Primary and Secondary (K12)

THE ABCs OF NETWORK COMPUTING

Sun Bolsters Education in the Information Age

As our industrial-based society gives way to one built on information, the education system must prepare students by providing them with access to rich content over the Internet. It means that network computing is now just as mission-critical for schools as it is for businesses.

Sun Microsystems' network computing vision is taking shape in Primary and Secondary (K12) classrooms around the globe. That vision, based on a model in which an open architecture delivers information to any device at any time, is reflected in the implementation of systems, devices, and educational content at schools using Sun servers and clients. Call it the ABCs of Primary and Secondary (K12) network computing.

Architecture that Works
Browsers on Devices
Content is King

A is for Architecture that Works

The foundation of Sun's network computing model is the concept of an always available WebTone. Just as your telephone provides a dial tone instantly and without effort on your part, network computers and other devices will deliver Internet connectivity transparently. No more booting up or dialing out. Just as important, network connections will be as reliable as your telephone service.

Similar to the telephone network, the systems behind the scenes will be large and powerful, but users won't give them a second thought. In the education realm, this means that students and teachers can focus on learning, rather than worrying about the nuts and bolts of the technology that supports it.

For that to happen, we must invest in technology for the long term. Kim Jones, Sun vice president of global education and research, says politicians and others charged with improving the education system need to work together to build the most robust network infrastructure possible. Jones compares it to the way the federal government built the national highway system in the mid 20th century.

Robert Iskander, Sun director of primary and secondary education for global education and research, concurs. For starters, he says every classroom should have 100Mbps Ethernet and a T1 connection to the Web. Beyond that, educators should invest in robust, scalable servers and a reliable network -- instead of fat clients that require continuous technology refresh and training that is soon obsolete.

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B is for Browsers on Devices

This reliable infrastructure provides the back-end for a host of devices to access the Internet anytime, from any location. The dominant device today is a PC workstation, but within five years it is expected that Web-enabled devices, many of them mobile, such as Webphones and handhelds, will outweigh computers on the network.

In the classroom, students likely will use thin clients and information appliances such as the Sun Ray 1 Enterprise Appliance to tap into rich educational content on the Internet. These network computers are designed to be centrally managed. They use a browser-based front-end to provide a consistent, easy-to-use interface that doesn't incur the administrative overhead of PCs.

As Kim Jones says, "With PCs, the teachers need to know how to use them, load software, fix them, [and] reboot them. They end up spending too much time getting them to work. But a thin client requires no classroom administration, eliminating the problem." What's more, unlike the PC-centric model, thin clients don't need to be constantly upgraded to meet the requirements of new software. With no moving parts that require repairs, costs are lower and as an added benefit, the hardware is nearly silent.

The advantages of network computing in the classroom are in evidence at the Newark, Calif. Unified School District. The eight-school district recently deployed over 500 Sun Ray 1 Enterprise Appliances and the back-end horsepower of Sun Enterprise 250 and Sun Enterprise 450 servers. Every teacher's desk and several district computer labs now have a Sun Ray 1 Enterprise Appliance.

The benefits are two-fold. Students and teachers have easy access to networked resources, the Internet, applications such as the free StarOffice productivity suite, and educational software. "The way we're talking about delivering content to students is, quite possibly, the most revolutionary change teachers will ever experience," says Ken Sherer, Newark's superintendent.

The other benefit is financial. In an era of tight education budgets and limited resources, using Sun Enterprise workgroup servers and Sun Ray 1 Enterprise Appliances lowers total cost of ownership by reducing administrative overhead. Applications run on a central server, a cost-effective alternative to high-maintenance PCs.

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C is for Content is King

A reliable infrastructure and low-overhead devices are the building blocks of network computing, but they are only part of the story. The architecture isn't a goal unto itself -- it's a means of supplying users with anytime, anywhere access to the widest possible variety of services and content. For Primary and Secondary (K12) students and educators, this is where the excitement lies.

Traditionally, users have bought shrink-wrapped applications, such as e-mail programs or office suites, then loaded them on PCs, maintaining or upgrading the applications themselves. Soon though, we'll subscribe to software a la carte, much like we pick and choose among telephone and cable television options. Service providers will offer a menu of Web applications available to thin clients, handhelds, and other devices.

The advantages of this model are numerous. Users are freed from backup and upgrade hassles, and they can pick and choose best-of-breed services and content. Today you might be locked out from using the best illustration program, for example, because it's not available for your operating system of choice.

That won't be the case in the future. The a la carte services model is extremely flexible. With the use of customized portals, content presentation can be personalized, and collections of application modules can be assembled for different situations.

Through Education Service Providers (EduSPs), schools will have access to education resources from anywhere on the globe. Even the smallest elementary school will be able to tap into this best-of-breed content. In the Newark school district, students and teachers use the Sun Ray 1 Enterprise Appliance to access resources from the Internet and LearningStation.com, a service provider that delivers educational software.

Kim Jones sees open access to high-quality educational resources as a way to bridge the digital divide. "If the state of California or the country of Singapore hosts the best content," she says, "they can make it available to anyone via the Internet. The low cost of thin clients makes access more of a reality for all schools."

This is the big picture that underlies Sun's vision for Primary and Secondary (K12) network computing. Robust servers and thin clients are the enablers for a worldwide distribution of education resources. It's a shift that will fundamentally change the role of schools and universities. Says Iskander: "Educational expertise and content will be available for everyone -- not just for a small number of students in their physical locations."

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What It All Means To You

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