Dell’s Paul Bell on technology’s role in enabling students to reach their full potential
By Rebecca Buckman
Technology has the power to transform the education experience for students, teachers and parents. As a key technology provider to schools, from kindergarten to university and into research, Dell is providing IT infrastructure and specific solutions to help students learn better, and schools and institutions run more efficiently. Writer Rebecca Buckman recently asked Paul Bell, president of Dell’s public-sector business unit, to share Dell’s broader views on education. The public-sector unit helps government, education and healthcare organizations make better use of technology and achieve their missions of improving lives around the world.
Rebecca Buckman: What are Dell's overall goals in education? What is it trying to accomplish?
Paul Bell: At Dell, we believe technology can help every student reach their highest potential. We help school administrators address the needs of teachers interested in infusing technology in the classroom to enhance their own teaching methods, transform learning and help increase student achievement. We work with school and district leaders to help them redefine learning, modernize the computing infrastructure to maximize operational and cost efficiencies, and find practical ways to steer more of their technology budget toward the classroom to improve the learning experience.
Educators tell us that computers alone are not enough to transform schools. Instead, an entire learning environment is needed in which students, teachers, administrators and parents can easily communicate and collaborate with each other, share secure information around the clock, and, ultimately, access a world of knowledge beyond classroom walls.
While technology is a tool used by educators, it is not a replacement for the influence that people have on student achievement. To truly transform education in the digital age, technology must be used to connect every member of the education system so that each can play a vital role in reshaping education: students, teachers, administrators, parents, the community and technologists all have a part to play.
For more than 25 years, educators have viewed Dell as a long-term technology partner that understands the needs of their schools and institutions. We are proud of our record as a world-leading technology provider to educators.
We are working hard to help customers transform education for the digital age by addressing needs across the entire system — from the classroom to the data center and into the home. Our approach provides the right technology needed to connect each member of the system together to positively impact the teaching and learning environment.
Buckman: What are some specific ways administrators can cut costs and become more efficient?
Bell: We are seeing many customers invest in upgrading or refreshing their overall IT infrastructures so they can take advantage of new server technologies and benefit from trends such as virtualization. Our leading enterprise products along with our services capabilities are supporting them in not only significantly reducing the cost of operating and maintaining their technology, but also significantly reducing key costs like their energy bill.
Buckman: Is Dell’s focus more on early education, high school or college? What are the special challenges of each of those segments?
Bell: The short answer is we work in all levels. Getting a solid start in school is absolutely critical to the long-term success of students. Students who don’t understand this reality fall behind their peers much more quickly and are in more danger of dropping out. So when you consider this, early education is critical. At the same time, we have to be sensitive to the learning needs of the young child and make sure we are putting the right technologies in schools so they really support both students and teachers. The technologies in our Connected Classroom solution are designed for these early years of school.
In higher education, life has become increasingly competitive for both teaching and research institutions, and the demands of faculty and students are higher than ever before. To attract the best and brightest, academic institutions must differentiate. But funding is a challenge as traditional sources are diminishing, leaving schools to further compete for grants and other funds. At the same time, the number of students enrolling in higher education has increased worldwide. To address these issues, many academic institutions are turning to IT to enhance the teaching and learning environment while working to significantly control or reduce expenses.
Dell is working with customers to revolutionize campus computing and drive unprecedented levels of efficiency and flexibility. The Connected Campus from Dell connects disparate campus data centers using comprehensive virtualization strategies that fundamentally change the way IT is consumed. This operating model offers the best of both worlds for centralized and departmental IT groups — expanded computing efficiency, enhanced infrastructure flexibility and maximum return on investment.
And finally, there is the critical role that technology plays in research. Here Dell’s technology is powering the work of the world’s leading research universities and institutions. Our high-performance computing (HPC) expertise and technologies help institutions achieve significant scientific breakthroughs. Unfortunately, HPC has traditionally required expensive and proprietary supercomputers that can be difficult and costly to install, maintain and use. However, Dell’s HPC approach uses standard-based technology to maximize computational power while simplifying deployment, management and scalability. This opens up this technology to many more institutions.
Recently, we announced the opening of the Dell | Cambridge High Performance Computing Solution Centre in the UK. The center will combine large-scale, commodity-based HPC infrastructure with experienced and specialized research know-how. This means we can overcome the traditional barriers of entry to HPC, providing academic and private sector research organizations with cost-effective, readily accessible HPC solutions designed to meet real-life HPC challenges.
