In Creating the 21St Century Classroom , Eschoolnews Prefaces Their Examination Of

“Behind the Scenes”

A 21st Century Planning Guide for School Administrators

Written by:

Walter Alexander, Technical Services Supervisor, Shelby County Schools, AL

Susan Poling, Technology Coordinator, Shelby County Schools, AL

Contributors:

Fred Watson, Network Administrator, Shelby County Schools, AL

Lauren Woolley, Technology Program Area Specialist, Shelby County Schools, AL

Lisa Amerson, Technology Coordinator, Calhoun County Schools, AL

Debbie Rice, Technology Coordinator, Auburn City Schools, AL

Betsy Mitchell, Technology Coordinator, Clay County Schools, AL What to Consider when Planning for 21st Century Classrooms

Implementing 21st Century Classrooms is a complex undertaking. A good outcome depends on educating yourself about the many options, cautions, caveats, and interdependencies involved. The following information is intended to assist school administrators, teachers, or technology committees during the planning stage. This information is not a substitute for contacting and working with your school system’s technology department. Planners should consult with their system’s technology staff for additional information about the system’s network structure, capabilities, and policies prior to making final decisions.

The use of any specific software/hardware models or manufacturers should not be considered an endorsement. They are used only to illustrate examples of technologies that planners may wish to consider. In addition, technology is constantly changing. Planners should be sure to consult their technology department about new types of technologies, new operating systems, and other advances that may have occurred.

CONTENTS

Examples of 21st Century Components...... 3

General Considerations...... 3

Specific Considerations...... 9

General Preparation Checklist...... 15

Classroom Preparation Checklist...... 17

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2 EXAMPLES OF 21ST CENTURY COMPONENTS

1. Teacher laptop 7. Document camera

2. Wireless gyroscopic mouse 8. Wireless peripherals

3. Student laptops 9. Printers

4. Digital projector 10. Digital cameras

5. Interactive whiteboard 11. Wireless access point(s)

6. Response devices

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS POWER The amount of electricity required to support a 21st Century Classroom should REQUIREMENTS not be underestimated. If the school is going to upgrade several classrooms, adding electrical outlets to provide power for the new devices may result in a need for additional electrical panels or even upgraded power service to the school building.

Teachers should not ‘daisy-chain’ power strips or surge suppressors together so that they can plug multiple devices into one or two outlets. This can be a violation of fire codes and can have adverse effects on devices that are attached to the chain.

Lightning strikes and electrical surges can damage the delicate components of technology devices. In some cases the item might be immediately unusable, while in other cases the circuit boards may be moderately damaged. In the latter case, the end user may not notice much difference at first, but the life time of the equipment will likely be shortened.

Some school systems wire their school buildings with lightning-protected electrical outlets designated for technology use. The electrical wiring for these outlets, which are generally orange or some other color that makes them stand out from other outlets, lead back to “protected” electrical panels. Plugging technology devices into these protected outlets eliminates the need for a surge suppressor. However, plugging non-computer devices, such as pencil sharpeners, fans and lamps, into these designated outlets can negate the benefits and should not be done.

If the building will not be equipped with protected electrical outlets, then good quality surge suppressors should be included in the purchasing plan. Be sure 3 that your schools are using and purchasing surge suppressors, not simply power strips. Power strips provide more outlets, but do not protect the technology devices attached to them from electrical surges.

Surge suppressors do not last forever. In fact, once a surge suppressor takes an electrical ‘hit’ it becomes useless in protecting equipment from future surges. Most good surge suppressors feature an indicator light to let the user know if the ‘surge protection’ is still active. Because electrical events can happen when no one is around, some type of routine for checking these devices should be established so that expensive technology devices are properly protected. Schools may want to establish a policy of checking surge suppressors periodically and budgeting funds annually for replacing ones that are no longer effective.

WIRELESS Wireless networking does not mean that there are no wires. Wireless access NETWORKING points (WAPs) need power and a connection to the building’s data network in order to operate. Inexpensive WAPs generally need to be plugged into an electrical outlet, while higher-end WAPs will often feature the ability to receive their power from the same cable that provides the network connection. This technology is called Power Over Ethernet (PoE).

PoE devices require some additional equipment in the wiring closet. This equipment, typically a PoE Switch or PoE Power Injector, supplies the extra voltage needed for the device in the classroom. Make sure there is space and power available for this additional equipment.

