Four decisions every district should make when using iPads in a 1:1 program

iPads and your one-to-one program

Designing a student one-to-one program of any size is a BIG DEAL, but the proper planning can help you minimize the problems from the time the first school bell rings in August. Using iPads will present a unique set of problems, but it will also lead to a unique set of rewards.  There are four decisions you will need to make before students even touch an iPad.  We learned some of these the easy way, but most of them we learned the hard way.  Read my advice below, but take in others' opinions as well.  The more you know before you implement your iPads, the better prepared you will be and the fewer problems you will have. When there are no problems, people are happy.  Repeat after me:

Fewer problems = happier teachers and students

Apple IDs

This is the granddaddy of all decisions that you will face.  Should the school district create generic Apple IDs for each iPad, or should the students create their own Apple IDs and use them on their assigned iPad? Overwhelmingly this is the answer: each student should have their own Apple ID. When a user has their own ID, then everything they create, download, save, purchase, or use is saved to their account. An Apple ID gives them access to every app, song, or movie they buy (or get for free) for the rest of their lives, and it will follow them onto multiple devices.  When they trade in their iPod Touch for an iPhone, those purchases come with.  When they trade in their iPad2 for an iPad5, all their apps and data will still be available.  (Click here to read more about Apple IDs)

Some students try to share their mom or dad's Apple ID, but this is not a good idea.  An Apple ID is meant for one person. Sharing data among multiple people is confusing and problematic.  It is best for every individual in a family to create their own Apple ID.  Should parents have access to their child's account?  That's really a family matter, but a nice compromise is when a student has their own Apple ID but the parent has their child's log in information.

In my school district last year, we asked students to create Apple IDs on the first day of school when they were issued their iPads.  This coming year we will likely send a letter home to the students and parents asking them to create the account before school begins. We will do this not only to save time but also to help educate the parents as to what we are asking for (a unique Apple ID for every student) and why we are asking for this (to create a single account that will follow their children throughout their high school years and beyond).

Configurator vs. MDM

Every iPad need some type of preparation before you issue them to your students.  Apple provides software called Configurator for free, and it can do things like install paid apps, update paid and free apps, and pre-install the wireless network password.  If you want to do more with setting up your iPads you can pay extra to use Mobile Device Management software, or an MDM. From our experience, the cost of an MDM is far greater than their benefits.  We used Casper as our MDM with 1,600 iPad2s in the first year of our 1:1 program.  There was nothing wrong with Casper, but we have decided not to use it again next year.  At a cost of around $7 per iPad per year, we decided it wasn't worth the price. We will use Configurator exclusively, and part of the reason we can do that is because of our policy on paid apps which is described in the next section.

One suggestion I have for you is do not install free apps on your students' iPads.  When you use Configurator to install an app, you will have to use Configurator to update that app unless you are willing to give out the security code to your students.  This is a huge burden on your tech staff.  Instead, create a list of free apps that every student should install on their own.  When they install the app, it becomes part of their Apple ID profile and it allows them to update the app at any time.

Paid apps vs. free apps

At last estimation, there are 14 kabillion apps available for the iPad. That might be a round number I made up in my head, but if there is an app for everything then it must be true.  Most apps are free, but obviously some are not.  Even if your district can afford to buy apps, someone needs to ask whether they are really, truly necessary.  Make these decisions regarding purchased apps before students even touch an iPad.  There are four main questions you will have to ask when deciding on the use of paid apps.

#1 Is your district ready for paid apps?
When your one-to-one program is just beginning you will be asked to quantify and qualify and justify your success in every conceivable way.  You will have to train your teachers and teach your students on how to use iPads.  You will have to distribute, manage and maintain those iPads.  Do you really have time to deal with paid apps in the first year of your program?  Can you defend the expense of paid apps? In the first year I strongly recommend that you do not spend a dime on apps. Spend $0 in your first year. There are many excellent free apps, including all of your productivity apps (Google, Evernote, Dropbox) and your LMS (we use Schoology). These are the apps you will use everyday.  It is your content apps that often cost money, and I recommend you hold off on buying those apps for the first year.  Teachers will find other free apps that are similar and possibly even better. One year later, if teachers really want a paid app then your district can create a method for requesting, pruchasing, and distributing apps.

#2 Who will pay for the apps?
If you decide to use paid apps, then who will buy them?  If your district pays for them, set a budget ahead of time and stick to it.  Apps will get expensive very quickly, even at just $1 a pop.  You will also need to establish a procedure for teachers to follow when requesting apps.  You might ask teachers to try free apps first, or to buy the paid app on their own for testing purposes before you agree to buy a set for the whole class.  Whatever you decide, make sure it's clearly posted and understood by all.

