education by
personalizing the learning experience through access to technology. In addition, 1:1 programs introduce students to technology that they will use throughout their lifetime, expand the classroom in unlimited directions, and engage students. This model is augmented by the explosion of mobile devices, including tablets and smartphones, in which students may bring their own devices into the classroom. Making computers part of the classroom introduces almost limitless opportunity - if this technology can be properly harnessed.
T&L Editors
The Promise
Education is moving from a “broadcast” approach—where teachers primarily lecture to students - to an approach in which students have more interaction with the curricula being taught. Laptops and mobile devices are ideal tools in this new model. With access to mobile devices (either provided by the school or owned by the student), and wireless connectivity, students and teachers can take advantage of powerful online resources to transform the learning experience.
There are, however, a number of issues that must be addressed in order to make computers in the classroom a productive part of the teaching environment. Unless these challenges are addressed completely, some teachers may resist adding mobile devices to their day-to-day curricula. Improperly handled, technology can actually add to the teacher’s burden, rather than open new doors.
The Challenges
Technical issues
With laptops, smartphones, and tablets in the classroom, teachers have to be the de facto “IT guy” or network administrator. This is a role that most teachers did not ask for and many feel that they are not prepared for, particularly given the rapid pace of today’s technology. Enabling a classroom of students to log into their computers and get connected to the network can be terrifying for a teacher, and can cause a lack of credibility with students. If teachers choose to allow students to use their own devices, teachers may also have to troubleshoot different operating systems, control unmanaged devices, and provide accountability for many different platforms.Distractions
When students have access to a networked laptop or mobile device, they are faced with a plethora of distractions. The temptation to surf the Web or check email can become irresistible, and can be very difficult for the teacher to actually catch. In addition, video and audio noise can inhibit concentration.Teacher visibility
The teacher must be able to ensure that the technology is being used as assigned/intended. Since the laptop screen or tablet is pointed toward the student—and typically away from the teacher—the teacher is forced to roam the classroom to maintain control. Because of this, teachers spend a significant period of the class time walking up and down the aisles, checking in on students.Correlating and centralizing data
In this era of accountability, district leaders need to make sure that a 1:1 program is producing the desired results. Unfortunately, adisparate set of devices and data solutions that do not interoperate can make compiling this detailed data almost impossible. Moreover, some solutions do not integrate with centralized information systems, so data either goes unused or must be reentered.
Although these challenges may seem like roadblocks, the value of 1:1 laptop and BYOD programs make it necessary for us to find a way to make the use of computers in the classroom easier and more productive.
Technology Provides Teachers with Control
Without a means of control, mobile devices and laptops in the classroom can create chaos. Aerohive Networks, a leader in WiFi networking, has specialized in creating a cost-effective, “enterprise-class” wireless networking solution that is very well suited for use in education. The solution begins with Aerohive’s WiFi access points, which use the unique Cooperative Control protocol to communicate directly from AP to AP, eliminating the need for any centralcontrollers. All access points across a school or across a district can be managed centrally via a single instance of Aerohive’s
HiveManager network management system. This central
HiveManager can be located on premises or in the cloud. Aerohive’s HiveOS Operating System provides a number of innovative features including a means for administrators to control use of wireless devices like smartphones in the classroom or throughout the campus, so access via these devices can be restricted or even prohibited via the WLAN.
Aerohive has also created StudentManager and TeacherView which are unique applications specifically designed to optimize the use of mobile devices and 1:1 programs in the classroom. These
applications are a direct result of working closely with K-12 and primary/secondary schools around the world to understand what teachers need in the classroom and what administrators require up to the district level. The result is easy-to-use tools that make it simple to bring mobile devices and laptops into the classroom without sacrificing control or budget.
StudentManager integrates seamlessly into HiveManager, Aerohive’s centralized management system, to greatly simplify the process of bringing wireless devices into the classroom and reporting activities to the administration. Once class is started, StudentManager’s TeacherView feature gives educators a real-time view of students’
connection status as well as the websites being viewed. Both StudentManager and TeacherView are completely device/OS-independent, making it easier to integrate this functionality across a variety of wireless devices. Together, Aerohive WiFi with
StudentManager and TeacherView make mobile devices and 1:1 programs affordable, easy to control, and completely accountable at the district level. TeacherView is also available as a stand-alone application that comes with Aerohive HiveAPs and HiveManager at no additional charge.
The StudentManager Platform
Aerohive Network’s StudentManager provides a school district with a single solution to monitor and track wireless client use in schools and to allow teachers to confidently deliver their lessons in a wireless classroom. StudentManager also integrates with Student Information Systems, including Pearson PowerSchool, which relieves
administrators of the burden of controlling and correlating every device, for every class, for every student. Integration with
PowerSchool makes these frequent changes seamless. In addition, StudentManager provides extensive, CIO-level reporting on wireless device use for classes, schools, and districts, making it easy to quantify WiFi use in the classroom.
