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6 Tech Items for the Classroom!

Projectors

Might still be commonplace in Most schools they are simeple dependable and affordable way of presenting digital content

Laptops and teaching tablets

High end laptops can now be purchased for under €1000. They are ultra portable allow a wide range of connectivity and can be easily moved from class to class

SmartBoards

Widely seen accross more amnd more schools, Smartboards are great tools for engagement. They allow students and teahcers to writee with pens or fingers and are great for engagement

Media PC

Another consideration is a low cost PC used exclusivemy for media back up and storage. It never moves, can be bought for €200 and you would be amazed at how much media schools misplace/lose over the years

Digital Camera

Something that many schools dont have but shold be a ‘must have’. they can be bought for under €500 and are so handy for high quality photos of events for the school website, brochures, emails and more and you can also record and edit high quality video

Sound

With the explosion of the gaming industry you can now get very low cost PC surround sound systems for under €200 from companies like Logitech. Great for your big screen!

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TECH TIPS – Set up a Google ‘Business Profile’ for your school

Setting up a ‘Business Profile’ listing for you school takes only a short amount of time and is one of the first things you should do. It gives all the key details of your school in organic search, helps with SEO and is a professional look for your school.

It is free to set up and shows all the key information pertaining to your school including address, mapping, email, website, opening hours, phone and more. It also allows the school itself to ensure the information is correct and will make your school standout in search.

To set up your school Business Profile simple setup a school gmail account and then click here – https://www.google.ie/business/

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iClass App: Perfect for Parents

Platform

Technology is constantly making it easier to get in touch with others, regardless of where they’re based in the world.

From free instant messaging apps like WhatsApp to the revolutionary video calling app Skype, there’s a whole lot of different communication apps and tech to choose from.

But while it’s getting easier to communicate with others via tech in our personal and work lives, the same generally can’t be said about how we communicate with the parents of pupils.

Thankfully, the iClass platform with integrated mobile app is here to bring parent-teacher communications to the 21st century.

A fully integrated and free to use mobile app for parents, the iClass app enables instant and free parent-teacher communication over the internet.

It can be used to alert parents to important notices such as school closures, upcoming events, school news and more.

Additionally, parents can register their children’s attendance for events through the app, completely eliminating the traditional costs of communicating by post.

It’s extremely easy to use and is designed with the user in mind, so all parents can enjoy the benefits of the iClass platform.

The iClass platform with integrated mobile app modernizes parent-teacher communications while keeping communications simple and straightforward.

For more information, or to organize a free iClass demo, get in touch with us today.

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Get Green and Paperless with iClass

Right around the world schoolchildren are taking a stand against governments, companies and people who choose to ignore the terrible impact climate change is having on our planet.

As the children of today will be the ones forced to live with extreme weather, rising sea levels and the dislocation of communities due to climate change, it’s vital that as adults we do all that we can to prevent human-caused global warming from becoming any worse.

There are countless ways we can do this at home, from unplugging electrical items not in use to sorting waste for recycling, the majority of which can be done in school too.

Similarly, making the move to a paperless school via digital technologies will help reduce your school’s carbon footprint, in addition to simplifying communications between parents and teachers and greatly reducing costs.

The iClass platform enables schools to provide paperless forms for parents for enrolment, events, activities and outings, and as previously mentioned parent-teacher communications are free and instantaneous thanks to the integrate mobile app.

As more and more young people begin to voice their concerns about the future of this planet, it’s essential that we do everything in our power to ensure it remains hospital for countless generations to come.

By choosing the paperless iClass platform, you’ll be helping to safeguard Earth for years to come.

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Keeping Your School Website Secure

Highschool website in Dublin

Cybercrime is a serious issue that impacts individuals and businesses alike, and it’s currently on the rise.

The simple fact is cybercriminals can strike at any time, using a wide variety of tricks and tools to gain access to your most valuable information.

This would be bad enough if it’s your own personal accounts or information but imagine the impact it would have if cybercriminals managed to hack your school website.

In addition to confidential financial information, they could access private information about pupils and their parents and cause your school some serious headaches under the EU General Data Protection Regulation framework.

This is why its so important that you take every precaution possible to secure your school website and keep it safe from cybercriminals and malicious actors.

To ensure your school website is as secure as can be, we recommend taking the following steps:

  • Use a password generator to create unique and hard to crack passwords
  • Assign one or two people at most to manage the digital side of things e.g. school content management and publishing
  • Keep your software up to date and install updates as soon as they become available

If you’re concerned your school website might be susceptible cybercrime, get in touch with us today to organise your free website review.

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The Benefits of School Videos

Have you ever thought about recording a video for your school?

School videos are simple and inexpensive to produce and are perfect for promoting your school on the internet.

