Your Device Protection Checklist for Winter Break: Your cheat sheet for safeguarding school tech during the holidays

As the winter holidays approach, students and staff look forward to the upcoming break. School IT administrators face the additional task of safeguarding their school’s ed tech investment before signing off for some well-deserved downtime. Here are a few steps schools can consider taking to protect their devices over the winter break.

For devices going home– be kind and remind

If students are allowed to take their school-provided devices home over the winter break, it’s an ideal time to reiterate the school’s expectations around device use for both students and their families. For instance, one expectation might be that students should put their Chromebook in a protective case whenever it’s not being used to protect it from getting damaged, for instance, in a hastily dropped backpack.

Consider including your school’s Acceptable Use Policy when emailing students and caregivers ahead of the winter break. Remind families that content filters employed by the school aren’t likely to work while the devices are home. If devices are only to be used for schoolwork, reiterate that students shouldn’t use their devices for gaming or streaming purposes.

Temper your temperatures

If you live in a climate that experiences extreme temperatures, it’s also worth reminding students and families that their devices should be kept inside a climate controlled environment. Devices shouldn’t be left in a parent’s car (even if it’s parked in a garage), as extreme temperatures can damage electronics.

Get charged up

As staff and students get ready to return to school in the new year, they might need a reminder to charge up their devices.

For devices staying at school

For devices that will stay at school over the break, winter break offers an opportunity to check on your school’s device inventory, install software updates and security patches, and send damaged devices out for repair.

Back It Up

Students and staff whose devices will stay at the school should be sure to backup important documents before leaving for the break.

Storing and Charging

After devices have been backed up and updates have been applied, they should be stored securely according to your school’s procedures. If your school’s policy is to unplug devices before an extended break, make sure you have a plan to charge the devices before school starts up again.

Take stock of your school’s device coverage

Whether or not you’re collecting and updating devices over the break, it can also be a good time to check in on your school’s device coverage. Is it adequately covering your school’s repair and replacement needs? If not, it might be worth setting up a JonesCare Needs Assessment. By looking at your district’s needs, budget and device lifecycle, we’ll work with you to design a protection plan that’s just right for your school’s unique needs, and ensures that when devices do need to be repaired or replaced, there’s minimal disruption to learning.

Now that you’ve taken care of your school’s technology, we hope you can take time over the winter break to rest and recharge before returning in January. 

How to Teach Students to Care for Their Devices: Strategies for encouraging respect and responsibility for your school’s technology

As more public schools than ever now provide devices like laptops or tablets for their students to use during the school year, which increases digital equity and prepares students for higher education and the workforce. As a result, educators increasingly find themselves responsible for teaching their students how to care for their devices. Here are some ways teachers and administrators can encourage students to properly care for their school-owned devices.   

Clear Communication 

When it comes to your school’s policies for repairing and replacing damaged devices, communication is key. Start the year off by letting both students and their caregivers know about the expectations and policies around their devices. Be clear about the financial responsibility for repairing or replacing common items– for instance, how much families can expect to pay if a device suffers damage from spilled liquid or to replace a lost charger? Offer frequent reminders about device care and expectations to students and parents as you approach interruptions like school breaks– revisit rules like whether students are allowed to bring their devices home over break. 

Device Care as Curriculum 

Including transition time for students to put away their devices is a key part of showing them how to care for their technology. Build in time in your classroom’s schedule for students to place their devices in a charging cart or case. Depending on the age of your students, the amount of time needed will vary– young elementary students will probably need more time than tech-seasoned high schoolers.  

Consider Assigning Long-Term Devices 

One solution that may increase students’ ownership in caring for their devices is to assign them the same device for several years– for instance, from 6-8th grade or 9-12th grade. Knowing they’ll need to rely on the device for multiple years may prompt them to take better care of it than if they were only borrowing them for a single school year.  

Understand Device Protection 

Even with the best of care, it’s inevitable that devices will need to be repaired or replaced. Educators should familiarize themselves with their school’s program for repairing and replacing devices. For instance, if a Chromebook needs to be repaired, how long is that repair expected to take? Does the school have loaner devices for students (or teachers) whose devices are being repaired? Being familiar with the procedure and timeframe for repairs and replacements can help teachers know what to expect when a device is damaged or lost.  

