Betty Weycker/staff changes:
- DeLea Payne took a position with "Race for the Top"
- Zach LeGrande from the Help Desk/networking taking a position as an assistant manager at a Winston-Salem Health Club.
WinstonNet-Connect:
- Quote: "This is going to change my life"--from an elderly lady who was receiving training and getting a computer.
- Pay it forward kinda thing
- They just distributed 62 computers, and 90 more "graduating" this week, and 200 more coming...
- In Schools, finishing Saturday classes at Glenn and Ashley
- Working on classes at Bolton, and other schools like Kimberely Park, N Hills, Kernersville Y, Downtown library, here, and elsewhere...
- "Reagan Rooster"--February Issue--editorial opinion --what students like about parent assist, and parents--(Parent Assistant is our electronic gradebook..)
- NCWISE has been bought by Pearson...a company of AAL
- NCPearson has been in the business of student information management for a long time
- Parent Assist: needs more understanding--
- School Board Policy (AR 5124 Grade Reporting Regulations --grade and reporting) does not say we will continue to email progress reports...policy says you have a week to post your grades, and teachers must post to parent assist.
- If a teacher chooses to e-mail progress reports--that is a multi-step process
- Quotes from Reagan's paper: "What if there was a rule that says assignments had to be entered two weeks after they were assigned..." What?? Hard to believe parents are asking that when policy says assignments are to be entered within one week into electronic gradebook...
- What can we do to better communicate to teachers that the policy is that assignments must be entered within a week...? and they must post to parent assist (a date makes it available for parents to see)
- Here's what they are doing: Debbie Harmon and the data team have figured a way to lift that date out, and --everything that is blank would be viewable....on a screen--it looks like an excel spreadsheet and lists anything that is blank like post to parent, or a date of an assignment. SAS will make this be available to see.
- Betty will be presenting this to principals.
- EOG will be counted like a final exam grade for Middle Schools--25 % of the final grade
- For Elementary, EOG will be 25% of the 4th quarter grade.
- AR 5124 is the policy on the EOG
- Elementary, NCWISE for report cards for grades 3-5 starting at the beginning of next year
- AR3240--policy on grant funding,
- As this train was rolling on unknown devices..teachers are finding grants for items that are not part of the standards...That is a philosophy they are not willing to accept.
- Some teachers adamantly disagree with Betty on some of these issues...
- Review of grant applications--clarification...Teachers must have a review by research and development...(#9 on her policy proposal change)-- purchase of all technology whether it be from school funds or PTA will have to go through department of technology>
- For example, before you purchase software, it must be approved by software clearinghouse. So basically all technology purchases should be requested for approval before buying. Either with a HEAT ticket, or an electronic purchasing request form of some sort.
- Question? What about Title 1 spending? Sometimes people go out and buy "stuff" for schools with these monies--Betty says that Title 1 folks already work pretty well with technology purchases.
- BYOD--"Bring your own device" some districts are already doing this.
- Brian: Here is his blog on updating the firmware, Brian's Power Point (have to login to webportal)
- mainly for the communication between the RF receiver and the remotes
- 6.70 latest version of CPS
- 8.90--latest version of workspace
- Must first remove CPS from control panel--for re-installing from AICP
- Open the e-instruction device manager
- plug in the mobi receiver
- right click on the mobi icon in the device manager and choose properties
- press shift and control keys at the same time
- click on the update mobi tab that appears
- click browse and open the hex file that ends with f
- update the firmware
- the mobi will restart automatically
- If on time line, it ends in F, it's already updated
- Updating the Pulse RF receiver
- Plug in the cps pulse rf receiver
- open device manager from e-instruction system tray
- rc on the pulse rf receiver
- etc--will be posted on the webportal...
- updating the Pulse Remotes
- to check if they need updating FIRST...
- press the menu button
- press the right arrow key 6 times until you see diagnostic
- press send the old version of the firmware is .00.47 and the new version is 00.54
- only thing you have to do manually is put in the channel
- make sure the receiver and the remotes are on the same channel
- Self Mutilation is his middle name (ha!)--with all they are planning on doing this summer.
- Signed up with a company that will monitor all network printing.
- The company will start shipping toner when cartridges start going out...it monitors the level of toner.
- This may save up to $3000.00 per school per year
- cost is based on "per page" model
- includes fuser replacements
- All purchase orders have been put on hold for toner, they are going to collect all the cartridges, and will have a central repository. and distribute until this company takes over.
- They did analysis and looked at how much people were using toner and printing from printers
- What about stand alone printers?
- as they roll this new program out, one printer per person may not work
- What about network color printers?
- cost for color printers is 8 cents per copy with this program, should still be less than the current cost of replacing those expensive cartridges.
- Auditing will bring to light excessive printing :)
- Company will be responsible for all on sight repairs including fusers and other items up to $200.00
- Printers not on the network will have to be put on the network...or deal with some other way
- They are going to audit every school and look at all the printers
- There may be older printers that might not be part of the program
- Guy Lucas is handling it from purchasing end...
