TYLER ISD
into the VDI world began before I was the CTO . However , together with these two guys and the rest of my team , we have continually evolved and improved our virtual environment .”
“ Virtual Desktops using VMware ’ s Horizon View have led to multiple benefits for Tyler ISD ,” says Jacks , “ including saving millions of dollars in hardware and support costs over the past decade while simultaneously supporting thousands of endpoints with much fewer support staff than would be required to maintain traditional PCs .”
“ The Virtual Desktops reside in our private cloud , which is housed inside our Tyler ISDowned data centres ,” he explains . “ This means we retain complete control of both the hardware and software . Virtual desktops also mean we can push new software and updates almost instantaneously , ensuring all our endpoints are always up to date .”
“ We can ’ t forget about remote connection ,” says Jacks . “ VDI with VMWare Horizon View means that any staff or student can connect back to their personal desktop anytime , from anywhere , on any device , 24 hours a day , 365 days a year . It truly means learning can take place at any time .”
Remote learning has been possible at Tyler ISD for many years thanks to its VDI implementation , but this ability was not used extensively . Students and staff have had the ability to connect via VDI anytime and gain access to their resources , but students did not have district-owned devices issued to them , so they had to use personal devices .
“ Before COVID-19 , we had a cart-based model for student devices and computer labs . Staff were not issued devices , and we supported a ‘ bring your own device ’ ( BYOD ) approach ,” says Jacks . “ Thanks in part to our VDI infrastructure , we quickly pivoted from the cart-based student device approach to a 1:1 program by adding additional Chromebooks . We coupled that with VDI and began our BLADE program - Blended Learning and Distance Education - which combined remote learning and integrating technology device use into everyday classroom instruction time .”
Tyler ISD started the Autumn / Fall 2020 school year in an optional remote learning environment but returned to full in-person
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