Building networks to support educational goals

Wednesday November 20, 2002 (Conference Call)

Expert Panelists:

Ray Reitz

Chief Technology Officer, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools will discuss using thin clients in educational settings.

John Ross, PhD

Associate Director of IAETE, will discuss the TCO calculator. This free online tool helps schools estimate and evaluate their total cost of ownership for technology products and services.

Jessica Williams

from AlphaSmarts will introduce the new DANA, a palm-powered laptop alternative.

1. Patty welcomed everyone; participants introduced themselves and briefly explained where they were from and what projects or companies they were affiliated with.

2. Thin Clients. Ray Reitz explained that he is currently implementing thin client computers in the North Carolina Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District; in the district, there are 14 schools, 10,000 students, and roughly 4,000 computers. He employed thin clients at all the secondary schools, providing 5,500 student accounts, 600 faculty accounts, and 31 servers. These servers are distributed throughout the schools and districts and handle all the district server needs. The decision to use thin clients followed a year-long strategic planning process. The analysis addressed a number of teaching needs, focusing primarily on two issues: increased reliability and increased access. The thin client solution is helping them achieve those two main concerns. Ray described the school (before the thin clients) as a "Smithsonian Institute" of computers, a situation where technicians were faced with the huge challenge of dealing with all different models and operating systems. The district was struggling to keep up. They employed the thin client model to achieve standardization and reliable applications. Tech. specialists can now focus their attention on integration.

Ray pointed out that the decision to switch to thin clients works to maximize the current investment. As for access, teachers wanted more access points throughout the school. It costs from $250 to $500 for thin client devices; therefore, they were able to provide more access points. Another issue was home access; their goal is to provide technology access to every student at home as well as school. Ray explained that, through thin client, he was able to provide students with both files AND applications from home. The final piece is the issue of the digital divide. They are looking at ways to place thin client devices in homes that don't have computers and Internet access. Currently, they are placing 300 thin client units with no moving parts in the high school for kids who do not have home access. The thin client solution centralizes management, reduces labor, standardizes the systems, increases reliability, and reduces downtime.

3. Questions About Thin Clients. Rich asked Ray what devices they place in the homes to provide home access. He explained that they tried utilizing older computers modified for thin client. However, the different computers at home were creating a difficult situation because of poor security software, the lack of technical support that the district could provide, and the problem of constantly fixing them. They wanted a foolproof solution to having to replace and fix these computers in homes. So they have investigated two products: NIC (New Internet Computer) (http://www.thenicstore.com/nic/) and Web DT (http://www.dtresearch.com/). Ray explained that these thin clients are more robust than many stand-alone computers and cost between $250 and $325 without the monitor. They are finding that they can secure cheap or donated monitors from local corporations and universities.

Patty asked Ray how they determine which students will receive home placement of the thin clients. He explained that, at the elementary level, they used the list of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. Once that list was exhausted, they opened it up to the general population who could apply and show need. At the high school level, they are discussing eligibility criteria, as the free and reduced lunch list is not a viable indicator for high school students. He said they would like to have one in every student home eventually. Each of the families secure and maintain an account with a local Internet Service Provider (ISP). The district has partnered with several ISPs in the area to come up with plans that make the fees reasonable.

Ray suggested having 6 servers in each school "starter-paq." Each server can support from 20 to 30 concurrent users depending on the application being used.

Graphical programs such as MS Publisher require more processing power and, therefore, reduce the potential concurrent number. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District runs the following applications in their Citrix environment: productivity applications such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Front Page), Claris Home Page, Hyperstudio, Inspiration, and Pagemaker; teacher tools such as Making the Grade, InteGrade Pro, First Class, and SAS in Schools; specialized applications such as Arc View, ArcVoyager (GIS software), and Sibelius Music Composition; and

educational applications such as Geometer's Sketchpad and the Grolier multimedia encyclopedia.

The number of servers required for home use is the same for school use. The number required is based on how many concurrent users need to be supported. The home use of these servers is normally lower than in-school use because there are not labs of 20 to 30 computers hitting the servers from home. One of the benefits of the thin client solution is that students have access to the same desktop and applications at home as they do in school.

