Google Apps for Education implementation questions

[abillybob]

Hey Guys,

 

Just a quickie if you don't mind. We are going to be moving to Google Apps for Education soon as some of you well know. I was just wondering what the stance is on using it with iPads so just some quick questions:

 

When using Google's Apps and having to login to access Google Drive etc... does the app on the iPad save the users login or does it log out when you close the app ready for the next student? If it's the latter how do you get around this problem when using iPads and Google Apps in a shared environment with your students?

 

If using Google Drive with computers such as Mac and Windows clients how do you ensure that when pupil X logs in to the Website for Google Drive that when pupil Z logs in Pupil X's password and Username aren't already stored in IE/Chrome (Our children will just click yes to save my password etc and then the next user can see them still logged in)?

 

Is it possible to stop Students and Staff saving locally and force them to save via Google Drive? If so how do you guys do this?

 

What is the stance on ChromeBooks, do they work nicely with Smoothwall and proxy servers? Have you had a good experience with them as we are thinking about replacing all our laptops over the next 5 year period and there's no reason we can't do everything we need on a Chromebook. Also on a Chromebook how do you manage the deployment of different apps to these devices? Does it work well or is it another iPad scenario?

 

If you have any advice for me or even if you think what I'm doing is wrong... for example relying too much on Google EcoSystem I'd love to hear from you. I'm developing a new network and what it to be solid and stable so if going down the Google route comprimises this too much it'll be something I'll still implement but won't invest so heavily into. Thought it could be a good way to bring down costs within the school for file storing and Office Licensing and would hopefully save me a lot of bother having to worry about backups and saving things off iPads onto our shared area's etc...

 

Thank you Guys, any help with this wouldn't go unnoticed

[abillybob]

Anyone help me with these?

[Tesla]

My opinion would me dont rely on google bits when you have to manage ahella lot of ipads (which are designed to be used 1:1, not shared etcetc*) lol.

 

*separate debate

[abillybob]

My opinion would me dont rely on google bits when you have to manage ahella lot of ipads (which are designed to be used 1:1, not shared etcetc*) lol.

 

*separate debate

 

Would Google apps not help in your opinion then when managing these devices and help users with saving files etc...? I'd like to know why

[Tesla]

...probably not as the overiding software/os is apple based, and hardly customisable in the first place. (I could be mistaken, but that's the general impression i get)

[pcstru]

If using Google Drive with computers such as Mac and Windows clients how do you ensure that when pupil X logs in to the Website for Google Drive that when pupil Z logs in Pupil X's password and Username aren't already stored in IE/Chrome (Our children will just click yes to save my password etc and then the next user can see them still logged in)?

That kind of information should be stored with the user profile/local machine account. It would only be an issue if they log into the client with the same credentials (the client is entirely unmanaged).

Is it possible to stop Students and Staff saving locally and force them to save via Google Drive? If so how do you guys do this?

Work on google docs, Spreadhseet etc is stored on the drive by default. They can only pull a local copy by converting it.

What is the stance on ChromeBooks, do they work nicely with Smoothwall and proxy servers? Have you had a good experience with them as we are thinking about replacing all our laptops over the next 5 year period and there's no reason we can't do everything we need on a Chromebook. Also on a Chromebook how do you manage the deployment of different apps to these devices? Does it work well or is it another iPad scenario?

Our chromebooks (300 odd) require two logins, one into the Google account, one for smoothwall. I understand smoothwall have something in the works to sort this but it's not here right now. Our chromebooks seem to be taking more damage than I'd expected from the trial we ran, and the management of them is ... interesting. We are not in control of change (google is) which makes me somewhat nervous. On the other hand, some pupils like them and for GA or internet research type work, they seem to work quite well and have good battery life. If I could find a good, cheap windows device instead (netbook type of thing), I would not buy more chromebooks.

[caffrey]

I think our iPad technician restores the iPads daily to remove traces, other than that you're relying on the user to log out. Same with radius - it does make class sets a pain to deal with, but that's iPads for you as they are supposed to be a personal device

[Sheridan]

We're using GAFE as well, and its not ideal with ipads. At the moment we just get them to use the web interface through safari/chrome. Obviously not the best way but this is why ipads aren't suited for this type of situation, they're still 100% designed for 1:1 user in a home environment. Apple occasionally clag on some half-cocked compromise to get them working with various things, but I'd still rather have deployed a bunch of windows tablets!

[maark]

We trialled chromebooks and they worked ok with smoothwall proxy. Management was very good and easy through google control panel - costs £19 per device. Deploy an app and it comes up pretty much straight away.

Google support is very good - as well as online diagnostics and FAQs you can speak to techs in Ireland who are helpful.

You need some way of getting the work off the ipads especially if they are class sets - google drive would seem a good way to me.

Overall I am impressed with google apps - email has been rock solid for last 3 years here and staff now starting to use drive and google classroom more. Not sure whether we are going down the chromebook route but it looks interesting - main problem is accessing existing resources on home folders and shared drive.

Chromebooks have taken off in a big way in the US.

[abillybob]

@maark thankyou for your detailed post!

How does Google deploy the apps to the Chromebooks, as in do the Chromebooks have to download the app locally all at the same time via the internet because that will play havoc with our bandwidth or does it do it another way?

Getting work off the iPads is our main problem at the moment and yes Google Drive seemed a very good way in order to do this. How do you guys have it setup? are you a primary or secondary? Do the children have to log out etc...?

 

Why have you still got exciting resources on your internal network may I ask? How come you haven't just moved all files across to Google Drive from your network?

[maark]

I think the app installs locally to chromebook over internet -but I don't think they are very large files.

We do not use ipads at the moment but if you did all depends on whether one to one or class set - if class set then students would need to logout from drive.

We are still mainly windows environment so loads of stuff on home folders and shared drives -i don't think many places have gone totally cloud storage. Apart from bandwidth would cause problems with stuff like access databases, design software etc that would not work well with google drive.

[LukeC]

We use iPads on a shared device basis at the moment and have implemented gafe. Students have to logged out of gafe when they have finished. To do this we have educated and trained staff prior to students using them to ensure they are confident with the process. We then get the teachers to train the students on how to do this process. So every time a student comes to a different iPad they just need to sign in at the start of the lesson and then sign out at the end. The first few times are tricky for the students but they easily grasp it after practice. We are a small secondary 300 with very mixed ability students with different languages.