Partner News & Resources Archives

Category: Partner News & Resources

How Can Sustainable Tech Transform the Future of Education?

Posted on January 6, 2025 | by Hope

Classrooms today are powered by technology. Laptops have become as essential as textbooks, allowing students to learn, connect, and prepare for a future that demands digital fluency. But as schools embrace technology, they face a challenge we rarely talk about: sustainability.

Each year, schools purchase thousands of devices to meet student needs. Yet, these devices often have short lifespans, break down quickly, or become obsolete. This creates two major problems: rising replacement costs and a growing pile of e-waste that ends up in landfills. The question isn’t whether schools should invest in technology—it’s how to do it responsibly, balancing tight budgets with a commitment to a sustainable future.

This is where Bluum A+ makes a difference. Schools are constantly seeking ways to maximize their budgets without sacrificing quality or sustainability. By offering recrafted laptops that are sustainable, durable, and cost-effective, Bluum A+ directly addresses these challenges and helps schools achieve their sustainability goals faster.

Let’s explore how sustainable technology, like Bluum A+, helps schools reach their sustainability goals quickly while addressing everyday challenges.

The Case for Sustainable Tech in Schools

Every school aims to prepare its students for the future, but many are stuck in a cycle that feels anything but forward-thinking. Laptops are bought, used, and discarded when they fail or become outdated. It’s not just a financial strain; it’s an environmental one.

E-waste—discarded electronics like laptops, phones, and tablets—is one of the fastest-growing environmental challenges. When devices end up in landfills, they contribute to pollution and waste valuable materials that could be reused. Schools are caught in the middle. They need reliable technology for students, but the constant turnover of devices feels wasteful, expensive, and at odds with the values they aim to teach. How can schools model environmental responsibility when their tech practices feel unsustainable?

This is why Bluum A+ exists. Unlike typical refurbished devices, Bluum A+ laptops are recrafted. Every laptop undergoes an intensive process where damaged components are replaced, external surfaces are refreshed, and rigorous testing ensures the devices work just like new ones. These aren’t just recycled laptops—they’re reborn for a purpose.

When schools choose Bluum A+, they’re not just saving money—they’re taking a stand for sustainability. It’s a way to show students that technology and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand.

Read More about the Bluum Sustainability Tech Movement. The challenges schools face—tight budgets, growing tech needs, and sustainability goals—can feel overwhelming. But with Bluum A+, the solution is simple: affordable, durable, and sustainable laptops that meet the demands of today while protecting the future.

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Bill McCoy
Territory Vice President- Central Territory
bill.mccoy@bluum.com

Learn More About Bluum

4 Promising Ways AI Is Transforming Endpoint Security For Good

Posted on December 13, 2024 | by Hope

Today’s AI plays an intrinsic role in an effective cybersecurity strategy

By Kelly Begeny, Laura Torres Posted December 13, 2024

Security continues to evolve through a complex ecosystem of technologies, including intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS), security information and event management (SIEM), log management, data loss prevention (DLP), firewall monitoring, and advanced threat detection tools.

All collect data that could help you prevent a breach – but the sheer volume of security data has traditionally been overwhelming, especially when analyzing sensitive information manually. How do you quickly determine what’s noise and what’s a warning bell? Enter artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced automation, which are quickly becoming game-changers in managing and mitigating cybersecurity risks.

AI and robotic process automation (RPA) have transformed from promising technologies to critical components of enterprise strategies. They can speed up security data evaluation, spot vulnerabilities before they become breaches, and free up time for your security practitioners to address threats more proactively.

Here are four key ways AI is reshaping endpoint security and how you can leverage today to transform your cyber strategy.

1. Advanced data intelligence

The traditional process of consolidating all your data into a single repository and then analyzing and understanding its implications can be challenging, inefficient, and, most importantly, time-consuming.

It’s time to move on from the old ways. Today, AI doesn’t just collect and aggregate data – it provides contextual, predictive insights.

Machine learning models can now process petabytes of security data in near real-time and forecast potential security incidents before they occur. AI models streamline the data collection process, from identifying complex, multi-stage threat patterns to creating dynamic, interactive threat visualization dashboards.

Instead of having your team perform predictive analysis, proactive threat monitoring, and threat hunting manually, they can move directly into action mode to secure weak points.

2. Hyper-automated vulnerability assessment and management

Modern vulnerability assessments have become significantly more sophisticated, largely driven by AI.

