As technology continues to reshape the classroom experience for students and educators, K-12 districts face the constant challenge of identifying, implementing, and maintaining the right technology for student learning.
But while the options for K-12 technology for your district seem never-ending and ever-evolving, the latest and greatest tech isn’t always the best fit for your schools’ learning goals, budget, and classroom management needs.
That’s why the JAR Systems experts wanted to help those on the front lines of this classroom tech procurement challenge with five key tips that we know will help them ace their most important assignment.
Evaluating if your district has the right technology isn’t a one-and-done effort; rather, it’s a cyclical process that needs to account for changing student and teacher learning needs.
To help technology directors, here are five proven tips for selecting the right K-12 technology:
Device suitability begins with understanding your teachers’ fundamental needs and requirements.
Begin by asking them: are the devices your students are using meeting educational goals and teaching objectives? Technology directors can then further refine alignment by digger deeper with other key considerations, such as:
Next up, technology directors need to ensure their devices are effectively aligning with their district’s current and future deployment goals.
For example:
Even with the best efforts, take-home programs will require ongoing management and support. Consider:
Lesson plans increasingly call for devices to help supplement learning. This means that effective charging solutions are key to ensuring devices are always ready throughout the day and, if needed, into the evening for homework.
Charging needs may be further refined by different device programs:
Finally, choose devices and technology solutions that can adapt to evolving educational needs. Always be on the lookout for new options, new features woven into software updates, and device demonstrations to keep your district’s technology environment on the cutting edge.
There’s no doubt that selecting the right K-12 technology for your district requires the ability to balance today’s current needs and budget constraints with a future dominated by rapidly evolving tools, including many we haven’t even dreamed up yet.
By following these five tips, school district technology directors can better ensure that they are maximizing their technology investments so that each device is effectively contributing to student learning today to prepare them for success tomorrow.
Want to learn more about the latest charging technologies and get hands-on? Check out JAR Systems’ upcoming trade show appearances! We would love to see you!