Regardless of which type of WAP you use, the device will need to be connected to the building’s network in the same fashion that is used to connect desktop computers to the network. A CAT5 or CAT6 cable, sometimes called a ‘patch cable,’ is generally used to connect the device to the data outlet in the wall.

Walls and other structures, especially the concrete walls used in school buildings, will substantially restrict the signal from each WAP. This means that each WAP may cover only a small number of rooms with a strong signal. On the other hand, even a low strength wireless signal can and will “escape” your building through windows or exterior walls that are not filled concrete.

Making sure “outsiders” cannot access your wireless network will help to protect your data and electronic communications, and help to keep your network virus-free. Wireless network signals often radiate outside the school building and into the parking lot or the subdivision next door. In addition, visitors or students who bring their own Wi-FI devices into the school could gain access to your network if you have not set up any restrictions or passwords on your wireless access points. Regardless of which wireless solution you use, make sure that your technology department is helping you set up security on these devices.

4 Since signal strength directly affects the speed and reliability of wireless network access, good coverage is critical to a successful implementation. Even when there are no walls interfering with the signal strength, the power of the signal can be diluted when many computers try to access the wireless network at the same time. If using lower-end WAPs, plan on at least one WAP for every 15 computers.

Adding one or more WAPs to a rolling laptop cart will work for a limited number of laptops, but if a school wants wireless access available in multiple wings of the building or throughout the entire building, there is a better approach. School administrators should strongly consider a school-wide engineered solution that uses more powerful, permanently mounted WAPs that are centrally manageable. If considering this approach, have the vendor assist you in conducting a site evaluation. Do not assume that you will need a WAP for every classroom. In some cases, placing WAPs in hallways will provide better coverage.

Depending upon the scope of your wireless network, it may be necessary to purchase a wireless access point controller for centralized control and security. The end result is a wireless network that is secure, reliable and robust. Consult your technology department for details on the requirements and what may already be in place.

SECURITY In addition to wireless network security, schools should also keep in mind that theft may become an unfortunate consequence of having laptops and other popular devices in the classrooms. Thought must be given to the security of the school building, the network, and the devices in the 21st Century classroom. Some objects can easily fit into a book bag or under a jacket, and be taken out of the school without notice.

Consider how you will secure laptops and other devices on a nightly basis. Do you want to use security cables to tether them to furniture, or perhaps lock them in carts or cabinets? Do you have security cameras in your building? Do you want to invest in LoJack-type tracking software to increase the chances that stolen machines can be located by law enforcement? Keep in mind that the best plan is to do everything you can to keep the equipment from being stolen. Even if police recover the equipment, they may need to keep it as evidence for months or years.

Teachers who are allowed to take a laptop home should never store FERPA- protected or other data that will compromise the personal identities of students or staff on these machines. The school may want to have a written agreement that the teacher signs acknowledging this rule.

Staff or students who are allowed to take laptops, digital cameras, or other devices home with them should never leave the equipment on the seat or the floor of their car where a thief can easily see it. They should put it in the trunk

5 or take it with them. (See cautions about temperatures in later section).

SOFTWARE and When purchasing software, always consult your technology department. They LICENSING can help ensure that the hardware and network you have meets the specifications of the software. They may also need to set up network rights to server-based software or establish a backup routine so that student work in that software can be restored.

Even when the software involved is hosted on the web by the vendor, consulting the technology department is wise. The vendor may want you to provide them with data files to establish student login ids. Some of this data could contain personal information that you will want encrypted if sending via email or by data upload.

In addition, if the hosted software contains streaming video or multimedia, your school’s level of Internet service (bandwidth) may have a big impact on the quality of what the student experiences. Often times only a small group of people review the software online before making a purchasing decision. Sometimes the vendor wants to do a demo over the web and no one at your school ever actually uses the software on your machines on your network. To truly see how well an Internet hosted software will work, the school should ask for a temporary account and be able to test it out the way they plan to use it. For instance, if you plan to have 25 students in a lab use the software simultaneously; then you should test it out with 25 simultaneous users.

Your technology department can also evaluate what other software might be needed on your computers in order to use any new software. For instance, the software might rely on Adobe Reader, the latest version of Flash, or Windows Media Player. While all of these programs are free, the most current versions may not be installed on each machine.

