Technology Tips and Other Thoughts from JD

Thursday, January 9, 2014

January 2014 Tech Meeting

Technology Facilitators Meeting--January 7, 2014

Today’ s Meet: https://todaysmeet.com/wsfcstfjan14

Notes from Steven Anderson: http://wsfcstechnology.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/january-2014-technology-facilitators-meeting/

Kevin Sherrill:

New Tech Facilitators:

Jonathan McMasters—Speas

Mike Kernersville Middle

Review of Technology Vision/5 Areas of Technology Plan

Poll Everywhere: Text: 259947 to 37607

responses:

http://www.polleverywhere.com/free_text_polls/xSTVwTHEjvEH6cy

We do have a district license for poll everywhere and we can get help with that (see Anderson or Creech)

For less than 40 responses you can create your own account otherwise consider tapping into the district account

Thoughts/responses to the question: What potential challenges do you see with Bring Your Own Device?

Should improve access to resources

Finding a comfort zone at the elementary level

Infrastructure in place first, then staff in place to support it all (full time technology Facilitator at every school?)

All about the teaching and learning

Kevin: there is a business side with all the utilitarian things that require a lot of effort as well

Shared Services-Infrastructure and Centralized Service:Where are we with wireless infrastructure? (Charts/Graphs/Talk) Where are we and where are we going. (Carla)

The goal is to have one access point for every classroom. (see presentation for graphs and current numbers)

From 2012 to 2013 to today, huge increase in the number of Access points.

Race to the Top Grant did not go through sadly--We were close (in top four but rural schools beat us out even though they were scored lower)

High Schools: allocation of funds from commissioners coming in late January focusing on High Schools because of the high use of Mobile devices there

Have funding to do one access point per classroom in high schools

Will start installing HS's in early spring

Also, 300 access points were purchased through EC, and they are starting on those now

Hobson: concern about EC classrooms moving around? That can be an issue but might make EC less mobile as a result?

Pods—probably only a total of four access points out there because of thinner walls
Some Media centers are getting more via "Jackie Pierson money"

Shared Storage was covered in principal meeting the other day

Take a tour sometime of the data center

check with Chris Corbin

They have a yearly payment for the infrastructure ( $6500/month for 48 months)

· What have we done with our Internet speed recently? (Kevin--did not specifically address this topic on the agenda)

Centralized Storage- (Chris Corbin)

30 servers and host an additional 100 with virtual environment
Centralized server environment with a virtual environment—Blade server that has 48 processors with 512 GB of processing memory combined together to serve the district—tiered storage.
Have about 65 Terabytes for the district for home folders, etc.
Thing like School funds, e-docs, sub finder, destiny, home folders, web portals, to name a few are all accessed from this one rack with over 100 virtual servers
The way our servers are set up makes adding new apps much easier

VOIP (Chris/Kevin/Carla) Status Update/Financing

We have an older PC problem in this district.
Large number of windows XP machines which will no longer be served with security updates by Microsoft
We have a lot of old and a lot of new (13,000 laptops, and new desktops last spring added large number to the new pile)
Graph of windows versions, and the concern that windows XP not served anymore--See presentation for more graphs
If you have machines you plan on using but in storage, please log on soon so they can use in inventory numbers that they are looking at
End of life starts with Operating system and memory
Broke down graph of machines less than 1GB of memory, 1-2 GB, and above 2 GB
About a 20,000 machine problem.
Need to have "A life Cycle plan" (refurbishing the old ones is too labor intensive).
Will start working with MTAC committee on developing a plan.

Will be allowing all students at all levels to bring devices this year! Teacher Laptop Deployment Update (Carla)

(about 2300 additional units are coming—image issue and delivery issue was reason for delay in deliveries originally scheduled for December
Had delivered some of the lower quantities in December and then discovered image problem, and went ahead and started the re-imaging process
Starting tomorrow, you will get email and need principal or tech facilitator signature
Everything delivered in the next two weeks. Will send names from HR—only certified teaching staff.

Table Talk-How do we handle working equipment that is no longer wanted?

