5 Tips for Optimizing K

Buzz Garwood, the technology teacher at Home Gardens Academy in Corona, Calif., blogs and produces videos for EdTech magazine. Follow him at @buzzgarwood and check out his blog.

Charging carts, lockers and storage cabinets allow teachers to charge multiple laptops and tablets effectively and simultaneously. These solutions also allow teachers to securely store such devices. Here’s how to optimize your carts.

Before you purchase a storage cart, think about the primary location of the devices it will store. If the devices will be shared among multiple classrooms, then you’ll need a rolling cart. This will allow teachers to easily move the cart from class to class several times a day. Conversely, if students in only one classroom will use the devices, then consider a tabletop station, cabinet, locker or wall-mounted case.

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Dead devices can bring learning to a screeching halt. Consider a storage cart that can also charge multiple devices. If a storage-plus-charging solution is best for your situation, be sure to confirm with the vendor exactly which brand of devices will be charged; manufacturers offer a variety of plugs and adapters to suit your needs.

Even with storage carts in place, devices unfortunately break, become lost or get stolen, so it’s imperative to have a plan in place for tracking hundreds or thousands of assets.

IT already should have a spreadsheet containing key information about each device, including the serial number, Media Access Control address and the school location. IT can then transfer a unique asset number and other information to metal adhesive labels or tags.

LEARN MORE: Asset tags can help districts reconnect with lost devices.

Since laptops and other mobile devices are major targets for thieves, they tend to be most vulnerable when schools close for the holidays. It’s wise to make sure rolling carts containing these expensive devices are stored in a room that has an alarm system. If you make doing this part of your summer or pre-holiday routine, you’ll be in a better position to protect your investment.

I recommend that teachers get a handheld label printer and adhere a number to the back of each device.

Then, spend the first couple weeks of school getting students into the habit of putting their devices back in the slots that correspond to their numbers. For example, device 1 goes into slot 1; device 2 goes into slot 2, etc. In addition to helping keep the classroom organized, this also makes it easier to track which student was using which device. Lastly, no one likes to grab a dead device; teach your students to plug in their devices when they’re done using them.

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