When purchasing technology equipment such as laptops and interactive whiteboards, consult your technology department regarding the purchase of any additional software licenses necessary for use on your existing network such as SQL licenses, productivity software (MS Office) and the operating system(s) currently supported on your network.

CLASSROOM Teachers may find that students make changes to laptops that create MANAGEMENT problems for the next student who uses them. These changes can be nuisances such as changing the default web browser home page or desktop wallpaper, or can be real problems like installing spyware, changing network settings or deleting applications. You may want to consider programs such as DeepFreeze that restore the computer back to the original configuration each time it boots. One outcome of this, however, is that if a user visits websites or stores inappropriate files on the machine, you will have a harder time investigating the incident since the evidence will be deleted when the machine is rebooted.

6 Another unintended outcome is that any software, such as antivirus software, that receives automatic updates from the network will never retain the updates. Your technology staff or someone on your staff may need to periodically “thaw” the image, update the software, and then “re-freeze” the image in order make sure the machine is up to date with critical software versions.

In addition to this type of software, teachers may find it easier to manage a classroom full of students using laptops if they use a program such as SMART Sync (formerly SynchronEyes). Such programs enable teachers to monitor what students do on the computers, turn off Internet access, display their desktop to all students, give quizzes electronically, and more.

PROFESSIONAL To truly benefit from your investment, teachers will need to be trained on any DEVELOPMENT new software and hardware purchased. Each teacher should be given an orientation on how to operate new equipment, basic troubleshooting for each component, and know who to contact if problems persist. They should also be instructed which pieces of equipment to shut down at the end of the day and which, if any, to leave running. If surge protectors are used rather than protected power outlets, they should be instructed to periodically check indicator lights and request a new surge protector when needed.

The positive impact that 21st Century technology can have on teaching and learning comes only when teachers begin to master the use of the various hardware and software, and incorporate it into their overall instructional plan. Formal training, collaborative groups, and using student assistants can help teachers master and become comfortable with 21st Century technology. A timeline and plan for professional development should be formulated when the decision to buy is made and implemented as quickly as possible after the new technology is installed and ready for use.

In addition to training current teachers, schools should develop a plan to train new staff members when they come on board. At the beginning of the new school year, when new staff is likely to be hired, new teachers should be given an orientation and training on all of the technology that is available to them. Often times this is overlooked and new teachers go through an entire year not knowing that software is available to them, or that additional equipment is available for checkout from the library.

Schools should keep in mind that with each addition of software or hardware, the number of help tickets and maintenance requests for the technology staff increases. When the ratio of support requests to technicians grows to unmanageable levels, response times will also slow down. Therefore, while these new technologies should become a daily part of the classroom experience, teachers should have backup plans in case a failure occurs and technical support cannot arrive to repair the issue before the lesson/class ends.

7 MAINTENANCE and Training the school’s custodians about the new equipment will help to insure LONG TERM COSTS good maintenance. Custodians should know what can and cannot be unplugged or moved. They should also know that plugging in high powered equipment such as floor buffers can affect delicate electronic devices that may be on the same circuit. In addition, teachers and custodians should take care when cleaning various technology components. Read the manufacturers recommendations and educate staff on what to use when cleaning certain items such as LCD screens, projector lenses, etc.

Besides the initial investment, some 21st Century Classroom components will have ongoing costs. Projector bulbs burnout and must be replaced at a cost of hundreds of dollars per bulb. Laptop batteries wear out and must be replaced. In addition, expect electric bills to increase. Have a plan in place directing staff to turn off equipment at the end of the day to minimize these increases.

Prior to purchasing, you should ask the vendor what the standard warranty period is and what it covers. In addition, ask if there are any annual costs for software updates. Find out whether the system will be covered under the warranty if your own staff installs the device. Finally, carefully consider whether or not extended hardware warranties are available and what they cost. When purchasing several of the same item, you may want to consider buying an extra device to use as a spare rather than purchasing extended warranty plans for all of the items. Calculate what your 2nd and 3rd year maintenance costs will be and plan to include them in future years.

8 SPECIFIC CONSIDERATIONS TEACHER LAPTOP The teacher’s laptop computer will need to have sufficient processor power, RAM (memory) and hard drive space. Older computers will have trouble supporting the latest software applications, web-based services, and peripheral devices.

