Monday, October 22, 2012

Technology and Media Meeting Oct 18, 2012




Tech Committee Members 2012- 2013

    Downs, John ‎[JDowns@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]
    Basham, Stacy R ‎[srbasham@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎
    Dipiazza, Julia A ‎[adipiazz@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎ not present
    Hatch, Cynthia F ‎[cfhatch@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎ not present
    Fought, Donald G ‎[dfought@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎
    Mabry II, Eugene L ‎[emabry@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎
    Speziale, Megan R ‎[mrspeziale@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎
    Suttles Jr, Ronald A ‎[rasuttles@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎ not present
    Kilgore, Rita ‎[rkilgore@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎
    Wells, Jennifer P ‎[jpwells@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎ not present
    Sigmon, John C ‎[jsigmon2@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]‎‎
    Turner, Lisa [lturner@wsfcs.k12.nc.us]

Lisa Turner began the meeting with a description of the needs for the media center.
  • Circulation is up with our student numbers approaching 1300
  • Turner has put in a request to administration for $5000 to be used for book purchases
    •  That's just $3.61 per child
    •  Focus of the request is on fiction
    • "Series holes" are horrible and waiting lists for certain books continue to grow
    • Sources of library funds?  There are no dedicated sources of money, no line item in the school's budget for the Library
    • People think book fair all goes to library when in fact it goes to PTSA, and it is up to their discretion on how to use those monies. 
    • Turner feels spending on books needs to be a priority and is asking for members support
Below is a list sent out by Downs showing infrastructure priorities for technology.   Downs feels it is important to set a list of priorities so that we acknowledge them as a school, and so that other last minute items don't pop up and become the "flavor of the week" priorities. Discussion about these priorities follow:

Pod Sound system: 

  • Are people using the microphones?
  • We recognize that the sound is bad out there, but do they help?
  • Turner--research shows that the sound amplification systems enhance student learning
  • Sigmon/Downs to talk with POD folks
  • Cost is ~$750.00/room
Media Center Plan:

  • Turner spoke of making the Media Center a 21st century learning center where access to technology if not limited to the lab, where teachers can group students with or without technology at tables or in what is now the lab area
  • Media center could be reconfigured somewhat with more use of shelves in the back if we go to the laptop model
  • Perhaps we could start with 10 laptops to give us a complete class set of computers and then hopefully build from there
  • As it is now there are really only 22 working computers in the lab area, and this does not accommodate most classes of up to 30 or more students
  • If we went with the Lenovo laptop lease program currently being offered by the school system, we would be looking at ~$200/year/laptop, so ten laptops would be roughly $2000 per year over three year--not bad.
EC Rooms:
  •  Everyone felt this should be a priority high on the list
  • We are looking at  Three main rooms (601, 701 & 801), with following costs:
    • Flat screen TV with mount:  ~1500.00
    • Computer: $750
    • Document Camera: ~ 600.00
    • Wireless Tablet?: $350.00
    • Total Cost per room: ~$3500.00 with installations
  • What about ISS? Would it be used?
  • Could we use any equipment from science rooms if they get new equipment?
CTE classrooms with older computers for some:

  • Members felt this should be a priority as well since it affects students everyday and learning.
  • It's also a discussion with scheduling and data management in terms of putting more than 24 students in those rooms? (Kilgore, Dr. Daniels)
Admin Computers: (Downs and Turner spoke about that situation)
  • For people that work on their computers all day long (more so than teachers), this can be a big issue
  • Right now both Media circulation desk computer and assistant media circulation is one of the oldest computers in the building --over ten years old!
  • Office computers are the third generation IBM computers and the third oldest computers in the building
  • Example--Deb Neal as curriculum coordinator crunches numbers and data all day and this is an increasingly troublesome issue for her and others in the office as well. (works on Office 2003 and windows XP)
  • Speaking of computers, Mr. Mabry offered one computer his area to anyone who might need it.  It is one of the older computers in the building too, and while Downs appreciated the offer, we are in fact working on "surplusing" many of those computers.
  • We thought of perhaps asking teachers if anyone might/could use it as even a word processing station?

**Next meeting set for November 15th **if needed**
if members could please talk to their "constituents" and find out thoughts on these priorities and whether or not they approve or have ideas for other things that should be on the list.

This was the agenda item list that Downs sent out prior to the meeting:

Priority list for investment in technology infrastructure for the future.  Thoughts?