Older desktop equipment even though it might still be working just becomes someone else’s garbage
Nobody wants junk, and if you do, why?
Sending home is not a viable solution
Maybe sell them to Goodwill/Government surplus?
Give them to the art department to make collages? lol
See what other systems do?
Retire them is the word
Thin client and virtual machines at four schools? What happened to that?

been better of late.
Problem is data center and licensing will start to cost more money while PC and laptop prices come down
Would need more servers which costs more too

Jackie Pierson—There are limits on what stuff can go to who? By school board policy has to include WSFCS children using it—have to talk to school system lawyer before stuff is just given away

What about WinstonNET? They are good right now, not needing our oldest machines

Reminder of the leasing programs (13,050 laptops/1705 desktops on 4 year lease)

How PCs are purchased? Is it effective? CTE, PTA's,Bond Programs,Local Technology Budget,Title I,School Budgets

Should we continue buying desktops? Or focus efforts on mobile devices? (Table Discussion)

Link to This Document: http://bit.ly/tabletalk1tf
Some teachers want larger screen—vision issues, entering grades with a number pad
Students prefer laptops, battery issues with testing on laptops after time?
Do we want all one thing? Students need to know several environments
Content area can make a difference
K-1-2 with a tablet? Others say the opposite
15” laptops with a number pad for teacher
3^rd graders testing on laptops, won’t they need exposure to a device with a keyboard prior to third grade?
laptops are the best of both worlds? (Tablet and laptop)

What does a tablet/laptop give that a desktop doesn’t? What does a support and replacement model look like?

Students need to be prepared for several devices
What’s the configuration in the classroom? Wall mounts with mobile devices?
Traditional workplace still has desktops
Kid’s world is "touch world" when they arrive at school in kintergarden
Using the surface tablet—similar to windows ?
Kevin not opposed to anything really…
Concern of Kevin: Giving up the option of Microsoft licensing if we use machines that don’t support those products (like Office, etc.)
Laptops cover more of what they are going to do—considering they have to “produce more stuff”
With High school school block schedule students have to produce products—laptops are more efficient for that
Charging station for kids who bring their devices
Kids still need office product expeirence in business, evernote and notepad are other things to consider
Does a Mouse become obsolete?
"We were married to a desktops and now ready to play the field?"
Expose kids to all of these tools is better?
Tablets easy for theft
Making students feel ownership for devices—better care for equipment when they are assigned a particular machine.
No one solution, but laptops could be a "basic solution"
Science teachers are currently stressing accountability for machines –we need to go with that model
Balance is overall trend in this discussion
Flex scheduling is needed for "labs"
Tablets with detachable keyboards are the trend in ADS--something to consider
Touch screen laptops also a trend
Kevin: Principals see a mix of everything needed too.
Starting to pilot devices testing x131-e, MS surface tablet, I-pad and Android.

Will identify group of students and send home and test all of these

There is "heartburn" in terms of the support for all the different devices.
We also don’t know how exactly BYOD will play into this model.

BYOD/ MLC Program Kevin/Steven:

Responsible use agreement (RUA) will pop up on log-on for teachers/staff like the AUP but will have wording for BYOD.
All schools, students and staff will be able to BYOD
Students will have a hard copy to be signed by parents
Will be up to Principals and teachers to decide how to handle each individual situation
If you are a school who did not opt in on the program, your school can depending on the Principal decision and then a site based decision of teachers too
Don’t want teachers who have not had training to go full force into it.
Short of it is, we are becoming a BYOD district
Part of the agreement, is teachers are allowed to create accounts on behalf of students and parents can examine those accounts

Where are we now?

All schools wan links upgraded to 1 GB
Web filter prompt for credentials on personal devices that filter as if school device
Public wifi now at all schools
2000 ipads in district now
Students in the BYOD program will get email as part of office 365—including sky drive and collaboration tools with documents, etc.

Will use first initial middle initial and last name and few digits of student number for their email address (can't just use student number because of security)
4^th grade and up will have email address, will require change to AD login

Some goals of MLC:

Enhance student learning through digital tools and Media literacy
Expose to many types of digital resources/devices
22 schools go live first (those who have had training)
Teaching kids to think critically and create products
Teachers have a lot to learn from their kids (relinquish control)
Shift in pedagogy (the way we teach)
Kids not regurgitating content, but discovering and creating output
Classroom management issues
Reflection on practice
Community may not understand these needs, Example: a newspaper article with comments about the "one to one teachers" (mcdowell) saying things like: "why do they need these devices in our schools?"
Those in BYOD program have been through some 7300 hours of training
Phase in Plan: meeting with staffs to go over forms
Community communication plan individualized by school
Working on parent information presentation (Michael working on) where parents will interact like students will in the classroom
Will examine communication methods, and reflect and won’t go forward unless community is on board.
There will be a School Board Presentation on Jan 14

Table Talk

What Potential Benefits/Challenges do you see with BYOD?

