School design isn’t just about teaching.
When most people think of a school, they envision rows and rows of desks occupied by students, a teacher at the front of the classroom, recess, lunch, and maybe even specific lesson formats, like a science lab or art lesson. They draw on their own experiences as students in U.S. classrooms, unaware of the myriad systems and processes operating “behind the scenes” on any given school day.
Outside the classroom, far from the eyes of teachers and students, school administrators are planning for the next fire drill, scheduling student-family conferences, finalizing teachers’ grade books, and, yes, monitoring the school’s technology programming. These elements, as well as the teaching and learning that occurs in classrooms, are all part of the school’s design. At CTS, we help guide school leaders through the school design process so that they can align instructional programming with their educational technology decision-making.
At CTS, we guide school leaders through an iterative school design process to make the most of their new or existing facility.
Our three-step process ensures school leaders maximize the potential of their facility. First, we begin with brainstorming. What are the hopes and dreams of the school’s leaders? What role do they envision educational technology playing in daily school programming? More concretely, are there particular rooms or parts of the facility where they envision specific activities occurring?
From here, we move to step two, adding the details: so, you want the school’s main office to be in “x” location. That’s great; we’ll work with you to identify any wiring, cabling, or technology infrastructure purchases needed to make that vision a reality. Do you want classrooms all along a single hallway? Great, let’s make sure you have enough wireless access points to support all your teachers and students.
Of course, there’s likely a back-and-forth at this point. A school might not have the financial resources to fulfill its entire wishlist, and, frankly, older facilities often present school leaders with unique constraints. At step three, we finalize the school’s technology plan, marrying the initial brainstorming session with the realities on the ground, optimizing for cost along the way.
Core networks and Wi-Fi form the basis of an effective school technology design.
Within this broader design process, CTS also offers schools the highest quality technology to take their educational technology goals from vision to reality. We understand that teachers, students, and staff members need reliable, high-speed internet connections to make the most of their educational technology. To this end, we leverage technologies from industry leaders like Cisco and SonicWall to install networks that are high quality and easy to use, forming the basis for effective instruction. No more worrying about random wireless outages or spotty networks. We gear our installation process toward reliability.
Next, our team helps your team select the best hardware for teachers, students, and staff members.
Next, teachers, students, and staff need educational hardware like laptops and Chromebooks to collaborate with one another. Whether your school embraces Mac, PC, or another hardware model depends on the answers to a series of questions. What’s the right balance between function and budget? If the school is expanding, is there a particular model already in place? Is it worth expanding that model’s use, or is it time to start from scratch? What’s the latest and greatest in this space? Is it worth investing in?
There’s no need to answer these questions on your own. Our team has decades of experience in teaching, school operations, and technology and can bring educator-focused insights to bear on your school’s hardware sourcing and purchasing decisions.
Nothing slips through the cracks: our team takes care of all things technology, from A-Z.
Of course, it’s not all about wireless internet or even laptops and Chromebooks. From security cameras and audiovisual equipment to bell and telephone systems, the scope of educational technology within a school often exceeds the knowledge of individual school leaders. Having partnered with dozens of schools across the country, our team knows the ins and outs of a school’s technology choices, even those that might not make it onto administrators’ to-do lists. We make sure to keep these and less high-profile items on school leaders’ radar to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
At CTS, our team has both the technical know-how and track record to make your school design a reality.
Our team has a track record of success working with schools across the United States. Expanding an existing school is hard, and launching a new school with a novel design can be even harder. Our team is here to ease that burden and help your school make the most of its financial resources to bring your technology program to life. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your school accomplish its unique mission.