If parents are expected to buy the apps, give them the rationale behind it.  Three good reasons for a parent or student to purchase their own apps are:

1. When a student buys the app, that app will follow the student for life. Our students will graduate, and when they buy their own iPad they will not have to buy all their apps again.  Those apps, and all the learning that occurred with those apps, will always be owned by the student.
2. Overall, the total cost of apps is often less than the traditional supplies parents buy for their students every year.  A friend of mine has two children and two step children, and he says that it typically costs around $100 per child PER YEAR to pay for supplies.  In a one-to-one environment, the apps are often the only supplies your child needs.  Buying a child a $10 or $20 iTunes gift card to pay for the apps he uses in school is not any different than buying him folders and paper and a calculator.  
3. When students buy their own apps, they have more freedom to choose what they want to buy.  In some cases, choice will save them money.  Why should your child buy Pages for $10 if they are happy using Google Docs? In other cases, it allows them to spend more if they feel that there is more value to the app.  There are free scientific calculator apps, and there are $20 scientific calculator apps.  Some parents and students find value in buying the right app and are willing to put more money into it, especially if they are heading into a math or science-related field after graduation.

#3 What can you afford to spend on apps each year?
The more students you have, the more it will cost you to buy apps.  It's okay to buy apps - just make sure you do so wisely and make sure they will actually get used.  Set a budget and stick to it.  This is especially true for pilot programs - it sets a bad precedent when you go over budget in your very first year!

#4 Will you "keep" the apps, or will you give them away to students and buy new ones each year?
We use Configurator to install paid apps on our iPads, which gives us the ability to remove the app at a later time and distribute it to someone else. The district retains ownership of the app, which saves us tens of thousands of dollars every year.  The downside is that our tech staff has to update the paid apps manually, but overall it is cost-effective for us.

Some districts prefer the "consumable" model of distributing apps, where the district buys the app but then gives the app to the student permanently. People will tell you to look at it like a workbook: you spend $15 on a workbook to give to a student and you do not expect them to turn the workbook into you at the end of the year.  It sounds very logical, but it can become costly.  You will have to decide for yourself if the cost of retaining ownership of an app - the time it takes your tech staff to manage the apps - is greater or less than the cost of giving away apps to students.

My opinion is that if the district spends money on apps then the district should retain ownership of the apps. 

Security, insurance, and "what do you mean they don't bounce"?

There are multiple ways to keep your iPad secure, but to be honest none of them are very effective.  Apple loves to taut their Find My iPad feature, where you can use a computer or phone to track the location of a lost iPad.  The feature does work, but only when the iPad is turned on and it is connected to the Internet.  If a thief wipes your iPad, which takes approximately 10 seconds to begin, then Find My iPad no longer works and your iPad cannot be tracked.  Other security options include having your school district's contact information engraved on the back of the iPads (This iPad is the property of School District 1 - please call XXX-XXX-XXXX if found or presented for sale), or applying metallic security stickers.  You can also buy software to track your iPads, but they are very expensive and not very cost-effective.

So what do you do to protect yourself and your students?  Insurance. Some districts offer insurance to parents but it is not mandatory. In our district, about 50% of parents bought the insurance from Worth Ave Group for about $32 - $42 a year. Other districts require every student to pay for insurance (Wellesley, MA has a great proposal for charging one annual fee that covers the iPad, insurance, apps, and maintenance).  Another option is to self-insure your district by charging the premiums and deductibles yourself, but I strongly recommend using an outside company for the first year or two and analyzing the data regarding costs and loss before you try this yourself. In the end, most districts decide that it is the student who is responsible for the iPad.  Offering insurance is a way to protect the parents from getting a $500 bill due to a lost iPad, and it is a way of protecting the school district from the small number of parents who do not pay for their child's lost iPad.

iPads don't bounce. They don't fly. They don't float. Damage is a serious problem, and most of it can be traced back to some form of negligence. Find a good repair company in the area or one that offers a through-the-mail service, and make sure your repairs occur quickly and at a low cost.  Apple does provide decent service, but they are not very good at dealing with POs.  Blue Raven is a large company that specializes in low-cost repairs on the iPad glass, which is the most expensive repair you will face.  Blue Raven charges about 1/2 of what Apple charges for glass repairs. Once you've chosen a repair company, put the process down in writing so that your tech staff knows exactly what to do to get the broken iPads out for repair and back into your students' hands as quickly as possible.

iPad cases are another low-cost, highly effective protection method.  Get samples from multiple companies and test them with your students.  I wrote to Otterbox, Gumdrop, Uzibull, Griffin, and Belkin and they all sent me samples for free. Whether your district is buying the cases and providing them to the students for free, or if you are simply recommending a case for the parents to purchase on their own, a real hands-on test will help you to decide which case is best for your students.