Model Standards for Device Care 

By keeping a tidy workspace, storing your device in its proper case when you’re not using it and keeping drinks and snacks away from your devices, you’re modeling high standards of care for your students.  

Despite the best efforts of teachers, students and their caregivers, it’s inevitable that some of your school’s devices will sustain damage, be lost or simply reach the end of their lifecycle during the school year. JonesCare offers several options for schools to protect their devices, and provides a transparent repair process to ensure minimal interruption to learning. Reach out to learn more about your choices for protecting your school’s technology investment.  

Embracing Technology to Set the Tone for the School Year: Communication and digital tools help teachers establish routines, understand student learning styles and simplify administrative tasks

For educators and administrators, the beginning of a new school year brings a sense of anticipation, possibility and planning. But once the novelty begins to fade, educators might be wondering how to keep up the momentum over the months ahead. Here are a few ideas about how teachers can employ technology to help things run smoothly throughout the school year.

Set clear expectations

Students of any age using school devices need to understand the school’s expectations around technology. Answer questions like how students are allowed to use their school-provided devices, what students should steer clear of, and what the consequences of breaking the agreement are.

Along with specific rules around technology use, the beginning of the school year is a good time to integrate some information on digital citizenship.

Continue to emphasize routines

The school day is largely built on routine, and particularly for teachers of younger students, that routine should include guidance on how to take care of any edtech tools the students have access to. Where should the students store their headphones? If students are allowed to take their Chromebook home each day, can packing it up be an explicit part of the classroom’s end-of- the-day routine? 

Use Learning Management System to follow student progress

Using a Learning Management System (LMS) like Google Classroom has a number of benefits. Teachers can use it to post important information like assignments, due dates and reminders in a centralized location. It also enables teachers to follow student progress, and quickly intervene if a student is struggling or behind.

Explore personalized learning

It’s never too early to start figuring out how to best support students. Consider creating a brief survey that asks students about their interests, goals and challenges to get an early snapshot of what individual students might need to thrive.

Take advantage of timesaving tools

If your school offers Gemini for Google Workspace, take some time to explore how this AI tool can save you time and effort in the classroom. Gemini can assist with tasks like creating and summarizing emails, generating visuals that make presentations more engaging, and taking notes during virtual meetings with students and caregivers.

Understand your school’s device repair protocol

It’s inevitable that some of your school’s devices will need to be repaired or replaced during the school year. The beginning of the school year is a great time to make sure you have a clear understanding of your school’s edtech repair program. How long does it generally take for a damaged device to be repaired or replaced? Are there extra devices for students and staff to access while their device is being worked on? If not, are there other ways they can continue to do schoolwork in the interim? Device repair programs like JonesCare play an essential role in keeping the year running smoothly, and having a clear understanding of how your school handles repairs can help teachers minimize interruptions to student learning.

Taking the time to communicate with students and their families about technology use, expectations and repair protocol, having systems in place to monitor student progress and personalize learning, and using technology to simplify your workload can help set the tone for a great school year.

Prepping Your School’s Device Management for Summer Break: Inventorying, assessing and planning for the break– and beyond

While the summer break might mean long, leisurely days at home or camp for students, it means something quite different for a school’s IT Team. Depending on the school and its policies, the break presents a window of time to collect, inventory, clean and update devices, as well as assess and plan for the next school year. 

Below, we outline some of the common action items IT teams prepare to tackle as the summer break approaches. 

Decide whether devices will be returned to school or go home with students

The question of whether districts should allow devices to stay with students over summer break is a controversial one. Proponents argue that allowing students to keep devices offers an opportunity for learning to continue over the summer months. Others, though, might view a summer take home device program as a logistical nightmare that increases the risk of devices being damaged or lost.  

Inventorying and inspecting

If your school does collect all school-owned devices at the end of the year, IT departments may commiserate with school librarians– you both spend a significant portion time attempting to track down and wrangle missing (and overdue) items.

Once the devices are collected, they can be inventoried and inspected for damage. 