Machine learning models can simulate millions of potential exploit scenarios. Integration with threat intelligence platforms provides global, real-time context about emerging vulnerabilities, and predictive AI can now accurately estimate the potential business impact.

In addition, you can use AI and RPA to create a model that predicts how a vulnerability will behave. Using data from your SIEM tool, AI can examine what malware or endpoint security issues may have been detected. Based on that data, RPA can put security controls in place.

Security professionals can even use AI to analyze malware patterns and behaviors, and predict how it will impact your endpoints. You can use this information to deploy a more accurate countermeasure without the potentially false positives non-AI solutions often provide.

3. Intelligent data loss prevention (DLP)

AI can protect your organization’s sensitive data by identifying what information should be secured, using advanced natural language processing.

Using vector machine learning (ML), you can understand, identify, and make sense of certain patterns. For example, by learning the data patterns of your organization’s financial data, AI can strip that information – or encrypt it – if someone accidentally sends the data to unauthorized personnel or if a malicious attacker tries to gain access.

Today’s AI goes beyond traditional pattern matching with enhanced behavioral anomaly detection, context-aware encryption and data masking, and real-time risk scoring for data transmission and access attempts.

4. Secure software development

AI helps organizations prioritize security from the very beginning of software development, playing a critical role in its lifecycle.

AI can work within the agile development process, sifting through code as it’s developed and running it against the latest security threats and trends to spot any potential flaws or vulnerabilities. If there’s a strong probability the code may have flaws, AI will alert the developers to fix vulnerabilities at each phase of development.

Using AI and RPA helps developers proactively identify issues with predictive vulnerability detection during the design and development phases, and continuous code security scanning can suggest immediate remediation. You can also integrate security testing directly into continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Kyle Thomas
SM SLED Manager
732-564-8526
Kyle_Thomas@shi.com

Learn More About SHI

Understanding Google Workspace for Education Licensing Changes

Posted on December 11, 2024 | by Hope

Important changes to Google Workspace for Education licensing will start in 2025, with Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals remaining free of charge. However, updates to how licenses are assigned and managed will specifically affect user licenses, while device licenses like Chromebook management will remain unchanged. To learn more and stay informed, check out the upcoming webinar scheduled for January 30th, 2025, and read the support article for further details on these changes.

CDW Amplified for Education Help Center

Have More Questions Contact your Dedicated Account Manager:

John Buttita
Sales Manager
877-325-3380
johnbut@cdw.com

Otus and Discovery Education Forge New Strategic Partnership to Maximize Student Achievement Nationwide

Posted on November 26, 2024 | by Hope

Chicago, IL and Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, November 12, 2024)— Otus, the leading K-12 assessment, data, and insights solution, and Discovery Education, the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, today announced a new strategic partnership aimed at maximizing student achievement nationwide through the powerful combination of engaging content and state-of-the-art data analytics. Through this collaboration, Otus is now Discovery Education’s preferred platform for assessment, data, and learning insights.

Discovery Education’s school-based, K-12 partners who adopt Otus will be empowered to analyze assessment data from programs such as DreamBox Math and Science Techbook, alongside other district-level metrics, for a comprehensive view of student performance. As part of this partnership, Otus and Discovery Education have also aligned to explore additional future innovations, including an AI-powered curriculum assistant that can offer personalized learning experiences based on real-time student data.

“Discovery Education has long been a trusted provider of engaging, standards-aligned content that shapes the educational experiences of millions of students worldwide,” said Chris Hull, co-founder and president of Otus. “At Otus, we’re committed to ensuring every educator has the tools and insights they need to make a meaningful impact in students’ lives. By partnering with Discovery Education, we are excited to combine our strengths to offer schools an innovative solution that empowers educators to make data-driven decisions that drive student success and improve performance across the board.”

“Otus and Discovery Education are committed to creating collaborative, data-rich environments that lighten the workload for educators, scale best practice, and enhance learning outcomes for students,” said Brian Shaw, CEO of Discovery Education. “This exciting new partnership offers K-12 leaders nationwide an innovative new way to combine award-winning digital resources with meaningful and actionable data visualizations. We are looking forward to working with the talented team at Otus to support school systems across the country as they build the engaging modern learning environments today’s learners demand and deserve.”

For more information on the new collaboration between Otus and Discovery Education, click here.