Computers with DVD drives can also play DVD-based materials that the projector will display, without the need to purchase a separate DVD player.

The laptop must have an operating system that will allow it to connect to your school’s network. “Home” versions of operating systems such as XP Home and Windows 7 Home will not allow a user to log on to a school network. Check with your IT department.

If the teacher will be using a wireless digital projector, wireless mouse/keyboard, a blue-tooth connected interactive whiteboard, or other wirelessly connected devices, be sure you know how many USB ports you will be getting on the laptop model you order.

If the teacher plans to use more USB devices at one time than there are USB ports on the laptop, you may need to purchase a powered USB hub. Powered USB hubs need to be plugged into an electrical outlet. Memory usage and driver inter- compatibility from many devices may also be a problem.

If the teacher regularly takes a laptop home, but rarely connects to the school’s network when at work, then antivirus software will become outdated. Teachers should be instructed to log onto the school’s network frequently in order that this and other software will be kept up-to-date.

WIRELESS Teachers may want to have a wireless gyroscopic mouse to control cursor GYROSCOPIC movement on the projected image, which will allow him/her to move about the MOUSE classroom. Without this technology, the teacher must remain near the laptop.

A gyroscopic mouse operates like a controller on a Nintendo Wii system, recognizing the position of the mouse and moving the cursor without needing to set the mouse down on a hard surface. The wireless mouse may interfere with other wireless devices within the room or the wireless network, and will require periodic battery replacement. Some batteries are special types that can be expensive.

LAPTOPS Before deciding what features you need on the laptops you should know and anticipate how they will be used. The smallest, lightest laptops generally have no (Student & Teacher) CD/DVD drives or only external drives that you can attach. Know whether or not the USB ports on the laptop you are choosing are powered or not. If the laptop has no CD/DVD drive, then adding software to the laptop will have to be done from

9 USB drives, external hard drives, or the network.

In addition, some of the smallest netbooks have keyboard layouts that students may have a hard time using. Ask your vendor to bring you several models and let students test them out. Also, ask your vendor what they expect the life-span of any new equipment will be.

If your plan includes students using laptops in class after class throughout the school day, find out from the vendor how long the battery will support the laptop. You can often select longer life batteries for the model you want or you may need to select a different model of laptop that can accommodate longer life batteries. Vendors may use terms like 6-cell or 8-cell. But the 6 and 8 do not refer to the number of hours you can use the laptop on battery power. On some models a 6- cell battery may only last 2-3 hours of use. Lowering the brightness of the screen might extend this, but on the other hand using processor intensive applications will cause the battery to drain faster.

You will also want to know how long it takes for the battery to recharge. If you do plan to use the laptops all day long, but the battery life is only 2-3 hours, then students are going to have to be using power cords. Alternatively, the laptops will have to be loaded into carts for recharging for one or more class periods.

Laptops will require a place where they can be periodically connected to a wall electrical outlet in order to charge the battery. If you plan to leave them charging overnight, make sure you protect them from theft and electrical surges from thunderstorms. If you will be storing laptops in laptop carts, then the cart will have an electrical cord that enable all the laptops to be charged simultaneously.

If you plan to use a laptop cart, be sure that the interior dimensions of the bays on the cart will fit your equipment. Also, rather than purchasing a cart that holds 30 laptops; you may want to consider buying two 15-unit carts. The 15-unit carts are less heavy and more maneuverable. This plan will also enable you to you to split the use of the computers if you have small class sizes.

Consult your technology department as to how antivirus software is updated. If laptops need to be connected to the network in order for the antivirus software to updated, then instruct teachers and students to keep machines logged on to the network long enough in order for this process to complete periodically. Your technology department can help you establish the best practice.

If a school laptop is stolen from a personal vehicle or home, the employee or student’s personal insurance carrier may refuse to pay for the loss, claiming that the school board’s insurance should pay first. Then the board’s insurance may refuse to pay because the equipment was stolen from a personally owned car or house.

Employees and students should be instructed not to leave laptops in automobiles during extreme temperature conditions (30° to 90°+). These temperatures can

10 harm the laptop’s components. Keep in mind that even when outdoor temperatures are mild, automobile interiors heat up very rapidly and to very high temperatures. Also, never turn on a computer that is physically cold, let it warm up to room temperature before booting it.

