The Simply Smarter Blog

It’s no secret that RFPs are time consuming. In fact, according to a 2023 RFP Trends & Benchmarks Report, writing an RFP response takes an average of 32 hours to complete – and writing it is only half the battle. Even those who benefit from their purchasing department's hard work know the laborious hours that go into vetting vendors and getting a piece of technology into their school or office. But if you're a school, government agency, or non-profit, here's some great news: you can buy technology from a national contract with pre-negotiated pricing! One such national contract is Sourcewell, a cooperative purchasing contract for education, government, and non-profits, that streamlines procurement, saving both time and money – and who doesn’t need more of those?

The educational landscape has undergone a profound transformation. Classrooms, once adorned with traditional teaching tools, have evolved into digital hubs where connectivity is no longer a luxury but a fundamental requirement. In fact, recent studies highlight the staggering growth of connected devices. Parks Associates, an IoT market research consulting firm, revealed the number of connected devices per US internet household has increased from 8 devices in 2015 to 17 in 2023.  By 2025, more than half of all educational institutions will have implemented a complete software as a service (SaaS) cloud model.

Educators and school support staff already have a tough enough job as it is. Add outdated and malfunctioning technology to the mix, and you have an academic perfect storm. This is what faced the Macon County School District, located in southwestern North Carolina near the Appalachian Trail. They were dealing with outdated printers and copiers and needed to modernize quickly in order to spend less time worrying about tech and more time focusing on their 4,400 students. As such, they turned to Sharp for updated and innovative solutions to their printing environment needs.   

Integrating technology into the classroom is a great way to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education that prepares them not just for the digital challenges of tomorrow, but also for the diverse world they will navigate. If you need help in figuring out how exactly to incorporate the right technology to provide a truly enriching educational experience for our students, you’re in luck. Outlined below are four examples of how technology can be seamlessly folded into the classroom – and some research to back it up!

We are migrating to a digital era, but that hasn’t stopped educators from relying on their school’s multifunction printer (MFP) to quickly produce 30 copies of their students’ homework as they scarf down food on their lunch break. Despite an increase in digital technologies being incorporated into the classroom and at home, educators are still printing many documents each school year, from homework and assignments to study guides, worksheets and tests.

We can look at the data to determine why print is important from usage alone. But there are underlying benefits to having an MFP in the library, faculty lounge or administrative office. Let’s take a closer look.

Educational technology helps today’s teachers to integrate new tools into their classroom. Teachers are able to upgrade and improve the learning in their classroom that enables them to engage their students in unique and innovative ways. Teachers are also able to expand their network and connect with other teachers and educators nationally and globally. Let’s dive into three ways in which technology impacts the classroom and its implications for the future of education.

Getting a new copy machine shouldn’t require a college degree. But with all the options out there, it sure can feel like it. Last time I checked, there was no University of Copy Machines, so I’ve tried to point out a few features that are worth looking into when renewing your school’s copier lease.

Of course, there are the obvious decisions such as monochrome or color, print speed and budget. While these are most certainly important, there are other aspects to investigate. Teachers have busy schedules, so when they have 5 minutes to print worksheets or copy student documents, the copier better work as expected, and be easy to use! To find the best copy machine for your school, make sure you’ve considered these five things.

Learning is becoming more and more digitized. Luckily, technology is also becoming more comfortable to use and takes less time to implement. With the ability to use the display as a touchscreen device, an interactive whiteboard allows teachers to accomplish a wide range of tasks, from presenting to collaboration. 

Does your school need a technology upgrade? If you’re still writing on chalkboards and working on older smartboard models – the answer is yes! Technology is at the core of virtually everything we do and exposing students to cutting-edge devices at a young age can set them up for success in the future. In addition, new display technology in the classroom allows teachers to streamline their daily plans and allows for an interactive environment for all to learn.

Picture this. You’re a high school administrator trying to figure out how to best help your students in the stretch run of April and May, gearing up for exams, projects and (gulp) final grades. You assume that they each have reliable personal laptops to get all their work done, in between gaming or binge watching their favorite streaming shows, of course. Or so you thought. What if it turns out their laptops aren’t as new or functional as you all believed them to be? You do NOT want to put your students in a position where they need to wait in line for a library computer to study for their chemistry final.

Whether it’s due to an outdated machine, or accidentally losing or breaking it, unexpected laptop mishaps happen. But educators need not despair. Here are a few tips to help you figure out exactly what kind of new laptop your students will need to wrap up the school year with flying colors and cruise into summer.

If we had to select positive outcome from the disruption that schools and students had to face from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that there has been a renaissance in classroom technology upgrades. And they’re here to stay! See how these schools were able to implement customized technology to remain flexible, and more importantly, open for our children.

It’s back to school time!  Gone are the days of backpacks being weighed down with multiple, heavy textbooks and folders stuffed with numerous worksheets handed out to students.  Today, since most schoolwork is done online, one of the most important school supplies is a laptop. And, when it’s time for college, the knowledge gained on a laptop that runs on the Windows operating system will be beneficial.  Most professors will use and also require students to use Microsoft Office programs which can only be found on Windows operating systems.  Students may need specialized software, such as Adobe Photoshop, which isn’t available on Chrome-based operating systems.  So why not get high school students prepared early? In this article, we will explore some of the top priorities when considering purchasing a laptop for high school students. 

Whether you’re headed into a job interview, presentation, or a special occasion, it’s important to “look the part.” The same applies to dressing up your learning environment technology. In schools, having a modern space, tools and resources allows students to be informed, stay motivated and communicate with ease. The COVID-19 pandemic has launched educators and students into completely new ways of learning where they rely on technology more than ever. While we know the impact that interactive displays have on the classroom, adding digital signage to school common areas can make a major visual impact while providing a simplified way to communicate to large audiences at once.  

Traditionally associated with retail spaces, fast food and fast casual restaurants, digital signage is seeing increased demand from K-12 to colleges and universities. There are countless locations within a school – some you may not have thought of – where digital signage can make a difference.