Cleaning devices and identifying devices that are damaged or in need of repair

As students and teachers return their devices, your IT team will be looking for devices that have incurred damage over the school year. Devices will also need to be cleaned– for instance, laptop vents need to be dusted to prevent overheating, and 

Consider whether it’s time to retire aging devices

As you assess devices that are damaged, some will likely be at or near the end of their lifecycle. These devices will need to be recycled, and, depending on your school’s needs, replaced. 

Coordinate repairs for damaged devices

It’s likely that your team will identify many devices that need repair. Your IT team will want to coordinate the repair of these devices so that they’ll be ready for the new school year

Software and security updates 

The summer break presents an ideal opportunity for IT teams to perform software updates with minimal disruptions to students or staff. Security updates and device refreshes can also take place during this time. 

Arrange training for staff and students (if necessary)

Is your school introducing new technology to teachers and students? If so, you’ll likely need to schedule training sessions to familiarize staff to new devices. 

Reconsider your school’s device insurance 

Once your device inventory is complete and you’ve identified which need to be repaired or replaced, it’s an ideal time to decide whether your current device warranty or insurance coverage is adequate. Standard factory warranties for tech devices often don’t provide the coverage schools need, particularly as devices begin to age. 

Consider scheduling a JonesCare Needs Assessment. We’ll take an in-depth look at your district’s needs, budget and assess the lifecycle stages of your district’s devices. Then, we’ll work with you to customize a protection plan that’s tailored to your district’s unique needs. Our goal with JonesCare is to provide a seamless experience with minimal disruption to students and staff when devices need to be repaired or replaced.

Reach out today to book a JonesCare Needs Assessment.

How EdTech Tools Are Changing Special Education n

A look at the tech tools transforming education

The number of students receiving special education has been on a steady incline for years. According to Pew Research, about 15% of students enrolled in public schools in the U.S. during the 2021-22 school year had a disability. EdTech tools are helping schools meet the growing demand for learning that supports a student’s unique needs. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the different types of edtech that might be used in special education.

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology refers broadly to technology designed to support activities of daily life. Most of us use some form of assistive technology in our daily lives, such as a pair of reading glasses that allows us to read fine print. A higher-tech example is a screen reader that can translate written text to braille. Both Microsoft and Google have features that are compatible with braille display devices.

Text-to-speech software is a form of assistive technology that translates text into audio, allowing students who have physical conditions or a learning disability that prevents them from reading to access text. Microsoft’s Immersive Reader incorporates tools like read aloud, text decoding and an image dictionary.

For students with ADHD or other executive functioning challenges, who may struggle to organize their thoughts, an app like Mind Node can help them organize and outline their ideas before sitting down to write.

Sip and puff devices enable users to command a device by using air pressure. By using the mouth to sip or puff air, students can control their wheelchair or computer.

Assistive technology can even be something unexpected, like a virtual sensory room. A virtual sensory room enables students who get easily overstimulated or emotionally disregulated to access calming tools, such as listening to a meditation, participating in a guided breathing exercise, listening to soothing music or watching a live animal camera.

Augmented and Alternative Communication

Augmented and alternative communication (AAC) refers to a variety of ways in which people who have limited or no verbal speech may communicate with others. Examples of AAC range from American Sign Language (ASL) to voice recognition software that enables learners to communicate with their teachers and peers. In a classroom setting, a student might use a device to communicate with teachers via text or visual images.

Beyond Education and Into the Workplace

Several of our partners have made significant strides in creating more inclusive technology and embracing inclusivity among their workforce. Microsoft has created the Inclusive Tech Lab, a facility devoted to inclusion in daily life, including in the areas of education and gaming. People with disabilities can visit the lab to interact with assistive and adaptive technology. Google has launched the Start With One program, which highlights individual makers and innovators who harness Google technology to solve a problem or make life easier in some way. Dell launched a Neurodiversity Hiring Program in addition to True Ability, an employee resource group that supports employees with disabilities.

Want to know more about how educational technology can help students with disabilities thrive in school and prepare for the future? Let’s talk!

Meet Our Partner, Promethean

We're absolutely thrilled to be a partner of Promethean, an industry trailblazer in the realm of educational technology. The company was founded by teachers, for teachers in Blackburn, U.K. in the 1990s. Since then, Promethean has grown, becoming an international innovator of interactive displays and educational software. With a presence in 126 countries, Promethean is headquartered in Seattle.

