Category: Partner News & Resources

Keeping Devices Refreshed Is Critical to a Healthy and Modern IT Ecosystem

Posted on | by Hope
by Joe Kuehne
Joe Kuehne is a Senior Editor at BizTech magazine.

As in any industry, IT teams supporting K–12 schools must navigate a challenging landscape. But with education on the line, IT staff take on significant responsibility for ensuring that the technology they support provides an optimal digital experience for teachers and students alike.

Despite strict budgets and small IT teams, school districts must keep devices safely and continually refreshed. That task can be overwhelming in the face of such obstacles as reduced federal funding and constantly evolving security threats. Add to that the trend of school districts adopting one-to-one device programs, and suddenly those necessary device refreshes demand resources that many teams simply don’t have.

“I think the funding is going to be one of the larger issues for schools moving forward, especially after the federal Emergency Connectivity Fund wraps up,” says Caitlin Witry, senior manager of the education partner program at CDW. “ECF is about to expire shortly, and then the last round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds would expire in September 2024.”

While it can be daunting, IT teams can’t delay or ignore the task of refreshing huge numbers of devices. Keeping them updated helps prevent interruptions in education and breaches in security. But there are some solutions and services available to help IT teams confront the challenges of device refreshes and maintenance.

Keeping Devices Refreshed Amid Funding Limitations

According to a recent survey from Lenovo, K–12 IT leaders are prioritizing device refreshes despite tight budgets. “With the increased number of devices a district is now required to maintain, as well as non-stop demands for more bandwidth, IT leaders want devices that support fast and robust Wi-Fi,” Lenovo reports. “Nearly all districts (94 percent) struggled with videoconferencing during the pandemic, and bandwidth was the leading cause of trouble. Wi-Fi 6 outranks 5G nearly 4 to 1 as an ‘important or very important’ priority.”

Some leading IT companies are working with schools and service providers to offer assistance and funding. One such program is the CDW Education Collaborative, a community of K–12 technical administrators across North America who work alongside CDW Education’s experts to navigate changes, updates, challenges and solutions within their Google and Microsoft environments.

Tech leaders such as Google and Microsoft offer automatic update policies, but devices in the K–12 setting frequently have shorter life spans than those in professional settings. Student devices may need to be refreshed or replaced more often, which can become expensive for schools and force them to find alternative solutions.

“Lately, we’ve seen schools trying to extend the life of their devices by using cases and extended service plans such as accidental damage protection, using more break/fix programs and trying to extend their lifecycles rather than doing a refresh every three years,” Witry notes. “They’re trying to stretch the bang for their buck.”

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Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

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

Learn More About CDW-G

Senso Cloud is now a 1EdTech Trusted Ed Apps Certified Partner for Data Privacy!

Posted on | by Hope

Your Data, Our Priority.

At Senso.cloud, keeping your information safe is our top priority. We work hard to create a secure and reliable digital space for all schools and educational institutions. That’s why we are proud to announce that Renato Software Limited is now a 1EdTech Trusted Ed Apps Certified Partner for Data Privacy!

By receiving this certification from 1EdTech, it solidifies our commitment to safeguarding the privacy of your schools data and keeping it protected at all costs.

Don’t just take it from us!

Take a look at what the Vice President of Marketing and Higher Education Programs, Sandra DeCastro, has to say about the certification.

“1EdTech believes we can power learner potential through an open, trusted, and innovative digital tech ecosystem,” said 1EdTech Vice President of Marketing and Higher Education Programs Sandra DeCastro. “That trust comes from companies, like Renato Software, putting in the work to ensure privacy policies are transparent, and that are willing to be certified to save educators valuable time that they can now spend on ensuring the program fits into their curriculum, and how best to leverage it to help students succeed.”

Want to find out what all of the fuss is about?

Our team loves to talk all things Senso, so why not book a demo here and see what we’re about?

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Alex Ball
US Sales Manager
866- 664-1520
a.ball@renatosoftware.com

Learn More About Senso.cloud

SH Connect Compliance Management System

Posted on | by Hope

With the new Illinois legislation to require schools to have cardiac response plans and mandate AEDs, Emergency preparedness equipment is a vital part of a school’s emergency preparedness plan. However, maintaining all aspects of your program, including its AEDs, can be difficult and time-consuming.

The SH Connect compliance management system simplifies this process by allowing you to monitor all your equipment at once using a desktop or mobile device.

