Page 32 - The Edge - Summer 2021

AASBO SPRING CONFERENCE

BY DON HARRIS
Todd Simmons
WiFi Invaluable for Teaching in Class, at Home

Using a school bus as an analogy for the early forms of real time, store project files in the Cloud, and improve their
WiFi, Todd Simmons of Logicalis told AASBO members teamwork skills. Wi-Fi in education even allows students to
how schools, teachers and students benefit from the latest collaborate with peers from other schools. What’s more, its
technology. mobility allows users, including teachers and students, to
move from one place or room to another to access network
In a breakout session during AASBO’s virtual Spring resources, according to Simmons.
Conference, Simmons suggested that a school bus that could
take only one student at a time to and from school would be Before the pandemic, not everybody had computers or internet
a lot like the initial version of WiFi. He discussed new and access, Simmons recalled. “They weren’t doing things online.
emerging technologies that school districts can utilize to Last March (of 2020), that changed. We had to figure out a
increase the engagement of staff and students. way to keep everybody together. We moved everything to the
Cloud applications. Students were connecting to those Cloud-
Wireless connectivity, often known as Wi-Fi, is the technology based sessions. Everybody has to have access. Now, we’re
that allows a PC, laptop, mobile phone, or tablet device to seeing middle and elementary schools using computers, but
connect at high speed to the internet without the need for a never had it in that scale. It’s one-to-one – we need computers.”
physical wired connection. As schools, and indeed the nation, move out of the pandemic,
tools that got us through those challenges “are going to stick
Before outlining how WiFi 6 can help the education community around,” Simmons said. There is a need for better methods
move forward, Simmons provided some history. Originally, to keep us all connected. “That’s where WiFi 6 comes in,”
WiFi was called 802.11, and then numbers and letters were he said. “The Covid pandemic decentralized education and
added, such as – get this – b/a/g/n/ac/ax/xoxo/gr8/irl/tmi, he forced educators to the Cloud. Students will continue to use
said, adding, “Engineers developed letters for functionality, the Cloud-based applications.”
but it got to be so long – it became nerdy talk. Only nerds
could understand this.” The need is for more and faster access, he said. Toward the
end of the school year, virtually all schools were open, but a
WiFi evolved to what is currently WiFi 6, which Simmons few were divided between teaching students in classrooms
said is new and improved. It’s not the internet, it’s a piece and at home. Whether using Zoom or Google, it’s important
of transportation, thus the school bus analogy. “WiFi 6 is so kids at home can see their teacher, Simmons said.
now a bus with rockets on it,” he said. “You can have nine
conversations at a time. It just moves stuff from one place to The best part, he said, is that WiFi6 is 100% mobile. A
another.” teacher can move from a classroom to a lab, still maintaining
a connection with students. Schools are upgrading technology
to allow teaching in class and at home.
“WiFi 6 is now a bus with rockets on it.”
“This has been such a ridiculous year,” Simmons said. “We’re
Recalling earlier versions of WiFi, he said it was quite slow. doing things differently than we have in the past 20, 30 years.
“It could only do one thing at a time,” Simmons said, meaning We’re moving forward. Teachers are helping student more
it could only serve one student at a time. than ever.”

He compared earlier WiFi to a CD radio – one person talks As the pandemic lingered, some teachers taught kids in the
and everybody has to listen. Only one device per channel classroom while others only taught kids who stayed home,
could talk at a time. As soon as two devices attempted to talk Simmons said. With WiFi 6, teachers can teach in-class and
at the same time, all communication has to be reset, he said. at-home students together.
“How can you make sure that everybody is listening when
teachers talk?” Simmons asked. Russell Deneault of Glendale Elementary School District
and AASBO Director of Information Technology served
WiFi 6 changed that. It works so well in schools because as moderator for Simmons’ presentation. At the close, he
it provides the ability to have conversations with multiple remarked: “It’s a new world we’re entering into.”
devices simultaneously. By using Wi-Fi 6, students can
quickly and easily share documents, edit presentations in Todd Simmons can be reached at: Todd.simmons@us.logicalis.com

|
32 THE EDGE SUMMER 2021