Tag: wifi

Top 7 Advantages of Wifi on School Buses

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

In the modern day and age, due to the rapid advancement in technology and communication, almost everyone and everything is available online. Learning and education is no exception to this. It is no longer confined to the classroom, and students can learn about faraway places and obscure things, within a single click.

Owing to the fact that students are expected to now a great deal even when the time is limited, schools are determined to utilize their time to the fullest and enable the student to achieve her/his maximum potential. It is therefore no wonder that WiFi on school buses have become quite popular.

Enabling WiFi facilities in school buses is not a very expensive thing. If you think about its advantages, then it is a wise thing. This article seeks to illuminate the advantages of having WiFi on buses.

  1. Better Tracking Facilities

Enabling buses with WiFi offers the school and parents with distinct advantage of tracking the ride. This means that the movement of buses can be tracked, making it safer for the students. Any irresponsible behavior of the driver like over speeding, sharp turns, skipping signals etc. can be recorded, and punitive action can be taken against him or her. This also acts as a deterrent for the driver.

An advantage to the driver is that s/he can know in advance the traffic conditions, thus saving time and fuel. It also helps in monitoring the idle time of the bus, enabling optimum utilization. It is also possible to keep records, even of the minutest details, and then obtain them in a form that is comprehensible. Tracking systems also help in giving feedback about the condition of the bus and the service schedule.

  1. Helps to Alert Parents and School

Having WiFi on buses also makes it safer for students. It helps to track students and immediate alert can be sent to the concerned authorities in case there is a problem. It helps in making the parents, students and teachers feel secure. It is also possible to alert the police promptly if there is any security threat.

And also if the bus is late or if a student does not get into the bus or gets off at the wrong stop, parents will get notified. They would know the exact time for dropping and for picking up their wards. All this is only possible if the bus is connected to internet and the ride and students are effectively tracked.

  1. Learning in the Bus

In the fast-paced modern world, it is important to utilize the day to the fullest. WiFi enabled buses can help in providing education and learning to the students even on the buses itself. Keeping in mind the fact that most students travel for long hours before reaching the school, this seems to be an effective way to utilize time and keep the students engaged in productive activities.

Children will show interest in this form of learning. This also adds to the time that children can spend time with their families as they can utilize the time spent in traveling for doing their homework.

  1. Preventing ill Behavior

Engaging students in learning activities while traveling to school can also help in preventing destructive tendencies. This is especially important in cognizance of the fact that a lot of bullying and sexual harassment amongst students happens in buses. If the students are kept occupied during this time, there is a possibility that this behavior can be curbed to a great extent.

  1. Better for the Economically Disadvantaged Group

The economically underprivileged group of students who do not have the facility of internet at home can benefit tremendously through these WiFi enabled school buses. They can complete their projects and use it for learning purposes also. These buses can also be parked in areas where these students come from, giving them the advantage of WiFi enabled area.

These students can be provided with their own passwords and log in ids, thus securing the network and preventing unauthorized use. It is also possible to monitor what the children are accessing on the internet.

  1. Better for Longer Routes

School buses are very often used to commute longer roads while taking the class for field trips or picnics. While traveling, students can be kept engaged and entertained. Information about the site and the activities that the students can engage in can also be imparted to the students in the buses.

Parents will also become more willing to send their students for these activities, if they know that the students can be tracked and in case of an emergency, they can be immediately notified. The virtual presence of teachers can be increased through software like Skype.

  1. Easier to Impart Knowledge to Large number of Students

Safety instructions regarding the course of action that should be taken in case of a fire in the bus, or an accident, can be easily explained and demonstrated with the help of WiFi. This means that special time does not need to be scheduled for this, thus resulting in time saving.

Children can learn their subjects while on their way to school without the presence of more number of staffs. Animation can be used to explain students, thus making it more entertaining and ensuring that the students pay attention and learn better. And finally, feedback from the students can be recorded and incorporated for future use.

How WiFi Can Make School Buses Rolling Classrooms

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

It is not an overstatement to quote that novel technological advancements are impacting every sphere of human life. One such innovation is smart school buses.

These buses which are connected to the internet via a school-enabled Wi-Fi connection have unveiled a new class of school transport.

Favoring the concept of ‘classrooms on wheels’, it is through these ‘rolling classrooms’ that students and others concerned will benefit a great deal.

Here we shed light on the benefits of Wi-Fi on school buses to all those concerned when these means of transport are connected to wireless internet.

1. The Productive Use of Travel Time

One of the evident benefits of smart school buses to students is that these technologically-driven buses will help them make the best use of their travel time.

You as a student do not have to reach home to surf the internet so as to collate information to complete a school assignment.

You can smartly make the most of the Wi-Fi connectivity that is available on your school buses to learn and collaborate with others while travelling to and fro to school, or on field trips.

2. Enhances Scope For Family Bonding

Smart buses bestow students with an option to study while they are heading to participate in any of the sporting events sponsored by schools.