 

Schedule a Demo to Learn More

 

Contact your dedicated Account Manager

Emily Rogers
Territory Manager – Chicagoland
erogers@schoolhealth.com
630-339-7997

Danita Jones
Inside Sales – Illinois
djones@schoolhealth.com
630-339-7946

Jodi Szuter
Specialist – Special Education
jszuter@schoolhealth.com
224-580-8058

Learn More About School Health

Office 365 A1 Plus for education will retire on August 1, 2024

Posted on | by Hope

Why is Office 365 A1 Plus being retired?

Microsoft introduced Office 365 A1 Plus to schools in 2015 to ease the provisioning burden for IT in moving users to the cloud. While the intent was to help schools with their transition, it also introduced a level of complexity for our customers that led to many inadvertently becoming non-compliant. Today, Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 licenses are easier to provision, both addressing our customer requirements and removing the need for a transitional program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024.

Schools using Office 365 A1 Plus today have options

Schools with Microsoft A3 or A5

Schools who license Microsoft 365 A3 or A5 today can use their student use benefits to deploy A3 or A5 for students at a 40:1 student to faculty ratio. Learn your options for assigning licenses to users.

How to license users

Schools can purchase additional licenses

Schools can purchase additional Microsoft 365 A3 or A5 licenses for faculty or staff currently not covered under another license. Compare which edition is right for your school.

Compare editions now

Schools can leverage Office 365 A1

Schools can leverage Office 365 A1, a free subscription with access to online Office 365 web apps and collaboration and classroom tools.

Get started

Discover the benefits of Microsoft 365 A5

Microsoft 365 A5 is for institutions who want a single productivity, communications, and collaboration platform with the most advanced security for learning, teaching, and work. It provides AI-powered services to accelerate learning and productivity in a comprehensive suite that integrates advanced security, analytics tools, and unified communications.

Learn More

Do you have more questions or need help with your Microsoft licensing? Contact our channel partners today.

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

Christine McConnell
JourneyEd
Senior Account Manager
636-238-5606
cmcconnell@journeyed.com

How Students Are Able to Bypass School Filtering With Proxies (and Why It’s a Problem)

Posted on | by Hope

Students are a resourceful bunch so it should be no surprise that many have discovered ways to bypass school filtering systems. Before we explore the challenges this creates, let’s take a quick look at how students sometimes use proxy websites to bypass school filters.

How to Get Around School Content Filtering

The internet is a vast and ever-evolving landscape, and tech-savvy students can very easily locate detailed directions on how to get around school content filtering. A multitude of online resources, some hidden in plain sight, offer students step-by-step guides on “how to get around school filters.” These resources often point them towards proxy websites.

What Are Proxy Web Sites and Why Are They So Appealing?

Proxy websites act as a middleman between a student’s device and the internet. Imagine a student trying to reach a blocked website. Instead of connecting directly, the student connects to the proxy website first. The proxy website then fetches the content from the blocked website and relays it back to the student’s device, effectively masking their online activity. This allows students to potentially bypass school filters and access restricted content.

The problem with this approach is twofold. First, the world of proxy websites is constantly growing and evolving. New proxy sites pop up all the time, making it nearly impossible for traditional filtering technology to keep pace. This creates a frustrating game of cat-and-mouse for school IT departments. IT staff spend countless hours adding new proxy URLs to their blocklists, only to find students discovering new workarounds seemingly overnight. It’s a constant battle that consumes valuable IT resources and ultimately proves ineffective in large part because outdated list-based filtering technology is still used by the vast majority of IT Depts.

This cycle of blocking and unblocking is not only inefficient but also ineffective. Here’s why:

  • Wasted Resources: IT departments spend a significant amount of time and resources maintaining blocklists, diverting them from other critical tasks.

  • Ineffective Filtering: New proxy sites appear constantly, rendering traditional blocklists outdated almost as soon as they’re updated.

  • Potential CIPA Violations: Inadvertent access to inappropriate content through proxy sites can put a school district out of compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA requires schools to implement filtering and monitoring systems to protect students from online pornography and other harmful content.

  • Compromised Learning Environment: Distracting content accessed through proxies can hinder student focus and disrupt the effectiveness of digital learning environments.

The bottom line? Current filtering solutions simply can’t keep up with the ingenuity of students determined to bypass restrictions. This leaves schools in a precarious position, potentially jeopardizing student safety and maximizing the potential for misuse of school-issued devices.

