CoSN conducted an Infrastructure Survey in 2018. This survey concluded that 90% of the K—12 school districts who participated in the survey said they used the cloud for storage. Additionally, 80% of the participating districts said that they used cloud-based software systems.

Every industry imaginable has been positively affected by the cloud. Education hasn’t escaped this. The cloud enhances workflow for K—12 Administrators.

What’s So Great About the Cloud?

School districts can save money by using the cloud. When using the cloud, they don’t have the space and high infrastructure costs that come with hardware maintenance. Additionally, the cloud helps teachers to create personalized learning experiences and manage their students’ sensitive data. It also eases the workload that’s pinned on the IT staff.

Lastly, the cloud allows the district leaders and school administrators to collaborate and communicate with people from every corner effortlessly. This includes other school leaders, teachers, and parents. This easy communication is vital during this global pandemic when remote learning and remote workplaces are necessary.

K—12 Administrators Are More Productive with the Cloud

More and more administrators are using technology-based solutions to make themselves more productive. This is particularly true of cloud-based applications.

It all started with education technology (EdTech). Administrators saw how well EdTech prepares students for the future by making them productive today. They, then, began to realize that they, too, can use technology to streamline their own productivity.

The cloud allows K—12 administrators to streamline their workflow since they can simultaneously work across multiple platforms. They can also log in on any device, so working on the go is no problem.

Additionally, some cloud vendors integrate videoconferencing and other real-time communication tools into their cloud-based software, making it more effective.

Administrators Can Collaborate More Effectively with the Cloud

The cloud allows K—12 administrators to manage their staff without holding in-person meetings, which is safer in today’s world. Plus, it can be more efficient.

Administrators can keep track of what their staff is working on. The staff can also collaborate on projects using productivity suites, such as Google’s G Suite Enterprise for Education and Microsoft Office 365.

K—12 Administrators Can Hold Videoconferences Using Cloud-Based Videoconferencing Tools

Administrators can also better connect with their staff using the cloud-based videoconferencing tools. One such tool is Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams allows administrators to schedule virtual meetings in which they can use a virtual whiteboard to illustrate as they speak. In these meetings, they can also share content. 

They can also integrate OneNote with Microsoft Teams. In this way, administrators can better organize the staff discussions and make necessary documents available for everyone to reference.

Administrators can also use Zoom to host staff conferences. Zoom is a relatively popular videoconferencing software. Zoom allows administrators to break meetings into virtual “breakout rooms.” This way, they can split the staff meeting up into two or more groups so that administrators can train and address staff more effectively. This is just one more way that the cloud enhances workflow for K—12 administrators.