Will send out the poll everywhere feedback to us
Digital Resources-Home base and Office 365

PRC 030 (Kevin) Money From the NC STATE Education Lottery

Share the plan with what we are doing with the money. We received $577,000
Has to be used be June 30^th
Bring those 300 BYOD teachers back for training for two days and paid substitutes
Science teachers can come back for two days (update on how thingsare going? And expose them to MLC
Home base training
Hire a district based person—train and implement homebase products, school net and power school, lead home base teacher at every school
District technology staff development (Power School University)
Can purchase digital resources like Learn 360, destiny and then can re-budget funds in cases of items we have already paid for this year
Discovery ED verses learn 360? possibly
There will be a pool of money for teachers to be able to get a sub and go to other buildings to see MLC it in action
Biggest piece of all this is staff development
This is guaranteed money for next year too!

eBooks (Jackie Pierson)

E-books have a variety of formats and are controlled by publishers
You want books that can be downloaded by a variety of devices
Destiny home page for IRC: http://destiny.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/common/servlet/presenthomeform.do?l2m=Home&tm=Home&l2m=Home
Media centers to have databases of eBooks
Two vendors for eBooks are: mackin and follet
"Learner" publishes science eBooks
E-resources is what we need to be moving toward, managed through destiny
Jackie’s team is managing logins to online eBooks
Destiny has a Mobile APP, teachers can check out devices
Student Log-in to destiny: it is their student number and last name
Employees: F and employee number and last name
In material type search you can search by electronic device

Leadership-Classroom Solutions:

sound, student response system, tablet, pc, doc camera, LCD
Purchasing Guidelines (standards, price list, site surveys, software purchase approval, requests for data)
Current Solution--Pictures from Smith Farm and Northwest
Video: With Marty Creech—Classroom solution on district videos page: http://mediacast.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/tight_url.cfm/URLID/100460
Replaced document camera with ipad with apple TV hook up
Takes doc camera and gives you mobility
Also have from front row sound system
Works in Pods and Mobiles, it is very bright
Mounts 18 “ off the wall,
Lamps replacement cost is $67
Projector cost is 1700
Overall costs down by about $2000
Eliminates need to take down white board and painting, etc.
Drives cost down
Ipad with stand gives mobility and also use of apps of ipad
Stand tilt down
Ipad mini about $299 and stand about $100 combined it's cheaper than doc camera
Apple TV only used as mirror device, connects to public domain and puts concerns to rest about other uses of apple TV like hulu and netflicks
Perhaps we could do full school implementations with this model?
At a lull with current classroom solution installations, until we get past this decision
Table Talk-Design your own Classroom Solution. What would you include and not include? Post comments to Share point doc: http://bit.ly/solutionstf

Glad to see interactivity brought back to middle and High School

More substitute friendly

CPS and sound --principal must have buy in, otherwise not used

There have to be expectations of instructional use

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Tech Facilitator Meeting November 2013

http://todaysmeet.com/wsfcstfnov13

Steven Anderson's blog: http://wsfcstechnology.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/technology-facilitator-meeting-november-notes/

Personnel Changes:

Kevin Sherrill: Our new assistant superintendent for technology—round of applause !
New tech facilitator--Marion Abrams Mineral Springs Middle
Ramika Rhoads will be back in a couple of weeks at the service desk
Cameron Cook will be out in the field with classroom solutions and media caste
Kenny Flynn: leaving?

Joan Proffitt Help Desk/ Issues to share from the service desk:

JAVA: Java 7 does not work well with gradebook, it is blocked as an automatic update, but teachers can update manually or by accident

Use JAVA on AICP to install to work with grade book
For at home use of Power School, recommend teachers use school system laptop
The "fix" for home computers that teachers want to use grade book on, is for them to uninstall any versions of JAVA and install the one that works with Power School--The Help desk can drop an executable install file on your hard drive that you can put on a flash drive for teachers to install. (the version of JAVA 6 that Power School needs is difficult to find on the Java site)

Proxy server errors on laptops at home not connecting to internet:

