The number of things in schools that are now connected to the internet is dizzying.
Consider just a small sample: student and teacher laptops, electronic hall passes, learning management systems, student information systems, security cameras, door access controls, food service payments, building temperature controls, and, in some cases, even vending machines.
Schools do not have the bandwidth or expertise to manage all those things on their own. So they turn to cloud-based computing services to manage them, provide technical updates, and troubleshoot problems.
But tech experts emphasize that cloud-based services come with risks, such as cyberattacks and human errors that can ripple across systems and shut down services.
That’s why “it’s critical that people have their backup systems in place,” said Keith Bockwoldt, the chief information officer for the 4,000-student Hinsdale high school district in Illinois.
But first, careful planning requires knowing all the things in your schools that are connected to the internet.
Below is an interactive graphic that shows seven categories that list the many things that can be connected to the internet in schools. Hover over a category, click on the list of items, and scroll up or down to see all of them.