For more information about how Otus provides educators with the insights they need to make confident, informed decisions that drive student growth, visit www.otus.com and stay connected to Otus on social media through X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

###

About Otus
Otus, an award-winning edtech platform, empowers educators to maximize student performance with comprehensive solutions for K12 assessment, data, and insights. Committed to student achievement and educational equity, Otus combines student data with powerful tools that provide educators, administrators, and families with the insights they need to make a difference. Built by teachers for teachers, Otus creates efficiencies in data management, assessments, and progress monitoring to help educators focus on what matters most—student success. Today, Otus partners with school districts nationwide to create informed, data-driven learning environments. Learn more at Otus.com.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education atwww.discoveryeducation.com.

Contact

Mike Peterson
Otus
Phone: 651-307-9251
Email: mike.peterson@otus.com

Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
Phone: 202-316-6615
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com

Eliminate the Guesswork: With a CTL Device Test Drive

Posted on November 4, 2024 | by Hope

CTL offers single units at a 60% discount so you can try out a device and make your volume purchase with confidence. There’s no need to keep track of a unit to return after trial because the unit is yours. Take it apart, drop test it, and do whatever you feel is necessary to ensure your future volume purchase will fit your needs.

Skip the hassle of tracking and returning a demo unit with CTL’s convenient Buy and Try program.

Who Qualifies?

Volume purchasers of 30+ devices from these types of organizations:

Education
Government
Non-profit
Enterprise

What Products Qualify?

These CTL product types qualify for the discounted evaluation unit:

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Maureen Cooney

Account Manager

571-386-9797

mcooney@ctl.net

Learn More About CTL

Check out the current Chromebooks line from CTL.

Aligning Vision Mission & Values with School Design

Posted on October 29, 2024 | by Hope

A Guide for School Boards, Leaders, and Community Design Teams

By: Dr. Robert Dillon

Whether you are building a new school, adding onto an existing building, or remodeling and making the most of a current building, it is essential that you create explicit links between who you are and where you learn. The most effective schools craft visions, missions, and values that are alive — in that they feed the decision-making around all aspects of the school, including the physical design. Without this alignment, schools can create barriers to excellence. An apparent mismatch between what they say and the spaces they create can generate confusion about their true commitment to their vision and mission, discouraging buy-in from their communities.

This doesn’t have to be the case, though. When thoughtfully designed, the physical spaces within a school can significantly enhance the educational experience, support the wellbeing of students, and foster a sense of belonging and connection. They can also be figurative ambassadors that speak loudly about the excellence of the work happening inside. Through this article, we hope to outline a process for ensuring that future school designs align with the district’s core principles while avoiding the most common potholes.

Set the stage for success.

Articulate your mission

The first step in any design project should be to articulate the district’s vision, mission, and values clearly. So many schools and districts think their mission statements are clear, but many audiences don’t have a sense of their real meaning and message. They are missing context, making it impossible to align design decisions to these statements of core principles without a shared understanding of what they truly mean. In clarifying, make sure that the long-term goals of the educational experience you want to provide (as well as the instructional strategies to unlock that experience) are clear. Remember that it takes ongoing engagement with all stakeholders — teachers, students, parents, and community members — to ensure a shared and continuous understanding of these priorities and the language that surrounds them.

Evaluate the current spaces

Double checking the current reality before proceeding into a new design is important, as leaving some aspects of the building or buildings much farther behind others can detract from your mission. To avoid this, conduct a needs assessment to evaluate the current state of facilities and identify areas that currently fall short. This assessment should consider factors such as:

Whether the current spaces support modern teaching methods and learning modalities
How well the current spaces promote physical, emotional, and social well-being
If the current spaces foster a sense of community and belonging

Enlist the help of a diverse team

The schools and districts that have done this work in the most effective ways form a collaborative design team that includes a diverse group of stakeholders, such as educators, architects, designers, students, and community members. This helps to ensure that multiple perspectives are considered and that the new or updated design reflects the needs and aspirations of the entire school community. This allows a small group to keep the focus on intentional, linked design during every step of the process.

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Please contact the Demco inside sales department for everyday orders and general inquiries. For contract pricing, please reference C10903 or inform them you are an ILTPP member.