A New Dawn in School Filtering: Introducing ProxyGuard™ by Deledao

Deledao, a leading innovator in education technology, understands the challenges schools face with traditional filtering solutions. That’s why we’ve revolutionized the game with the introduction of ProxyGuard™, a groundbreaking technology added to our award-winning, research-based real-time AI filtering product, ActiveScan™.

ProxyGuard™ is the first technology of its kind that automatically recognizes and blocks proxy websites. This eliminates the need for IT departments to manually maintain blocklists, freeing up valuable resources and ensuring a more efficient and effective filtering solution.

Here’s how ProxyGuard™ benefits schools:

  • Automated Proxy Detection: ProxyGuard™ utilizes cutting-edge AI to automatically identify and block proxy sites, stopping students before they can bypass filters.

  • Reduced IT Burden: IT staff are no longer bogged down by maintaining blocklists, allowing them to focus on more strategic initiatives.

  • Enhanced CIPA Compliance: By effectively blocking proxy access, ProxyGuard™ helps schools maintain CIPA compliance and safeguard student safety.

  • Maximized Technology Investment: ProxyGuard™ ensures school-issued devices are used for their intended purpose – learning – and not for accessing distractions or inappropriate content.

  • Improved Learning Environment: By eliminating distractions, ProxyGuard™ creates a more focused and productive learning environment for all students.

We understand that keeping students safe and focused online is a top priority. To help you see how ProxyGuard™ can transform your school’s content filtering and empower student success, we’d be happy to discuss it with you in more detail and provide a brief demonstration for both you and your IT team.

Let’s work together to streamline IT management, ensure CIPA compliance, and create a more productive learning environment for all. Contact Deledao to get started today!

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Deledao Education
Greg Richman
Director of Sales & Channel Partnerships
greg.richman@deledao.com

sales@deledao.com

Flexible Furniture Gives Teachers and Students More Opportunities for Collaboration

Posted on | by Hope

Traditional libraries are out — and media centers are in — as a reflection of how modern students learn today.

By Erika Gimbel. Erika Gimbel is a Chicago-based freelance writer who specializes in B2B technology innovation and educational technology.

This is not an old-fashioned library: In the Sebastian River High School Media Center, food and drink are allowed. So is chatting with friends and playing video games. The space is open and bright, with the school’s mascot shark emblazoned prominently throughout.

Officially opened in fall 2023, the new media center is a far cry from the old library space, which hadn’t been updated in 25 years.

“All the walls were painted pink. They used to call the school the pink prison,” laughs Kerri Wall, senior instructional technology administrator and data privacy compliance officer at the School District of Indian River County in Vero Beach, Fla.

And while the space may have been outdated, the bigger issue was that the old library did not fit with the school’s modern learning environment.

“We’re talking about a lot of books that weren’t even being checked out,” says Wall. “We really wanted to flip the script on what a media center space is.”

Like many school districts across the U.S., Indian River County has reimagined many of its learning spaces — from classrooms to former libraries — to keep pace with new technologies and the way students learn today.

An increasing body of research supports the conclusion that flexible learning spaces lead to better learning outcomes, including increased engagement with content and more positive interaction with peers.

“To prepare students for success in the 21st century, the ability to collaborate is essential,” says Patti Clark, chief academic officer at Lakeshore Learning Materials. “A trend I’m seeing everywhere is the transformation of school library spaces, which are becoming much more vibrant spaces for learning and collaborating, sometimes even developing into the hub of the school.”

Transforming traditional spaces takes planning, budget decisions and buy-in from school and community leaders. Here’s how a few schools took on the challenge.

DISCOVER: What does the modern library look like for K–12 students?

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Unpacking science wonders with iSprowt class packs

Posted on | by Hope

Stephanie Higgs, Tennessee gifted educator, sees her fourth graders for only 30 minutes a few times a week – a time-crunch struggle many teachers can sympathize with. Higgs uses that limited time to build upon students’ abilities and interests, including science and technology, but keeping her students engaged can get challenging when it seems like they’ve already interacted with all the technology and DIY science out there.

When Higgs came across the iSprowt science packs in Pitsco’s catalog of offerings, she beelined to her student with an affinity for the sciences and let her choose which pack seemed best for the whole class. Talk about student choice and voice! The student looked over the options – with topics from fossils to natural disasters to the universe, she couldn’t go wrong – and ultimately chose Chemistry and Matter.