Buckman: What are the large trends in education that Dell is trying to support?
Bell: A lot of change is in the air today in education. But, two big trends where technology will positively impact schools are the focus on student data — including the systems necessary to access and analyze it — and the move to digital content.
Buckman: Talk to me more about both of these trends — what do you mean by student data and what are the ramifications of the move to digital content?
Bell: Historically, educators have struggled with analyzing student-assessment data — in other words, understanding the progress a student is making relative to expected outcomes and then making decisions about what kinds of instruction are needed in order to help the student succeed. And to do this in real time for maximum impact. Just as businesses need to use powerful data systems to aid decision making, schools need similarly powerful systems to effectively educate students. While many educators and administrators have been working on such systems for years, there is a new sense of urgency for them to do so. These systems are often now required at the state or regional level in order to access new streams of education funds. In many cases, these systems will reach down to the district or municipality level.
Regarding digital content, there are a couple of different drivers of this trend. From a practical perspective, administrators are looking for ways to cut operational costs, and the annual cost of textbooks is a significant expense. Many governments have passed legislation that promotes the use of digital content as more cost-effective or allows traditional textbook funds to be used for digital content instead. The other important factor here is student engagement — as students are increasingly comfortable working with digital content, traditional textbooks will become less relevant and thus less appealing to them.
Our Connected Classroom solution has been designed to help educators make significant progress in both these areas, as well as facilitate a range of other challenges, such as remote or distance learning.
Buckman: Can you tell me more about the Connected Classroom?
Bell: By infusing technology into the classroom environment, teachers have an opportunity to engage students in new ways and enhance the learning process. Dell’s Connected Classroom supports teachers with the latest tools and professional skills necessary to create an engaging, interactive learning environment. Innovative technology in the classroom helps prepare students for success in the digital age. They can express themselves creatively, problem-solve and communicate their learning. They also have more opportunities to extend learning beyond traditional classroom walls to other environments, including the home.
I have seen firsthand the profoundly positive impact this technology can have. I have visited with children and educators utilizing our Connected Classroom technology throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Some examples of our Connected Classroom include the Aula Interativa project in the State of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Dell implemented Connected Classrooms in 23 schools in Hortolandia City, benefiting 6000 students and 90 teachers.
Buckman: What are some of the components of a Connected Classroom? How do they help with learning?
Bell: First, teachers should have a powerful, mobile computer, such as a tablet PC or a mainstream laptop. That’s critical for teacher productivity, preparing lessons for students and moving around the classroom.
We also see an increasing number of districts providing students with their own laptops or netbooks. We recently launched a netbook specifically designed for education — the Latitude™ 2110. Its smaller size and features like the durable rubberized case and optional antimicrobial keyboard directly address classroom needs, making it popular with educators and students.
Another popular option — which doesn’t involve giving each student his or her own laptop — is a setup often referred to as ‘just in time’ 1-to-1. Laptops are readily available in the classroom, but securely stowed in mobile carts so that students can have access to computers when they need them throughout the day.
Making the classroom interactive is also important. Many schools have outfitted classrooms with interactive whiteboards, while others are opting for similar functionality using a standard whiteboard and interactive projectors. In both cases, the technology enables the teacher and students to interact with images and text, creating an enhanced visual way of learning that is more effective and appealing to students.
In order to support ongoing assessment of student learning, student response systems — whether as stand-alone devices or software on student computers — enable teachers to monitor student learning on a frequent and ongoing basis, in real time.
These are just a few examples of the technologies we offer within our Connected Classroom solution to meet the needs of schools.
Buckman: Where has Dell been most successful in education? Where does it face the most challenges, and how does Dell plan to overcome these?
Bell: Dell has always been successful in helping our customers be more efficient. And in tough budgetary times such as these, that is a major advantage for our customers. Increasingly though, Dell has become skilled at working with customers to identify solutions that meet their specific needs. We’ve made significant investments in education expertise for many years and that is really paying off for our customers with the Connected Classroom solution and our focus on professional learning for teachers. We understand that having the right technology is not enough. Teachers need to know how and when to use the technology so that they can have the most impact on student learning. Our customers are telling us that this is a big differentiator for Dell.
But just as schools face many challenges in making the kinds of changes they want, we at Dell face similar challenges. We work with a broad range of customers, partners, competitors and policy makers, and there is often not a consensus about the best way to help schools, let alone how technology can support that transformation. The way we face this challenge is to listen to our customers, develop and nurture good partnerships with our technology and education providers, and work closely with policy makers and various education associations. We work with them as a team unified in a common goal to transform education through technology.