McKenzie Encarnacion
Inside Sales Specialist
mckenziee@demco.com

For larger projects needing installation or design, please contact the Demco Business Development Representative

John Jakelja
Business Development Representative
630-901-5989
johnj@demco.com

Learn More About Demco

Demco Portfolio

Mackin Announces Acquisition of Booksource, A National Book Provider for Classroom Libraries

Posted on October 16, 2024 | by Hope

BURNSVILLE, MN, October 10, 2024 – Mackin, a leading provider of PK-12 print and digital titles, high-quality maker educational products, and classroom curriculum materials, is pleased to announce it has acquired Booksource, a leading provider of books for classroom libraries and school curriculum.

The two industry leaders reached this agreement after long and careful deliberation. The decision to sell the 50-year-old company to the highly regarded Mackin made sense for the owners of Booksource, as the two companies have built their businesses on a shared philosophy of being a well-respected, single-source solution for the evolving needs of educators and librarians around the world. Together, the two companies have nearly 100 years of combined service in this field.

“Handing the reins of our St. Louis operations to another family-owned business and industry leader like Mackin was an easy decision based on their continuing success and the stellar reputation they have in the education market,” said Neil Jaffe, owner of Booksource. “It’s a win-win-win decision for our customers, our employees and the Jaffe family that we are proud to have made.”

“For many decades, Booksource and Mackin have grown steadily and are widely seen as the most trusted suppliers of educational resources for schools across the map. To carry the torch that Booksource and the Jaffe family have created, is an honor for Mackin and the Heise family as we continue to serve K-12 educators worldwide.”

About Mackin

For 40 years, Mackin has provided library and classroom materials for grades PK-12. Known the world over for exemplary service and a stringent attention to detail, Mackin has access to more than 18,000 publishers and a selection of over 4.2 million print and digital titles. MackinVIA, the free, state-of-the-art digital content management system, offers millions of digital titles including eBooks, audiobooks, read-alongs, databases, and videos. To date, this highly sought-after digital content management system has been awarded 24 distinctive national honors including multiple Best of Show Awards from ISTE, several Awards of Excellence by Tech & Learning, and Product of the Year and multiple Platinum Awards from Modern Library Awards. Today, MackinVIA can be found in thousands of schools and accessed by more than 9 million students around the world. In close partnership with the educational community, Mackin Classroom offers a variety of customization options and unique curriculum solutions for educators to address their specific and evolving needs. The makerspace division, MackinMaker, provides one of the largest selections of maker products for all grade levels. Mackin recently expanded their offerings creating MackinVision, a robust, forward-thinking library management system that goes beyond expectations to include a whole school’s total resources.

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Mesa Heise
Director of Bids & Contracts
800-245-9540
bids@mackin.com
mesa@mackin.com

Learn More About Mackin Educational Resources

Transform Your School with Effective STEAM Education

Posted on October 11, 2024 | by Hope

Discover how the Career and Success Academy Network of Public Schools (CANOPS) in South Bend, Indiana, achieved remarkable results by integrating the TinkRworks STEAM curriculum.

Key Highlights:

Increased Engagement: CANOPS reduced disciplinary referrals by 30% and saw an 80%-90% on-task rate.
Teacher Support: Educators praised the easy-to-use platform and comprehensive training that enhanced teaching effectiveness.
Integrated Learning: Strengthened connections between science and computer science, enriching students’ learning experiences.
Boosted Confidence: Hands-on projects empowered students to tackle complex topics and explore future careers in technology.

Download the success story to learn how these strategies can benefit your students and teachers.

LEARN MORE

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Matt Yena
Illinois School Partner
708-899-9362
matt.yena@TinkRworks.com

Learn more about TinkRworks

Beyond Cell Phone Bans: How to Address Digital Distractions and Enhance Classroom Focus

Posted on October 10, 2024 | by Hope

As the school year routines fall into place, K-12 administrators are once again navigating the ongoing challenge of managing digital distractions in the classroom. Tech-savvy students often find ways to bypass school device filters, using school-issued devices to access gaming content or trending videos.

Maximizing Tech Investments While Minimizing Classroom Distractions

IT teams are left constantly updating allowed and blocked lists, while teachers, in turn, act as digital gatekeepers, losing valuable instructional time as they close tabs and lock browsers to maintain classroom control, leaving less time for meaningful engagement with students and distracting from the core mission of improving student outcomes.