D211 employees can buy the new Microsoft Office Professional Plus for $9.95 starting today

All Township High School District 211 employees can purchase a license for the new Microsoft Office 2013 which was released today.  The cost is only $9.95!

To take advantage of this offer, go to the official Microsoft Home Use Program website.  You will need to enter this special code C8956B668B along with your D211 email address.

There are some limitations to the program, which can be expected when you are paying less than $10 for something that costs over $400 in the stores.  First, this is a license to use Office for as long as you are an employee of D211.  You are expected to delete the software if you end your employment with the district.  Second, you can only download it to computers that belong to you and are used by you.  Third, you can only purchase Office for $9.95 once through this program between August 1, 2012 and July 31, 2015.

So that was the bad news.  It wasn't that bad, really.  It's not like missing the playoffs after going 10-6!  Let's get to the good news and stop dwelling on the Bears...

The license is for the entire Office Professional Plus 2013 suite of software.  This is a much larger package than the "Student and Teacher Edition".  The Professional Edition includes the following:

• Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• Outlook
• OneNote
• Access
• Publisher
• InfoPath
• Lync

Mac users, you are not left out.  You can continue to buy Microsoft Office 2011 for your Mac for the same price of $9.95.

If you are having any trouble purchasing the software, please contact the technology coordinator in your building first.  If the TC cannot solve it, you will need to contact Microsoft directly.  They have always been extremely helpful in resolving issues with the Home Use Program.

Reliable sturdy Kingston flash drive for $9.99

I still love flash drives.  There, I've said it.  Normally we use flash drives to move files from one computer to another, but our need for physical storage has decreased now that we let other companies store our data for us.  Two examples include (a) improved cloud storage often used for our documents (GoogleDocs and Dropbox) and (b) changes in the way we access our music collection (Amazon Cloud Player and Google Drive).  We now let other companies hold our "stuff" especially when we want to access that data using mobile devices like cell phones and tablets.

The flash drive is still very useful, though.  For those of us who still use computers at work or school, it's a great way to move or copy a large file (more than 1GB) from one computer to another.  I collected about 8GB of video from coworkers which I have to edit when I get home tonight, and transferring that amount of data over the Internet isn't convenient.  It goes beyond computers, though - home electronics can access data from flash drives as well.  I can store movies and songs on a flash drive and access them through my television, Blu Ray player, stereo and Xbox through a USB port.  Many new car stereos have that same ability.  Now you can store your entire music collection on one USB (be sure to back it up!) and take it with you from your house to your car to your office and back again.

The life expectancy of a flash drive is important.  If you don't trust the flash drive to last you simply won't use it.  I've dropped them, had the dog chew on them, and sent them through the washing machine.  Some flash drives can handle it, while others have broken simply by inserting them into the computer.  Flash drives with a plastic housing are not as reliable as ones with a metal exterior.  Flash drives with moving parts (i.e. the connector slides in and out of the shell) are not as reliable as ones that are built as one single unit.  Of course, the quality of the memory chip itself is very important.

So what is so amazing that I had to write three paragraphs before I even got to the point? It is the Kingston SE9 16GB flash drive that is currently selling for $9.99 on Amazon.  It's got a solid metal body which should prevent exterior physical damage.  It has single-unit construction with no moving parts which means there is less likelihood of something breaking. It's made by Kingston, which overall makes some of the best flash drives on the market year after year. I personally like Kingston best, but I have heard people say that Patriot or Corsair are very good, too.

The size of this flash drive is perfect.  It's small enough to fit on a key ring and it takes up very little room when plugged into your computer, stereo, or television, but it is large enough that it won't get lost.  The fact that it is perfectly straight (unlike ones that flare out near the end) means that it won't bump into other items plugged into your electronics.

And yes, this review is genuine. I actually own one of these myself, I was not given a sample product, and I did not receive compensation for writing this.  I wrote this because this is actually a really good product and there are very few products that I can stand behind.

Apple had no transition plan when it created the iPad

It is 2013, and the iPad still cannot be used to access some of the best websites in the world. The mobile revolution in computing is here, but we can’t fully take advantage of it. Education as we know it will change when (a) every teacher supplements their teaching with high quality, engaging instructional materials, and when (b) every student has a mobile device to access those materials and lessons.

And this is where Apple has let us down. The iPad cannot access many valuable video resources because it does not run Flash, which is needed to run nearly half the videos available on the Internet. Apple decided to wait for the next generation of video players to arrive. Unfortunately, we are ALL waiting for that moment to arrive.

Flash is used on computers and other devices to run video, animations, simulations and games. Three years ago Flash was the standard in Internet video playback. So why did Apple reject Flash? The main reason is that running Flash can cut the battery life of an iPad in half from ten hours to five hours. Flash uses extra power to run videos, and mobile devices are built to use as little power as possible.