1)    EC rooms (601.701 & 801) have all expressed interest in updating their old technology.  Those rooms would need a modified classroom solution (TV, doc camera, and PC ~ $3000/room to update)  ISS?
2)    Media center and moving away from the lab situation in there (old computers on the verge of death) to more of a laptop open space type of set up where technology and work are in a more seamless integration and not so much a "lab" (COSTS ~ 200 /YEAR/LAPTOP if we do the lease option)
3)    More sound systems for the PODS (bad sound in those rooms ~ $1000/room)
4)    Updating some admin computers (such as the office and media center)  These computers get a tremendous amount of use and have greater needs than average classroom computer (cost ~ $200/computer/year with lease deal)
5)    CTE—providing additional modern computers for classes above 24?  They are only given 24 CTE computers but some classes have more than 24, and extra kids are on old computers.
6)    Others Priorities?
7)    Instructional Technology Issues?

Future happenings:
·        4 Laptop carts coming around the first of the year
·        Additional classroom solutions (pending)
·        More laptop carts?
·        Teacher laptop refresh

Other issues (support) on the horizon…
·   Laptops for 8th grade science.  This will occupy Downs’ time for up to a month getting them setup and ready to use (labor intensive)

Thursday, October 4, 2012

October 2012


 Tech Meeting—October 2012:  http://todaysmeet.com/wsfcstfoct12


Betty Weycker

  • Staying focused at meetings
  • Non-negotiables…keep discussions at tables to a minimum
Pilot Schools:

  • Clemmons ES, Rural Hall Elem, Jefferson MS, Kernersville MS, Mt Tabor N. Forsyth
Grants
  • There are a hundreds of grants out there for ipad, and other tablets but we are still testing with the pilots schools to determine which device works best with our infrastructure, so the answer is NO if teachers ask about getting those devices onto our network :(  
  • She is NOT denying grant opportunities, just because something is "available" doesn't mean we can necessarily support it. 
Power School is the new NCWISE. 

  • Or check out more details here:  http://www.ncwise.org/powerschool.html 
    • What is the schedule?—currently implemented by August ‘13  
    • Scheduling will need to be in place early next summer.  
    • It is a good product, parents will especially love it.  
    • Getting it rolled out is Betty's concern  
    • As soon as training is available, they will set it up, if indeed it goes live in August  
    • Go to:  http://powerschool.com/ to look at demos—they are better on there.
EVASS: 

  • DPI is now doing what WS was doing in terms of managing the data.  
  • Will use email addresses out of NCWISE to manage Evass users  
  • they have to populate email addresses in NCWISE 
  • as a result email addresses  may start showing up in documents for ncwise
K2 report cards—should now say 2012-2013

Kevin Sherrill--Tech updates:/Wireless infrastructure

  • Two wireless networks visible—  
    • wsfcs_managed--Primary network for all domain members (laptops and desktops)  
    • access it by being a member of active directory and pushes a certificate to those devices  
    • With an “off domain device” you can currently authenticate with active directory user name and password
Wsfcs_MLC:  (mobile learning community network)
  • Purpose--Getting ready for personal learning devices
  • And Guest/off domain wireless network 
  • Based on school number:  user for example:  556MLC 
  • PW:  school (see tech facilitator)  
  • Every school has that account right now 
  • Also for vendors and guests who come to the school—call the help desk and get a limited guest account—rather use the guest account then the school MLC account 
    • They will be issued on the fly, and will expire in the time frame needed 
    • Otherwise Visitors who are long-term need to be loaned a machine to use
  • In terms of connecting to an Ethernet wire, that is not supported but it works 
  • Policies and procedures for letting people on the network is still in the works. 
  • Only way to manage until that happens is to limit the MLC network 
  • Long term they will want to use MLC—since it gives out bound internet only –for ipads, tablets, etc.
  •  At that stage of the game until personal devices are approved for use in schools, it's just not proper procedure.
Dibbles issues explained
  • Kevin will push a new image out to the server, and they will help people backup dibbles, synch before they log-off then do image and it has to go on a wire to update.
Dibbles machine names
  • a "D" instead of an "I" ??—they will be put on our managed network—should alleviate some of the pain  dibbles has been.
  • In order to disable MLC they will have to shut that off when dibbles reimage push out is done 
  • They also will be turning off user authentication connecting with private devices 
  • Will affect wireless tablets that school folks connect to wireless 
  • All the personal devices will stop working once they close this user authorization down, (unless they use a wire) 
  • Time frame on when they will open back up for personal devices will be announced at a much later date: 
  • November 1st is the date they will shut down the MLC except for the pilot schools 
  • Should give everyone a chance to re-image the dibble machines 
  • AP phones/Samsung smart phones—as long as the user account is still in the group that will allow user authentication they should still connect to the wireless-–Kevin has a group of mobile phone users 
*Requests for IP phones/classroom drops should be submitted through KACE not anything else