For school and district leaders, the challenge is clear: how to better support teachers and IT staff while ensuring that the significant investments in educational technology are being maximized to enhance student learning, not detract from it. To that end, many school districts are moving forward with policies to limit or ban cell phone use, with 14 states already enacting stricter regulations. The rationale for these decisions is clear, as limiting cell phone access during the school day positively impacts student mental health, reducing cyberbullying, and enhancing academic performance.

As schools enforce cell phone bans, attention increasingly shifts to school-issued devices, which hold the potential to become the next significant source of distraction in the classroom. The issue extends far beyond merely limiting cell phone use; it encompasses the broader and more complex challenge of internet addiction that many students grapple with daily. Research indicates that the near-constant exposure to digital content has led to a range of negative consequences for K-12 students, including heightened feelings of loneliness, elevated stress levels, disruptions to sleep patterns, and diminished ability to concentrate.

The digital distraction solution requires more than just bans or limiting access. K-12 administrators need a comprehensive approach that fosters a productive digital learning environment while mitigating the risks of internet addiction. This includes equipping students with the skills they need to be responsible digital citizens. Empowering students to develop digital metacognition and identify their optimal learning styles will help them use technology more effectively.

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Deledao Education
Jasen Whetstone
Account Executive
469-525-5208
sales@deledao.com

Three Questions to Consider for a Successful Transition to Wi-Fi 6E

Posted on September 18, 2024 | by Hope

The 6-gigahertz band comes with a lot of benefits, but before schools transition to the network, they should know how to fully maximize it.

Wi-Fi 6E, an extension of Wi-Fi 6, comes with faster speeds, lower latency and more network security, to name just a few of its features. Therefore, it’s no surprise school districts are adopting it. In fact, 1 in 3 Wi-Fi 6 device shipments are expected to be Wi-Fi 6E in 2025.

That said, Wi-Fi 6E might not be rightsized out of the box for every organization. Here are three factors IT leaders should consider before making the transition to the new standard.

1. Is Your Infrastructure Compatible with Wi-Fi 6E?

Just as students perform better academically in the right setting, the performance you get from Wi-Fi 6E will depend on the environment it’s in. Unless your infrastructure is optimal, your performance won’t be. So, it’s vital to assess your current infrastructure’s compatibility with Wi-Fi 6E, as upgrading will require compatible routers, access points and devices.

According to HP, “Integrating older standard Wi-Fi devices and applications is possible with Wi-Fi 6, but not 6E. It may take some time before the majority of Wi-Fi-enabled devices are 6E compatible. Until then, the range that Wi-Fi 6 delivers is beneficial for most devices that are likely legacy Wi-Fi 4 or 5 devices.”

IT leaders also need to ensure that the network architecture is compatible with Wi-Fi 6E’s 6-gigahertz frequency band. These networks need to support higher data rates, more wireless devices and deliver a more reliable and efficient wireless experience for users.

2. Does the Increased Network Performance Justify Upgrading?

Wi-Fi 6E offers numerous advantages to a school’s network performance, but making the switch can be expensive. To justify the ROI on Wi-Fi 6E, IT leaders should perform a cost-benefit analysis.

Often, the overall cost depends on the strength and capability of your current infrastructure. For example, are you able to keep any of your current devices? Will you have to undergo a complete device overhaul? How expensive will the requisite tweaks to your network architecture be?

Then balance those costs with the benefits of upgrading. The increased efficiency and productivity the network allows for can provide new opportunities for teaching and learning. Wi-Fi 6E can also help future proof the arrival of Wi-Fi 7 and 8; schools could experience additional long-term savings, as they won’t need to completely retool their infrastructure for future networks.

3. Do You Need to Consider Wi-Fi 6E Regulations?

Because Wi-Fi 6E operates in the 6GHz frequency band, there may be different regulatory restrictions or licensing requirements in some regions, as outlined by The Federal Communications Commission. Further, spectrum usage is often affected with 6E implementation — adding a new frequency band necessitates adding a new radio, which means swapping dual-band access points for tri-band APs — and there also may be various local regulations that impact how schools go about making these necessary changes.

The bottom line: Rather than transition to Wi-Fi 6E simply to keep up with the competition, IT leaders should consider these factors and decide if the upgrade is right for their environment.

Blog by J.P. Pressley
J.P. Pressley is a contributing writer and editor for EdTech: Focus on K-12.

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

John Buttita
Sales Manager
877-325-3380
johnbut@cdw.com

Learn More About CDW-G