What is the replacement for Flash? It is called HTML5, which will soon be the common standard for creating web pages. HTML5 allows videos and animations to be built right into the system which uses less power. It is a key component of the next generation of the Internet and it will make online content available on cell phones, tablets, computers, and pretty much anything else that can access the Internet. HTML5 is the future... it just has not arrived yet. Similar to how DVDs still outsell Blu-Ray discs ten years after the Blu-Ray arrived, websites built on Flash are still out there and will remain for years to come.

HTML5 is the new standard for building web pages, but it will not become the official standard until 2014. That’s still one year away! Some web designers are ahead of the curve and have already begun to create pages using HTML5, but more than 1/3 of all pages being created today are not using HTML5. You also have to take into account all of the websites that were built before today - many of them will need to be converted to HTML5. Some will never be converted. It takes time and it takes money to re-write those web pages - a LOT of time and money. Companies can handle the cost, but not the physics teacher who built an awesome website used by hundreds of thousands of people. He has content - great content - but he does not have the time to rewrite his entire site.

Apple is not a content provider (unless you include iTunes, which is not affected by a new Internet standard). It did not cost Apple money or disrupt their practices by switching to HTML5. They had no skin in the game by forcing an end to Flash on mobile devices. The problem I have with Apple is that they had no transition plan. Yes, Flash was going to go away. Yes, HTML5 was going to be the new standard. But what was the plan for getting from A to B? There was no plan.

Apple could have done two things to help make the transition from Flash to HTML5 smoother. First, they could have adopted Flash. Yes, they could have but chose not to. The battery life on an iPad would be cut to five hours, but isn’t five hours still better than the life of a laptop battery? Of course it is. Second, Apple could have developed their own app for delivering Flash content on the iPad. They could have built their own work-around. How many times have you heard someone say, “there’s an app for that!” Well, where’s the app that runs Flash?

Some mobile devices handle Flash including the Nexus 7 and the Microsoft Surface. It shows that we do have a choice for buying a device other than the iPad. So if Apple won’t choose to allow a Flash-like experience on their device, then we (as consumers and teachers) need to consider choosing another device that can meet all of our needs.

It’s now been three years since Apple declared Flash to be a product of the past, and it will be at least one more year until the future fully arrives. Four years without a plan for bridging the gap. That’s where my disappointment lies. Apple makes a great product, but it could have been better if they listened to their customers.  While the benefits of the iPad outweigh its detractions, it could have been better. We'll wait and see what the iPad5 brings.

School District 211 will expand their bandwidth again

District 211 will nearly double their bandwidth again during the winter vacation.  A new contract with Comcast will increase the Internet bandwidth from 340mbps to 640mbps.  It is scheduled to go into effect on January 7, 2013.  The district has further plans to expand to a full 1GB of bandwidth during the summer of 2013.

Demand for more bandwidth is being driven primarily by two factors - more Internet content and more devices used by our students.  There has been a sharp increase in the amount of Internet-based content used by schools.  Schoology, Khan Academy, YouTube, Google and Twitter are becoming major components of a 21st century classroom.  There has also been an increase in the number of mobile devices used in school: students are bringing their cell phones, computers and tablets on their own, and the district has also begun to purchase large numbers of mobile devices (iPads) for students to use on a one-to-one basis.  With more devices accessing more content, it is critical to monitor and grow the capacity to connect to the Internet.

Directions to access electronic textbooks from Pearson

If you use a textbook from Pearson, and if there is an electronic version of that specific book available, then you are likely eligible to use the electronic version for free.  A list of all eligible books was given to the technology coordinator in each high school.  Please see your technology coordinator before you continue on to the directions below.

If you are eligible to use the free e-textbook, use these directions to help you set up accounts for your students.

...

If the title is Higher Ed, the registration process is as follows:

1. Teachers register at: www.pearsonschool.com/access_request (underscore between access and request), is Option 3
2. Teachers will receive access codes for the teachers and students within 72 school hours with directions enclosed
3. Students will register after the teacher has registered at:  www.pearsonschool.com/access

If the title is School, the registration is as follows:

1. Teachers go to www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
2. Teachers register with code sent in mail with order; or from account representative
3. Teachers set-up class with class code
4. Teachers provide students with class code
5. Students register at:  www.pearsonsuccessnet.com

If the title is School – Successnetplus, the registration is as follows:

1. Teachers register at: www.successnetplus.com
2. Teachers enter school code using look-up tool, or provided by account representative
3. Teachers or IT department uploads student roster using template.  User names and passwords are assigned.
4. Students login immediately at www.successnetplus.com using assigned user names and passwords.