Laptops will require periodic battery replacement. Before determining which brand or model to purchase, ask the vendor what the expected life of the battery is and whether or not it is covered by the warranty.

DIGITAL PROJECTOR Digital projectors enable the entire class to view computer-based presentations as well as output from document cameras, digital microscopes and other devices. The brightness of digital projectors is measured in lumens. The number of windows in the classroom and whether or not the room has blinds will affect the quality of the display. Schools should have their vendor bring several different lumen machines to the school to determine which level of brightness they need to purchase. In addition, you may want to compare LCD vs. DLP type projectors. Each has pros and cons.

You might also wish to test the effectiveness of wireless digital projectors before deciding to purchase this feature. Some multimedia and video will present very slowly on a wireless projector as compared to a wired projectors using a video cable connection between the laptop and the projector. Many wireless projectors also have features that create their own wireless network. While this may sound like a benefit, it can actually cause substantial conflicts with existing wireless networks.

Mounting the digital projector to the ceiling will enable the teacher to use interactive whiteboards without creating a “shadow” on the screen when they walk between the projector and the whiteboard. Such shadows make it nearly impossible for the teacher to stand at the board and use it effectively. Note that some interactive whiteboards offer an alternative to ceiling-mounting by using a built-in boom that supports the digital projector. If your staff or technology department will be mounting the projector, be sure to purchase a good quality mount to ensure the safety of the students in the room.

Ceiling-mounting a digital projector will require an electrical outlet in the ceiling, along with cabling, conduit and boxes to bring connection to a position where the laptop (or other computer) can be safely connected. Keep in mind that new fire codes prevent schools from running extension cords up into the ceiling to plug in devices. Make sure you get an electrical connection installed for the digital projector that meets the new fire codes.

If you plan to connect the VGA cable from the laptop (or desktop computer) to the ceiling-mounted projector, then you will need a cabling kit that allows for this since you do not want cables dangling down from the ceiling. A kit that includes ports for audio is recommended since most projectors have built-in speakers. Otherwise, the audio will have to be played from the computer. To be loud enough for a class of students to hear, the teacher should connect amplified speakers to 11 the computer, adding yet another device that needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet. You may also want to consider amplified speakers in the ceiling or mounted on walls, which will likely require additional electrical outlets and cabling.

Depending on which digital projector model is purchased, small filters may need to be periodically cleaned or replaced. The device may or may not display a warning message when the filter needs cleaned. Teachers should not ignore these messages. If the projectors selected do not have warning messages, a routine cleaning plan should be set up. Failure to clean the filter will result in a shorter life for the bulb, which will be expensive to replace.

Teachers should also be trained how to appropriately shut down digital projectors. Turning off the power to a projector that has been on for awhile without letting the bulb cool down can cause the bulb to burst. Because unexpected power outages could produce the same result, the school may want to purchase a few spare bulbs for the school when the initial purchase is made.

Since projector bulbs can cost well over hundred dollars, ask the vendor whether he/she is offering any special deals on replacement bulbs with the initial purchase. Then, plan to have some money in future budgets to cover the expense of replacing bulbs.

INTERACTIVE Interactive whiteboards can be mounted to the wall or supported on a stand that WHITEBOARD you can order with the board. The interactive whiteboard will require an electrical outlet. While most interactive whiteboards require a digital projector, a few models have the digital projection built in. Note that using a stand will take up a good bit of classroom space. Although these stands may come with wheels, they will need to be “squared” up with the digital projector and calibrated each time they are moved back into place. Know these dimensions before deciding to go this route.

When mounting a digital projector for use with an interactive whiteboard, keep in mind that the projected image must be square with the interactive whiteboard surface. Otherwise, you will not be able to calibrate the whiteboard, and the teachers and students will not be able to manipulate the images projected onto the board.

Interactive whiteboard wireless “pens” may interfere with other wireless devices within the room or the wireless network. Many of these pens are powered by batteries which have to be recharged or replaced periodically. Make sure teachers and students are instructed not to use dry erase markers on the interactive whiteboards if the manufacturer does not support this.

RESPONSE DEVICES Student response devices communicate with the teacher’s computer wirelessly using one of several methods depending on model. These include radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) technologies. RF systems do not require that there be ‘line of sight’ between the student’s “clicker” and the teacher’s receiver, whereas infrared 12 (IR) systems do.

Response devices generally use retail grade batteries for power, such as AAA or AA, which will need to be replaced periodically. Some systems have low battery indicator lights that will alert the user when the battery needs to be replaced.

Some Radio Frequency (RF) systems can communicate with the USB receiver on the teacher’s computer from fairly long distances, and can even successfully transmit a signal from outside the classroom. Teachers should instruct students to power off the devices when the class has ended.

If multiple devices will be used in a classroom, test for conflicts between the devices. Also, if adjacent classrooms will be using response devices, find out from your vendor how signal conflicts can be prevented.

DOCUMENT The document camera will allow the teacher to display the contents of a slide, a CAMERA book, or other objects. Some document can do more than just display objects. They can capture images or video of the objects, dissection, or whatever else is under the camera. Then the teacher can save and replay the image or video from a computer.

You must have a digital projector for the document camera to project the object onto the whiteboard. Document cameras will likely connect to the computer and/or projector via USB or video-cable, requiring additional cables or consuming additional resources on the computer. They will also need their own power outlet.

A USB-connected document camera may conflict with other USB devices, especially if many devices are connected to the same computer.

WIRELESS While wireless keyboards and mice may provide some convenience, keep in mind PERIPHERALS that consumer grade models, such as those you might buy at WalMart or BestBuy, (KEYBOARDS, MICE, are generally intended to be used in homes or offices where many other wireless ETC.) devices or networks don’t exist. Therefore, users in adjacent classrooms which all use such wireless devices may find that their wireless mouse or keyboard signal does not work properly because the signal from the computer or classroom next door is interfering with it.

PRINTERS Purchasing a wireless printer is not necessary in order for students using laptops on a wireless network to print their work. In fact, adding a wireless card to a printer in a 21st Century Classroom may increase the potential for signal conflicts and printing problems. Instead, use a printer that it attached to your network with a standard ‘patch’ cable and is set up by the technology department to receive jobs from multiple computers. Network printers will require a network outlet and an electrical outlet.

DIGITAL CAMERAS When selecting cameras, know how the images will be downloaded to the computer. Older models use memory cards or fire wire cables. Many newer models use USB cables or built-in USB adapters that plug directly into the

13 computer. If the camera uses memory cards, but the computer does not have slots for this, then a USB media card reader can be purchased. Also, when purchasing a camera, know what battery type the camera uses and if the camera batteries can be recharged.

WIRELESS ACCESS See Wireless Networking in General Considerations. School administrators should POINTS check with the technology department to find out whether or not there is a policy regarding individual teachers or staff using Wireless Access Points (WAP) that they own personally on the school network as this could cause security issues.

14 GENERAL PREPARATION CHECKLIST Electrical and Data Wiring

Make a list of all the equipment you plan to purchase and organize by the room number where the equipment will be installed

Evaluate the room to determine the number and placement of electrical and data outlets needed, including the ceiling.

Talk to the teacher about where any interactive whiteboard will be mounted. Remember, if the projector will not be attached to a boom that comes as part of the interactive whiteboard, the digital projector will need to project squarely onto its surface.

Check with the equipment vendors to determine the wattage that each device consumes. (This will help the electrical people determine whether or not electrical panels will need to be upgraded).

Indicate the placement of each new electrical and data outlet on a schematic of the building, making sure to distinguish between the two. This will enable the electrical and data people to determine how much wire/cable will be needed.

Wireless Devices (projectors, printers, response devices, etc.)

Make a list of all the wireless devices that will be used in the same classroom, so that you can set up a demonstration to evaluate whether or not they will conflict with one another. If adjoining classrooms will be using wireless devices, check for conflicts.

Ask for a demonstration so that you can evaluate the performance before purchasing.

Make sure to notify your vendors and/or technology department of other wireless devices you plan to use in the classroom so that they can verify there will be no signaling conflicts.

Avoid retail, consumer grade, wireless keyboards and mice in adjacent classrooms.

Consider purchasing a few spare devices since small parts often get lost.

