Classroom Tech Questions? We Have Answers
I see hands in the air. Do you have questions? About classroom technology problems? Let's talk.
Technology is already prevalent in the classroom, and as the potential for a more engaging classroom with tech becomes a reality, teachers are left befuddled. How do they regulate a classroom that has expanded beyond its four walls with the introduction and advancement of tech? And, perhaps more importantly, how do teachers maintain the responsibility of tech in the classroom without being burdened?
Let’s cover the basic tech problems that teachers face before getting the grade.
What do I do about student/device association?
Whether shared devices, classroom laptops, or individually-assigned devices in a 1 on 1 program, teachers are given the responsibility of assigning users to each one. Dealing with devices in the classroom at all is enough of a burden for teachers, but having to assign users to those devices adds an extra layer of unnecessary complexity.
Is it possible to manage all of the students' apps?
On top of the devices themselves, the apps on those devices also need to be managed. Whose responsibility is it to assign the correct apps and services that students need to work effectively? If teachers are, will the correct apps get to the correct classroom, with the correct student, and having the correct configurations?
How do I set up my classroom for technology to work most effectively?
Just as certain desk arrangements or lesson plans can affect the dynamic of a classroom, so too can your tech setup. Sticking two rowdy students next to one another or putting a daydreamer near the window is the same as having an improper technology setup for your classroom – it can affect your teaching effectiveness.
Can I actually manage a curriculum with an expanded technology platform?
Teachers are rightfully responsible for managing the wellbeing of their classroom, but should that also mean managing the technology that inevitably comes with it? Without the correct administrative privileges, teachers are ill-equipped to manage the tech in their classrooms, which – let’s be honest – is nearly the same as being ill-equipped to manage the classroom itself.
Ultimately, and with Ivanti's LANrev, an ideal complement to Apple School Manager, IT effectively answers your tech questions, earning both you and your students an A+. Let's study up!
Device Enrollment Program
Assigning users no longer! School districts that already have a DEP account can migrate their account to Apple School Manager, where application licenses procured through Volume Purchase Programs no longer need to be assigned to specific users. And, you have the ability to manage, distribute, and reclaim licenses that were previously assigned to users or devices. Leave the complexity for math class, not classroom tech.
Managed Apple IDs
Skip the chaos of students signing up for their own Apple IDs. Look to Managed Apple IDs (first introduced in iOS 9.3), which offers the ability to assign Apple IDs that remain under school control. And with your IT team using Ivanti LANrev, the correct apps will get to the correct classroom, for the correct Apple IDs/students, and with the correct configurations for proper use.
Student Information System Integration
From the school IT desk to your classroom! Apple School Manager is able to integrate with and allow data import from SiS systems, which allows the SiS information to be used to configure devices and users by class. Devices are able to be configured in advance, and LANrev can even manually import that data for each classroom. Tech managed. Your teaching effectiveness restored.
Shared Devices
Worry no longer about managing students' user accounts across shared devices in the classroom! As curriculum expands with an ever-increasing tech platform, so too does the number of students who require devices, I.e. most schools require that students share devices. With LANrev, shared devices are configurable to allow the correct apps and settings be assigned to the correct student at the correct time.
Get the grade. Check out "Teachers in Charge, IT in Control: Strategies for Managing Classroom Technology."