Was a problem with IE and chrome, but would still connect with FireFox
Teachers will have to bring laptops from home, and do a gpupdate,
laptops that have been off the school network a long time, you may have to add back to the domain
The gpupdate, will un-check the "automatically detect settings" under LAN settings
The policy will fix this IF they are able to log-on

There is also a gp reset tool (under utilities?) , so you can access a machine remotely and put in the name of the computer, and it will force a gpupdate if the computer/laptop is on

Problems playing You tube videos:

They have been hearing about many problems with Youtube videos not playing/just spinning

It was something with the lightspeed webfilter , if still an issue then do full browser resets
Article 106 about browser resets: http://ithelp.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/userui/advisory_detail?ID=106
Vimeo also an issue? Possibly, send in as much information as possible if reporting the problem
Article 73: http://ithelp.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/userui/advisory_detail?ID=73 (about Deleting/Renaming Profiles Locally--sometimes is necessary to fix the problem with videos not playing
Article 105: http://ithelp.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/userui/advisory_detail?ID=105 (covers instructions on how to remove profiles Windows 7 machines--can be more involved)best practices: teachers should not save on desktop, but we know they do, so before you do a profile sweep, is best to copy desktop files or at least ask

Parent portal: password issues:

Forgotten password parents are calling help desk
Help desk can not reset passwords
Parents have to go to the link for "forgot user name or password" themselves:
https://wsfcs.powerschool.com/public/account_recovery_begin.html

Have to know email address they used to set up the account
If that fails, then the Data Manager is the point of contact

Miscellaneous Service Desk Issues:

Can Ladi bug to be a published icon?—Sandy Holt to put in a ticket to have that as a published icon (otherwise subs do not see it when trying to access document camera)
Day to Day Subs do have AD logins—so should be able to see certain programs like lady bug or smart, etc. but many are apparently using the generic school log-ins--Kevin will try to communicate to sub people that they should be logging in with their AD account (all should have!)
Some suggested work arounds:

Put icons in media folder of the individual computer ahead of time, and log machine in with media log-in
Jeanne--You can back out of MMC, and find the subs AD account. You can also look up in email and then try the generic pw
Can have access to student share under the media login?

Flash issues with smart board?

In control panel... do something with flash player (Sandy Holt gave directions)

Joan to send out to elementary schools the Smart Board flash fix
Email concerns to Joan otherwise they will get forgotten

Kevin Sherrill/I-PADS

To buy apps for Ipod, you have to buy vouchers from the price list
Steven: Read privacy policies of the apps (many times apps are for 13 and older) before you put in a ticket.
Some apps require Facebook logins and they cannot approve that
Carla handles the purchase order approvals and we need to understand the process

Jennifer Ellington:

I-Pad upgrade instructions in the Kace Knowledge Base. It is KB Article 108 and you can reach it at the following link:

http://ithelp/userui/advisory_detail?ID=108

Volume purchasing procedure (VPP)

Here is the Power Point that Jennifer Showed us:
https://skydrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=7B8F9573D4393628&resid=7B8F9573D4393628!200&app=PowerPoint

There is also a "VPP facilitator" who does the actual app purchasing at the school, and must be approved.
There is a part number, you get something similar to an itunes gift card and you get a redemption code
Then you go to volume.itunes application

http://www.apple.com/education/it/vpp/
Log-in with VPP account
Brings up volume purchasing
Put in the code from the card and it gives you the credit you have
Once you have the spreadsheet, you email it to Jennifer and she will add to airwatch
Also most of these directions are on the Price List: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/61/PriceList_11-05-2013.pdf
Then under air watch, it’s under purchased applications
License discussions—Have to have IOS 7
Teachers all have access to the app store, and on the apple website on the computer
make sure they check the terms of service and the privacy policies
Steven will publish a list of approved apps
Instructional technologists are great resources for info on apps too
Volume pricing starts at 20 licenses
IO7 upgrade has been piloted and done most successfully at Mineral springs (with air watch update)
Whoever the purchasing person is will need to be in contact with Jennifer
Do not update via i-tunes plug in to the computer unless a teacher dedicated i-pad
They may make edits to the standard AUP form to cover i-pads,
Has to be run through legal and ( Allison Tomberlin, General Counsel )
If you make your own AUP, then you might not be defended by wsfcs legal.
AUP covers you at this time. Also info in student handbook
Non i-pad mobile devices must also be registered in air watch
We do not have a process in place for google mobile devices. They are evaluating that at this time.