You might be familiar with Promethean’s interactive display panel, ActivPanel. A recent report announced that Promethean was the global leader in the volume of interactive flat panel displays shipped.

Promethean’s ActivPanel 9 just won both an iF Design Award and a Red Dot Design Award, two of the most coveted design awards. The interactive display panel was created to maximize student engagement while still being easy and intuitive to operate, as well as being capable of integrating with a school’s existing technology. ActivPanel 9 works seamlessly with the most common educational platforms, including Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom. Promethean’s ActivSync technology allows users to connect other devices to the ActivPanel via a single cable, which cuts down on the frustration of scrambling for different cords. A few other key features are screen capture, a proximity sensor and enhanced security, including remote sign-out.

ActivPanel LX, which provides schools with a more affordable interactive display panel, debuted earlier this year. Like the ActivPanel 9, ActivPanel LX is designed to work with a school’s existing technology, which cuts down significantly on training time for teachers and administrators.

The company also develops collaborative teaching software like ActivInspire, created to make learning on the ActivPanel more immersive. ClassFlow, a cloud-based software, helps teachers deliver engaging lessons in remote or hybrid learning environments.

Promethean has also taken a keen interest in harnessing the power of emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence, in order to enhance possibilities in education. With concern about what ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence means to the education system making recent headlines, Promethean partnered up with eschoolnews to deliver a webinar and report on how AI can augment education and improve the lives of teachers. A University of California, Irvine study showed that among educators who used Merlyn Mind, a digital assistant for teachers, for a period of seven weeks, more than half experienced an increase in efficiency. With Merlyn Mind, teachers can use voice commands to perform tasks like opening an app from anywhere in the classroom. Promethean’s software, Symphony Classroom,

Looking for professional development? Promethean provides a number of courses designed to orient educators to Promethean’s technology. The company also offers a two-hour Promethean Certified Teacher course. In July, educators can attend Camp Promethean, a day packed with free, online professional development sessions for educators. Sessions include "Gamify the Promethean Classroom with ActivInspire" and "AR/VR with Promethean." Other seasonal professional development opportunities include Teacher Tailgate in September and STEAM Forward in November.

Like Arey Jones, Promethean is accustomed to working with school districts of varying sizes, needs and budgets. If you’re interested in learning about how Promethean’s solutions might work for your district, reach out to us today.

Tips for Planning your EdTech Budget: Stretch your school’s technology budget with these tips

As schools rely more and more on technology as an integral educational tool, it’s easy for a district’s technology budget to get out of hand. It’s been estimated that K-12 schools in the U.S. spent between $26 to $41 billion on technology–and that was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

With technology evolving at such a rapid rate, it can be overwhelming to figure out what your district needs– as well as what to do with existing technology that might be outdated. We’ve got a few ideas for ensuring your school makes the most of the available educational technology without busting your budget.

Start with an audit or site review

When it comes to technology, it can sometimes be hard to see the forest for the trees. That’s where your technology solutions provider can help. Consider having your provider conduct a site review at your school or district. We’ve found that by visiting a site, we can often identify ways to increase efficiency and save money, whether it be through leveraging the technology you’re already using, or replacing it with newer equipment.

Band together

If the schools within your district are not already working together to purchase devices in bulk, consider doing so. Ordering devices in bulk and using a single vendor can save your district money while also streamlining your technology and support needs.

Explore device insurance and warranties

Allocating your school’s dollars to service protection isn’t exciting, but it can save your school a significant amount of money in the long run. By locking in your costs for service and repairs now, you can avoid being surprised with repair costs– not to mention lost productivity– down the road.

For schools with 1:1 device programs, the cost of repairing and replacing damaged and lost devices can be astronomical. Purchasing device insurance is one way to help mitigate those costs. Some schools absorb the entire cost of the device insurance, while others opt to pass at least a portion of the costs on to families.

Consider refurbishing

As you plan to purchase new equipment for your school, think about the areas of your school that need the most cutting edge technology and will endure the heaviest use, such as classroom devices or the computer lab. Older devices that still have some life in them can often be repurposed for lighter jobs, such as a serving as a search device for the school’s library. We can help you identify when it makes sense to invest a little money into extending the lifespan of older devices.

