WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.220 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're zeroing 00:00:03.220 --> 00:00:06.019 in on something you might think is, well, practically 00:00:06.019 --> 00:00:09.140 ancient history in schools, the computer room. 00:00:09.419 --> 00:00:11.519 Yeah, you know, with all the laptops and tablets 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:14.980 kids have now, a dedicated room full of desktops. 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:18.079 kind of feels like a museum piece sometimes. 00:00:18.379 --> 00:00:21.739 It really does. But what we want to do in this 00:00:21.739 --> 00:00:24.500 deep dive, looking at some insights from hackscience 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:27.879 .education, is figure out why these spaces are 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:30.460 actually still pretty vital in many schools. 00:00:30.739 --> 00:00:33.119 Still serving some really crucial functions. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:35.420 Exactly. We're basing this on an article that 00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:37.880 was aimed at school leaders, trying to understand 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:41.000 the maybe surprising relevance here. So I guess 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.119 the big question is, if everyone's got a device, 00:00:44.439 --> 00:00:47.100 Why do schools still need these shared computer 00:00:47.100 --> 00:00:49.420 spaces? OK, yeah, let's get into that. So the 00:00:49.420 --> 00:00:51.939 article really points out this tension, doesn't 00:00:51.939 --> 00:00:54.039 it? It does. I mean, schools are moving towards 00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:56.259 all sorts of devices, lots of those internet 00:00:56.259 --> 00:00:58.579 -only notebooks, especially. Which makes total 00:00:58.579 --> 00:01:01.159 sense budget -wise, access -wise. Absolutely. 00:01:01.259 --> 00:01:02.920 And you can see why people would think, OK, computer 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:05.739 rooms, their time's up. Right. Seems logical. 00:01:06.219 --> 00:01:08.959 But then the article flips it and says, hang 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:11.340 on, these rooms are still really important for 00:01:11.340 --> 00:01:14.540 certain things, specialized things. Yes. That's 00:01:14.540 --> 00:01:18.700 the key. Think about tasks that need more, well, 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:21.680 more horsepower or specific software that you 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:23.959 just won't find on a standard student device. 00:01:24.099 --> 00:01:26.099 Like the example they gave the high school newspaper, 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:28.480 that was perfect. Yeah, it really illustrates 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:30.540 the point. You know, students might use their 00:01:30.540 --> 00:01:33.060 phones to grab some pictures, maybe draft articles 00:01:33.060 --> 00:01:34.959 on their Chromebooks using G Suite, that sort 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:36.840 of thing. Which is fine for the initial stuff, 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:39.480 collecting content, writing. Exactly. That works 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:41.939 great. But then when you need to actually lay 00:01:41.939 --> 00:01:44.799 out the newspaper, design it for print, for the 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:46.819 website. That's where the computer room comes 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:49.980 in, with proper desktop publishing software. 00:01:50.219 --> 00:01:52.379 Right, because that software, running on a more 00:01:52.379 --> 00:01:54.959 powerful desktop, gives you the kind of fine 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:57.359 -tuned control you just don't get on simpler 00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:59.920 devices. It's about having the right tool for 00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:01.879 that specific part of the job. So you need both, 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:04.700 really. The everyday devices and the heavy lifters 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:07.719 in the lab. Precisely. Yeah. And, you know, that 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:10.620 connects to another big point. How schools manage 00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:14.060 their tech over time. Budgets are always tight. 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:16.639 Oh, tell me about it. So they need to make hardware 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:19.159 last as long as humanly possible. Which means, 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:21.319 yeah, you'll often find computer rooms that are 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:24.280 a bit of a mix. Some newer stuff, maybe, but 00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:27.259 also plenty of older machines just doing the 00:02:27.259 --> 00:02:29.340 basics. Still functional, but maybe not cutting 00:02:29.340 --> 00:02:31.539 edge. But they still have a role. The article 00:02:31.539 --> 00:02:33.800 makes a good point that even these older machines 00:02:33.800 --> 00:02:36.979 are perfectly fine for, say, internet research, 00:02:37.580 --> 00:02:40.020 basic word processing, making presentations. 