Printing:

Rolling out to high school servers
Hearing about people who don’t understand the TRAC utility.
Will send out a video on TRAC
Please work with principals and establish print locations and try and stick with it

NCDPI initiative:

November 11/12^th—Internet bandwidth usage test based on volume and hits, etc.
Kevin will email us links instructions (is it this? https://www.mcnc.org/events/12days-of-broadband )
Encourage teachers and kids to go to website and at least hit the bandwidth
2 GB Internet usage has gone into affect—highest we have gotten is 1.1
We are just one of 5 districts in the state that have 2.0 GB bandwidth
Slow downs at school could be infrastructure issues at the school

Carla Miller:

Printers: Carbon 6 is the back end program for the printers
Issues #1) printer moves is HUGE—must let them know ASAP

Results in missing toners and misplaced toners
Carla has the digital signatur and can track deliveries
Sometimes they ship wrong toner
Anytime you have a faulty toner, you have to hold on to the bad cartridge and it has to be sent back. They will send lead secretary the return labels
How can you tell if a toner resets or not? can't really
Sometimes the problem is with the computer chip in the printer.
If Carla does not get information about the moved printers, then you won’t get toner.
Carla needs to know if you get a cartridge with no name for the printer location.
Carla will be doing another comprehensive printer survey soon (getting printer names and IP addresses, etc.)

Surplus:

Extra equipment that is still working that you can’t use –Carla did a survey earlier this year--will follow up on that soon: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/techequip
Wireless Access Points: Still installing as part of BYOD—questions about that—email Carla.
Also Carla is trying to deal with dead spots in schools when money comes in

Kevin/Customer Service:

Something they are going to do as a department is focus on Customer Service—renewed effort

They can and will do better

Secure browser for testing—look for more information for installing from AICP

John Worley—new testing person
Secure browser: locks you into the browser and you can’t get out of it during testing
Kevin will get clarification and get all that information to us

Updates:

Kevin and Steven will work on an updated blog site and hope to have live shortly
Will be hosted by word press, with pictures, videos, etc.

Laptops for Teachers:

2300 for teachers, showing up Nov 19^th here at Central office
Talked to superintendent: Have to have the WFU laptops back--T400's

They need for 3^rd grade testing
Good news is we are getting new laptops

Also looking at computer refresh in classrooms--goal long term is to never have computers older than 5 years
Cisco IP phones—still 37 schools to do—Cory Mccloud is heading up that program—hopefully by the early part of next summer it will be complete

Steven Anderson/Power School:

Share things we talk about with grade book Gurus
Steven and his staff are getting trained on all aspects of the gradebook
Refer to the Power School help site: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/powerteacherhelp

Three common problems: Grade setup, not changing from F1 to Q1,

(Teachers have some comments in the wrong place as a result) Also defaults to F1 in between quarters) on a weekend it may also default to F1 --Best practice is for teachers to always check that they are in the correct quarter
Also better not to manually override letter grade—better to change an assignment(s) instead to make the grade they want
Issue of tech facilitators not being able to get into teacher gradebook?

Reset the numeric value if manual override for letter grades is done

Tickets on blocked websites:

Remind teachers to check the links with students before they put in the tickets
Also, describe how they are using it, and give lots of information

Speakup survey: http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/

Steven will send the link (starts at grade 3)
Prize for school with highest percentage wise of participation?
Takes five-ten minutes to fill out

Dec is computer education month

Encouraging teachers to CODE
Part of the STEM project
Register on the website—Dec 9-15 (especially elementary)
http://csedweek.org/
Steven will send out more information

Next webmaster/pta web master meeting will be Monday Nov 18, 8:30 -11, and webmasters in the afternoon

PTA people need to be designated by principal through Evan Herreid

Instructional Tech people come up and demonstrate apps

Melissa/Educreations https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/educreations-interactive-whiteboard/id478617061?mt=8

Interactive white board on your screen
Also an option to record, and play it back, can insert a picture
There are featured lessons already created and can search by subject area

How to capture an IPAD screen:

Apple TV box connected to projector—hardware is on the price list—about 150 total with the cords
Put in the ticket with Jeff Taylor to determine your setup

Hook to a flat panel just need hdmi and vga for a projector
Goes on the public network and the ipad and the box talk together and mirror the image

