Cool Apps for School Teachers and Administrators

September 17, 2013

September is here and that means the kids are back at school! As an educator, I love reading how technology is helping to engage a new generation of students to learn. Interactive white boards, iPads and educational apps are now common tools in the classroom.  But there are also a number of emerging solutions that help staff and teachers with basic administrative tasks.

In a school setting the multifunctional printer (MFP) is constantly being utilized and is the ideal device to help streamline workflows or communicate key school messages and policies.  There are now downloadable apps (similar to those used on mobile devices) available specifically for MFPs that are designed to increase productivity and make school administrative tasks easier.

At Konica Minolta, we offer the bizhub MarketPlace where users can search and download apps directly on their bizhub MFP.  There are a number of interesting apps available on the MarketPlace that can provide immediate benefits to schools and universities.

The top five apps I recommend for teachers and administrators include:

Paper Templates – With this app, schools no longer need to purchase lined paper, graph paper or even music paper. This app includes templates for the most common educational documents you might print including cover sheets, permissions forms, certificates, ruled paper, graph paper, blank sheet music and many more. For example, a teacher can easily print out Student of the Month certificates or graph paper to enhance a math assignment.

Announcement – Need to keep staff updated on school policies, training or other events? This app allows you to create and display a message on the bizhub MFP control panel so that it’s the first thing a user sees when they use the MFP.  Announcements could range from reminding staff to go green and print responsibly or educate students about after school resources available to them.

bizhub SECURE Notifier – Safeguarding student information in compliance with FERPA guidelines is always a concern for schools.  Electronic data security is built into the bizhub MFP with features that include HDD encryption, HDD lock password protection and automatic data deletion. The bizhub SECURE Notifier app alerts school administrators if security settings are changed on an MFP and notifies users if the MFP is no longer secure. This way schools can feel confident that their data is secure and safe.

Clean Planet – Is your school going green?  This app makes it easier to recycle all bizhub MFP consumables through the Konica Minolta Clean Planet program. Schools can order boxes and print labels for recycling. Combine this with the Announcements app and schools can help promote sustainability and responsible printing practices.

Connect to Microsoft SharePoint – Thousands of schools use Microsoft SharePoint to create virtual learning environments (VLE) as well as manage student records or classroom materials. This app makes it easy for teachers and administrators to scan and upload data and store files in a specific SharePoint library, or browse, print, and edit SharePoint documents directly from the bizhub control panel.

Being an educator, I know first-hand how time consuming basic administrative tasks can be. Access to workflow and communication tools helps minimize the time teachers spend on these tasks and allows us to spend more time in the classroom with students.

As the new school starts, school IT departments and administrators should check out what apps are available for their school MFPs to help streamline communications and workflow.

All of the apps listed above are available today from the bizhub MarketPlace at https://bizhubmarketplace.com

Stephanie Keer
Manager, Government and Education Solutions

Stephanie Keer is responsible for Konica Minolta’s Education and Government vertical markets, focusing on solutions that improve efficiencies in education. She is a Professor at NYU and the Lead Researcher of Living Values Education Organization. She is an avid scuba diver and meditator.