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:42.810 Stuff you still need to do. Right. And, this 00:02:42.810 --> 00:02:45.090 was interesting, some teachers apparently prefer 00:02:45.090 --> 00:02:47.509 these simpler systems sometimes. Really? Why 00:02:47.509 --> 00:02:49.389 is that? Fewer distractions for the students. 00:02:49.669 --> 00:02:51.889 If the machine only does the core task well, 00:02:52.229 --> 00:02:54.169 kids are maybe less likely to wander off into 00:02:54.169 --> 00:02:56.949 games or other apps. Keeps them focused. Huh. 00:02:57.469 --> 00:02:59.689 That's actually quite smart. A feature, not a 00:02:59.689 --> 00:03:02.990 bug, in a way. Kinda, yeah. And speaking of keeping 00:03:02.990 --> 00:03:05.229 older hardware going, the article mentioned a 00:03:05.229 --> 00:03:08.050 really neat trick. Installing Linux on machines 00:03:08.050 --> 00:03:10.310 where the original operating system isn't supported 00:03:10.310 --> 00:03:13.699 anymore. Ah, okay. I saw that. Explain a bit 00:03:13.699 --> 00:03:16.379 more about why Linux works so well here. Well, 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:18.900 first off, it's open source. That means no license 00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:22.060 fees. Big saving for schools right there. Huge! 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:24.560 And because it's community -driven, it often 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:27.080 keeps getting updates even when the official 00:03:27.080 --> 00:03:30.419 OS is obsolete. Plus, generally, Linux doesn't 00:03:30.419 --> 00:03:33.500 need as much processing power, so older machines 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:35.460 can run it pretty smoothly. So you're breathing 00:03:35.460 --> 00:03:38.629 new life into old computers, basically. For free 00:03:38.629 --> 00:03:41.009 or close to it. Pretty much. Yeah. And the article 00:03:41.009 --> 00:03:43.389 gave that example of a teacher creating a lesson 00:03:43.389 --> 00:03:46.310 on a specific Linux app. Right. And the stability 00:03:46.310 --> 00:03:49.069 aspect. Yes. That's key. As long as that old 00:03:49.069 --> 00:03:51.330 computer keeps physically working, that Linux 00:03:51.330 --> 00:03:53.590 application, that lesson plan is going to stay 00:03:53.590 --> 00:03:56.069 consistent. It's reliable. Unlike maybe a web 00:03:56.069 --> 00:03:58.449 tool that suddenly vanishes or commercial software 00:03:58.449 --> 00:04:00.229 that stops working after an update you can't 00:04:00.229 --> 00:04:03.110 even run. Exactly. That stability is incredibly 00:04:03.110 --> 00:04:05.610 valuable when you've invested time in creating 00:04:05.610 --> 00:04:09.159 teaching materials. It sort of forces this creative 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:12.120 problem -solving thinking beyond the usual big 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:14.340 software companies. That makes a lot of sense. 00:04:14.819 --> 00:04:17.519 Okay, so let's pivot slightly to the whole one 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:21.899 -to -one idea. The dream is every kid has a device, 00:04:22.060 --> 00:04:25.420 right? That's the goal, absolutely. Making sure 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:27.920 learning isn't held back by lack of access to 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:30.759 tech. And those cheaper internet -only devices 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:33.319 have definitely helped make that more realistic 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.240 for schools. They have. Provide enough devices 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:38.879 for everyone, for every situation. That's the 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:40.639 logic. And look, for a lot of the curriculum, 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:43.620 those devices are probably fine. More than fine. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:46.199 Totally sufficient for many things. But like 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:47.899 we were saying with the newspaper example, some 00:04:47.899 --> 00:04:51.259 learning needs more. More power. Specialized 00:04:51.259 --> 00:04:53.240 tools. And that's the sticking point, isn't it? 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.019 You just can't affordably give every single student 00:04:56.019 --> 00:04:58.959 that high -end specialized tech. No way. It's 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:01.779 not feasible. financial and logistically. Which 00:05:01.779 --> 00:05:03.639 brings us right back around to needing shared 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:06.620 resources. Even if every kid has a device, they'll 00:05:06.620 --> 00:05:08.300 still need to book time on the better devices 00:05:08.300 --> 00:05:10.660 sometime. Exactly. Still need that computer room. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:13.459 Or maybe other shared tech. Think about, like, 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:16.240 high quality color printers for art class. Or 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:18.459 maybe a really good projector. Oh yeah, good 00:05:18.459 --> 00:05:21.420 point. Not just computers. Maybe 3D printers, 00:05:21.740 --> 00:05:24.790 video editing suites. Right. stuff you can't 00:05:24.790 --> 00:05:27.250 possibly duplicate in every single classroom 00:05:27.250 --> 00:05:30.389 or for every single student. I worked with a 00:05:30.389 --> 00:05:32.769 district where the photography class absolutely 00:05:32.769 --> 00:05:36.959 relied on one shared large format printer. Scheduling 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:39.600 was just part of the course. So managing that 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:42.319 sharing, the scheduling, that becomes a really 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:45.000 core skill for schools running lots of tech. 00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:47.079 Definitely. And it forces you to think about 00:05:47.079 --> 00:05:49.120 what enough technology really means. It's not 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.779 just counting devices. It's also about the money 00:05:51.779 --> 00:05:54.360 and the people needed to keep it all running, 00:05:54.680 --> 00:05:57.360 supported, scheduled. Precisely. And that's where 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.740 your IT folks are crucial. The article mentioned 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:01.699 how they manage the booking systems, the public 00:06:01.699 --> 00:06:04.300 schedules, so teachers can see what's free. Resource 00:06:04.300 --> 00:06:06.699 management, basically. Are there typical problems 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:08.980 with getting those systems used well? Oh, sure. 00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:11.060 Sometimes it's just making sure all the teachers 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:13.500 know how to use the system or actually do use 00:06:13.500 --> 00:06:16.620 it consistently. That takes training, clear communication, 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:20.180 and sometimes you just have bottlenecks. A really 00:06:20.180 --> 00:06:22.519 popular resource might be booked solid, so you 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:24.709 need good planning. And the IT department kind 00:06:24.709 --> 00:06:27.029 of has to expect teachers to use these systems, 00:06:27.069 --> 00:06:29.430 don't they, for fairness and just making it work? 00:06:29.529 --> 00:06:32.149 Yeah, absolutely. You need clear rules and an 00:06:32.149 --> 00:06:34.470 easy system, ideally. OK, so let's kind of rank 00:06:34.470 --> 00:06:37.149 this up. What we've really seen is that, yeah, 00:06:37.209 --> 00:06:39.730 the tech landscape in schools has changed massively 00:06:39.730 --> 00:06:42.829 with personal devices. But those computer rooms, 00:06:43.009 --> 00:06:45.310 they're not dead yet. They're still essential 00:06:45.310 --> 00:06:48.110 for those heavy duty specialized tasks. And they 00:06:48.110 --> 00:06:50.410 help manage the mix of technology schools have, 00:06:50.769 --> 00:06:53.029 stretching the life of older gear. sometimes 00:06:53.029 --> 00:06:55.829 using clever fixes like Linux. Right. And even 00:06:55.829 --> 00:06:57.850 in schools that are one -to -one, you still need 00:06:57.850 --> 00:07:00.430 to share the high -end stuff. So managing and 00:07:00.430 --> 00:07:03.949 scheduling resources is key. Seems that initial 00:07:03.949 --> 00:07:06.910 idea that computer rooms are obsolete. Well, 00:07:07.170 --> 00:07:09.949 it's a bit too simplistic. It really is. Hopefully, 00:07:10.370 --> 00:07:12.550 listening to this gives you a better feel for 00:07:12.550 --> 00:07:14.990 the nuances, the actual complexities of managing 00:07:14.990 --> 00:07:18.250 tech in schools today, and why these shared spaces 00:07:18.250 --> 00:07:21.819 still have real value. Definitely. So maybe a 00:07:21.819 --> 00:07:24.379 final thought for you, our listener, to chew 00:07:24.379 --> 00:07:27.319 on. With tech always changing and school budgets 00:07:27.319 --> 00:07:30.259 always being tight, how do you think these shared 00:07:30.259 --> 00:07:32.899 tech spaces might evolve next? What will they 00:07:32.899 --> 00:07:35.560 look like in five, 10 years? What other needs 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:37.839 might pop up that keep these communal resources 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:39.759 essential? Yeah, that's the interesting question 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:41.759 going forward. Something to think about. Thanks 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:43.000 for diving deep with us today.