Clouds for Schools

The Corona pandemic is proving to be a major challenge for students and teachers alike. Teaching is different than what they are used to. Homeschooling is replacing face-to-face classes. Students and teachers need to work digitally. The tasks, responsibilities and activities each require different solutions. We show how TeamDrive promotes digitization in schools and what opportunities our cloud solution brings for schools.

Digitization in schools as an opportunity and a challenge

Schools are forced by the Corona pandemic to work digitally. As a result, exchanges between teachers and students take place online. Likewise, materials for lessons have to be handed over to students. Communication among teachers or with parents must also take place digitally. Two aspects in particular must be taken into account. Access to information must be easy. There are also stringent requirements for the exchange and storage of personal data.

The new framework conditions are a major challenge for everyone involved, both teachers and students. Not everything is going smoothly, because schools have not been geared up to teach digitally in the past. Now, however, active action is required on the part of school authorities to create the necessary conditions for data protection-compliant homeschooling.

In particular, the secure exchange of data on materials between teachers and students is a hurdle that many schools are not prepared for. Similarly, there is a lack of solutions for exchanging personal data between teachers in accordance with data protection requirements. Since education is a matter for the states, and thus each state develops and offers its own solutions for digital instruction and secure data exchange, the spectrum of software and programs is very broad. Some teachers teach via Zoom or use MS Teams for their lessons. Some federal states use learning platforms, which now work quite well for knowledge transfer.

Making student-teacher communication digital and secure

Things get complicated when it comes to the type of communication between teachers and students. What is permitted and where is there the threat of trouble because the requirements of the GDPR are not met? The range of solutions extends from WhatsApp to simple e-mail, while other teachers even send the documents for lessons by post or insist on picking them up in person at school. But these types of sharing are not only cumbersome in the age of digitalization, they usually also offer points of attack for data protectionists or hackers.

Cloud solutions for schools are a good alternative for sharing personal data securely and easily. We will show you how to use TeamDrive as a cloud server for schools and what benefits can arise when using TeamDrive.

Clouds for schools – a decision-making aid

In everyday school life, sending large amounts of data by e-mail usually fails because of the data size limit. However, there have long been better ways of communicating. In a cloud, virtual storage is available that is located on a server. This can only be accessed by people who have access rights. Communication between teachers and students becomes even easier. Cloud software such as TeamDrive can also be used on more than just a computer. Students can install an app on their smartphone. Within a short time, they then access the system where the files are located via this app or the software. Teachers can additionally control how long someone can access the available content.

Before a school board chooses a cloud platform, there are a few questions that need to be addressed. As a public institution, schools are subject to strict guidelines to comply with data protection and ensure data security. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) already decided in 2015 to declare the “safe harbor” principle invalid for cloud services outside the European Union because it violates EU law. This is also true for the related principle of the “Privacy Shield”, which was overturned in court in 2020.

It follows that companies and public authorities in the European Union are no longer permitted to use cloud services from the USA without restriction. This includes such well-known providers as Google Drive, Dropbox, Nextcloud or also OneDrive from Microsoft. Instead, cloud platforms that are based in Germany and provide DSGVO-compliant solutions are to be preferred. This means that schools also need a cloud application that ensures the required data protection when processing and storing files. Providers such as Dropbox or cloud storage from Apple such as iCloud or storage from Google are therefore out of the question for schools. TeamDrive, on the other hand, is a versatile service provider whose IT infrastructure is located exclusively in Germany.

TeamDrive as a secure cloud solution for schools

As a certified provider for cloud services, TeamDrive is a very good alternative as a cloud for schools compared to providers such as Dropbox, Nextcloud or OneDrive. Our software meets all data protection and security requirements to a high degree. The Ministry of Education in Baden-Württemberg has already recommended the use of TeamDrive as a cloud for schools.

TeamDrive supports schools as a cloud solution in many ways.

Virtual data rooms for teachers

TeamDrive provides a virtual server. This allows teachers and the school’s administration to store and exchange all personal data relating to students. It is also possible to provide files such as teaching videos or school assignments. Communication with other teachers can also be carried out easily and securely. These procedures fulfill data protection through secure end-to-end encryption and are thus DSGVO-compliant. The virtual server can also be accessed by teachers in their home offices without having to establish a VPN connection. In addition, each teacher can create their own virtual data rooms to archive their data.

There you upload all the files you need for a school subject. Each space has different users. So you can create one data space for teachers and one for each school class. After uploading the files, students simply access them via browser or app. When students have completed their assignments, they upload the edited files back to the Space on TeamDrive. A notification informs them of the update in the Space.

TeamDrive Spaces for students

Another reason for using TeamDrive as a cloud for schools is the possibility of using TeamDrive Spaces as a repository for seminar papers or projects. Teachers provide students with a TeamDrive license. Each student receives a license for his or her personal end device, a computer or laptop. The advantage is that each Space is managed individually. This enables self-organization of all participants as well as easy work with pedagogical tasks in homeschooling.

Digital mailbox for schools

TeamDrive also offers an “Inbox” that functions as a digital mailbox. Users can independently set up a digital structure. Within this system, personal and confidential data is sent exclusively to authorized recipients. The encryption processes used by TeamDrive ensure that personal rights are protected when users work on their own end device in homeschooling.

As a cloud service provider, TeamDrive is not only available to simple school authorities. Colleges and universities also have a secure alternative for cloud-based work with TeamDrive.

TeamDrive offers data protection and data security

TeamDrive is a Hamburg-based company that specializes in clouds. With our solutions, we enable secure data exchange and offer full data protection and data security. Our servers are located in Germany and therefore meet 100 percent of all the required specifications of the DSGVO. As a provider, we also have no access to your data at any time due to the zero-knowledge principle and encrypt all content with end-to-end encryption. The current expert opinion from EuroPriSe GmbH, an independent data protection testing body, certifies that TeamDrive fully complies with these points.

Have we piqued your interest? Then register as a TeamDrive customer right now and open your first Space. On TeamDrive’s Youtube channel you will find tutorials on the various functions of our system. We offer different licenses depending on the number of users. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to advise you individually.

TeamDrive enables smooth collaboration within the college, the organization of teaching materials and the implementation of lessons. We recommend TeamDrive Enterprise as a cloud solution for institutions.

Special conditions on cloud licenses for schools

As part of our “Promoting digital schools” project, we offer a 50 percent discount on licenses for teachers and administration for school packages and up to 80 percent discount on student licenses. We will be happy to provide you with an individual offer.