- How we provide access--currently uses WEP code.
- WPA2 is the wireless encryption they are going to use.
- machines will have to log into the network to be able get access to the wireless access point
- Known issues with the R-40’s
- Pilot testing at SE, Kimmel Farm and one other school
- Will have to reconfigure access points at all the schools (Carla)
- Will start working through the three pilot schools
- will push policy to all workstations regardless of container
- will get another update next time
- No time frame on how long it will take until they get through the pilot schools
- Some hacker maybe able to find a way to get that certificate, but it should be much more secure.
Race For the Top Money
- Current plan is to start outfitting schools that don't have wireless.
- Carla will be heading it up.
- First phase will be to survey schools and see what they need in terms of wireless
- E-rate dollars will help support this
- It’s time to look at something a little more flexible
- A hosted e-mail solution, no more servers
- Windows live—is the hosted cloud version of outlook
- Issues:
- blackberry integration
- Lotus Client issues, street files, and all those client based applications
- Active directory will be the database for e-mail names
- Goal is to have this rolling out in the next school year
- totally web based, supports multiple browsers and platforms
- Will start testing ...printing is one of their big concerns
- start migrating servers to central office
- migrating to windows server 2008
- SSO will be replaced by server 2008 management
- Still working on 2006 bond schools
- Can't tell you when all the new schools will be on-board
- goal to all front offices as soon as they can
- Product called KACE--rolling out this summer
- some things run now by servers will run from this management service
- this will run an agent on the machine that will take care of inventory--will be more efficient
- will not replace computrace--will still use for theft recovery
- will have ability to uninstall unapproved software
- will keep up with the number of licenses at schools
- will also be new power management tool
- starting roll out now, does not need help to install
- laptops will have to come in and get it installed
- Thin client devices instead of full workstations ($250.00) vs $750
- Virtual desktop interface
- When Betty presented this model, they do not cut the budget, and can refresh more schools with computers--new plan is to provide more resources with less of a machine.
- Issue of Old computers in the Building? Barbara Sasso
- Betty what can we do to alleviate the fears of "shared services"?
- Peggy: a place for frequently asked questions?
- Betty: people coming from all around the state to see what we are doing to offer resources yet save money.
- Side bar from Kevin: When you don't get your H drive, every now and then it will drop a script, and not populate the home directory. It is going to happen particularly during start-up times.
- Monday is March 28th...and Dr. Martin said all staff should be attending staff development...She has had to say "no" to several principals in terms of providing staff development--just not enough people to go around :(
- Any teachers can take moodle courses, atomic learning...(Erin Mulhern asked about the password)
- On the webportal: info for tech facilitators for how to create a course in atomic learning
- log into webportal, and click on : Instructional technology
- atomic learning folder--document on how your teachers can get credit for courses on atomic learning...
- There is a course on how to set up a course
- Must set up a workshop proposal in the workshop registration system
- Workshop Agenda should include a list of all videos that they will watch, and copy into the agenda
- Needs to be at least 45 minutes of tutorials
- not just watch and walk away
- Make some product for them to produce
- The workshops are customizable
- Atomic Learning Student logins: all students should have accounts, tied to their student id number and wsfcs
In light of all the projects they are under-taking...Heat tickets--patience
Lots of changes coming...cloud coming...Change does not scare Marlo--she is a fan of change
How to manage change--she would be glad to help us with us
Technology is always changing and changing faster than we are moving
Youtube--"Lost Generation"-- all it takes is a "reverse of thinking ..."
She talked with AP's yesterdayThey really want to see the best things
"I am just thankful I have a job..."
Question about Youtube videos:
copyright still applies...
If they are copyrighted on Youtube, then technically it is illegal to download and save.
Still using zamzar
Downs recommends http://keepvid.com/
Betty --Couple of announcements
No open lab today--only been about 8-10 people who signed up...Well regroup after today and decide on whether to have them or not, and whether they will be topic specific focus or not...
Matrix for passwords (log into Tech Facilitator web portal to access this) is being revised...and will be posted on the TBT
3 minutes input better communicate information:
From our table:- Frequently asked question resource site?
- a searchable Frequently asked question blog or database
- Something to notify us when something happens--like the old Heat Site did--something that is affecting everyone
- More info about theme money and how it will affect us
- an update and reorganization of the webportable (ditto from another group)
- notes from this meeting posted somewhere?
- Patience from you guys too and for our teachers
- Not just putting it out once...Do a great job of telling us things are coming but then some where along the way it seems to get lost
- Open labs--they like them...on a different day, topics announced that relate to the meeting?
- Get an idea of training for new things this summer (scheduling vacations etc.)
- On-line testing, writing testing, demands are increasing...technology to talk with assessment and give us a better idea when testing will impact computers
- Links to the things are posted...
- Common place for us to put in troubleshooting tips...
- TBT is good on keeping us up to date
- Possibly skype sessions to offer open labs so some locations would be more convenient
- Do appreciate the helpdesk phone number...
- A forum for tech facilitators for common problems...
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