This way, you can put your travel time to the best use when your laptops are connected to the internet even while on the go.

The concept of getting work done while on the move will give you an edge over others who need to start writing assignments just after reaching home.

Additionally, these smart buses will encourage you to spend time with your families since a major chunk of your educational time is either spent in schools or during travel.

3. Strengthening the Concept of Online Classes

The use of wireless internet on school buses will help students gain specialized access to a number of educational avenues connected to online education.

They will be in a favorable position to unleash the power of online tools that will foster education as a segment of futuristic learning.

In this manner, you as a student onboard a Wi-Fi bus will be able to apply modern learning technologies through the use of school internet networks that are offered by school districts.

4. Bus Drivers Will Benefit from A Well-Behaved and Cooperative Student Group

An idle mind is indeed a devil’s workshop. On the contrary, if you try to engage students while they are travelling, there will be less scope for bad behavior.

It is through Wi-Fi connected smart buses that bus drivers can better concentrate on the road when students onboard are busy completing their homework on their laptops or Chromebooks.

A substantial reduction in bus behavior problems comes as a sigh of relief to bus drivers; all thanks to the use of wireless internet on school buses.

Also, when all the students are engrossed in completing their assignments while they are commuting, school bus drivers need not have to expend time and effort in disciplining them.

5. Mobile Classrooms Promise the Best of Both the Worlds

You as a student of this modern generation can truly have the cake and eat it too. With the concept of mobile classrooms picking up in most of the school districts, school administrations are treading the path of maximizing the instructional time.

Given a scenario that you as a college or university student will have to spend close to 30 minutes to reach your destination, you can use this time effectively in pursuit of knowledge.

While in college, you can sign up for career advancement courses. It is through these dual enrolment programs that you can make the most of the novel concept of learning on the go. This is one of the striking benefits of Wi-Fi on school buses.

6. A Strict and Restricted Access to Educational Content

When you plug in a wireless internet on school buses, you as a school administrator should be mindful of the websites that your students browse while they are travelling.

It is for this reason that schools which come up with a restricted data management program can exercise better control over websites so that students can enjoy an exclusive access to educational content.

Smart buses which stick to a restricted URL web traffic can unleash the benefits of educational broadband internet plans that can be tailor-made for different schools and buses.

Rationing will hence depend on the consumption of data along with the number of smart buses that are required to meet the needs of students patronizing school buses.

7. Parents Are A Happy Lot

After enlisting a host of benefits of Wi-Fi on school buses with respect to students and bus drivers, it is the time when we have to focus on how the parents of students will get benefitted with such modern initiatives.

Parents of wards whose school buses offer wireless internet services are the satisfied ones as they don’t have to send their kids to tutorials.

They also need not have to worry about the hectic time schedule of their wards because their travel time takes care of their assignment submissions.

Through smart buses, parents can have a sigh of relief with a conviction that their wards are using their travel time to the best by learning and collaborating with other students.

Key Takeaways

The growing popularity of school bus Wi-Fi has not only paved the way for a modern class of students relying on Wi-Fi-enabled school buses but also brought about a holistic improvement of the educational system.

Bestowing a host of advantages to everyone, students in addition to drivers and parents are poised to tread the path of convenience, confidence and comfort coming from the implementation of ‘rolling classrooms’.

12 Different Technologies that Help School Bus Drivers in Driving

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Technology is considered as an influential component of modern day lives. Nevertheless, while penetrating into every aspect of human life, you now have the luxury of obtaining real-time information on the whereabouts of your school-going kid.

Alongside supporting parents to be informed about the whereabouts of the school bus, a host of technological tools aid school bus drivers commit their jobs to the best of their abilities.

Here is the list of a dozen technological innovations that assist the professionals at the wheel in a multitude of ways.

  1. School Bus Tracking Apps

A school bus tracking app renders real time data regarding the exact location of the bus and the duration of arriving at your stop.

As a consequence, when such an app is in place, schools can steer clear by eliminating a number of distressed calls from parents checking about the pickup and dropping times of their wards.

In the meantime, tracking apps insist the school bus driver to drive cautiously with a conviction that parents are informed about the timing of pickup and drop.

  1. Tracking Systems

The School bus tracker utilizes RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) and GPS tracking, which intends to bring in transparency and convenience to both the parties concerned; the currently appointed school bus drivers and the parents.

As a matter of fact, such tracking systems not only notify the parents about the journey of the school bus, but also work as tabs on speeding drivers.

Parents who are waiting for their kids to be either picked up from home or dropped back can approach these tracking systems to monitor on the speed of the bus along with certain unscheduled bus stops that the driver is taking.

Moreover, this information can apparently become invaluable data points to parents to assess the performance of school bus drivers.

 

  1. Cameras – Tools to Peep Into What’s Happening Inside the Bus

Installing cameras inside the school bus is another technological move that establishes safe driving. Consequently, these cameras are activated when the bus stops for capturing the number plate of the vehicle that passes by in the territory of School Bus Danger Zones.