But do phase out obsolete tech

While the life of some technology can be prolonged, it’s generally not worth maintaining outdated technology, like overhead projectors and cassette tapes. Repairing these types of items can be like pouring money into an ailing car– unpredictably expensive, and with little to no return on the investment.

Don’t forget training

It can be tempting to focus on purchasing the most cutting-edge technology for your school. But don’t forget the time and money it will take to train staff and help them adapt to these innovations. Be sure to factor that in as you prepare your school’s technology budget.

We’d love to help you come up with a technology plan for your school. Get in touch to talk about how we can help.

Cleaning up your Classroom Tech for Summer Break

Cleaning up your Classroom Tech for Summer Break

As the academic calendar winds down, it’s natural for educators and administrators to daydream about their summer plans. But before you leave your classroom behind for the summer, you might devote some time to do some digital decluttering of your devices. Think of it as the virtual version of wiping a chalkboard clean—it takes a little time now, but you’ll appreciate it when you return to the classroom next school year. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for the summer break.

Decide on a strategy

Are you a dive-in-and-do-it-all-in-one-day type? If so, get out your calendar and schedule a day to spend on digital clean-up. On the other hand, if the thought of spending hours on end sorting through your devices makes your eyes cross, try setting aside smaller chunks of time. Spending just 15 minutes before or after each school day sorting through files can make the task more manageable. 

Delete, delete, delete

With the school year still fresh in your mind, it’s the ideal time to spring clean your devices. Are apps you or your school no longer use taking up space on your devices? Do you have saved parent email lists, photos, or lesson plans from previous school years that you no longer need? Go through and purge any apps, files, bookmarks, emails, and folders that you know you won’t need for the next school year. 

File it

“What if I might need it later?” is a common refrain when decluttering. If you’re finding you have a lot of files, apps, or lessons that you think you might need in the future, it might be helpful to create a “maybe” or “decide later” folder. You could even put a reminder in your calendar now for a date a few months into the next school year to review your “maybe” file.

Reflect. 

Let’s face it—the last few years have been incredibly challenging for educators. You’ve made it through another school year, enduring difficulties your professional training never could’ve prepared you for. Take a moment to acknowledge the wild ride it’s been, full of rocky moments and silver linings. You could even write yourself a short note summing up aspects of the school year that went well and those that didn’t.

Enjoy your well-earned summer break! 

Digital Resources for Learning At Home

The novel coronavirus is forcing people all over the world to change the norms of their every day lives. One of those norms is traditional in-school learning. Extended spring breaks that turned into indefinite closure periods have transformed most of the country’s schools into online forums. 

Parents and teachers are going to be tasked with the continuation of education in the home. Even for tech-savvy educators who are well versed in digitized tools are going to face challenges in the coming weeks. During this unpredictable time, many organizations and websites are offering free educational resources. These online opportunities allow learners the ability to continue to explore the world (and expand their minds) from the comfort of home. 

• Scholastic’s Learn at Home is providing 20 days worth of active educational material. It includes cross-curricular journeys to keep students engaged.  

• Students can embark on free, virtual field trips though Freedom Homeschooling. From Buckingham Palace to the San Diego Zoo to Mars, there is a relevant and interesting location for almost any unit. 

• Explore the Louvre, Sistine Chapel, and Guggenheim museum while remaining cozy on the couch. The Washington Post thoughtfully curated a list of historic sites that are offering virtual tours.  

• Tours of other iconic museums are available through with Travel + Leisure’s online offering. Peruse Van Gogh’s work up close at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam or “stroll” through the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. 

• For as long as schools are closed, Audible is providing free story listening. The collection of audiobooks is available to stream on desktops, laptops, phones, or tablets. 

• Over 3,000 e-book titles are available to borrow through the New York Public Library. From Winnie the Pooh to Atlas Shrugged, there’s something for every age.  

School closures are difficult for all. These resources will help combat loneliness by providing a lens into the wonders of the world.

How to Celebrate the Holidays While Staying on Task in the Classroom

When the holiday season nears, weather gets cooler, schedules become busier, and students have a more difficult time staying on the “nice” list. But who can blame them? The anticipation of winter break beckons. Staying focused is so much harder when there are snowmen to be built and cookies to be decorated. For teachers, too, the weeks preceding holiday break are challenging; the list of curriculum to cover is long, but students’ attention spans are awfully short. 