If the title has an IPAD app, the registration is as follows (world history and AHON):

1. Teachers register at: www.pearsonschool.com/mobileandetext
2. Teachers register for a new account
3. Teachers use school code using look-up tool or provided by account representative
4. Teachers upload student user name and passwords
5. Teachers and students download free app, “Pearson eText for School”
6. Teachers and students login using user name and password

Video modules can be found on all of these logins at:  www.mypearsontraining.com

A student's perspective on the iPad program after three weeks

My name is (name withheld), and I'm a senior at Hoffman Estates High School. Enrolling in a Consumer's Education course as a senior is never really a proud thing to admit, but this year is very different than I expected. 

I was never on board for this iPad program or whatever it is; in reality I still don't know what exactly it's called. When I first received the paper during the summer I was actually more angry at the fact that the board was spending money on another pointless program that the student body was just going to forget after a while.  I mean, I'm an old soul. I love big band jazz, hard candy, and suspenders and fedoras are a big enjoyment in my life, and with those qualities, technology doesn't really become a good friend. So having something so complex as an Apple product was more of a nightmare than a present. 

The very first day of school, something abruptly changed. Yes, of course, the possibility of goofing around with technology is always going to be a factor. Games, entertainment and other apps are widely available to anyone who has an Apple ID. Nevertheless, I was sitting in my first gym class - doing nothing, of course, because what is there to do on the first day of gym?- when I realized I could entertain myself with my new-found gift.  I started first with games, but I have never really been a gamer so I then switched to the camera and photo booth. Oh my - I could document my life though this. Maybe it was the fact that it was my senior year, but suddenly I was reminded of of all the possible memories I could make. That was the start of a lot of great adventures. As a musician, I also have the chance to record myself and get apps to improve my technical and intonation skills, as well as the chance to have the music I play with me any time of any day. 

Besides the extra-curricular stuff, it has also benefited me in my classes.  I am buying a house in Cons. Ed. and creating a budget using the iPad.  Even though I may never have the opportunity to buy a house, I now know how to do it using the latest technology.  It has also helped me in classes besides Cons. Ed. If I have any trouble with a word in AP Language class, I can just look up the definition. In AP Bio, I can investigate the reproductive cycle of termites, if it ever came up in class. Or the latest news in politics for Intro to Gov't. It's also a notebook, and the green thing about it is that it's paper free and easy to copy and paste if needed. Flashcards are now on an app instead of worrying about losing them or wasting money on going to Staples and buying them. My Vocab fiestas are now easier and more enjoyable with the flashcards being on them; it is a very efficient way to study them. 

I have become a tech-savvy old soul, and I still record my adventures of senior year whenever I get the chance I get to. The year has only began, and after only a month I dread the day I have to give this iPad up. The program has done more than just teaching me the course it was assigned to, but it has also benefited someone like me, and I have no doubt that it will benefit many other students where the possibilities of the Internet are limitless. 

Bandwidth is vital to a school district's long-term technology plans

Internet connectivity is critical

Internet bandwidth is critical for every school.  Teachers depend on videos and files that they find, store, and share on the Internet.  When the Internet goes down, the school begins to grind to a halt.  The technology people in every district must maintain that connection to the outside world, and they must increase the amount of bandwidth on a regular basis.

What is driving demand?

Increased amounts of data is biggest cause - namely videos that have become an important part of the instructional process. Don't think about the 45 minute videos you had to watch in class.  These videos are short, specific, and highly engaging.  Teachers are showing 5-10 minutes as part of the lesson instead of using videos that take the entire class period.  

The shift to mobile devices in the last two or three years is also a big factor.  Students are bringing laptops, smart phones, tablets, and any other device that can connect to the Internet, and this is exactly what we want to happen - if your wireless network can handle it, that is.  Where I work, the high schools probably had less than 100 mobile devices brought in from home two years ago.  That number is over 1,000 per building today.  Elementary schools are feeling the biggest burden because they didn't foresee dozens or even hundreds of kids bringing in iPad and iTouch devices to school with them.  Kids and parents expect to get on the Internet when they come to school, and your wireless network and your bandwidth had better accommodate them.

How much is enough?

There are people who like to answer this question by saying things like, "You need 1.21 gigawatts of Internet per student if you are going to be successful."  I disagree with making a statement like that because gigawatt is a measure of energy, but at the same time how can you argue with anyone who can quote Back to the Future? I disagree because whatever number you set is going to be obsolete next year.  Instead of focusing on a number or ratio, look at what you have today and ask yourself, "Is this enough?"  Look at how much bandwidth you use on average during a really busy time of day.  Look at how much bandwidth you use when that usage spikes during your peak times.  If you are at maximum capacity - if you are not meeting demand - you need to double your bandwidth.  Double.  After you re-evaluate your situation once you have more bandwidth in place, you will likely have to double it again within the next year.  This will only get you to where you should have been all along.  How do you get ahead of the game?  You guessed it - you will need to double it.  Every time you propose an increase, you should be doubling your amount.  I think this will hold true until your district reaches 1GB of bandwidth. At that point, a new rule will probably need to be applied.