All in an attempt to evade the instance of accident, school bus drivers through the implementation of cameras can save the lives of students from being hit by other vehicles on the road.

  1. Digital Cameras

Another propitious technology that assists school bus drivers keep a watchful eye on the road is through the installation of digital cameras.

Meanwhile, modern digital cameras installed in the school buses help the driver to constantly monitor and realize what is happening inside the bus when he is at the wheel.

In addition, these cameras also capture the audio and video of the school bus happenings, sparing the driver to turn around and control a group of mischievous students.

It is through such devices that school bus drivers can better engage and handle behavioral issues of misbehaving students.

  1. The Prominence of Mirror Grid Systems

School buses fitted with mirror grid systems will help drivers relish a superior vision of the surroundings of the school bus.

On the other hand, through the usage of electric grids, which are fitted behind the mirrors, school bus drivers will be able to tackle extreme cold weather conditions while at the wheel.

Once the grid is heated, the frozen particles on the mirror get evaporated clearing the vision for drivers to appreciate an enhanced vision impending from clear mirror views.

  1. Spouts in Front of Tires – Another Climate Control Mechanism In Favor of School Bus Drivers

Unfavorable weather conditions should in no way induce a concern for drivers at the wheel. In an attempt to counter all such circumstances, school bus tires come with spouts, which are located in front of them.

This is a technological innovation that helps bus drivers drive on icy roads. You might perplex how this is possible.

Spouts come into the picture of safety driving practice when they drop sand on the slippery and icy road. This sand constitutes friction to the tires allowing the driver to drive safe.

Another facility that comes through these sprouts is to chain up the tires if the bus is progressing on a route that is not safe for driving.

  1. The Benefits of Computerized Diagnostics

Preparation is the key to effective decision-making. This preparation comes in the form of being informed about the need for vehicle repairs and maintenance.

Be it the vehicle engine which should be fine-tuned in accord of the Revolution per Minute (RPM) or the replacement of a damaged indicator light, drivers attach a lot of importance to computerized diagnostics.

Paying attention to the faulty functioning of oil tanks, issues concerning transmission and all the alarms concerning exhaust systems, school bus drivers can drive with a sense of preparedness.

  1. Sensors Help Conduct Pre-Service Checks to School Buses

Technology also aids in improving the safety level of school bus drivers. The state of Connecticut takes pride in the installation of a wireless device that helps drivers to conduct pre-service checks, including emergency door inspections and brake checks.

It is through sensors that the school bus supervisor is informed about any malfunction that can lead to a driving disaster. 

  1. The Promise of Automatic Door Entry System

School bus drivers can invest in modern technology offering push buttons to better manage the opening and closing of bus doors.

Automatic door systems fitted with push buttons bestow a great deal of comfort to bus drivers, avoiding shoulder pains and fatigue that comes with manual operation.

  1. Driving Made Comfortable With Air-Cushioned Seats

Air-cushioned seats are a boon to school bus drivers who can now drive comfortably. These seats, which come with a strong lumbar support ensure the correct posture while the driver is at the wheel.

This way, the school bus driver can enjoy every journey through a better driving position that will help him focus on the road ahead.

  1. The Effectiveness of Smaller Engines

 The diesel-powered school buses come as the safest and reliable modes of transportation for millions of school children. However, the size of a school bus engine has a bearing on the performance of a driver.

What to perceive the connection between these two parameters? Here it comes! A smaller bus engine means a shorter front part.

At the same time, with smaller engines, bus drivers will recognize as comfortable to maneuver when they enjoy a wide view of their surroundings.

In fact, it is because of this wide angle vision that school bus drivers will be able to manage the bus efficiently so as to avoid the issue of accidents caused due to inaccurate judgment of spacing.

Of course, smaller engines, thus come as another technological change that favors bus drivers to do their job in the best possible manner.

  1. Wi-Fi Connectivity in the Bus

At times, kids on board can become a distraction to a school bus driver who not only has to concentrate on the road but also ensure the decorum of travel.

Furthermore, ruckus in school buses created by bullying and mischievous students can mar the performance of a driver. All for the sake of assisting the driver to better concentrate on the traffic, schools are looking at offering in-house Wi-Fi connectivity to school buses.

Identified as a trick to occupy students, Wi-Fi in school buses can work both ways. While the Internet connectivity helps students to complete their homework or play games during travel, school bus drivers are the benefactors as well.

As a result, drivers who drive Wi-Fi connected school buses cannot be affected by futile chatter from students on board and drive cautiously.  

Closing Thoughts

After learning about the numerous ways in which technology can convince bus drivers to drive safe, it makes sense to go with the flow and institute these innovations on every school bus.

This way, you as a school administrator or a transportation manager will not only simplify your job, but will also become a truce to both parents and students.

With the safety of children on-board being your paramount responsibility, you can bank on the above mentioned technological advancements as your daily guide to safe and uneventful school bus journeys.