Amy asked if they used an in-house expert or consultant to support implementation. Ray said that it is critical to bring someone in with a good track history of thin clients in education. The usage of thin client is relatively new to education, but there are a number of good people available. Ray cautioned that building a thin client system in education is complex, and it is necessary to have the help of an outside integration company. Amy said that they are looking for such a company and had contacted the Lemon Grove school district in California, which is widely considered a leader in the realm of educational technology. She said that she has talked to ITE Consultants (http://www.ite.com.tw) and wants to compare them to someone else. Ted Eiferman recommended Classlink 2000 (http://www.classlink2000.com/), a northern New Jersey company. Ted commented that they have not quite lived up to their reputation; in Paulsboro, they have had some difficulty. However, he believes that the company will improve as they continue to work in educational settings. Classlink 2000 currently provides servers (both building them and programming them) to Paulsboro. The problems they have encountered in Paulsboro include shadowing shared folders, access to saved documents and products from multiple stations, and integrating with legacy computers. Ted explained that Classlink's model is for new installations where there is an existing network. Ray Reitz also recommended contacting Citrix for recommendations of a local Citrix gold or silver partner. He stressed that thin client is very technical and very new, and help is still needed from outside companies.

4. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator. John Ross from the Institute for the Advancement of Emerging Technologies in Education (IAETE) discussed a new web-based calculator called the TCO calculator (http://www.iaete.org/tco/). He explained that IAETE specializes in new and emerging technology. Originally, this calculator was developed for Excel. After many revisions and user testing, IAETE developed a more advanced web-based version. In less than a year since the deployment of the web version, they have over 700 users. The calculator is based on a systems approach to technology. Designed to help schools estimate their total cost for technology products and services, this online tool allows the user to plan, share costs, and save up to 7% on the total budget-a significant savings. John explained that the web version is more intuitive than the Excel version. A school can enter a variety of information: current student enrollment, predicted student enrollment (5 years from now), personnel, etc. The calculator then generates output information that can be used for planning, board meetings, etc. Essentially, this tool helps schools develop 5-year technology plans. John stressed that schools are now finding out that technology integration means more than just purchasing a computer lab. On the TCO website, output data and charts provide examples of complete TCO. Tables and pie charts explain technology's TCO for a demo school. The numbers generated are all based on the data that are entered. Schools sign up, but it's free and secure. Sign-up information provides a profile so that a user can return to his/her data at a later point and revise and review their information. John is always looking for comments, suggestions, and ways to update. He welcomes anyone to contact him with comments or questions.

5. Questions about the TCO Calculaotor. Ray asked if the summary data generated by the TCO Calculator can be used for a district. John replied that the current calculations are based on single-school information. He suggested that you could use it to estimate district costs, but cautioned that the numbers will probably be overestimated, as shared costs (such as energy costs) will not be projected in the calculations. John said that IAETE would like to eventually have it programmed to determine district costs. Patty then questioned if knowing TCO discourages leaders from implementing technology. John replied that the school is going to spend money regardless (whether they have accurate information or not). From his point of view, it behooves the school to know, ahead of time, what money is going to be needed and expended. He said that technology spending continues to increase, even with the slumping economy. In the long run, he stressed, it is important to know that you are going to spend this money regardless; therefore, it is best to know ahead of time and plan accordingly.

Barry asked if one has to build anything into the system. For instance, what if someone wanted to put hand held computers into the school? John explained that how you individualize your plan determines "which way you're going to go." He explained that various options (such as peripherals, palm pilots, thin clients, probes, etc.) are built into the calculator and data can be input as one builds a profile. A school's individualized technology choices should be based on curricular needs. John suggested that a school's curriculum should drive the software that they purchase-the software should drive the hardware purchases. The TCO calculator will help schools determine their 5-year technology plan. IAETE does market surveys of comparable prices and, therefore, has accurate pricing information. They keep the calculator current with pricing, which could change significantly in just 6 months time. Schools can revisit their data, and recalculate based on current market prices as many times as they would like.

6. The AlphaSmarts DANA. Jessica Williams from AlphaSmarts explained that they were looking to capitalize on the value that AlphaSmarts brought to the classroom. Thus, the DANA was developed-a palm-powered laptop alternative. It possesses four key features: durability, cost efficiency, simplicity, and reliability. Students are able to bring a computer into the classroom that they don't have to worry about. Jessica explained that they took all of the AlphaSmarts features, combined it with the flexibility of the Palm OS, and produced the DANA. The new DANA is conducive to the classroom because it is something that the teachers do not have to be concerned with. She said that other groups and companies will be developing palm software for the classroom. For example, the HiCe group from the University of Michigan. The DANA weighs just 2 lbs; its thin laptop style and large screen (bigger than the AlphaSmarts) make it an ideal choice for students. Jessica explained that any software designed for the Palm OS can be downloaded into the DANA. In addition, Palm OS software companies are putting code into their programs that allows their software to be viewed on a bigger screen like that of the DANA. The DANAs seem to be particularly suited to writing. A student can easily write, revise, and publish on a DANA. However, they possess minimal graphical capabilities. They are not exclusive and separate from a computer; they can sync up to work with Macs, graphical calculators, programs such as Microsoft Word, etc. Jessica said that since the DANA is so flexible, the challenge for schools is deciding where to put it. Maximizing use of any investment (especially for a robust tool like DANA) is knowing the curriculum priorities for the technology.