Chrome cast will only mirror certain things like netflicks, no way to authenticate so will not work on our system at this point

Tellagami with Doreen Bates: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tellagami/id572737805?mt=8

Under 13 can use with parental permission
Good for storytelling
Used pics for learning to get the background picture or use one of their background pictures
Can share through twitter/email/text

Colleen Fitzgerald/Read aloud:

for very young kids-- comes with some pre loaded books

Brian Piekarski: Myscript calculator: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myscript-calculator/id578979413?mt=8

Michael Wiseman: Wunderlist: simple to do list

Syncs with all your devices
Can also share with people Like grocery lists with another person

Daisy the dinosaur—Evan Herreid

Hop scotch- scratch is an alternative for PC

Steven Anderson--Highlights of the State technology plan for our district

MLC is not BYOD
BYOD is part of MLC initiative
School net feedback—mixed and most teachers don’t like it and it doesn't work
TPACK training continuing and will revise
Walk thru process will be re-worked
Continue PD on MLC
Principals need to be the tech experts so they can have a firm understanding
Blended learning at all levels, run our own virtual high schools?
Partner with local universities (Salem, WFU, WSS, Salem, etc) how can they support us better? And us be better partners?

http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/drafttechplan (Tech facilitators offered input via today's meet)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Tech Facilitator Meeting October 2013

http://todaysmeet.com/wsfcstfoct2013

Zack Lagrand is back at the service desk.

Kevin Sherrill: Topics for today

Apple/ Ipad update
Office 365: Working on client on office machines
Pushing out x131 laptops more of them?

New laptops:

2100 x-131 laptops were put out to teachers last year to those who did not receive WFU laptop in prior two years--2300 still had WFU laptop (t-400, t-410)
Kevin has been talking with Dr. Emory about this disparity

Decided to cancel the WFU partnership
The WFU program made sense in the past when laptops were more expensive (WFU is moving to a four year program anyway) so would not work for us since we would then get laptops that were used more and older
Money was already budgeted to buy WFU laptops, so now are working to reallocate money to add another 2300 of x-131 laptops
Plan, is to go to board for approval, and then late in November should have new laptops to roll out to teachers.
Will go to anyone who is a certified teacher
DOT does want (T400’s back!)
For third grade testing and other needs
Laptops will have a full warrantee
Moving to a four year lease.
Ones we have now, will go to a five year lease
So every teacher should then have a machine with office 2010.

Office 365/Email

Issues with office machines—not up to date to have office client FireFox patch coming, sometime send button does not show but another work around is to change the reading pain and put at bottom

Secure browsing for October testing

Will send out instructions to install secure browser for online testing

Wireless:

Still adding access points to schools
Goal get to one access point per classroom
Sam Dempsey, was able to get one access point per EC classroom (grant)

Already ordered and will be put in soon (any room occupied by EC teachers, ~300 rooms)
Carla—will need a room number of where they are located.
Also with this same grant--they have bought 167 ipads for teachers
Will replace access points in rooms that already have an access point
Was explained to principals.

If public wireless network is not working well, then possible access points not configured right, and you need to put in a KACE ticket for that
If grabbing public then perhaps light speed agent not installed correctly?

Lightspeed User Agent

Partial error happened with the initial install—
If you go to utilities

Run light speed fixer upper
Can also go to add remove and uninstall it and then reinstall it from AICP
For it to work User agent service needs to be running

The Service is not getting created if you see those prompt login screens when users access the Internet

Fixer upper deletes the uaservice.exe file
If the service is running/in use, you will get message that it’s already running
Uaservice .exe file is the one to delete
Still seeing machines, that fixer upper is not working? Then put in a ticket with machine name
Should work with service pack 2 but have not tested
Fixer upper will work from your machine as long as the intended machine is turned on

Driver Depot:

go to:

Start

run

\\340srv12\driverdepot

Brings up all the devices we have out there and the drivers for all of them
Kevin: wants to have this type of information in the knowledge base and video linked there

Apple IPADS:

Lots of them are hitting schools now
Trying to standardize the apps, etc.
Jennifer Ellington is here to talk about it and Kevin has talked to principals
App store is blocked right now but will be unblocked soon for teachers
They have reviewed many free apps and placed them in a WSFCS app catalog.
Apple products are on the price list
Ipads must be shipped to central office 4801 for setup before going to school
Airwatch is company that deploys the device managment to the ipads and mini’s