CLASSROOM RELEVANCE

iSprowt’s phenomena-based elementary kits were written to bring real-world science to life. Creator Juliana Sherwood specifically designed the activities, authored their workbooks, and chose hands-on materials all in the name of her own children and their classmates who struggled to find the connection between science class and the world around them. In fact, each kit was created with NGSS requirements and educator needs as its guiding lights, ensuring full classroom utility.

THE EDUCATOR EXPERIENCE

When the Chemistry and Matter pack arrived in Higgs’s classroom this past winter, she quickly reviewed the teacher sheet and a student workbook, instantly identifying the first activity she wanted to do with her students: indoor snow, as they’d had a distinct lack of snow over the holiday break. All she needed to do was unpack the kits and locate a water source. When class started, her fourth graders paired up and got to work immediately, cracking open the workbooks and following the story and directions on their own.

“I was drawn to the activities because there’s nothing like it on Pinterest!” Higgs said. “But really, it was a novel and niche way to teach universal themes that I had wanted to touch on this semester anyway. I mean, engineering an indoor snowman to teach about change AND design? I would have never thought of that.”

Higgs also found that it was easy to break the workbooks into segments by activity – especially handy for her short class periods. “I was impressed that we could do an activity one day, and then come back to iSprowt a week later for the kids to remember where they left off. They just love the hands on, and I love the flexibility!”

Jennifer Stormer, an Ohio elementary STEM/math teacher, felt the same about her own pack. “I used the Renewable Energy kits in my third- and fourth-grade classes as a supplement to my energy curriculum. They aligned perfectly with it! The ease of using them and the engaging student activities were the best part of it all. Everything was in the kits, and the books were very well written with explanations as to how to implement the materials. I honestly only spent a couple of minutes overviewing each lesson prior to implementing them.”

Both teachers agreed that while they used iSprowt as a supplement or extension to the students’ core science content, the kits could be used stand-alone for a mini unit or an after-school club.

“I still have a few activities for us to go through,” Higgs said, “but I’m already wanting another pack topic! The students loved it that much. It’s so awesome to see them have fun while learning.”

Shop iSprowt classroom packs at Pitsco.com/Shop/iSprowt.

Download A Copy To Share

 

Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Regina Williams
Great Lakes Education Advisor
800-835-0686 x
rewilliams@pitsco.com

Learn More About Pitsco Education
Pitsco Education Blog

How JS Morton empowered teachers with authentic common assessments and real-time results

Posted on | by Hope

FORMATIVE BY NEWSELA SUCCESS STORY: JS MORTON HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 201

DISTRICT PROFILE: JS MORTON HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 201

LOCATION: Cicero, IL

STUDENT POPULATION: 8,000

CLASSROOM USE CASE: Common Assessment

THE CHALLENGE

A suburban high school district aims to bring authentic, standards-aligned common assessments to students. The community of educators at JS Morton High School District 201 in Illinois is a highly engaged group. They offer a rich variety of classes to students, with an emphasis on opportunities for both college and career preparedness. And with a student population of over 70% current and former English learners (EL), inclusive and accessible teaching strategies play a significant role in daily instruction. Director of Innovation and Accountability, Samantha Skubal, focuses on helping teachers incorporate technology and data to drive positive learning outcomes. The district prioritizes common assessments to ensure all students are progressing throughout the year, and give teachers actionable data to make informed instructional decisions.

But the common assessment program the district had been using felt antiquated and unhelpful. Students were confined to rigid assessments with one-size-fits-all question types and feedback tools. Teachers were looking for a flexible, engaging platform that enabled them to assess students through more inclusive methods that would meet those students—who come with a variety of learning needs and preferences—where they are. When educators asked repeatedly for Formative as a replacement for their current assessment platform, Ms. Skubal couldn’t ignore their enthusiasm.

READ MORE ON THE PLAN
 
 

Building Your Cyber Incident Response Team

Posted on | by Hope

When you’re blindsided by a sudden cyber attack, it pays to have a band of heroes you can call upon to save the day. Fortunately, that’s exactly what a cyber incident response team (CIRT) is for.

Think of them like the Avengers. They might not protect your universe from alien invaders, but they do keep malicious cybercriminals at bay.

Let’s uncover the basics of CIRTs and how you can build the best team for your district’s cybersecurity needs.

WHAT IS A CYBER INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM?

A cyber incident response team — also known as a computer incident response team or computer security incident response team (CSIRT) — is a group of people responsible for responding to security breaches, viruses, and other potentially catastrophic cyber threats.

CIRTs are essential to the overall incident response process. Each security team member plays a particular role in mitigating an active threat, but together, they cohesively executive your school district’s incident response plan (IRP).