Instead of beginning a countdown to the calendar year’s end, consider bringing the holiday magic into the classroom with a few of these ideas. 

Add more decor. 

A little bit of celebratory spirit goes a long way when it comes to decorating your classroom for the holidays. Surprise your students with some sparkly lights around the whiteboard or with a bulletin board lined with colorful fall foliage. For added coziness, use your SMART board or projector to display a long video of a crackling, tranquil fireplace. There are plenty to choose from on YouTube, and your students will love the calming background during independent work time. 

Incentivize celebrations. 

As your excited students become sillier and squirrelier, get creative with your classroom management by rewarding good behavior with festive activities. Younger students will love making digital snowflakes, all while reinforcing basic geometric vocabulary. For older students, grab some cheerful props and use an app (like MonaCam) to turn your Chromebook into a photo booth. Students of any age will enjoy a hot cocoa or apple cider bar on a chilly afternoon during silent reading time. Positively reinforcing great behavior will go a long way during these long weeks. 

Incorporate merriment into instruction. 

To keep minds from wandering during class time, think about integrating themed elements into your instruction. For example, try using holiday-related words in math problems (such as turkeys, dreidels, or pies). Take a virtual field trip to the “North Pole” by studying the arctic through the National Geographic Kids or World Wildlife Fund websites. Take your little astronomers on a venture into space to learn about the Winter Solstice. Encourage students to study different cultures by writing about and sharing their own, unique, family traditions and beliefs. 

Give back. 

Channel the generous spirit of the season by planning a meaningful mission with your students. Take on a service project, write thank you cards to support staff, or commit to doing random acts of kindness around the school. 

During those chilly, busy months when everyone is ready for a break, it’s important to keep your classroom running smoothly. Combining fun festivity with student learning helps make the season calm and bright for all. 

Who is Arey Jones?

The New Year is a time to look forward, make resolutions and leave old business behind. That’s not to say you forget your roots, your history. So who is Arey Jones? We have a long history that’s been weaved into technology and education for more than 100 years.

We’re a Trusted Leader in Educational Technology

We’ve been involved with Educational Solutions since the early 1990s by providing hardware, software, integration, configuration, service and support. We’re dedicated to working exclusively with the k-12 marketplace. Every employee within the Arey Jones company has experience working with the hundreds of school district customers around the county we have contracts with. Our employees are trained in all aspects of our business and must adhere to our strict policy that requires background checks on all employees and current fingerprinting or registration. We understand the importance of having trustworthy employees working with schools.

We’ve Been Around a Long Time

We were founded in 1897, yes 1897, in San Diego, Calif., as a business serving the stationary and administrative needs of the local educational market. As writing technology evolved, so did we. In 1972, Arey Jones was purchased by Broadway Typewriter Company, owned by the Scarpella Family. Since that time, the Scarpella Family has operated and expanded the business as Arey Jones Educational Solutions and remains active with the company. The Scarpella family is involved in day-to-day executive management and operations of the company and our management teams have been with us for more than 10 years.

We’re Equipped to be Your EdTech Partner

Our services are backed that a structure of regional configuration centers that allow us to design and implement technology architectures unique to each of the districts we serve. We have offices in California (San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco), Alabama (Mobile, Baldwin), Georgia (Atlanta) and Florida (Broward). Our centralized services will not only provide tech tools, like Chromebooks, (which can be shipped preloaded with integrated curriculum packages at competitive prices) but we also offer solutions that include peripheral, network architecture, data centers and cloud integration.

And our services don’t stop with the sale. Our support system is on point to make sure your classrooms spend more time learning instead of troubleshooting. Our teams of designers, installers, systems engineers, and support staff who are proud to be Arey Jones employees, are just one call away and ready to serve you.

Want to learn more? Contact us today to see how our education technology solutions can help you.

New Chromebooks For Education in 2018

Chromebooks are changing the way students learn. Today, more than 25 million teachers and students are using Chromebooks for education globally, 30 million teachers and students are using Google Classroom and 80 million are using G Suite for Education. Chromebooks allow educators to teach with touch screens, apps, 3D printers and even remotely if need be.

