Key Point:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts across the country received a timely infusion of funding to upgrade classroom instructional technology. As of 2023, 92% of K-12 schools in the United States are using interactive whiteboards for daily lessons.
Given that today's students are digital natives, it makes sense for schools to invest in the latest educational technology, such as interactive whiteboards. After all, these students likely learned their ABCs and 123 using their parents' smartphones and tablets.
Of course, maintaining this smart technology can require significant investment. Therefore, school districts must also take steps to maximize cost-effectiveness.
Why is it important to maximize the usage and value of this investment?
Obtaining and using interactive whiteboards in classrooms is already a positive development. It immediately replaces at least three pieces of old school equipment: a digital projector, a whiteboard, and a television video player. Instead, students learn from an all-in-one multimedia machine with full interactivity.
Academic research confirms that interactivity and active learning can significantly increase student engagement in the classroom. Plus, interactive whiteboards make learning fun for both teachers and students. Therefore, it is important to have these tools available during class time.
The continued use of edtech equipment ensures a quick return on investment (ROI). But how can you be sure your interactive whiteboard works as advertised? More importantly, how can instructors get the most out of their equipment and minimize downtime?
Get the most out of your interactive whiteboard
Interactive Whiteboard includes many modern features to help enhance active learning and increase engagement. To get the most out of your district's educational technology investments, you need to take full advantage of these features during classroom instruction.
Advanced touchscreen technology in the classroom
When choosing the best interactive whiteboard, look for one with multi-touch technology. This allows the whiteboard to recognize multiple touchpoints instead of just one at a time.
Multi-touch functionality greatly improves your learning experience. For example, this technology allows for expanded control when using a touchscreen. This allows users to pinch, zoom, or swipe the surface to activate features. Furthermore, the number of fingers used when performing these actions causes different reactions. This puts a variety of controls literally at your fingertips.
Additionally, multi-touch allows two or more students to interact with a single touchscreen. This allows instructors to hold competitive quizzes or have multiple students solve puzzles at the same time.
cloud connection
Using cables or memory cards to transfer files or install updates is an inefficient method and can cause a lot of downtime. Nor is it necessary in the classroom, as wireless connectivity has become a standard feature of most technology. So, make sure your interactive whiteboard investment supports cloud systems with secure and redundant connections.
Why is cloud connectivity important? Interactive whiteboards require continuous updates and modifications to their operating systems, firmware, and application software throughout their lifetime. Connecting via a cloud system will allow you to download all the files you need. This means you can schedule installations and updates at any time and they'll be faster.
Access level control and user privileges
Not all interactive whiteboard users require the same level of access. For example, a typical operator, such as an instructor or teacher, launches a learning app and accesses a connected learning management system (LMS) for files and modules. Meanwhile, superintendents and principals need access to student and teacher information, as well as data collected from users. Administrators and their IT staff need access to operating systems to perform maintenance and administrative tasks.
Assigning different user privilege levels is a valuable feature for keeping your personal data and system files safe. This ensures that only authorized users can view private student files, as required by federal and state privacy laws.
Safety and security
Curious students often try to hack interactive whiteboards to install apps and games, copy files, and change data. However, remote security capabilities should easily detect anomalous device activity and automatically initiate security measures.
Once a warning is sent, administrators can freeze or shut down the device to prevent further access attempts. In the rare case that a touchscreen is taken offsite, geofencing can disable the device outside of its authorized location. If all else fails, administrators can remotely wipe data from devices to prevent data theft.
Don’t forget about the right device management platform for your classroom technology
Interactive whiteboards can cost a lot of money. The right device management platform ensures that your classroom technology investments function properly and receive proper maintenance and management.
Additionally, the availability of low-level management functions that keep all software and firmware updated to the latest versions is guaranteed. Cloud connectivity allows administrators to automatically schedule and run updates outside of productive school hours. What's even better is that he can perform these modifications on one specific unit, multiple devices, or the entire fleet.
The right device management software also provides robust security features to keep your edtech devices out of the wrong hands. After all, data privacy is a serious issue that requires strict security measures. With student information at stake, the right device administrator can make the difference between a data breach and the safety of student records.
Make the most of your classroom technology investment
The right classroom technology is essential to providing the best learning experience for your students. However, it is not enough to provide classrooms with devices such as interactive whiteboards. Superintendents should also ensure that their educational technology investments include the latest features. This includes multi-touch functionality and cloud support to maximize learning opportunities.
Additionally, districts should invest in the right device management platform to ensure devices are always working optimally. The right device manager can meet the specific management, maintenance, and security requirements of your learning investment.
We all know the value of modern educational technology equipment that enriches the lives of today's students. Obtaining these devices is just the first step. Administrators also need to ensure that they work as designed and are constantly optimized and updated.