Surplus pickup for the Fall is coming/Carla Miller
  • Include only desktops non working that can’t be fixed 
  • Dead monitors 
  • Still do not have a solution for TV’s unless you want to pay for it 
  • VCR’s, dead cameras, 
  • Old laptops that do not boot up 
  • Blown projector bulbs, put in a zip lock if shattered glass. 
  • Fall 12 surplus pickup on the tech facilitator webportal under "request for information folder":  Direct link here 
  • Check out document 
    • Little green arrow pointing out for check out 
    • Most important--type of equipment, model if you have it, serial number, and asset tags helps with fixed assets, machine name if you know it, and ESN:  for computrace 
    • If do not know ESN, at least try to get serial number 
    • Click on Save 
    • Due October 19th—two weeks! 
    • Carla will pull the information the following Wednesday. 
    • Email Carla Miller directly if you have trouble 
    • Piedmont e-cycling is the company in Kernersville who collects the stuff 
    • Will start picking up during first week of November 
    • All your stuff should be put in one location
Steven Anderson
  •  Technology PD offerings 
  • This year, they are "pushing" gaming for kids that are geared toward educational programming
Site for courses:

  • Question: Training for Common Core?  integrating technology—TPACK is the one they offer. 
  • ITES standards are not in isolation—people should talk to program managers for more ideas with technology integration.
  • Moodle courses—some are worth .15 CEU's
School Wires:
  • Principals asking to know when was the last time teacher websites were updated? 
  • Webmaster can pull "last modified report" 
    • Tools 
    • Reports 
    • Last modified report
  • Tells also who all the editors are along with the date 
  • Calendar does not show modified unless there is a change to the physical properties of the calendar--does not show as updated if only calendar dates are added 
  • Can pull the report as an excel file to sort
Training for new webmasters:  wed oct 10th
  • Needs a email to Evan Herried from Principal
PTSA training—Oct 10th from 8-11
  • Also have to have permission from principal to Evan Herreid
Open labs—for School wires general help
  • for general working on website  time—
    • October 9th: 8:00-11:00
    • Oct 10th:  1:00-4:00

