Connecticut District Teachers Get Chromebook Access to SIS
Teachers
in the East
Haven Public School District in Connecticut now have access to the district's student information
system
(SIS) via their Chromebooks.
The
nearly 300 teachers in the district use
Pearson's PowerSchool gradebook, which is Java-based and consequently
not
compatible with Chromebooks. Previously, most teachers accessed their
gradebooks via PCs and Macs.
"Last
year, we reached a tipping point where
teachers abandoned the use of desktop machines," said District
Technology
Director Randel Osborne. "When I walk the hallways, I see Chromebooks
in the
hands of teachers all over the district. AccessNow gives teachers the
versatility to manage their classes more effectively."
However,
as they have transitioned to
Chromebooks, the district has employed Ericom
Software's AccessNow software to
allow them to access the gradebooks via a browser-based application.
With
AccessNow, teachers can remotely access their PowerSchool Gradebook and
input
grades and other information via Windows' Java-based applications and
desktops
from browsers that include Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and
Safari.
Ericom
Software representatives noted that, because
AccessNow is browser-based, there is no installation or maintenance
required,
meaning no time or resources are required of the district's IT staff.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.