StudentManager also includes TeacherView, a revolutionary classroom monitoring and management tool for wireless clients. Using TeacherView, educators can see at a glance which students are connected to the network, and what websites they are browsing – all without having to roam the classroom. Additional
StudentManager features empower teachers to preplan classes, effectively integrating wireless access into lesson planning.
Features and benefits
StudentManager is accessible via a web browser on Windows, Linux, or Mac.
With StudentManger, teachers can:
• Easily run reports to display how technology is being
used in classrooms
• Enable or disable access to the Internet and school
network
• Ensure students are connected—and to the right
content
• Manage lesson plans and white list URLs for class
time
• Integrate with the district student information system
to automatically update class schedules, rosters, and other information
• Provide CIO-level reporting of how technology is being
used
• Pre-plan classes integrated with wireless access
How it Works
StudentManager provides a high-level set of monitoring and control functionality to the classroom instructor. It works by leveraging the monitoring and management capabilities of the centralized Aerohive HiveManager management system. The teacher simply logs into the StudentManager appliance, pulls up their screen and begins to
Here’s what one district had to say after using StudentManager: “iPods and the other interactive applications we provide are an incredible learning tool. However, we quickly realized that our teachers were spending too much time managing the classroom, taking away valuable teaching time,” said Joshua Spaugh, Director of Technology at Isle of Wight County Schools in Virginia.
“StudentManager … is the first tool we’ve come across that allows the teacher to make changes at the classroom level. At the touch of a button, the teacher is able to turn off access to the Internet, send students to a particular Web site and monitor the sites being used to ensure they are focused on the task at hand.”
TeacherView App
Knowing what students are doing is the key to maintaining control in the classroom. With connected computers in the classroom,
teachers also need to ensure connectivity and manage the
resources accessed. TeacherView makes the process simple, with guided, wizard-like instructions that illustrate how to use the tool at every step. The result is that teachers can relax and use mobile devices as a tool to do what they do best – teach.
TeacherView, which is included in StudentManager and is also available as a stand-alone application at no charge, provides teachers a network-based, client independent, OS independent student monitoring and control system through a simple-to-use Web interface. Once a teacher logs in, they can view their entire
classroom and see what is happening on student’s devices without having to walk up and down the aisles. The interface easily shows which students are connected and can provide more specific information about the resources they are accessing.
TeacherView’s benefits:
• Designed for static classroom or cart configuration
• Teachers can manually create classes or carts
• Free with HiveManager
• Features a simple, non-technical interface so that teachers can quickly see the status of wireless clients and what the clients are accessing
• Displays last visited URLs and permits a teacher to block or allow Internet and school network access
• Allows teachers to redirect student browsers to a teacher-specified URL
• Shows Client Health status: This tracks the data rate and wireless transmission success of client computers attached to an Aerohive HiveAP, and will display this normally complex information in a very easy-to-read status bar format.
How it Works
The TeacherView system provides monitoring and control by leveraging the monitoring, policy control, and managementcapabilities of the overall Aerohive wireless network. The first thing a teacher does is log into the TeacherView server through a web browser; once the teacher is identified, their class information is pulled up.
TeacherView works with an Aerohive wireless implementation, and can be provided at no cost as a stand-alone application. Please note, however, this this version does not contain the rich reporting functionality and lesson planning capabilities found in the full StudentManager platform. The stand-alone application is an ideal way to introduce a school to the benefits of TeacherView, before they move forward to a full StudentManager deployment.
Conclusion
Today’s schools require “business-grade” wireless networks that are managed centrally and offer sophisticated features for scaling the network throughout school buildings, campuses, and districts. Aerohive can deliver these networks, as well as a number of unique features designed especially for the education market.
As more districts go 1:1 and allow students to bring in their own smartphones, tablets, and laptops, it becomes even more important for the network to remain stable and functional. Aerohive Networks reduces the cost and complexity of today’s networks and can provide extensive features because of the company’s Cooperative Control architecture. Its wireless solution is less expensive than a legacy WLAN, its scalability lets schools scale by simply adding access points where you need them, and most of the additional features are free.
Empowering educators to monitor and manage their classrooms enables a far more efficient teaching environment and allows teachers to do what they do best: teach. Aerohive, by observing classroom activities and taking a keen interest in the educational market, has built a unique, network-based, client-independent solution to enhance the productivity of classrooms that leverage computers.
Resources
StudentManager & TeacherView: Giving Teachers Control of Wireless Computing in the Classroom Solution Brief
Student Manager Product Info
StudentManager Datasheet
TeacherView Product Info
Wireless for K-12
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