May 2007 — News
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Biometrics in K-12: Vendor Claims and Your Business Plan
Get an understanding of the technology, including the intricacies of how it works. Know the issues, the legalities, and how relevant legislation will impact your implementation, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and local building codes. In case you missed part 2, Illinois in its SB1702 and Iowa in its Senate File 2086 are legislating use of biometrics in schools. Look at the experiences of other schools that have implemented a biometric or alternative product that you are considering. Plan a visit to test it. Before buying, test it in your own setting with representative users. Meet with parents, students, staff, and representatives of the community for their concerns, and have resources at hand to show them how the technology works and to help overcome any skepticism they might have.
Conclusion
Vendors will continue to make headway in sales of biometric solutions to schools and will be armed with their product claims. Returning to the important questions, "Should you ban or buy into biometrics? Do you require a reliable biometric, or is it just something that would be nice to have?" Only your district can really answer that. Hopefully, this investigation has provided you information and tools to help. Biometrics can be your friend, but in the wrong hands or if used carelessly, your foe. Biometrics are so new that they have not been sufficiently tested in the courts. Maybe for schools, decisions regarding use will ultimately rest on those tight budgets and a philosophy, "If it's not broken, don't fix it," which translates to, "If other solutions have been working for you, continue to use them--at least in the near future."
Resources:
References:
Johns, M. (2007, March 27). The Truth about Biometric Devices in Schools. Retrieved March 28, 2007, from PRWeb Press Release Newswire
Kiernan, V. (2005, December 2). Show your hand, not your ID. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 52(15), A28-A30. Retrieved April 4, 2007
UK Biometrics Working Group (2002, March). Biometrics for identification and authentication--advice on product selection. Retrieved April 4, 2007
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About the author: Patricia Deubel has a Ph.D. in computing technology in education, and is currently an adjunct faculty member in the graduate School of Education at Capella University and an education consultant. She is also the developer of Computing Technology for Math Excellence at http://www.ct4me.net.
Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
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