ADM Technology Blog

ADM Staff Computer Replacement Survey

ajkurth — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:18:49 +0000

While the district has an inventory of existing equipment, I’d like to hear directly from district staff members regarding the district-issued computers you currently use, as well as your “ideal world” situation when we replace computers.

This is only a short survey (about 2-3 minutes to complete), but please give it some thought, especially as it relates to determining your computer needs. While I can’t guarantee that preferences indicated in this survey will be met, it will help us to ensure that the equipment we put in place is appropriate and efficiently-implemented.

Note that you will need to log into your ADM Google Apps account (if you’re not already) to take the survey. Your ADM Apps username should be your first initial and last name (i.e., akurth), with the password you chose for Google Apps. If you don’t have or remember your Google Apps password and/or account name, please let me know and I can provide that information to you.

https://docs.google.com/a/adm.k12.ia.us/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEtuV0lyR1ZfSlFDbUxxZElneHRjU0E6MQ

Please let me know if you have any questions!

PPEL Passed!

ajkurth — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:37:24 +0000

Thanks to the residents of the ADM School District for showing your support for the district’s technology initiatives by passing the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy. This ballot measure, which will be implemented with no increase to the overall tax rate, will allow the district to make some much needed investments in our technology infrastructure, classroom and operational technologies, and systems that will allow for more efficient use of staff time and district resources. While the plan will evolve as the available technologies and our technology situation change, at a base level, this is what yesterday’s voter approval of PPEL will mean:

Expanded Student Technology Access
Existing lab facilities will be upgraded, while each building will see implementation of additional mobile labs and classroom technology, including access to additional laptops, iPads, Chromebooks, desktops, interactive whiteboards, and document cameras. Further, while PPEL can only be used for technology hardware and non-instructional software, it will allow the district to use existing technology funds to update software and to invest in grade and content-specific technology accessories to make the most of the technology we have available.

Infrastructure Upgrades
With a significant number of additional devices and newer devices that will be more heavily used, wired and wireless network upgrades will ensure that we have the network communication framework to handle the additional demand. A managed, enterprise-level wireless network will allow for much more efficient operation without the serious uptime issues faced with the current wireless network, and faster, more modern switching equipment will help to address current network bottlenecks.

Guest Network Access
Currently, the district’s wireless network limitations and internet bandwidth require us to restrict wireless access to district and staff devices only. After the infrastructure upgrades, we will have the capacity to create a guest wireless network that will allow students and guests to gain secure access to internet resources (still content-filtered as per federal law), without having an adverse effect or raising security concerns as it relates to district technology functions.

Building-to-Building Network Connections
Currently the district has a radio connection between the high school/middle school complex and Adel Elementary, and no connection to DeSoto Intermediate. PPEL will allow us to lease a fiber connection between buildings, dramatically improving network performance and our management capabilities at Adel Elementary, while eliminating the need for redundant servers, internet service, and certain networking equipment in DeSoto. This investment will also allow the district to explore offering services such as video on demand, virtualized application delivery, and district-level authentication and data storage.

Classroom Technology
As previously mentioned, we will be making a significant investment in classroom technology, bringing classrooms up to a baseline standard that includes a mounted projector, MimioTeach device that converts a regular whiteboard into an interactive whiteboard, a document camera, and integrated speakers. While this is not a limit for classrooms, establishing a solid standard will allow the district to make better use of professional development time, and will allow teachers to make plans based upon reliable access to certain core technologies.

Network Management Software
In addition to funding a conversion to industry-standard Microsoft Active Directory as an authentication framework, PPEL will also allow the district to invest in Casper Suite management software, which allows for much greater control of software deployment, updates, imaging, inventory management, status checks, remote management, and so forth than what we currently have in place. ADM does not have a large IT department, and this type of system is crucial to ensure that our approximately 750 computers can be managed efficiently and effectively. Further, this software will also enable management of apps and configuration of iOS devices (like iPads), making possible a large-scale iOS deployment.

Equipment Replacement Cycle
While the average age of the district is currently 7.2 years, PPEL will allow the district to implement a 5-year replacement cycle on computers and most other technology equipment (where appropriate), which brings us in line with standards (most districts operate on a 4-5 year cycle). More importantly, 5 years is generally the age that can be reached while supporting the most modern operating systems and software, so this sustainable replacement cycle will help us ensure that we can run current software and can standardize to the most appropriate operating system. Whereas the district is currently supporting five different operating system versions on our Apple computers alone, implementation of our PPEL plan will reduce that number to one.

Submitting a Technology Support Request

ajkurth — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:52:16 +0000

Here is a screencast showing how to submit a technology support ticket at http://admsupport.adm.k12.ia.us.

Steps
1. Go to http://admsupport.adm.k12.ia.us
2. For your username, enter your full @adel e-mail address (i.e., akurth@adel.k12.ia.us)
3. For your password, enter your @adel e-mail password
NOTE: If you have problems logging in with your @adel e-mail address and password, please contact me by e-mail.
4. Fill out the form to submit a ticket
5. IMPORTANT: If you receive a response e-mail with a note from a technician, you must click the link in the response e-mail to reply to the note. Replying to the e-mail will not reach anybody, as it goes to an unmonitored e-mail address.

Cool Tech @ CES

ajkurth — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:46:48 +0000

Every January, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the site of the introduction of a number of new production and concept products. While there are a few companies that have moved away from CES as a platform for their product introductions – notably Microsoft and Apple – there is still a wide variety of cool tech introduced during the conference, which can often give a great sense of where technology will be headed for the coming year. Check out some examples below, or read more about it here or here.

