Thursday, April 28, 2011

Tech Facilitator Meeting April 28, 2011


Betty Weycker:  Rewind of last month's meeting
Sending out information so everyone gets it the same way?  is a difficult task
  • New Positions:
    • Jonathan zones 1/2, 7/8  Wife a teacher at Rural Hall
    • All the move arounds with the tech people:  Darlene, Jeff Taylor, etc.
    • District Instructional Technologist Positions: 
      • Charlie working on NCwise
      • Mandi from Cabberas County
      • Zach left from Help desk--Joan Proffitt took his position begins on Monday
    • Brian Elliot took a position in New Orleans, and that search continues
    • Lisa Turner from SE Middle to replace Jeff Nichols who went to Wake Forest University
Race for the Top Initiative: 
  • How to get hand-held devices in kids hands so they can take the standardized tests.
  • So,  many things need to be in place for that to happen--infrastructure wise.
  • http://cloud.fi.ncsu.edu
    • You can see WS/FCS's plan
    • one shot chance to get money to make sure students can be assessed
Print Management for example is part of this infrastructure improvement:  Has to be in place so the other deluge of equipment can be handled--we have to be ready.

Kevin/Carla:
  • Wireless will be covered on all campuses
  • Wireless surveys are already underway
  • Technicians will be contacting schools who have not been made fully wireless
  • In classrooms--A radios, in halls B/G
  • Wireless security change is underway:  WPA2
    • No wireless code anymore
    • Wireless access will be governed by active directory
    • All based on container membership of machines, machines not in containers will not connect
    • Nothing will need to be removed from containers (computers can be in more than one container at a time)
    • Laptops need to have SP3--Have to re-image all laptops...
    • They are going to do this for you, a day at a time
    • Need help to get teacher laptops on site the day of the "cut over"
      • You will have to re-image when they come back in. 
      • Laptops need to be cleaned up anyway
      • Admitedly, DOT is in "react mode" on this wireless issue
    • Schedule will be issued,  will do as many as they can between now and June
    • Some over the summer, some in the fall
    • Unauthorized laptops will not get on network--Period
    • Another issue that the re-image is taking care: the Trend Micro update.
    • Trailers with desktops and laptops will be a priority. 
    • If you have a trailer with several machines--be sure to label the teacher machine, so they can get their machine back fast
    • Anything above R40 and higher will OK
    • With the race to top initiative, trailers need to be Hard wired...and then add access point inside.
  • Print Management
    • Has been rolled out in central office
    • Really a financial project to save on toner cartridges
    • Pay per page black  & white 8/10 of a penny and color (8 cents a copy)
    • Strategic print solutions:   http://www.strategicprintsolutions.com/about_us.php
    • estimated savings:  $3000.00 per school per year
    • Policy Imperative on local printers?  May become official policy
    • Not part of the program --printers that Guy Lucas purchased (printers/copiers)
    • It is a "click charge": based on the movement of the rollers
    • You will see one bill per school
    • With active directory upgrade: possible they will monitor by user, but NOT THERE YET...
    • This all started as a cost saving initiative...Dr. Martin actually started this based on Wilkes County
    • They will need to get out to schools to inventory
    • Local Printers:  They will find them. 
      • First phase --get to all that are networked
      • Then they will make the decision to remove the locals or not?
      • All lead secretary printers are not on the network, but they will  be added, they will still be locked down from outside access.
      • With update to windows server, the process will be changing for how to add printers
  • Printer Inventories:
    • They need to know what they will need, such as add a drop, naming conventions, etc.
    • They will write down all local printers too.
    • You should receive e-mail telling you when they are coming to do inventory--trying not to do during testing.
    • Betty--will be looking at policies for using local printers.
    • There are issues with support for these printers, with positions being eliminated at schools...
    • Ink right now?  If there is no toner in the pile  (Joyce Jacobs is the person to call) they will allow an order to go thru until July 1st if they don't have any of a particular type.
    • Until policy is changed, no definite on local printers (principals for example?)
    • They will inventory toner back and the company may "buy them back" or use it out and not order.
    • You can use toner down, and still should so as to not be wasteful.
    • Goal is to have everything inventories by May 31st!
    • currently 1400 "printers on the wire", will be adding as they put on lead secretaries, etc.
Server Consolidation Project:
  • Working with East and Atkins doing testing
  • Video:  Virtual Infrastructure Layer/VMware
  • Put in about 12 main controllers, a  couple for printer servers
  • will retire about 80 physical boxes
  • All H drive data will have to be dealt with, a second SAN will be backed up here in this building
  • Testing at EAST HS, and there is no lag time in printing!
  • Bandwidth will be moving to a GIGABYTE this summer from 100 MB now
  • Should be no managing of servers at all now at school level
  • They will be looking at individual server run APPS,  like waterford or AR reader--looking at web apps to run them.
DATA  on the Server Drives
  • All that Data will be pulled back into the SAN
  • We need all teachers to deal with their own H drives (100 mb quota)
  • They need all teachers to back up their own files...meaning clean up and save locally,  Lead Secretary, and office staff--DOT will deal with those files, will not move vacation pictures, music, etc. to the new server.
  • Tech Facilitators need to deal with their stuff too.
  • All those H drives will not be destroyed, put in a work order if you need something back
  • When teachers leave,  all files needed to be backed up before they leave  (student H drives will be wiped as normal)
  • S Drive should be cleaned up too
  • Kevin will give us something in writing to share with our teachers.
  • Put in work order if you need help
  • They are putting in a 17 Terabyte solution,  they are tripling their space
  • They may put out a price list on an external hard-drive and we will get secretaries to buy a 1 tarabyte external hard drive --Kevin will put out  a price list
  • K drive not currently part of any backup solution.
    • Need to get older stuff off there too
  • Kevin will get that check list out to us ASAP
  • You can also use drop box, good for ipphone, ipad
  • I drive is for CTE...
VDI:  Virtual Desktop Interface
Another video:  This project will take awhile, starting with new construction--looking at a totally different thin set model ($200) "computer"
  • "Video:  Citrix--Xen Desktop the best way to deliver win 7 virtual desktops"
  • far less storage space, higher security
  • desktop streaming
  • Have to build a data center piece--currently sizing it to handle 1500 clients right now
  • It will take awhile to "grow" into this
  • Classroom solution will keep the main PC machines
  • We are talking about new machines going into classrooms--using these "thin-set clients"
  • What does it mean for us?
    • Application virtual streaming--takes the horsepower off the local machines--like office, adobe apps will stream off the server not from the local machines
    • Plan is in the fall to have a thin client running to show us in the fall
    • In the future, as they continue to size the data center piece and add infrastructure
    • Stay the course right now with purchasing new machines
    • This system will allow also allow you to launch your desktop from home.
  • Betty is saying to the Board that everyone needs a "refresh" other than new construction.
System Managment:  KACE
  • KACE--Leader in System Management Appliances--DELL:  http://www.kace.com/flashdemo/
  • Service Desk:  Assist will continue through the end of the year...Then, in the fall
  • Service Desk Login next year to KACE
  • Will also be a link from drop down from website
    • Issue request field (going to keep as simple as possible)
    • Impact box (1 or many people)
    • Category:  Will be added (goal to keep as slim as possible)
    • You can attach a document
    • There is a legend on the side
    • Hit SAVE--gives you a summary of the ticket (print out will be used when sending in equipment)
    • can add additional comments
    • Will assign to building level/or will automatically assign to you.
  • Why are they switching?  Can decrease school wires cost, and this was part of the KACE program and it is faster--more of a system management decision. 
  • Active directory will pin to the machine they are working on when you add a ticket
  • Will get training next month
  • "see also" button can link other tickets together.
  • right now, there is an hour time out feature, Kevin may increase the time.
  • You can search by keyword to find a ticket
  • You can also go to the Knowledge base and search by keyword to solve problems before you submit a ticket--will probably be specific to your level of category based on your AD log-on.
  • Software Clearing House will be handled under the Software Library--also where you install software that is approved.
    • Teachers will not see software library tab
  • Inventory Piece of KACE:
    • Should give more functionality,  will keep computrace for theft recovery
    • This will be your new inventory
    • can see what printers are connected to that machine
    • If it's an unapproved piece of software, you can click on this list of software and uninstall
    • Start and stop the process on a machine from that same interface
    • Runs with an agent, will track who logged in inside or out of the network.
    • can search by user name or machine
    • Training next month...
    • Turning Live July 1 on KACE !
AMTR: (Annual Media and Technology Report)

