Alcatel-Lucent Network Device K-12 User Manual

Creating Digital
Learning Spaces

Alcatel-Lucent Solutions for K-12

Rapidly evolving technology offers both

opportunities and challenges for today’s

educators. Advancements in communications

enable new ways to reach students and

enhance learning, but at the same time,

they raise new issues. Preparing the next

generation to live, work and flourish means

ensuring equal access to technology for all

of our children. And delivering that access

while maintaining the security of students,

teachers and staff – as well their information

– becomes more complex.

As a technology and communications

partner, Alcatel-Lucent understands these

challenges, and primary and secondary

educators around the world are choosing

Alcatel-Lucent to help them build networks

that connect their communities and teach

students the skills they need to succeed in

the 21st century.

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CUSTOMER NEEDS

The primary goal for administrators and teachers is to
educate children – preparing them to live and work in
today’s complex world. Students need to learn basic
skills – such as problem solving, communication, and
interpersonal skills – plus the information to support
good decision making.

Technology

The industry group Partnership for 21st Century Skills
has outlined how technology can play a significant
role in teaching these skills and how technology skills
are themselves vital to teaching and learning. As
Table 1 shows, students must have information and
communications technology (ICT) literacy.

Communication

An effective technology solution should create digital
learning spaces that support those vital 21st century
skills. It must facilitate communications among the
many education stakeholders – students, teachers,
principals, and parents.

• Students get information and share projects by
working confidently with tools such as the Internet,
audio and video collaboration.

• Teachers and administrators can share best practices
to generate new ideas and leverage the competencies
of other teaching professionals.

• Parental support and involvement are key to a
child’s education. Without it, a child can easily fall
behind in school and even develop social problems.

Communications technologies are a primary tool for
relaying important information about a child's
activities and progress in a timely and effective
manner.

Table 1. Partnership for 21St Century Skills Learning Matrix, www.21stcenturyskills.org

Learning skills + 21st Century Tools = ICT Literacy

Thinking and problem solving skills Problem solving tools – spreadsheets,

decision support, etc.

Information and communication skills Communications tools –

e-mail, groupware, web, collaboration

Interpersonal and self-directional skills Personal development tools –

e-learning, time management,
collaboration

Manage complexity, solve problems,
think critically

Access, manage, integrate, evaluate
create and communicate information

Enhance productivity and
personal development

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Administrators are challenged to integrate technology into the classroom and its
operations in a way that productively supports the goal of educating children.
Technology for its own sake is counterproductive.

Government Standards

The pressure to address these issues
has increased in recent years with
the implementation of the No
Child Left Behind act in the U.S.,
and many other mandates at the
state and local level. No Child
Left Behind states that by the end
of the eighth grade, all students
should have technology literacy.
States must certify that they are
working toward this goal to receive
certain federal funds.

Governments and communities are
raising the bar on education
standards, even as budgets are
more and more constrained. In
many cases, not meeting these
standards means losing funding
and losing students to other
schools.

Given these additional headaches,
it behooves a school district to
seriously review its
communications strategy to see
how it can get teachers and staff
more connected to parents and
each other – in the classroom, in a
mobile campus environment, and
in the community.

Security

Every school needs a way to
quickly lock down the premises
and broadcast emergency messages
to the necessary personnel. And
information security is also vital.
Student records, teacher files, and
district applications must be
protected from mischievous
students, hackers, identity thieves,
worms and viruses.

And just like businesses, districts
have human resources, payroll,
food services, transportation
departments, etc. These staff
members need access to the
highest quality, most reliable
enterprise network – with access
and security extended to wireless
data service. A district that runs
well operationally is best
positioned to support teaching and
learning.

And with tight budgets for
network and telecom equipment, a
good solution must be user friendly
with simple network management,
manageable with only a handful of
network administrators.

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