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Apparently Chromebooks used by schools across the nation simply can't handle video conferencing.
I mean, it's a match made in hell - low end hardware meets on the fly video compression and streaming.
When they were purchased 2-4 years ago, nobody expected this as a use case...
I mean, it's a match made in hell - low end hardware meets on the fly video compression and streaming.
When they were purchased 2-4 years ago, nobody expected this as a use case...
Nobody feels good about this. It sucks for the students, parents are frustrated, and schools feel hopeless.
Some places aren't fortunate enough to have devices for students, and those that can't afford powerful enough devices or even Internet?
They get left behind.
Some places aren't fortunate enough to have devices for students, and those that can't afford powerful enough devices or even Internet?
They get left behind.
Tech companies are interested in adding features and capabilities, not reducing hardware requirements.
Broadband providers are defending their investments, lobbying against initiatives that reduce broadband costs.
Schools don't have funds to provide high end, managed devices.
Broadband providers are defending their investments, lobbying against initiatives that reduce broadband costs.
Schools don't have funds to provide high end, managed devices.
Most schools now require access to technology in order to fully participate in classes.
Students have email, learning management systems, digital curriculum, collaboration tools, required apps...
You don't just buy pencils, notebooks, and a backpack for school anymore.
Students have email, learning management systems, digital curriculum, collaboration tools, required apps...
You don't just buy pencils, notebooks, and a backpack for school anymore.
This has resulted in a huge influx of devices for schools attempting to do things they've never done before.
Schools doing 1:1 have added 10 times the amount of devices, rapidly scaling networks, management tools, etc. with no time to think about equity or sustainability.
Schools doing 1:1 have added 10 times the amount of devices, rapidly scaling networks, management tools, etc. with no time to think about equity or sustainability.
And that leaves us with two stories that I haven't been able to shake.
We have millions of students without Internet or devices, and both schools and families are struggling to figure out how to make this work.
This should not be how students do school. https://twitter.com/kdeleon/status/1299386969873461248?s=20
We have millions of students without Internet or devices, and both schools and families are struggling to figure out how to make this work.
This should not be how students do school. https://twitter.com/kdeleon/status/1299386969873461248?s=20
The second is schools (and their vendors) struggling to keep services up.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
345K students, $5B+ budget
Start of school effectively halted by a 16 year old student paying for DDoS services https://twitter.com/douglevin/status/1304074672665960448
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
345K students, $5B+ budget
Start of school effectively halted by a 16 year old student paying for DDoS services https://twitter.com/douglevin/status/1304074672665960448
EdTech is incredibly complex, especially as size increases.
Most companies scale IT as a percentage of employees; so do schools - and that's a problem because it doesn't account for students.
This need for large infrastructure on small budgets means heavily relying on vendors.
Most companies scale IT as a percentage of employees; so do schools - and that's a problem because it doesn't account for students.
This need for large infrastructure on small budgets means heavily relying on vendors.