Acer, HP, Dell, Asus and Lenovo will all launch new Chromebooks in 2018. The Dell and Lenovo models were announced first at the Bett annual trade show in London. Here is a quick breakdown what these two have to offer:

Dell Chromebook 11 2-in-1 5190

Dell’s Chromebook 11 2-in-1 is its newest Chromebook for education. It has the best of both the laptop and tablet worlds. Its 11.6-inch, 2-in-1 screen features multiple viewing modes. These modes allow students to view and write on the Chromebook from any angle - flat, tent, tablet or laptop. This feature makes it easy for students to create, collaborate and share ideas. The available world-facing camera allows students to take advantage of flipped viewing and recording angles, while the optional Dell Active EMR Pen provides a digital way to take classroom notes.

Equipped with an Intel dual- and quad-core processor, it has at least 10 hours of battery life, which means it’s good past the last bell. It can be charged from either of its two USB Type-C ports, which also allows the Chromebook to be connected to a multitude of other devices.

It’s also built for durability. The Chromebook 5190 2-in-1 comes with a sealed, spill-resistant keyboard that is able to withstand up to 12-ounce spills, rubberized protective bumpers along the base and a LCD screen. And, if that wasn’t enough durability, it has been tested to withstand 30-inch drops onto steel. That means it can survive lockers, lunchrooms, backpacks, buses and whatever else a student can dish out.

Lenovo 500e Chromebook

The 11.6-in 2-in-1 500e Chromebook is made with the same rugged materials as the Dell Chromebook and features all of the same modes: laptop, tablet, tent or stand.

But, one of its best features is the EMR pen. It is great for extended notetaking and writing, fine art or graphic design, detailed math problems requiring a student to show their work, and more. The EMR pen is pressure-sensitive and highly accurate. It runs on machine intelligence from Chrome OS to predict where the writing will go, giving it more of a real pen experience. One cool feature is that no charging or pairing is required, so the pen can be shared between students and across devices. And it’s garaged inside the Chromebook when not in use.

The Lenovo 500e also has two HD cameras to improve collaboration and videoconferencing. The 720p front-facing camera is great for capturing creative projects from anywhere, while the 5MP world-facing camera makes it easier to record and take pictures in the correct orientation from all four modes. The world-facing camera is on the keyboard side of the 500e Chromebook, so it can take photos while being held like a tablet.

HP Chromebook x360

HP’s latest Chromebook was created for both the education and consumer markets. It is a 2-in-1 with an 11.6-inch scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass display. Combine that with the spill-resistant keyboard and the x360 is ready for what the classroom can dish out. This Chromebook combines a rugged frame with the 360-degree touchscreen; which is essential for running Android apps. It is built to survive drops and tumbles, and still run like a top.

The specs are pretty standard: 1.1GHz Celeron, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. There is an upgraded version with 32 GB of storage if you need it. HP’s x360 also comes with a part of USB-C ports and a microSD card reader. At $300, this Chromebook is good place to start if you’re curious about Google’s Chrome OS.

Look for more new models to roll out as Google will continue to update its Chromebooks For Education page throughout 2018.

30 Educational Technology Tips in 30 Days

We all want to be more productive, rested, calm, collected, alert, and generally amazing. Here are 30 tech tips that can help you leave the month better than you found it.

1. Learn how to make SMART goals.

2. Drink your coffee from a spillproof mug. Trust us.

3. Work in 90-minute intervals.

4. Show your Chromebook (or laptop) some love.

5. Schedule breaks into your schedule to do something fun on purpose.

6. Add a calming picture to your desktop screen.

7. Then hang a pretty picture in your office, about 20 feet away. Looking up at every 20 minutes for twenty seconds can prevent eye fatigue.

8. Color-code your Google Calendar.

9. Silence notifications to minimize distractions.

10. Use Microsoft Word’s Gridline tool to keep your document in line.

11. Dedicate a set time each day to read and respond to emails, and stick to it.

12. Drive the above message home by adding a statement to your email signature like, “I check emails every morning and will respond by 10am.”