In short, an IRP is a formal document that establishes the requisite steps, instructions, and procedures your school district should follow for detecting, containing, and minimizing the impact of an attack on your information technology (IT) infrastructure. Generally speaking, incident response planning provides a comprehensive framework for mitigating a cyber incident, whether it be a security breach, data leak, or any other threat to sensitive information and student privacy.

With a well-crafted IRP, you can:

  • Jump into action: Incident response planning helps you act faster, which is key to preventing bad actors from getting their paws on more personal information.
  • Prevent downtime: The sooner you contain a threat, the quicker you can bring affected systems back online. And, if you’re really fast, you can even prevent the attack from forcing information technology offline in the first place.
  • Improve recovery: With a smoother and more effective incident response process, you can avoid critical damage that requires implementing a disaster recovery plan.

However, these outcomes aren’t possible without a computer security incident response team at the helm. A CIRT’s main goal is to regain control of an ongoing cyber incident as quickly and efficiently as possible, thereby minimizing its negative impact. This involves following the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s four-step framework for incident handling:

  1. Preparation
  2. Detection and analysis
  3. Containment, eradication, and recovery
  4. Post-incident activity

Not familiar with these phases? Check out our guide to learn more.

For now, just know the CIRT is responsible for completing each phase’s essential procedures. These include gathering threat intelligence, communicating events to internal and external stakeholders (such as law enforcement), classifying incidents, threat hunting, coordinating response efforts, post-incident reporting, and updating information security policies following a mitigated cyber threat.

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Contact your dedicated Account Manager:

Warren Frebel
VP of Business Development
303-415-3656
wfrebel@managedmethods.com

Learn More About ManagedMethods

Collaborative Brilliance: The Impact of Media Specialist-Teacher Partnerships

Posted on | by Hope

BY Jennifer Parker

Often, media specialists find themselves as solitary figures in our schools, but to effectively serve all our students, we must be master connectors, not only throughout our community but also within our building, through collaborative partnerships with teachers. Collaboration also plays a pivotal role in advocating for our programs, strengthening their visibility and value within the broader school community. I don’t know about you, but I witness teachers who are increasingly stressed and overwhelmed by the ever-mounting demands of education. Collaborating can often feel like yet another burden on their already full plates. However, amidst this, I also see these same teachers who remain steadfast in their ‘why,’ showing up every day in their classrooms, seeking ways to actively engage their students in learning. This is where collaboration with the school library media specialist shines brightest — the opportunity to join forces with teachers, asking ‘how can I help?’ This simple question embodies one of the most significant avenues we have to impact students and cultivate a thriving media program.

So, how do we earn teachers’ trust and open the door to collaboration? By aligning our collaboration efforts with content standards and offering assistance in areas where teachers may need extra support, we can be irreplaceable assets in our building. While teachers are experts in their content areas, as media specialists, we bring distinct proficiencies to the table. We excel in facilitating big ideas—lessons that are complex, require additional resources or technology, and often involve small group activities. By stepping in as their trusted ally, we become the superhero sidekick, helping to bring big ideas to life.

So, what does this collaboration entail? Picture a blend of interactive learning stations, hands-on STEAM/STEM activities, opportunities for coding, and captivating library “field trips” where we morph the space into an immersive museum experience tailored to specific learning standards. These lessons not only captivate students with their high engagement levels but also elicit a “wow” factor as passersby, both students and teachers, catch glimpses of the excitement unfolding. It’s about creating a buzz that ignites curiosity and prompts others to seek similar experiences.

Leveraging Blended Learning Station Lessons

Blended learning station lessons are a personal favorite of mine when it comes to collaboration. They offer a plethora of moving parts that might seem daunting for a teacher to tackle alone, especially when aiming to provide differentiated stations tailored to student levels or needs. But fear not! Let’s demystify the terminology. The Blended Learning Station model is simply a structured approach where students rotate through a series of stations or learning activities on a fixed schedule, with at least one station being online or digital.

Here is an example of one of my standout blended learning station lessons —a favorite among our 6th-grade social studies classes focusing on Chernobyl. Each station was crafted to provide a unique perspective on the topic. From a virtual reality lab that enables students to immerse themselves in a virtual walk through Chernobyl to a small group discussion led by the classroom teacher on the causes of the disaster, along with other stations featuring differentiated reading passages, videos, maps, and images, the variety of activities kept students engaged and eager to explore.

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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