Our bandwidth over the last four years

In June 2010 our district had 50mbps of bandwidth to share among 2,000 employees and 12,500 students.  It was inadequate, but no one was really complaining.  YouTube was just hitting its stride in 2010, and 95% of our teachers weren't storing their data online, so it was not a serious problem.   But you could just tell it was going to be a major issue at any moment.  

We increased our bandwidth from 50 to 80 in August 2010.  In December 2010 we increased from 80 to 240.  In June 2012 we increased again from 240 to 340.  This December (2012) we plan to increase again from 340 to 640.  In July 2013 we will increase again from 640 to nearly 1GB.  We didn't quite follow the "double every year or two" rule because we were following a personal rule of mine - "keep your costs the same, but greatly improve what you offer".  Our 80mbps bandwidth in August 2010 cost $4,000 per month.  Our 240 mbps in December 2010 cost us just under $4,000 per month.  When we increase to 640 it will cost a little more than $4,000 per month.  When we hit 940 next summer, costs will dip down again to just under $4000 per month.  We have worked very hard to keep our costs constant, which is important to our school board, but at the same time we kept up with demand, which is important to our students and teachers.  

Bandwidth 2009 - 2013

ICN is the key to future for most Illinois school districts.  They have provided free bandwidth to schools for a long time, but they could not keep up with the demand of the last two years.  We were getting 40mbps for free from ICN.  When we needed more, they could not provide that for a low cost.  Thanks to a federal grant, lots of work, and the driving belief that schools need the Internet to do their core business of teaching students, ICN will be able to offer 10 times that amount for free starting July 1, 2013.   If you are planning to increase your bandwidth, contact ICN first to see how much you will get for free next year.

Conclusion

Keeping up with bandwidth demand is a technology department's highest priority.  Keep an eye on prices, shop around for the best provider, and do not sign a contract that is longer than two years unless you have the right to renegotiate it (i.e. get more bandwidth for the same price).  Every student and every adult will be bringing a device to school with them some day, and at the rate things are going, it will probably be in the next two years.

How the district iPad insurance plan works

Over 1,500 students are borrowing iPads this school year just like they borrow their textbooks and other class materials.  However, the financial liability of a $400 iPad is a little scary for some people.  Insuring the iPad is one option that helps protect the families from paying for the loss of or damage to an iPad.

Some people might already be covered for the loss of an iPad through their homeowner's insurance.  YOU NEED TO TALK DIRECTLY WITH YOUR HOME INSURANCE TO VERIFY THIS.  Every company and every policy is different.  The effect of making a claim against your policy might not be worth it either if you have a high deductible.

Families can choose any insurance company to protect the iPad, and they can shop around for the best deal.   Worth Ave Group is a major provider of iPad insurance for many districts in the surrounding area, and the following information is related to buying insurance through Worth.

Worth has three policies to protect your iPad, with each cost dependent on the level of your deductible.  

The first policy costs $42 per year which is not refundable.  $42 is the cost of the insurance.  For that $42, you are covered for one year.  If your iPad is lost or damaged, it will cost you an additional $25 to get your iPad repaired or replaced.

The second policy costs $36 per year which is not refundable.  $36 is the cost of the insurance.  For that $36, you are covered for one year.  If your iPad is lost or damaged, it will cost you an additional $50 to get your iPad repaired or replaced.

The third policy costs $31 per year which is not refundable.  $31 is the cost of the insurance.  For that $31, you are covered for one year.  If your iPad is lost or damaged, it will cost you an additional $100 to get your iPad repaired or replaced.

You can sign up with Worth through their website.  By using this link you will save approximately $13 per year off their regular price.

The school district is not affiliated in any with with Worth Ave Group.  Worth provides a service to families that you may find beneficial.  Please contact Worth through their website for more information and decide for yourself if their insurance policies are right for you.

Better Internet access for your personally-owned computer or phone

Our district previously had two wireless networks for a majority of our data.  There was the network for district-owned computers, and there was the guest network for all other devices.  The guest network was fine if you didn't have any other options for getting on the Internet, but it simply wasn't as good as the district network where the Internet seemed faster and it was filtered less stringently than the guest network.

Cell phone users were especially frustrated by the guest network, though.  The Internet provided by your cell phone company is completely unfiltered, which lets you access Facebook among other things.  People would rather be on their own Internet rather than the guest network for this reason.  Unfortunately, our high schools were built before cell phones were invented, and there are many places in our buildings where there is simply no cell phone reception.   You could see students and staff alike cringe as they walked deeper into the school, not because of their upcoming class but because they knew their cell phone would lose reception... right about... here (draw an imaginary line on the ground right now).