Learn 360/Melissa Edwards
  • Melissa tells teachers to go thru learning village to access 
  • Directions for adding new users were in the TBT, and will be again, and there is a page in KACE knowledge base page #65
User:  full email address
Pw:  wsfcs
  • Administration tab (if you don’t have it, contact Melissa) 
  • Manage locations 
  • Search for a user, hit go 
  • Will not let you create and account for someone who already has one 
  • Add new button down at the bottom 
  • Change role to a teacher 
  • Password: make it default
  • Alternate user name:  you can use active directory user name (saves me time when people forget what their log-in is) 
  • Student accounts are wsfcsstudent number and password is also wsfcs
Betty:  Pilot /MLC
  • We are looking at pedagogy, infrastructure, etc for the onslaught of new technology including Bring your own device (BYOD)
  • Board did approve 1.8 million for purchase of laptops for 5th grade, 8th grade, and HS biology teachers
  • They also asked for classroom solutions.  They approved Darrel Walker to go to commissioners to ask for funding for classroom solutions. 
  • As of today, just PO for laptops has been completed 
  • Teachers will have an edmodo group for support 
  • WFU is still issuing laptops to freshman as of next year. 
    • They are $400.00 and are two years old, no battery warantee, but has DVD drive 
    • Leased Lenovo laptops (for $600.00 over three yrs) X131, laptop has considerably more memory than the WFU laptops, 
    • Size is in between t410 and tablet 
    • Battery lasts 6-8 hours 
    • Does not have CD/DVD :(
    • Budget is $350,000 to purchase/lease ~ 800-1000 this year
  • Decided to continue a partial WFU purchase to provide some DVD’s  support mainly for DPI testing requirements. 
  • Will take remainder of the money and gain ~ 2000 laptops from Lenovo 
  • So, can have 2/3 of staff with lenovo laptops by Christmas 
  • Pick up that last third of teachers with lease program later 
  • Does not have final part of the WFU laptops with DVD numbers yet
Laptop Carts:
  • Allocated laptops based on the class membership as of 10th day 
  • Cart with 28 laptops for classes of 24 on the books 
  • Cart holds 32 
  • Betty believes classes will have "more than they have to have" 
  • These laptops do have to be plugged in (not like the Dell carts that slide in) but is an easy to manage plug setup 
  • DOT will be at schools to help 
  • Additional power adapters?  There maybe some 
  • Middle and High Schools:  Carts of 32 for classes 28 and above 
  • In some cases they will have an additional cart! 
  • Every child who takes science should have a device 
  • Betty will send us and principals with number of carts and number of laptops 
  • If questions, email Betty and she will give better breakdown 
  • She will start emails tomorrow
Deployment:   
  • They need "to live" in the science rooms (Board members will be visiting) 
  • “Have cart, will travel” –other teachers can check out 
  • Mobile classrooms may need some tweaking in terms of classroom solutions 
  • Nov 6th is dedicated to training for science teachers—tech facilitators may attend 
  • Middle Schools probably start January 
  • HS, will get hit first with laptops 
  • Dana Wright has testing calendar, and she will work with her to best accommodate high school’s testing schedule 
  • Science teachers should plan on attending on Nov 6th—every effort by principals to see that science teachers are there. 
  • Hopefully should be enough devices for teachers to do the training on the Lenovo laptops—will be only mass face to face training—and will be at Glenn High School
Licensing:
  • Operating system licenses... 
  • 30,000 devices currently in the system 
  • Getting ready to purchase ~ 10,000 laptops that need licenses 
  • Ees enrollment foreducation licenses (agreement) 
      • Now licences are based on the number of employees, once a year payment. Financially it’s a good thing and also get out of the version problems
      • Advantage--Don’t have to monitor machine licenses anymore, also gives us "work at home" version for up to five licenses 
  • PO went out yesterday on this agreement
  • Lease:  36 month lease--~ 200 per year with licensing it ends up being cheaper than the value price of the laptop.  
  • Could be at the end of three years they refresh them or buy out of the lease,  
  • Goal is to get into a refresh cycle 
  • In terms of school purchases (PTA’s etc.) , call them (Kevin) first to discuss the leasing option because the deal is so good. 
  • Lenovo will support the machines 
  • Betty will put details in TBT
Question:  Is lease only with laptops?
  • It can be desktops or laptops and carts
  • Do not color mark those machines for inventory—because it is a leased laptop 
  • Have had conversation with Patsy Squire—to decide how laptops should be labeled
Classroom solutions: 
  • Took out the response systems 
  • Betty just needs county  commissioners to say yes
Channel 1:
  • We get it free now 
  • Channel 1 junior to test in classrooms (commercial free) 
  • You can do on-demand—decent content 
Connect Your Community—phase 2
  • We are one of 23 sites in the country—won the grant that will provide low cost internet access for low income schools (22 schools)  Time warner--$9.95
  • Will also give access to low cost computers
  • They don’t know exactly how the download will work at home, probably get a code,
  • Laptops will not be checked out to students this year. 
  • There will be training for active votes 
  • Schools may have to do some creative moving since you just put them in science rooms 
  • Don’t move a thing; contact Kevin first—may be easiest thing is to move a teacher.
Sidenotes:
  • Best time for web-x sessions??  http://www.polleverywhere.com/web20classroom
  • If you see tsunami, put in a KACE ticket 
  • Update next Wednesday on classroom solutions 
  • It will be a custom design plan 
  • ?:  MMC:  replication process slow? 
  • Netvistas with new “ees” agreement, trend will be going away 
  • Microsoft forefrontanti-virus 
  • You-tube for educators:  You-tube policy of one time in 24 hours? 
  • Periodically WSFCS  also get panned by Youtube as spam because of 1 IP address 
  • Try "watch knowlearn" and search for the video you have trouble with on youtube 
  • Angela Wallace will send out a list of faculty and staff soon asking if it’s okay to delete old teachers 
  • If you still have a teacher without a webpage, now you can put in a KACE ticket