With a number of districts providing mobile devices to students, what can schools do to protect their pricy new investments?
According to a 2014 report by Project Tomorrow, nearly one third of U.S. students are now using school-issued mobile devices. That means that between your niece, your neighbor’s kid, and your best friend’s 6-year-old (the one who’s always getting ‘sick’ on girls’ night), at least one of them likely uses a tablet or other mobile device in school.
Large-scale device programs – including implementing one-to-one classrooms – are a big purchasing decision for school administrators. Not only are the hard dollars substantial, but training and integration also come at a cost. For schools looking to implement a tablet initiative or any other kind of device program, a technology roadmap is key. The right plan can help schools put the proper pieces in place to ensure new programs work; that includes protection for their pricy new teaching tools.
Here are just a few ways educators should be protecting tablets and other school-issued devices:
#1: Protection from Physical Damage
It’s a simple solution, but one that schools sometimes neglect: adding a case. By covering the outer housing of tablets and other devices, schools can prevent damage from inevitable drops, trips, and daily classroom mishaps. With an entire district to outfit, cases can seem like an easy corner to cut. But the additional upfront spend can save educators from a lot of headaches down the line.
#2: Protection from Theft
This may come as a shock, but there are some other folks who like mobile devices, too. Thieves. Locking up devices when not in use and keeping charging stations in a secure room are a good place start. But some theft occurs even without forced entry. It’s important for teachers and other school administrators to take particular care at the end of the school day and before holiday periods, when fewer staff members are present or devices might be left unattended for a long period of time.
#3: Protection from Loss
Restricting device access to the classroom or elsewhere on school grounds is one way educators can protect against loss. However, in many school districts students are permitted to take iPads and other devices home. From being forgotten on the bus to at-home accidents, this opens up a new set of risks that some schools are dealing with in different ways. Some are using the 'Find My iPad' setting allowing teachers to track down a missing device via iCloud. Others have asked families for a security deposit, or are requiring a police report be filed before a missing device is replaced.
Even with appropriate measures in place, educators can’t always stop bad things from happening to tablets and other m-learning technology. In the event of an edtech disaster, school tablet insurance, like Fortegra’s ProtectCELL mobile device protection, can help get these helpful gadgets back in the classroom with minimal expense and hassle. When creating a technology blueprint for your school, don’t forget to include a replacement plan.
For more on edtech protection from Fortegra, visit fortegra.com