Wireless Networking

If you plan to use inexpensive wireless access points (WAPs) on carts, test the effectiveness of these devices with a full laptop lab in session. You may find that students who linger on a website, or networked application, will lose their connection and possibly their work. If this occurs, seek advice from your technology department.

15 If you plan to use a wireless computer network in the same room as you are using a wireless digital projector, test the environment for potential conflicts. In some cases the first laptop turned on will connect to the projector rather than the network. You could run into problems where the teacher laptop connects to the projector, but then cannot access the computer network.

If you plan to install a fixed building wireless network, have your technology department or the vendor do a site evaluation to ensure the right components and licensing. Make sure that your plan includes the cost of wiring data cables to the wall or ceiling locations where the wireless access points will be located. Also, if you are not planning to purchase a system that includes Power over Ethernet (PoE) access points, you may need to plan for electrical outlets for each WAP. Keep in mind that some systems require a license for each simultaneously connected device.

If you plan to go the route of a fixed solution, you will also need to check the space and power available in your network wiring closets. Depending upon the scope of your wireless network, it may be necessary to purchase a wireless access point controller for centralized control and security. Consult your technology department for details on the requirements and what may already be in place.

Software

Inform the technology department what software you are interested in purchasing and give them the contact information for the vendor. They can then begin comparing the software specifications to the equipment you have or the equipment you intend to purchase.

For web hosted software, ask the vendor to allow you to test the software in the manner you wish to use it, to be sure your school’s Internet bandwidth is going to support any multimedia included in the software.

Begin formulating your professional development plan once you have made a purchasing decision so that you can begin reaping the benefits of the software early. Plan on follow up sessions, forming collaborative user groups, and new teacher training.

If the software requires student accounts, talk to your technology department about whether or not they can assist you with uploading student data rather than having school personnel to key in all the student information. Do not email files containing FERPA-protected data or information that could be used to steal someone’s identity without encrypting it.

16 CLASSROOM PREPARATION CHECKLIST School Name:______Teacher Name: ______Room #: ______

ELECTRICAL LOCATION QTY OUTLET DATA OUTLET Notes or CONNECTIONS AND Placement Hallway ____ CAUTIONS Qty. Qty. Instructions Room # ____ Req. Needed Req. Needed

DIGITAL Y N Cable Kit / Wireless Ceiling: Y/N PROJECTOR Cable kit w/ audio ports?

Mount square with board; use proper above ceiling electrical

DOCUMENT Y N Cable to teacher CAMERA computer or projector

INTERACTIVE Y N Generally via wireless WHITEBOARD to USB on teacher computer

INTERACTIVE Y* N Wireless to USB PAD Receiver on teacher computer

*If using docking station for charging one or more pads

RESPONSE N N RF/IR/______to USB DEVICES Receiver on teacher computer

Other N N Mouse / Keyboard / WIRELESS Presenter Remote/ DEVICES Printer

Test for conflicts with other wireless devices or networks

17 ELECTRICAL LOCATION QTY OUTLET DATA OUTLET Notes or CONNECTIONS AND Placement Hallway ____ CAUTIONS Qty. Qty. Instructions Room # ____ Req. Needed Req. Needed

TEACHER Y Y/N* # of USB Ports ____ LAPTOP # of Powered USB ports ____

*No, if wireless only

STUDENT Y Y/N Outlet for cart or LAPTOPS multiple outlets for recharging.

WIRELESS Y Y *May need more On cart or in NETWORK * than one for more classroom. PORTABLE than 15 computers. WAP(s) Test to determine if signal conflicts with signal from wireless projector or other devices.

Set up security.

WIRELESS Y/N* Y *If not PoE, you will NETWORK need an electrical FIXED WAP(s) outlet.

Do site evaluation to determine quantity and placement.

May need controller and possibly PoE switches or power injectors in wiring closet.

Set up security.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND Notes or LOCATION QTY OUTLET DATA OUTLET CAUTIONS Placement

18 Hallway ____ Qty. Qty. Instructions Room # ____ Req. Needed Req. Needed

SOFTWARE N/A N/A Check with Technology Dept. for compatibility.

NETWORK Y Y PRINTER

SURGE Y N/A If not using protected PROTECTORS * power outlets, purchase good quality surge suppressors for all devices.

*Tally all items that need protection to arrive at this quantity. (Do not daisy-chain surge suppressors.)