Rebecca Buckman is a marketing consultant and freelance writer based in Palo Alto, Calif. She formerly worked for The Wall Street Journal and Forbes.
Rebecca Buckman: What are Dell's overall goals in education? What is it trying to accomplish?
Paul Bell: At Dell, we believe technology can help every student reach their highest potential. We help school administrators address the needs of teachers interested in infusing technology in the classroom to enhance their own teaching methods, transform learning and help increase student achievement. We work with school and district leaders to help them redefine learning, modernize the computing infrastructure to maximize operational and cost efficiencies, and find practical ways to steer more of their technology budget toward the classroom to improve the learning experience.
Educators tell us that computers alone are not enough to transform schools. Instead, an entire learning environment is needed in which students, teachers, administrators and parents can easily communicate and collaborate with each other, share secure information around the clock, and, ultimately, access a world of knowledge beyond classroom walls.
While technology is a tool used by educators, it is not a replacement for the influence that people have on student achievement. To truly transform education in the digital age, technology must be used to connect every member of the education system so that each can play a vital role in reshaping education: students, teachers, administrators, parents, the community and technologists all have a part to play.
For more than 25 years, educators have viewed Dell as a long-term technology partner that understands the needs of their schools and institutions. We are proud of our record as a world-leading technology provider to educators.
We are working hard to help customers transform education for the digital age by addressing needs across the entire system — from the classroom to the data center and into the home. Our approach provides the right technology needed to connect each member of the system together to positively impact the teaching and learning environment.
Buckman: What are some specific ways administrators can cut costs and become more efficient?
Bell: We are seeing many customers invest in upgrading or refreshing their overall IT infrastructures so they can take advantage of new server technologies and benefit from trends such as virtualization. Our leading enterprise products along with our services capabilities are supporting them in not only significantly reducing the cost of operating and maintaining their technology, but also significantly reducing key costs like their energy bill.
Buckman: Is Dell’s focus more on early education, high school or college? What are the special challenges of each of those segments?
Bell: The short answer is we work in all levels. Getting a solid start in school is absolutely critical to the long-term success of students. Students who don’t understand this reality fall behind their peers much more quickly and are in more danger of dropping out. So when you consider this, early education is critical. At the same time, we have to be sensitive to the learning needs of the young child and make sure we are putting the right technologies in schools so they really support both students and teachers. The technologies in our Connected Classroom solution are designed for these early years of school.
In higher education, life has become increasingly competitive for both teaching and research institutions, and the demands of faculty and students are higher than ever before. To attract the best and brightest, academic institutions must differentiate. But funding is a challenge as traditional sources are diminishing, leaving schools to further compete for grants and other funds. At the same time, the number of students enrolling in higher education has increased worldwide. To address these issues, many academic institutions are turning to IT to enhance the teaching and learning environment while working to significantly control or reduce expenses.
Dell is working with customers to revolutionize campus computing and drive unprecedented levels of efficiency and flexibility. The Connected Campus from Dell connects disparate campus data centers using comprehensive virtualization strategies that fundamentally change the way IT is consumed. This operating model offers the best of both worlds for centralized and departmental IT groups — expanded computing efficiency, enhanced infrastructure flexibility and maximum return on investment.
And finally, there is the critical role that technology plays in research. Here Dell’s technology is powering the work of the world’s leading research universities and institutions. Our high-performance computing (HPC) expertise and technologies help institutions achieve significant scientific breakthroughs. Unfortunately, HPC has traditionally required expensive and proprietary supercomputers that can be difficult and costly to install, maintain and use. However, Dell’s HPC approach uses standard-based technology to maximize computational power while simplifying deployment, management and scalability. This opens up this technology to many more institutions.
Recently, we announced the opening of the Dell | Cambridge High Performance Computing Solution Centre in the UK. The center will combine large-scale, commodity-based HPC infrastructure with experienced and specialized research know-how. This means we can overcome the traditional barriers of entry to HPC, providing academic and private sector research organizations with cost-effective, readily accessible HPC solutions designed to meet real-life HPC challenges.
Buckman: What are the large trends in education that Dell is trying to support?
Bell: A lot of change is in the air today in education. But, two big trends where technology will positively impact schools are the focus on student data — including the systems necessary to access and analyze it — and the move to digital content.
