It’s back to school season, but for today’s children the classroom looks very different from when we were at school. The modern classroom is no longer limited to pencils, papers, and projects on poster boards. Today’s pupils are creating digital files across a variety of devices and classwork is now scattered across desktops, laptops, and tablets.
[easy-tweet tweet=”In the digital world, education needs to transform to be cloud-ready” user=”TransporterEMEA” hashtags=”cloud”]
In the digital world students need a way to collaborate with peers on projects, research data, or sync documents in real time between group members; devices such as mobiles and laptops facilitate this. Teachers also need an easy way to collect assignments or share class notes, without leaving any records vulnerable to data loss.
On the administration side, schools increasingly face the challenges of ever-tightening budgets, limited resources and personnel. They need to make legacy IT equipment work within the current technology landscape to ensure both students and faculty have constant access to data.
It’s time for schools to stop fighting byod, and to take advantage of the technology
Further changes to classroom working are also likely to be brought about by the trend of BYOD (bring your own device). Like many organisations, schools are realising that mobile technology is not going away and that instead of fighting the use of phones, it might be a technology worth taking advantage of. If pupils bring their own devices then it will save schools well-needed resources, but as with enterprise BYOD, this way of working will need facilitating in a way that ensures data is kept secure.
So, how can schools utilise the advances in technology whilst also protecting their highly sensitive data? As paper file systems are becoming cumbersome and out-dated, cloud storage might seem an attractive option, especially because this is how students are sharing their data outside of school. However, the convenience of public cloud comes at a price, once you hit the maximum storage allowance, the costs can really add up. In addition to the increased costs is the increased risk to data, a real concern for teachers, administrators and parents.
The private cloud
What schools and universities need instead, is a private cloud solution that can create a more collaborative environment in the classroom. A device that allows student’s mobile access, professors and teachers the ability to work from home securely and the ability for users to upload and share files both locally within the school and remotely at an offsite campus.
If you use a public cloud service then its important to remember your data isn’t 100% secure
The most important reason for opting for a private cloud solution is to regain control of your data. If you use a public cloud service then its important to remember your data isn’t 100% secure. With a private cloud solution you own the server where your data is stored giving the IT department complete visibility and control over privacy and location.
The way to a more collaborative classroom
Every year schools and universities are changing and modernising. You never know what you are going to find when you walk back though that classroom door in September. From blackboards and chalk to electric whiteboards and now projector screens and laptops, everything is modernising and evolving. As technology advances so too does our way of working and learning.
[easy-tweet tweet=”A lesson in data management that is well worth learning from Geraldine Osman” user=”comparethecloud” hashtags=”data, byod”]
The ability to sync and share files instantly and securely through a private cloud appliance, means that students can work in a way that is collaborative and productive whilst keeping their data secure. A lesson in data management that is well worth learning.
Geraldine Osman, VP International Marketing, Connected Data
Geraldine Osman is VP International Marketing at Connected Data. She has over 18 years of technology marketing leadership experience, much of which was gained specialising in storage and security. Geraldine has worked extensively with pioneering technologies to bring them to new markets and geographies, defining go-to-market strategies that deliver fast adoption of next generation technology.
Geraldine joined Connected Data in 2014 and is responsible for all marketing aspects including thought leadership, market category creation, field marketing and strategic pipeline planning. Prior to joining Connected Data, Geraldine worked for Barracuda Networks where she was responsible for establishing the marketing function in EMEA and accelerating regional growth leading in to their successful IPO.
Connect on Linkedin: Geraldine Osman