This Year's Top Back to School Technology Trends
If you’re like most parents, you want your child to have an edge when it comes to education. And today, that means giving your child access to the right technology. To help you understand the latest technology before school starts, Staples Vice President of Technology Products & Services, Conor Kearney, shares some of the season’s biggest technology trends.
What are the biggest technology trends for back to school 2014?
The biggest trend in technology today is the use of cloud-based applications to enhance the experience of using a PC, laptop or tablet. Windows-, Apple- and Google-based devices all enable access to fantastic ecosystems of apps that can help students in a variety of ways. There is also productivity software from Microsoft and others that should be added to devices before students head off to school.
Microsoft’s new Office 365 Personal product — now available for Windows, Mac and iPads — is a cloud-based subscription to Excel, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote that gives students access to the applications they need to succeed. Creative software solutions from Adobe and financial software from Intuit are also great additions to help today’s students.
More customers are also using the Chromebook, Google’s emerging laptop solution with a cloud-based operating system. Chromebooks leverage Google Apps and are great as a disposable, low cost solution. The latest mobile phones are also must-haves for your student — the IPhone 5S and Galaxy S5 are the hot devices.
Technology is everywhere. How can parents make it a helpful part of their children’s lives and education?
Parents should get their children familiar with technology at a very early age. Tablets and laptops are omnipresent in our lives and will be in the classroom from day one.
Kids benefit by learning to use technology at an early age. You can’t go wrong with today’s key devices. Apple’s iPad is still the most popular, but Samsung and Microsoft Surface tablets are also great options. Tablets are popular because of how portable and easy to use they are. The complexity of the PC has been stripped down into an extremely useful tool to consume content. The iPad is regarded by many to be the simplest to use, but Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Microsoft’s Surface are very comparable.
What about teachers and technology? Any tips for how teachers can leverage it in the classroom?
Most teachers today are using technology in the classroom. Educators can project their Word, Excel or PowerPoint files in class, giving them the ability to show students detail that otherwise would have been challenging to present. Projectors work for this, or teachers can use inexpensive TVs hooked up to the latest streaming devices like Apple TV or Google’s Chromecast. These streaming technologies are becoming more and more impressive by the day and have many uses.
With all of the advances in technology, students and teachers are able to learn in more creative and flexible ways than ever before. Staples Technology Associates are well versed in the latest trends and can help you make the decision on what hardware or software is best for you.
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