Fact or Marketing? I emailed Dell’s Sarah Luden and did a Q & A to test the facts mentioned in this press release.
Christina Jeter: One of the Chrome feature is that “Administrators, students and teachers personalize learning with Google Apps for Education on Dell Chromebooks,” so I assume the Chromebook has safety controls, does the laptop provide that? For example, blocking kids from adult content via search or being sent to them? Can parents and teachers track activity of children but yet maintain children’s privacy?
Sarah Luden: Students, teachers and faculty can stay online without the risk of security threats. Apps and data are automatically scanned for viruses and malware in the cloud, so Chromebook 11 stays safe without any more security software. School districts and teachers can provide advanced controls through firewalls and third-party applications for advanced security. For example, at Chesterfield County Public Schools in Virginia, they use the Dell Chromebook 11 laptops with Hapara’s Teacher Dashboard to organize all student’s work across Google Apps automatically by class and student, providing teachers and administrators with real-time visibility and insights to further improve student outcomes.
CJ: How can I confirm my child is learning and utilizing the material and not just copying and pasting the answers off the internet?
SL: As a dedicated partner, Dell has deployed technology in hundreds of thousands of educational institutions worldwide and has seen significant interest in its Chrome-based devices from schools and districts around the country, many of which are looking for affordable, easy to manage and comprehensive device options for their 1:1 computing initiatives. We work closely with school districts to understand their curriculum needs and provide training to best support personalized learning. Ultimately, lesson plans and monitoring implementation is up to the school district and teachers.
CJ: Would the features work just as well with an adult who is pursuing more education?
SL: Yes, the Chromebook 11 is also available for purchase by consumers and small businesses through Dell.com.
CJ: “Verified to meet Smarter Balanced and Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment requirements, the Dell Chromebook 11 offers an all-purpose solution for online assessments that educators can continue to scale based on the number of students and existing IT infrastructure.”
I see you conducted testing at Hesperia Unified School District, Surry County School District, The Leyden High School District, and Affton School District. So I can assume that the learning program set up is something like Rosetta Stone learning language program?
SL: Each of our customers has a unique approach to innovation in teaching and learning and their education technology strategy. We do not believe in a one-size-fits-all strategy for curriculum. A few examples of the unique approach our customers take include Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia who believes in an inquiry-based learning approach and Oakland Unified School District who supports student voice through coding and global connection programs.
CJ: Do you offer lay away plans for children, who need a Dell for school, but don’t have the funds right away, offer scholarships, contests, and/or rewards for good academics?
SL: We offer school districts leasing options and competitive pricing based on their needs. Some districts provide a laptop for every child, others have customized technology programs. Our relationship with the Science Leadership Academy is through our Global Youth Learning program through the Franklin Institute.
So there you have it Dell is the leading learning technology and regardless of age it is always good to stay in the know! You may also have seen the Dell laptops in the highly publicized A&E’s Bates Motel coincidentally being used by student Norman Bates and his mother Norman Bates.
Dell technology makes learning fun, easy to use and stays current with global media and technology!