7. Questions/Comments about the DANA and Thin Clients Patty asked how a DANA or other handheld unit would work in a thin client environment. Ray answered that he doesn't know about compatibility; however, he sees them working side-by-side. There has been an emphasis on writing in elementary schools; Ray believes that students who write early in their educational careers do better scholastically down the line. The DANA is great for writing; it gives a robust experience and features a larger screen. Chapel Hill-Carrboro Principals have been inquiring about the DANAs, especially for writing.

Jessica explained that DANA is equipped with bluetooth for wireless connectivity and that they will have 802.11b option in spring 2003. Ray added that if a user had access to a wireless hub, he/she could save work to the home folder. Ted suggested that teachers retain a computer for their workstation so the classroom can access an "A" drive, CD-Rom, and ports for downloading work from peripherals such as AlphaSmarts or DANA. Of course, most thin client devices DON'T have these features. Jessica said that AlphaSmarts is developing management software that will enable a teacher with one computer to manage a whole classroom full of DANAs.

Ray added that administrators in their district use palms connected to desktops with a cradle. With the new thin clients, one could plug the cradle into the USB port within the thin client device. He realizes that thin clients are not the answer for every situation. There are specific areas or places that need stand alone computers. For example, thin clients are not suitable to digital cameras and downloading pictures. In a local middle school, they have fully functional computer and a bunch of thin clients. The fully functional computer is available so that students who bring in disks and CD-Roms can access them.

Barry asked if old desktop computers could be turned into thin clients. Ray answered yes, saying that most of the thin clients in their schools are old desktops. He said that in the keyboarding lab, they used 486 and Pentium I computers that were 3, 4, and 5 years old. Before implementing thin client environments in this lab, the teacher complained of long wait time and subsequent discipline problems while the computers were booting up. Sometimes the stand-alone computers would take up to 5 minutes to boot up. He stripped these computers and put DOS thin client on them, reducing the boot-up time to about 10 seconds. There has been a great improvement in students talking and "acting up"; before, while waiting minutes for the computers to boot up, there would be a lot of commotion and disruption among the students. One long-term benefit is that, instead of focusing on replacing quickly outdated computers, the focus can be on adding access devices-a concept that is breathing new life into old computers. He added that resistance from support staff, teachers, and administration was a problem. For example, a school technology specialist in an elementary school in the district wasn't a believer; he was skeptical about being able to take an old, outdated, slow computer and turn it into an efficiently running unit. Ray invited the tech specialist to bring him an old computer; he brought in an Apple LC580. Ray loaded the legacy computer with thin client. When complete, it could open Microsoft Word 2000 in 3 seconds instead of 40 seconds.

When discussing products, Ray suggested that the Compaq T30 costs about $699. This product is new on the market and hasn't yet incurred any price reductions, but it holds a lot of promise for thin client computing, as this device includes a USB port. Ray reiterated that thin client does not meet every need; 80% of the time. For instance, they keep stand-alone computers in a few high school labs to run CAD programs and to run the student publishing (yearbook, newspaper, etc.) Ted suggests that loading programs such as Adobe Pagemaker on the thin client servers allows access to these programs from all the thin client devices. However, if the school only has 25 licenses, the 26th person (who may be accessing for a legitimate purpose) will not be able to open the program. For easy management, it makes sense only to load these specialized programs on a few select labs. Therefore, thin client isn't the answer for all specialized needs. For the most part, technology is utilized by students and teachers in schools and in homes for Internet research and basic productivity. Ray clarified that, for home use, they are not trying to replace robust computers with district-sponsored thin client devices. They are trying to give educational access to students who don't have it. Ray said that Microsoft Office products run fairly well from the thin client devices in homes. Even PowerPoint presentations run fairly well on thin client as long as the presentations are not loaded up with clip art, animation, fancy transitions, etc. He added that, when students log on from home, the device dials the ISP and leads them the students to the district's filtered environment-a feature that the fundraisers wanted. Thin Clients devices placed by the district in homes are focused educational tools. This device can't be used to download movies, games and etc. at this price point.

8. Patty thanked everyone for his/her participation and reminded everyone that the next conference call is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18, 2002 9:30-10:15 a.m. The topic will be "Creating effective purchasing strategies for educational software."

Building networks to support educational goals

Expert Panelists:

Ray Reitz

John Ross, PhD

Jessica Williams

Resources: