CFF Vendor Webinar
Holly Jobe scheduled a web conference with the vendors for today. Here are some notes…
CDW-G
Website Launch
Account Manage Access
Product/Warranty specs
www.cdwg.com/PAclassroomsforthefuture
- Will send (for a charge) the software from the disk image
Next Steps:
- Geography & IU
- Site Evaluation Checklist (account manager will contact)
- Equipment Order Checklist
- Selection of Candidates for “Teach the Teachers” (will be offering additional training - for additional non-CFF money)
Image submitted to PDE for approval. That image will be placed on laptops plus DVD for reinstall of the base image.
CDWG will image to local spec at standard imaging pricing. Might be able to sell me a laptop as soon as the image is approved.
There will be extra charges for installation if we don’t purchase at least 11 laptops for that classroom. Can not ‘opt out’ of installation per the contract with PDE - will still get charged for it. Per Holly, however, we can use the infrastructure money for installation.
Now I’m not quite understanding something here - it seems that districts that are not rolling out laptop carts (student laptops) in year one are facing a penalty by design. I am getting the impression that PDE intends for us to roll out entire solutions (including student laptops) immediately. However, that wasn’t the initial plan/vision accoring to the original RFP for the grant. My understanding was that the vision was three years in scope and at the end of the three years the ‘entire package’ was to be realized (teachers trained and utilizing the hardware to effect fundmental change with classrooms full of student laptops). I applied for the grant with an incremental roll-out plan that apparently was deemed appropriate by the state as they awarded us a grant, but now they seem to be touting the effective implementation strategy is to throw laptops at all the kids immediately. Very confused.