This year, the district has created a new wireless network called StaffNet which fixes the problem by allowing you to have better, faster Internet on any device you own.  Your Kindle Fire, Nexus 7, Mac laptop, iPad, and of course your cell phone will now be filtered less and will have faster speeds on the Internet.

Choose StaffNet from the list of wireless connections, then open up an Internet browser.  You will be asked to "Login for Web Authentication", which is the nerdy way of saying, "What's the username and password you use when you log on to your school computer or email?"  Enter the correct information and you will have the same Internet access that you currently have on your district-owned computer.

And it's okay to bring in that Kindle Fire, Nexus 7, and Mac laptop all at once.  This summer we added new access points that can handle 7,000 more devices across the district.  The bandwidth was also increased from 240mbps to 340 mbps and next summer it is expected to rise to over 500mbps.

Apple helped kill off Flash a little too soon

The biggest complaint about the iPad is that it does not run Adobe's Flash, which is used to display videos and animation on the Internet.  Steve Jobs called Flash an old technology in 2010 and said the iPad would never support Flash.  Unfortunately, millions of web pages still use Flash, so if you are a teacher who wants to watch some really great educational videos with your students then you're in for a bad experience.  There are some apps (like Rover) for the iPad that try to run Flash, but they are unreliable and buggy.

So if Flash is part of the past, then what is the future of videos on the Internet?  It is called HTML5, and there is no doubt that it will be the format developers use moving forward.  Apple, Microsoft, Google, and just about everybody else is supporting this standard.

But when will HTML5 actually arrive?  It is available right now, but it has not been fully embraced yet.  The first television broadcasting station started in 1928, but televisions weren't really popular until the 1950s.  Blu-ray officially arrived in 2006, but DVDs still outsell Blu-ray six years later.  The claim that Flash is "dead" isn't entirely accurate considering Flash use still far exceeds HTML5 use.  Flash is a goner, I agree, but not yet.

Until HTML5 becomes part of the mainstream, should we worry that the iPad will not be the amazing product it could be until it that day?  Gartner reported that HTML5 will not be officially adopted as a standard until 2014, and that it could take between 5 and 10 years from now until it is fully embraced (like the television and Blu-ray examples above).  I don't believe it will take ten years or even five.  I do believe it will take three years, though, which means the freshman walking into school today will not truly take advantage of their iPads until they are seniors.  That worries me.

Until those old videos run on the iPad then we will continue to be frustrated.  I know no one at Apple will change their mind about using Flash, and I also know that HTML5 is on the way.  The future is coming... eventually. I am really hoping that until we see full adoption of HTML5 that better apps arrive to run Flash videos on an iPad, and I hope that developers are willing to work backwards to convert their web pages to HTML5 as quickly as possible.

Get your class online with these six steps

Teachers want to build an online environment for their classroom but they don't know where to begin.  It's an overwhelming task considering how much technology has changed in the last two or three years.  But you have to start somewhere, and you need to start NOW.  Here are six steps for you to begin moving forward.

First, choose a Learning Management System (LMS).  Blackboard is what you probably think of when you hear "LMS", but there are many other choices that have many of the same features, are easier to use, and are also free.  Schoology is my personal favorite because it has some of the best communication features like wall posts (similar to Facebook), text messages, and a classroom calendar.   It also contains offers a well-organized classroom environment to place your assignments, videos, discussion boards, and presentations.  Schoology also integrates with Google Docs and Khan Academy.  Other very good LMS choices include Edmodo, CourseSites, OpenClass, and Haiku.

Second, get all of your current classroom materials online. For most people, this will mean scanning all of their documents into PDF format and posting them on their LMS, which is fine for your first year of going towards a digital environment.  The PDF format is great for viewing a document because you can view it on a PC, Mac, tablet, iPad, or cell phone.  The drawback is that most users will not be able to type or write on it without some form of conversion or software.  At some point you are going to have to answer a very serious question - are you ready to convert all your documents to something else like Google Docs?  Until you are ready to ask that question of yourself, just get your things online so your students can access them.

Third, find the best resources to supplement and expand your instruction.  The fact is, everything you teach is being taught by someone else, and they can probably say it or explain it better than you. Find videos, lessons, activities and games created by others that support what you teach.  Khan Academy has thousands of videos but they focus mainly on math and science.  YouTube has excellent videos if you can sort through the clutter of baby videos, pet videos, rambling video blogs, and 10,000 renditions of Gotye's Someone That I Used To Know.  A new site to consider is Sophia which has instructional modules for students and also for teachers' professional development.