13. Follow these hashtags on social media.

14. Set an out-of-office message for after-hour emails that reminds senders you don’t take work home with you. Remember. Those who need to contact you for true emergencies will likely have your cell phone.

15. Create embedded links in a Google Doc by clicking CTRL+K and searching for the content within the pop-up menu. No more extra tabs!

16. Use Microsoft OneNote in your next meeting for amazing notetaking.

17. Organize your desktop files into folders.

18. Empty your trash.

19. Commit these quick keys to memory.

20. Schedule coffee with a friend via a calendar appointment, so you both remember.

21. Treat yourself to a new laptop or phone case. It will feel like a brand new machine at a fraction of the cost.

22. Organize your GDrive or Cloud files.

23. Follow Arey Jones on Facebook.

24. Add these tips to your OneNote vocabulary.

25. Put a seven-minute workout app on your phone and challenge yourself to do at least one circuit daily (here’s one to try)

26. Listen to an audiobook on your commute.

27. Sort and empty your Download folder.

28. Catch up on what’s new in Microsoft EDU.

29. Watch a TED talk.

30. Go absolutely tech-free for at least 30 minutes a day (when you are awake).

These are just a few ways to boost your productivity and get more out of life in general with (and without) technology. How many did you do? We'd love to know.

Technology Closes Gaps In Different Learning Styles

As every educator knows, students process and digest information in a variety of ways. Visual learners remember best what they read or see. Auditory learners understand best by listening and speaking. Kinetic learners feel most comfortable jumping in and physically learning as they go. So many different learning styles can cause quite a challenge for teachers trying to make sure every student is on the same page.

Enter educational technology.

Integrating technology into the classroom is a beneficial practice for students and teachers alike. Teachers can incorporate students’ learning styles into the lesson and execute them over a variety of devices to ensure students learn in the way they are most comfortable.

For instance, the same lesson can be visually demonstrated while also accompanied by narration and tactile touchscreen assignments help round out the educational appeal. Educational devices allow students to actively participate in the learning, even before they are aware of their own specific learning preference.

These positive practices can extend beyond the classroom and into the home for nightly homework sessions at the kitchen table. Students can peruse the entire day’s lesson plans with access to its presentations, recorded lectures and interactive worksheets, allowing them to proceed at their own pace and in their own way.

Whatever the student’s learning style, tablets and computers have a place on their desk. Educational technology aims to ensure no child is left behind both in the details of the day’s assignment and the scope of the bigger picture.

We believe technology should always enhance a classroom, not distract from it. When you need an integrated technology architecture that works seamlessly with your classroom, school, and district goals, we at Arey Jones can help you design a solution that works.

Who—or What—Is Arey Jones?

Arey Jones has been making connections and strengthening communication since its initial launch in the 1880s. It began its legacy as a stationery company, and, over time, increased its scope to include typewriters and word processors. When computers entered the scene in the early 1980s, Arey Jones found its true calling: to deliver exceptional technology products, service, and accessibility directly to schools to help create the best learning environments possible.

For more than 30 years, Arey Jones has stayed faithful to that promise. We now serve school districts in California, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, and Mississippi by providing information technology systems that maximize school resources while minimizing downtime and disruption.

It isn’t always an easy task, but we are as equipped as ever to do it. Here’s why:

• Our regional configuration centers that allow us to design and implement technology architectures unique to each district we serve.

• We create a support matrix built for maximum uptime, which means classrooms spend more time learning instead of troubleshooting.

• We focus on the entire system, including peripheral, network architecture, data centers, and cloud integration.

• We offer preloaded and integrated curriculum packages on a variety of brands to provide a complete and customized turnkey solution.

• We are centralized, which means everything we need to deploy technology for your school system is under one roof, including the ability to use our strong industry connections to procure a wide variety of hardware and software at the most competitive prices.

• We are one phone call away. We have teams of designers, installers, systems engineers, and support staff who are proud to be Arey Jones employees, ready to serve you.

Arey Jones has been family owned and operated for more than 30 years, and we pride ourselves on our commitment to our community. We believe that the strength of our country’s schools is in direct correlation to the technology they use on a daily basis; it’s our promise to make sure each of the districts we serve gets not only the best computers, but also the best service, technology, and support.

We don’t just integrate; we innovate. Every. Single. Time.