Page 4 - THE Journal, April/May 2017

SPONSORED CONTENT
Orchestrate K-12 Classroom Experiences
Collaboration tools help address unique education challenges.
THE NEW COLLABORATIVE learning environment in K-12 classrooms across the country is providing students with
rich, engaging, and enjoyable learning opportunities. Yet managing this new classroom dynamic can often be challenging. CDW, a leading IT solutions provider, is helping educators meet these challenges and facilitate this new collaborative learning environment by orchestrating classroom experiences using Intel Unite® software and a wide selection of AV tools.
“CDW and Intel Unite software are helping to transform the classroom,” says Alex Arteaga, CDW sales manager for K-12 in Texas, “and build a stimulating learning environment by enabling wireless content sharing to a room’s display and devices across a local network.”
TAILOR-MADE SOLUTIONS
Of course, IT decision-makers and classroom teachers are pivotal in modernizing the K-12 classroom. “IT Orchestration by CDWTM is helping educators in this process by bringing together the right technologies, educational expertise, and specialized partners to orchestrate tailor- made solutions best suited for each school’s unique situation,” says Arteaga.
CDW provides a vast selection of hardware, software, networking equipment, telephony, peripherals, and accessories to suit the needs of K-12 schools nationwide, he says. CDW is also in a unique position since it does so much business in the K-12 market. “We have hundreds of contracts in K-12 schools nationwide,” says Arteaga, “which gives us a lot of buying power and in turn guarantees schools are getting the most technology for their dollar.”
innovative partner out there, an innovative solution, we’ll do what we can to make sure we can bring that solution to our customers. At the end of the day, customers know they can come to us for everything and not just one portion of a solution.”
The end result, he says, is CDW’s ability to provide a collaborative learning environment that is more engaging and conducive to learning. “By working with CDW, IT decision- makers in K-12 education can modernize
“If we know there is an innovative solution,
we’ll bring that solution to our customers.”
—Alex Arteaga, CDW Texas Sales Manager for K-12
A second benefit in working with CDW is the company’s expertise in K-12 education. “We’re totally focused on K-12,” says Arteaga. “As a result, we know our customers through and through. We know what issues they are faced with, and we are able to put together a plan to help address their pain points. When a customer has a particular issue, we can generally also put them in touch with other schools or districts in the state that have dealt with a similar issue.”
CDW also has a team of solutions and services experts, as well as K-12 education strategists. These are former educators who understand the challenges and best practices of instructors. As a result, CDW can work with schools to come up with the right solutions to fit their needs. “We can provide a school with the infrastructure, help them navigate the eRate process in order
to get the most out of the funds for wireless connectivity, and guide them in setting
up a 21st century learning environment,” says Arteaga. “If we know that there is an
the classroom and create a more immersive learning environment.”
Audio-visual technologies will play a huge role in the future of schools thanks to classroom innovations and the increasing body of evidence which proves its ability to improve learning and future employment prospects. The National Curriculum describes AV as technology that: “Prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to a varied and developing technology.”
To learn more about how CDW orches- trates classroom solutions using Intel Unite software, visit: CDWG.com/k12
LEARN MORE: CDWG.com/k12 SPONSORED BY:
The Intel Unite software lets teachers instantly feed their screen to students, project it onto a board, switch to another student’s screen, view multiple screens at once, make annotations, share files, and integrate a wide range of learning materials into a lesson. “It makes the learning experience more collaborative, more engaging, and simply more fun,” he says.
Intel Unite is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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