Buckman: Talk to me more about both of these trends — what do you mean by student data and what are the ramifications of the move to digital content?
Bell: Historically, educators have struggled with analyzing student-assessment data — in other words, understanding the progress a student is making relative to expected outcomes and then making decisions about what kinds of instruction are needed in order to help the student succeed. And to do this in real time for maximum impact. Just as businesses need to use powerful data systems to aid decision making, schools need similarly powerful systems to effectively educate students. While many educators and administrators have been working on such systems for years, there is a new sense of urgency for them to do so. These systems are often now required at the state or regional level in order to access new streams of education funds. In many cases, these systems will reach down to the district or municipality level.
Regarding digital content, there are a couple of different drivers of this trend. From a practical perspective, administrators are looking for ways to cut operational costs, and the annual cost of textbooks is a significant expense. Many governments have passed legislation that promotes the use of digital content as more cost-effective or allows traditional textbook funds to be used for digital content instead. The other important factor here is student engagement — as students are increasingly comfortable working with digital content, traditional textbooks will become less relevant and thus less appealing to them.
Our Connected Classroom solution has been designed to help educators make significant progress in both these areas, as well as facilitate a range of other challenges, such as remote or distance learning.
Buckman: Can you tell me more about the Connected Classroom?
Bell: By infusing technology into the classroom environment, teachers have an opportunity to engage students in new ways and enhance the learning process. Dell’s Connected Classroom supports teachers with the latest tools and professional skills necessary to create an engaging, interactive learning environment. Innovative technology in the classroom helps prepare students for success in the digital age. They can express themselves creatively, problem-solve and communicate their learning. They also have more opportunities to extend learning beyond traditional classroom walls to other environments, including the home.
I have seen firsthand the profoundly positive impact this technology can have. I have visited with children and educators utilizing our Connected Classroom technology throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Some examples of our Connected Classroom include the Aula Interativa project in the State of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Dell implemented Connected Classrooms in 23 schools in Hortolandia City, benefiting 6000 students and 90 teachers.
Buckman: What are some of the components of a Connected Classroom? How do they help with learning?
Bell: First, teachers should have a powerful, mobile computer, such as a tablet PC or a mainstream laptop. That’s critical for teacher productivity, preparing lessons for students and moving around the classroom.
We also see an increasing number of districts providing students with their own laptops or netbooks. We recently launched a netbook specifically designed for education — the Latitude™ 2110. Its smaller size and features like the durable rubberized case and optional antimicrobial keyboard directly address classroom needs, making it popular with educators and students.
Another popular option — which doesn’t involve giving each student his or her own laptop — is a setup often referred to as ‘just in time’ 1-to-1. Laptops are readily available in the classroom, but securely stowed in mobile carts so that students can have access to computers when they need them throughout the day.
Making the classroom interactive is also important. Many schools have outfitted classrooms with interactive whiteboards, while others are opting for similar functionality using a standard whiteboard and interactive projectors. In both cases, the technology enables the teacher and students to interact with images and text, creating an enhanced visual way of learning that is more effective and appealing to students.
In order to support ongoing assessment of student learning, student response systems — whether as stand-alone devices or software on student computers — enable teachers to monitor student learning on a frequent and ongoing basis, in real time.
These are just a few examples of the technologies we offer within our Connected Classroom solution to meet the needs of schools.
Buckman: Where has Dell been most successful in education? Where does it face the most challenges, and how does Dell plan to overcome these?
Bell: Dell has always been successful in helping our customers be more efficient. And in tough budgetary times such as these, that is a major advantage for our customers. Increasingly though, Dell has become skilled at working with customers to identify solutions that meet their specific needs. We’ve made significant investments in education expertise for many years and that is really paying off for our customers with the Connected Classroom solution and our focus on professional learning for teachers. We understand that having the right technology is not enough. Teachers need to know how and when to use the technology so that they can have the most impact on student learning. Our customers are telling us that this is a big differentiator for Dell.
But just as schools face many challenges in making the kinds of changes they want, we at Dell face similar challenges. We work with a broad range of customers, partners, competitors and policy makers, and there is often not a consensus about the best way to help schools, let alone how technology can support that transformation. The way we face this challenge is to listen to our customers, develop and nurture good partnerships with our technology and education providers, and work closely with policy makers and various education associations. We work with them as a team unified in a common goal to transform education through technology.
Rebecca Buckman is a marketing consultant and freelance writer based in Palo Alto, Calif. She formerly worked for The Wall Street Journal and Forbes.
