Integrated_ Secure_ Reliable Educational Technology

Invent Tomorrow: Integrated, Secure, Reliable Educational Technology Brent Williams MSTM, CWNA, CWSP, MCSE, CNE, A+, N+ Educational Technology Specialist Kennesaw State University Georgia Department of Education brent@speakwisdom.com www.speakwisdom.com Where are we? Where are we? • Things can and do work! – – – – – Reliable PCs Windows can finally be Secure and Stable Fast, reliable networks Even wireless is working! Electronic whiteboards, voting systems, scanners & cameras, better software, etc. • Teacher training and standards are driving integration – Great progress made! Facts: – Technology can improve access to a quality education for all students – Technology can improve learning by allowing active instruction and a more realistic experience – Being tech savvy is essential for quality employment – Many students have better technology at home than at school (some have none) ET Future Near Term Reliability and Support • School Systems have gone cheap on support • Teachers nervous about technology reliability • Failures are frequent • Repairs are slow (days, weeks) • Lets get serious! Paper, Pencil and Chalk-Board are Extremely Reliable The 5 Nines • Industry standard: 99.999% availability • From the TEACHERS perspective, where is your system? • How long does repair take? • How much ET gear is unused due to lack of repair? • Ask your teachers! Sloppy Infrastructure? Single Points of Failure? Near Term: Reliability and Support • Bring in an outsider to point out weaknesses • Give them full reign to look at and report anything • Put a “Technician” at each school??? NO! • Put a “Technology Reliability” person at each school Near Term: Reliability and Support • Some school systems are a disaster waiting to happen! • Do you have a backup Server site? • Are you running disaster simulations? • Do you have a written, up-to-date, ET disaster recovery plan? Near Term: ET is as fundamental to school operations as heat, lights, and water! Treat it as such. Teachers Now Do! Near Term: Bandwidth & Connectivity • Minimum Gigabit to Each School • Why? – For “live” content (Video, audio, simulation) – Centralizing security audio/video – Putting servers at board office – Energy management control • Upgrade Internet Connection Near Term: Fiber to the School Whats wrong with WiFi? • • • • • Poorly planned Implemented by the Untrained Expectations not set WiFi Works! Get someone trained – www.cwnp.com – edtech.kennesaw.edu Near Future: Wireless N Fairly New Very Fast Better Range Now supported by all major WiFi players • WiFi grows up • WiFi for next 5 years • • • • Further Out: Wireless Networking • Watch WIMAX • What is it? – High-speed, long range wireless – Built in to laptops this year • Why? – Potential to REVOLUTIONIZE • How we connect – Equalize access from home Near-Term: Buy Laptops • In conjunction with N • Why? – – – – Portable Take less space Use less energy Combine many features • CD/DVD burner, USB, BlueTooth, more • Why Not? – More fragile, theft Near Term: Vista • Why? – – – – – – Great feature set Very stable Microsoft will make you Will be with us for next 3-5 years Training Required Tangent: Office 2007 • Mac OS is fine alternative Vista Features • More stable, better graphics • Less hackable, better firewall • Built-in Photo Editing & Management, Screen Capture • Excellent Voice Recognition • Easier User Interface • More controllable (Group Policy) Near Term: Windows Server 2008 • Just being released • Feature enhancement to Server 2003 – – – – – Can Pre-screen PCs Can Image workstations Can run without GUI Excellent Firewall Fault tolerance Near Term/Long Term: Evaluate Open Source • Why? – Save Money! • Background – – – – – Open Office, Star Office Gimp Samba Audacity Edubuntu • Ubuntu Foundation Near Term: Consider Centralized Model • Pull Servers from Schools • House and Manage at Board Office • Better management, security • Use Fat PCs with installed applications in schools • Reliable, fast network a must Near Term: Consider Centralized Model • Windows Terminal Server, Citrix, LTSP • Thin Clients (any PC) installed with minimal (and same) software • Applications run at Board Office • Teachers, students, parents can use from ANYWHERE • Much lower support overhead Near Term/Long Term 1 to 1 • PC on your belt • Why? – Students will carry a do-it-all device – Cell phone and PC – You only supply big display, keyboard, mouse – Wireless connections – Equal, all-the-time access for all www.oqo.com Ultra-Mobile PC Long Term: Get Rid of Textbooks • Why? – Cost – Hassle • Inventory • Storage • Damage – Quickly obsolete Electronic Paper Near Term: Virtual School • Technology & access will drive • Factors – Higher Bandwidth Networks – Cheap computing power – Full-motion, interactive • Boon for home schoolers, shut-ins, community groups, AP programs • Plenty of free tools Near Term: Podcast ≠ Apple • Podcasting is a great way to excite students & deliver content • Free tools to record and edit • Anyone can publish to iTunes Anyone Can Podcast! • iPod Not Required! • Apple Mac & Server Not Required! • Deliver from Windows Server ET Future • Get serious about reliability and recoverability • Computer Gear Becoming More Reliable, Portable, Inexpensive, Fast. Think Computer on Your Belt. • Plan for High-speed Wireless Everywhere • Look at open source! MSTM, CWNA, CWSP, MCSE, CNE, A+, N+ Educational Technology Specialist Kennesaw State University Georgia Department of Education brent@speakwisdom.com www.speakwisdom.com Brent Williams Photos courtesy of Google Images