Infrastructure

=Infrastructure=

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 * ==What do we have, across grades and across schools? What are the options? What do we think we need and why?==
 * ==Should we move to the cloud? What are the pros and cons of that choice?==
 * ==How do we prioritize?==
 * ==Are there services to which we should subscribe==
 * ==Is SKSD committed to 1-to-1 computing?==

New Media Consortium Horizon Report 2011 K-12 Edition
NMC ([|www.nmc.org]) & ISTE (iste.org) & the Consortium for School Networking (cosn.org) collaborated to produce this report. The executive summary describes the report as an examination of emerging technologies "for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative expression within the environment of precollege education." Wikispaces describes it as: "a great read, and an inspiring look at **technologies to watch for**. Their recently released 2011 report for K-12 covers cloud computing, mobiles, and more. View the report in e-book form here: []

1-to-1 computing as a goal: what devices do we put into the hands of students? At the elementary level, the laptops are not meeting current needs because the batteries simply won't last long enough for successive classes to use on the same day. What are the pros and cons of...and optimal uses for...
 * HARDWARE in STUDENTS' HANDS**
 * laptops
 * netbooks
 * iPads
 * iPod touches
 * ChromeBooks
 * other ideas???

**Is NComputing an answer?**
Some RI school districts are using virtual desktops to fill classrooms with devices. See the promotional information here: [] Claim is that we can save 75% of the cost of a desktop-per-student. "Transform a single host into a class computer lab." 30 end users per virtual desktop. Reduces operating system maintenance dramatically.

Other Devices
Jennifer C. Parker, Bennington, VT LMS: []
 * MacGiver an Interactive Whiteboard for less than $100**

Continue using FirstClass to organize our communications, websites, etc? Switch to Google Apps for Education? Use Wiki services like the wikispaces private label as our management tool? Use another service targeted to education? Upgrade all our Microsoft suites? (elementary level still using 2003 version)
 * SOFTWARE vs CLOUD**

Recommended by 2 presenters -- both were researchers, not classroom teachers. Did not hear any teachers/LMS using this service. Self-described: "Gaggle currently provides safe student communication tools to more than 15,000 schools in 57 countries, while managing over 2 million accounts and storing more than 750 million emails. Our online tools include safe student email, shared calendars, homework drop boxes, message boards, blogs, digital lockers, online document editing and collaborative, safe SMS Texting and filtered YouTube access." Cost: $3.75 to $6.00 per student annually.
 * Gaggle**

Innovate My Class--Grant money for technology--sign up to view other projects and apply for grants for innovative school projects. - Donors Choose--grant money for any school equipment (not just technology)