In fact, more and more schools are recording and publishing their own videos for this exact reason, as there quite a few different ways to use school videos to your advantage.

For instance, you could publish a video that focuses on the school curriculum and showcases the various subjects and how they are thought in addition to extracurricular activities such as sports and music clubs.

Make sure to include as many different locations from in and around the school in your shots as this will give prospective parents a better look at your school and its facilities.

Another popular type of school video is the event video, which as the name implies typically covers special day events and school trips e.g. sports day, class trips and school plays and musicals.

Again, these types of videos are great for promotional purposes and give parents a good idea of how your school encourages creativity, exercise and curiosity in students.

You could also start up a video club and teach students how to write, direct and record their own videos and short films, which again can be used to promote the school.

It’s never been easier to start recording promotional and educational videos for your school, and thanks to advances with camera and smartphone technology, it’s also never been cheaper.

From curriculum-focused informational videos to special recaps of school trips and events, school videos are an inexpensive and easy-to-produce option for promoting your school.

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3 Social Media Tips for Schools

Woman with hands on notebook

Thinking about starting up a social media account for your school? Social media offers schools a number of useful features including free promotion and the opportunity to increase your school’s Google ranking, but a basic understanding of how to use this technology is necessary to fully leverage its potential. In today’s blog, we look at some of the top social media tips for schools.

  1. Choose These Two Channels

There’s a quite a few different social media platforms available for schools to use, but we always recommend starting out with Facebook and Twitter, as they’re both quite easy to use and are very popular with parents.

Twitter is great for keeping parents updated about school developments e.g. if it’s closed due to snowy weather, while Facebook is perfect for longer posts about recent and upcoming events.

  1. Post Regularly

The key to succeeding at social media is to post regularly, ideally once or twice a day on Facebook, and at least once on Twitter.

Maintaining a regular presence on social media will not only keep parents happy and informed, it will also attract prospective parents by highlighting the benefits of the school, namely the teachers, students, curriculum and activities.

  1. Assign a Social Media Master

It’s a good idea to assign one person (or ask for a volunteer) to oversee your school’s social media accounts to ensure the posting schedule is maintained and your school’s social media pages are kept free from negative content.

This doesn’t have to be a 24/7 responsibility, as checking in just twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening) should be enough.

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5 Benefits of an iClass School Website

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Still on the fence about updating your school’s website? Check out the following benefits of iClass school websites.

1. Content Management and Publishing

The main advantage websites offer is content management and publishing, which enables schools to store and display important information about the school.

From basic information such as contact details and the school’s location to dedicated channels for news, upcoming events and the curriculum, your iClass website acts as the central source of info for your school.

2. Event Registration

All school websites built with iClass feature an event registration module that simplifies event management and saves time for parents and teachers.

The module allows schools to publish events complete with registration forms and payment options, enabling parents to register students for events with a few quick clicks.

3. Free Parent Teacher Communication 

Cut the costs of parent teacher communication completely with the iClass app, a fully integrated app educators can use to message parents at any time.

4. Mobile Responsive

It’s essential that your school’s website is responsive to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, and all iClass websites are fully mobile responsive, ensuring your website can be accessed at any time, on any device.

5. Student Enrolement 

Drive student enrolement with an online presence and allow parents to fully enrol digitally through the dedicated enrolement feature.

For more information, or to order a free website review, get in touch with us today.

 

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iClass at IPPN Conference 2019

iClass is exhibiting at this year’s IPPN Conference at the Citywest Convention Centre on Thursday, 24th and Friday 25th of January.

iClass is the number one website and mobile app solution for schools, and comes with a range of features that simplify content management and greatly reduce the costs of communicating with parents.

All tasks can be completed in under 60 seconds, and the system interface is streamlined and user-friendly.

Improve the Google ranking of your school’s website and cut the time it takes to enrol students with the digital enrolment form.

iClass is the only content solution that comes with a fully integrated app, enabling free communication between teachers and parents.

For more information about iClass, please quick here, or visit us at stand A13 at IPPN Conference 2019 at the Citywest Convention Centre on Thursday 24th, and Friday 25th of January.

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Standalone iClass App Launches This Week

iClass, the number one website and mobile app solution for schools, is pleased to announce the launch of the standalone version of the iClass App this week.

The iClass App transforms how schools communicate with parents and staff, providing an ‘always on’ solution that simplifies communications and eliminates the costs.

The standalone iClass App features all the benefits of the desktop version of iClass content management system including:

  • News posting and categorising
  • Live publishing articles to parents
  • Video and gallery hosting
  • File sharing
  • Free messaging
  • Online permission slip submission
  • And more

Click here for more information about the iClass App.

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