Mobile technology now has a more important role in education than ever before, but school districts face increasing complexities in implementing devices. Choosing the right charging solutions is an important element in keeping active devices in the hands of teachers and students. These solutions can help you create a charging infrastructure that supports evolving technology plans and educational goals.
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A majority of schools in the US started the '20-'21 school year with some form of remote online instruction. Aside from the minority of districts that had already implemented 1:1 take-home programs, most schools needed to purchase additional devices in order to support a remote class alternative. Finding a way to safely provide devices and chargers to students with as minimal contact as possible was the initial hurdle, but most tech teams probably predicted the increased support requirements that ensued. With the increased device usage, new out-of-school instructional format, and trying to plan for how and when students are to return to school, the load on tech teams expanded.
As Devices Return, Time-Consuming Re-Wiring of Carts and Stations Needs to Be Addressed
Technology departments across the country had to hastily remove all the charging cables that came with the devices from the charging carts and stations that they had meticulously clipped, velcro-ed, or even zip-tied them into. Anyone that has gone through this knows that it can be incredibly time consuming when multiplied over dozens to hundreds of units and, since many did not have the resources to do that, teachers commonly were tasked with figuring it out for their own classrooms.
In addition to the challenges presented by supporting remote learning, schools that have implemented a hybrid model also need to support the needs of students that are in class each day. While every student may be assigned their own device and be expected to charge that device at home, dead batteries, and damaged or lost devices and chargers are inevitable challenges. Schools are needing to use every device at their disposal, even older devices with a shortened battery run-time, which only worsens this issue.
Among the students that can be most negatively impacted by schools utilizing remote or hybrid learning models are those with unstable living conditions at home. Schools have tried to address equity issues throughout the process of distributing technology, especially considering their access to WiFi. It is important to consider also that some of those students may not have ready access to electrical outlets for charging this equipment. Solving this long-term for a fully remote model is difficult. In a hybrid model, however, schools should consider that they may be able to provide products that improve this situation for a couple of days until the student returns to class.
Limiting Exposure Between Students Requires Contactless Exchanges
Like most things this past year, the risk of students being subjected to others that have tested positive is not something that can be predicted. When students are expected to quarantine, they are not always equipped to get online, or need additional resources to be able to connect at home. This has resulted in additional stress on techs and parents, who already have an overloaded schedule, to figure out ways to hand-off the supplies needed for students’ education.
Instruction Time is Often Disrupted by Low and Dead Batteries
It is almost impossible to have so much transition without also having lost or damaged devices and chargers. As schools are bringing students back to class, there are students that forget to charge their devices, or the batteries are drained too quickly with heavy use. Without proper charging in the classroom there is a lot of distraction from instructional time.
Schools are Having to Use Older Devices with Shortened Battery Runtime
Schools are having to use every device they have on hand —even older devices with shortened battery run time and they do not have enough battery power to make it through the school day. It is difficult in most classrooms for students to be able to plug in their device while they work due to a limited number of outlets or the inability to reach outlets from desks. While running extension cords across the floor seems like a quick fix, it is hazardous and against fire code. Finding a solution that can reach the students devices that need an extra boost while they are properly distanced from other students this is even more difficult.
The timing of when schools will resume in-class instruction and what that looks like will vary widely and there will be a wide variety of challenges to address. Some schools, having attained new devices and implemented new software, will inevitably choose to enact a one-to-one take-home program when in-class instruction resumes. Still many others, having experienced high rates of technology loss when devices were allowed to be brought home, will decide that devices need to stay at the schools overnight. Although many schools were able to allocate funding for this new technology during a time of crisis, some will not be able to sustain the cost of maintaining that same volume of devices long term and will need to divide them into sets of devices that are shared between classes.
Schools are Having Trouble Planning for Rewiring Carts for Returning Devices
Schools face a lot of labor in rewiring their charging stations or deploying new charging solutions for the new devices they attained to accommodate remote learning. After rushing to taking out the prewired chargers, it is a hassle to remember how to configure and fit all the necessary chargers back into the same setup to hold all the devices. Tech Directors can get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of devices and chargers coming back to the classroom and do not have enough time on their hands to get it done by the time students are back in school.
Schools’ Older Carts and DIY Charging Stations Are Not Equipped to Fully Charge Devices for the Next School Day
Schools have charging solutions around, but the charging systems do not work, are constantly needing to be prepared, or they are experiencing power distribution issues. Instructors are busy trying to get students back on track with being back in-class, only to be faced with more technology downtime. Classrooms with older carts are just not charging to keep up with demand of increased amounts of devices, or DIY solutions become less useful as parts begin to fail after repeated use, leaving a lot of devices partially charged.
Many Classrooms are Fluctuating and Left Without Suitable Charging Solutions
Schools are having to switch from hybrid to in-class and back again without much notice and they need charging solutions that are flexible to be implemented in more than just one application.
Adding modular charging stations helps classrooms scale from hybrid back to in-class by providing an affordable way to make sure that small devices sets are charged for the day. They are lightweight and easily mounted to tabletops or walls for versatile classroom applications. Schools that are using older devices can store and charge spare or loaner devices to have a backup readily available when students’ mobile devices won’t last the whole class day or place them in central areas to charge devices during down periods.
Devices are Not Coming to Class Fully Charged or Dying Before Getting Through the Entire School Day
Students forget to charge their devices, or the batteries are drained to quickly with heavy use. Without large operational budgets, schools are forced to use older devices as long as they can. Having out of date technology interrupts instruction time with faster draining batteries, without any way to charge to get through class, students are left without a device to use. It is difficult in most classrooms for students to be able to plug in their device while they work due to a limited number of outlets or the inability to reach outlets from desks. While running extension cords across the floor seems like a quick fix, it is hazardous and against fire code. Finding a solution that can reach the students devices that need an extra boost while they are properly distanced from other students this is even more difficult.
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