Fourth, decide if you are going to use a textbook as the main source of information, as a supplemental resource, or not at all.  Once you make that decision you will be able to decide how much of your students' reading will be online.  Start by contacting the textbook company and see if they are willing to provide you with an electronic version of your current book.  Some of them will do so for free.  If you are looking for a new textbook, consider sources such as CK12 which creates actual classroom textbooks for free in a digital format. Another option is browsing the iTunes U catalog to see if another teacher has created a book or a course that your students could use.

Fifth, choose sites, materials, and software that are free, Internet-based, and work on multiple devices.  Evernote is an example of this. It is a powerful online notebook that can be used with your computer, tablet, or cell phone.  Free materials and apps allows your classroom to become a model for other teachers, and choosing resources that can be used on most devices allows all students regardless of location or income to access your lessons.  What is the importance of being accessible on multiple devices?  Well, look at what you currently own.  I use a computer at work, a tablet on the couch, and a cell phone on the go.  We own different devices, and nothing is more frustrating than having access to data on one device but not another.  Also, you have no control over what your students will bring to school.  Students will bring every device ever made, and you have a responsibility to make sure your materials and assignments are available to the widest audience possible.

Sixth, expect to tear your site apart and start over next year.  For every assignment posted on your site, you need to ask yourself, "Is this really what I want my students to do with their time?"  The answer is usually, "no."  You will slowly get away from worksheets and readings and move more towards discussions, videos, and collaborative assignments where students create new bodies of information and share it with the world.  You might even move towards a flipped classroom model (search flipped classroom, Jon Bergmann, or Ramsay Musallam).  A traditional classroom involves a teacher providing instruction during class time, and then students practice their work at home without the benefit of a teacher to guide them.  A flipped classroom involves providing as much instruction as possible online through videos and other means which allows you to use classroom time for guided practice.

Your students are going to love your new classroom, but it takes time.  A lot of time.  Today is the day you should get started.

Free apps vs. paid apps

Using apps on your tablet or cell phone is fast and convenient, and they provide access to your personal data as well as to specific information related to a specific topic.  But should you use paid apps with your students?  Paid apps definitely have advantages, and there are examples where a $10 app can replace a $100 scientific calculator.  But can you get a free app that replaces that same $100 calculator?  Most often the answer is yes.

Whenever possible, choose free apps when working with your students.  There are thousands of free educational apps, and many of them are VERY good.  They might not be perfect, but they should be close enough - and aren't the free app still better than what your class was using a year ago?

Paid apps become a barrier for many students, teachers, and school districts.  There are three inter-related reasons you should try to use only free apps: access, example, and finances.

Access
Your online classroom should be available to all students - your students sitting in your class, other students in your school who are not fortunate enough to have you as your teacher, the students across the country who have Internet access but do not have teachers who place any of their materials online, and every kid throughout the world who can find your site when they search on Google.  You are not teaching 25 students - you are teaching all students.  Those kids need access to your classroom, your materials and your assignments.  Paid apps prevent access if a student cannot pay for them.

Example
Free apps are available to anyone and any school district.  By eliminating cost you allow other teachers to mimic what you do in class regardless of their school's budget and allows your classroom to be an example for other teachers to follow.  At the district level, creating a one-to-one program that only uses free apps allows other districts to follow your example and move to a one-to-one environment.

Finances
Your school district might be able to buy apps for your students this year, but what is the long-term cost of purchased apps?  We have over 3,000 incoming freshman in our district.  If we spent just $10 per student on apps, we would have to pay $30,000 annually just in apps.  Yes, you can probably save money elsewhere like lower printing costs or reduced textbook purchases.  But those savings went towards purchasing the devices - not the apps.  It is important for teachers to help protect the finances of the district, especially when trying to create a cost-neutral one-to-one program.

Password changes to your computer logon (Active Directory password)

You can change your password at any time by pressing the CTRL, ALT and DEL buttons at the same time.  Pressing those three buttons at the same time will reveal four choices.  The third one is "Change a password."

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The "Change a password" screen will ask for your old password.  Below that, you will enter your new password.  Below that, you will be asked to enter your new password again to make sure you entered it correctly. When you are finished, click the arrow button next to the password box.

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The rules for creating a new password are these:

1. Passwords will be a minimum length of seven characters
2. New passwords cannot be the same as any of your last four passwords
3. Passwords will require three out of the following four complexity conditions:
1. Upper case alphabetic character
2. Lower case alphabetic character
3. Numeric character
4. Special character [@,*,#,$,!,%,&,^,_,+,-]

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If your password change was successful, you will receive a message that states, "Your password has been changed."

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If your password change was not successful, most likely because you did not meet the rules listed above, you will receive a message that states, "Unable to update the password. The value provided for the new password does not meet the length, complexity, or history requirements of the domain." You will need to try again. 

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Examples of good passwords that are at least seven characters long (remember the "3 out of 4 rule" listed above)