Top left: HP Envy 14 Spectre
Top Middle: Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga
Top Right: Lumus See-Through Wearable Display
Bottom Left: Nest Thermostat
Bottom Right: Samsung Chromebox

Installing/Updating JMC Gradebook

ajkurth — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:24:37 +0000

The screencast below shows how to install or update the JMC Gradebook application, and I’ve included step-by-step instructions as well.

Go to the JMC website: www.jmcinc.com
Open the Download/Update Software link on the left-hand side of the page
Click “Teacher Software”
Click the “Mac OSX Universal” link next to download the IP Gradebook application
Open the downloaded .dmg file
Drag the gradebook application from the compressed file into your Applications folder
Open the Gradebook application
(NOTE: this shouldn’t be necessary if you’re updating from a previous version) In the Server URL box, enter: http://207.165.185.179/cgi-bin/hs/jmc1112.cgi for the high school or http://207.165.185.179/cgi-bin/ms/jmc1112.cgi for the middle school
You should now be able to log in with your username/password

Mac Software Updates

ajkurth — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:11:50 +0000

Updating the software on your computer can improve performance and solve problems, making it a good idea to check for software updates on a regular basis. The screencast below shows you (visually) how to check for software updates, or you can use these step-by-step instructions:

Click the “Apple” icon in the top left corner of the screen
Click “Software Update”
Your computer will check for updates. NOTE: this process may take from 15 seconds to 30 minutes, with longer times more likely if your computer hasn’t been updated recently.
If there are no updates, click “Quit” and you’re good to go. If there are updates, either click “Continue” or click “Show Details” to see what the updates are, and then click “Continue”.
You may be asked to authenticate. If so, try using your full name (First Last) as the username and your @adel e-mail password. If that fails, contact me for account credentials that you can use to update software.
You may be prompted to restart your computer to complete the update process.

Technology Director Calendar Available Online

ajkurth — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:19:48 +0000

Between planning and presenting for our upcoming PPEL vote, and the normal hustle and bustle of dealing with the district’s technology support and development needs, I can be a difficult person to get ahold of. As such, I’m publishing my calendar online (below), which can be used to get a good sense of when I’ll be available. While I don’t put everything I do in the calendar, I try to include anything that will take more than an hour or so of my time, so it should give a fairly accurate picture of when I’m available.

Google Forms PD

ajkurth — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:27:03 +0000

To reply to the test survey: https://docs.google.com/a/adm.k12.ia.us/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFpSMGpYMUFGeDFadUQzTTY3WE52RGc6MQ

Further information:

80+ Google Forms for the Classroom: http://edte.ch/blog/2008/08/23/10-google-forms-for-the-classroom/

Self-Grading Quiz Instructions (Youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFl3iw6Bp3g

Self-Grading Quiz Instructions (steps w/ template): http://www.robinstechtips.com/?p=394

Technology PD Sessions

ajkurth — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:33:42 +0000

I’ll be offering a series of technology-related professional development sessions every other week for the rest of the semester. These sessions are all optional, but hopefully everyone can find at least one or two that pique your interest. Each session will last for about 40 minutes, so my hope is that each of the sessions will be possibilities for all staff, regardless of building. You don’t need to RSVP, but if you’re planning to attend one or more sessions I would appreciate an e-mail so I can get a sense of seating requirements, etc.

In December, I’ll send out a similar schedule with dates for the beginning of the semester, after sending out a survey and collecting other information to determine what sessions should be offered.

Early Winter PD Opportunities
Technology Department
Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District

Synchronizing Files with Dropbox
Wednesday, November 16^th7:15 AM, ADM Schools Board Room
Dropbox is an amazing (and free!) tool that you can use to keep your files synchronized between all of the computers and other devices that you use at work or at home. Learn how you can effortlessly sync your data between devices and make it available on the internet, as well as how to share documents with other Dropbox users.

Online Quizzes / Surveys with Google Apps
Monday, November 28^th3:40 PM, ADM Schools Board Room
Through its Forms tool, Google Apps offers the ability to design and distribute quizzes, surveys, and other forms online. Learn how to make use of this tool in your classrooms and beyond.

Mimio Interactive Whiteboard
Wednesday, December 14^th7:15 AM, Adel Elementary
The Mimio Interactive device is one of the key components of the PPEL minimum classroom technology standard. Come see how the Mimio device works, try it out, and discuss ideas for how it can be implemented in your classroom. Further, learn about the online community that contains tens of thousands of Mimio activities and lesson plans for every grade level and subject area.

Document Cameras
Thursday, Janurary 12^th3:40 PM, DeSoto Intermediate
Once we implement the PPEL minimum classroom technology standards, every classroom will be equipped with a document camera. Learn about the features these devices have to offer, and take the opportunity to work with one yourself.

Wireless Surveys

ajkurth — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:49:07 +0000

You may have noticed a couple of times over the past few weeks that I’ve been going through each building with a couple of different people carrying laptops and other tech equipment. We’ve been soliciting price quotes for a new wireless network, and as part of that process, wireless companies must test signal strength achieved using their equipment in different spots and document building materials used in each of our buildings.

Once this process is complete and we choose a vendor, our wireless network – currently made up of consumer-level Apple AirPort access points – will be replaced with an enterprise-level wireless network, which will provide significantly better coverage, reliability (no more restarting access points!), and speeds that will average about 5-30 times faster than our current wireless network.