  • Everyone filling out the AMTR will need to have a NCID User Name and Password.
  • These will be provided for you by Jackie Roland, a member of the WSFCS Helpdesk staff.
    • She will be sending each of you an e-mail which will provide you with your default NCID and password (all principals should already have their NCID and password established).
  •  Before anyone can enter data on the 2011 AMTR, you must 1st go directly to:
    •  https://ncid.nc.gov/.
    •  Log in using the default user ID and password sent to you, then reset your password and establish your challenge questions and answers.
  • Once this is done you may subscribe to the 2011 AMTR by going to:
    •  https://schools.nc.gov/amtr
    •  (note: This URL has changed since last year. ). 
      • Please be sure to click the correct role (School Administrator) in the section requesting information regarding your involvement with the AMTR.
      • Principals will choose School Principal.
      • Technology Facilitators and Media Coordinators will choose School Administrator.
      • After filling in ALL requested data, be sure and subscribe at the bottom of the screen.
      • Have to have the NCID user name and password to get into account
      • CL  will e-mail further directions and put the files on the on webportal

Betty:/Parent Assist

Issues with Parent assist:  Teachers not posting to Parent, 
400,000 assessment not checked that Post to parent (this report came out of SAS)
To see this report...Administrators can:
  • Go to Webportal
  • All Principals
  • All Schools
  • Technology
  • All Secure Data
  • Secure Data
Basically, we need to get the word out to teacher who are not posting to parent as this is causing confusion with parents who see a change in the average on parent assist, but no detail to back it up.

Marlo:  Time of year--everyone looking for tech credits by June 30th
On Workshop registration system:  http://intranet.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/WrkshpReg.nsf/SDMenu?OpenForm
Looking for workshops by location, look for "Online"...after you register,
Teacher will get an email (within a certain amount of time, not immediately) telling them how to sign up in Moodle:  http://moodle.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/

Atomic learning
  • To get credit, you have to do a workshop proposal and list videos they will watch
  • E-portfolio on atomic. Can see if they watched the videos
  • The number of CEU's  depend on how many videos u listed and the number of tutorials
  • There are already created workshops on atomic learning
  • You can log in thru learning village
    • User name is whole email
    • Pw is on password matrix on the webportal
    • Not all for credit. They have to apply to school 
  • Creative commons workshop is good
Betty/Couple of announcements
  • Remind everyone that on Saturday, May 14, at  800 am.
    • Maintenance shut down of all servers
    • Will affect email
    • Down for 24 hours--All systems
Next meeting date??  With testing...Week before ? May 19th?  Betty will announce soon.

"Brain breaks" Instant Recess videos on helpful living webpage:  Go to ws/fcs webpage
click on departments,  Healthyl living webpage:  http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us//Domain/28

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