Laptops, tablets and other forms of modern technology have joined chalkboards and pencil sharpeners as fixtures in many classrooms across the country. The integration of these devices into everyday instruction has the potential to help students meet the Common Core State Standards.
However, educators need to remember that students are not the only ones who are excited to get their hands on new tablets and smartphones. Thieves would also love to have these devices, which can make schools into burglary targets.
Known crimes
If thieves knew what school officials went through to bring technology into their classrooms, one can only hope they would be less willing to steal certain devices. The students at California's River Glen School are among those who have become the victims of technology thieves, USA Today reported. Recently, criminals managed to gain access to two locked security carts and steal 30 laptops and 30 iPads. This was a serious blow to members of the River Glen School community, where parents and teachers worked for two years to collect the money necessary to pay for these devices.
"We had come so far," Michele Bertolone, who heads River Glen's parent fundraising committee, told the news source. "The community was excited … and the students were getting in a groove."
John B. Drake Elementary School in Illinois is another institution that has lost pricey technology due to thieves. Overall, hundreds of iPads were stolen from John B. Drake in a single incident.
Greater security
If school officials wish to prevent their institutions from becoming targets, not only do they need to take action, but possibly change their thinking as well.
"Teachers and administrators are so excited about the tech that it's very easy to overlook the security implications until it's too late," Ken Trump, an Ohio-based school safety expert, told the news outlet. "It's not just an issue of protecting the devices in the school itself. It's also an issue, even more importantly, of protecting the children coming to and from school."
With so much at stake, school officials may find themselves taking action similar to those at Durango School District 9-R in Colorado. Durango is close to finishing its installation of a $200,000 closed-circuit television system, according to The Durango Herald. This will mean the placement of close to 80 cameras in various locations around Durango High School.
Not only is the security system expected to reduce criminal activity on school grounds, but also to promote better behavior among Durango's student community.
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