There is some tracking ability with these devices through airwatch
Puts profiles on the ipads

Everyone ipad requires passcode
Emh and school number
Teachers can change passcode (don't necessarily encourage) (5 times wrong and it will reset--BAD)
Otherwise have to hook to a computer and do a complete reset
Wsfcs APP catalog is a weblink that gives you a catalog of free approved apps that you can install
School apple id is your generic media account user name @wsfcs.k12.nc.us
Contact Jennifer as you need the password
Please do not reset the pw for the media account through mmc
Volume purchase program—will be able to buy apps at a discounted rate
Program facilitator at each school will purchase the apps—license will belong to the school district however (if teachers buy apps with their apple ID they don't travel with the device if the teacher leaves)

IOS7 operating system for apple products:

Apple upgrade servers are blocked right now at school (kids have been trying)

https://skydrive.live.com/?mkt=en-US#!/view.aspx?cid=7B8F9573D4393628&resid=7B8F9573D4393628!186&app=PowerPoint

They want to do the upgrade in a controlled environment to test
Authentication through light speed web browser is the main issue right now (need to hit refresh or type in a new web address to get the authentication log-in window)

has to uccur in the browser every 8 hours

Window is closed for fall surplus, if not revisit in the spring.

Steven Anderson:Power School:

Getting lots of emails about access for admins
The push right now is for teachers to take attendance and do grades—that’s all data is going to focus on..all else is in the back burner.

TA’s and PRT’s will not have power school

Teacher of record will get a gradebook
When things settle down, (in a couple of years) then these other things will happen
Gradebook Guru’s should support as best he or she can
Teachers who have not setup gradebook correctly, will become apparent next quarter

Middle School: 20,20,20,20, 20 for exam

Common core math: 18.75 and 25 for the exam

Instructions for all this is on power teacher help: http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/powerteacherhelp

Can not do points and percentages in same gradebook
Parent portal—Every webpage should have a link to the parent portal page
http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=769
Home base incidents page: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/homebase/updates/issues/
Right now, attendance is not shown on progress report, will be after the next upgrade (parents can see on power parent tho)
Power teacher app for apple is now available
Problem--Can't find district server
Go into

settings
server
put in: Wsfcs.powerschool.com
Then, Go back to login and select a school
Will work just like computer version

Power parent app works even better

They will use Parent user name and pw
There is No admin one at this time

KACE Tickets:

Unblock website tickets get sent to Steven
He judges instructional value and gets with program manager and then Cory "white lists" it, if approved
Some sites will have for example, Search engines that let students get to other inappropriate things
What he needs is an explanation of how they are using it and why
For unblock tickets and others put brief description in main box and then in bottom comments box put details (this is the opposite of what Kevin told us in the past)
There are growing pains with this new webfilter
Steven handles blocked tickets as soon as he can--makes it a priority
Question ? Pinterest partially blocked at times (pictures come from other hosted third party sites is sometimes the problem)
You can sometimes Copy and paste the links that get blocked there
Youtube should be unblocked for all staff

District PTA

has a compliance office and a big push for webmaster training (done four trainings so far)
next training dates is Oct 14 downstairs in Education Building

MS office Home use:

Go to:

Departments

Technology

Wsfcs employee home user program on the left

Sign in with school credentials (email )
1 instance on 5 machines, and agree to remove if you leave the district (also adobe creative cloud which gives adobe photo shop, etc.)

AUP—Acceptable Use Policy

Every student should have one on file
If students didn’t sign purple forms, need to be in cum folders to be in compliance

2013 Speak up Survey: http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/

National survey that collects partner attitudes towards technology
Use to help determine the needs of your community and students
Student survey needs a password and it is wsfcs
Steven to send all the information to us
Open until Dec 20^th—He will talk to principals about this
All anonymous
Takes approximately 10-15 minute survey and mobile friendly

Online courses

Are being offered again this year
http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/ditcalendar
For example, curriculum pathways course is really cool

TRAC is supposed to working?

Could be Profile related?—delete profiles if printer not showing up
The one requirement for the client to run/For Trac to work, must have .net 3.5 net framework installed and can that can be installed from AICP (under Microsoft net framework 3.5)
90 percent of calls about trac are the typo in the printer name
Run connection refresh or start run and womac /ip

To browse to a print server: