--- TIC-TECH message:
Hi All,
I thought this might be interesting, and maybe a little informative, for
schools who are already "hooked up" - or who will be soon.
Our school was wired this summer. We got six drops per classroom instead of
the promised eight (budget problems, we were told). We also got a new roof
on a major part of the building. The roofing finished a couple of weeks
ago, because of a strike during the summer which pushed the timetable back
some. No leaks so far :)
Our tech plan was approved last June. Fifty (new) levy computers arrived
the week before school started, and we all worked hard to get them out to
classrooms, unpacked, installed, configured, Office set up, etc. These
machines are wonderful!! But the work continues.... All staff were told
they had to hook them up, start up their computers (install win98), and then
install Office (we made extra copies). Hats all to the hard working staff
at my school! When that was done, they were to let Dave or me know, and we
came in and plugged them in to the new network, set up tcip, network
properties, the printer, proxy, sharing, and any shortcuts they wanted. We
hope to install Command Antivirus via the server soon.... Dave has half the
building and I have half. We are over halfway through the building. A third
of the levy computers (21 more) have not yet arrived, as they are the ones
from the donation program. We are told they will be here soon.
We have had a request in for 25 six-foot tables for classroom computers
since the week before school started. No sign of or word on the tables, and
as a result, several of the new computers still sit in boxes or piled up in
classroom corners.
We hooked up our MDF and IDF with patch cables a month ago, immediately
after our switches were installed. We were very fortunate to be given
enough switch ports to activate virtually every jack in the building. Yeah!
Last spring we bought a server, and IS set it up on our network last week.
It's working well, providing library services and dhcp, but we have a LOT
more work to do on it to really utilize its potential. We spent over $4,000
on it, and it's a great machine. We have two people in our building with
access to the MDF and server (this was not easy), so we are pleased we will
have some autonomy in this area. Currently we are concerned because of a
battery failure in a power backup unit, but are assured this will be
remedied soon.
Two days ago we got phones in all classrooms and offices. You'd have
thought it was Christmas! A new PA system tied into the phones is running
50/50 - worked Friday, not Monday. Enough said.
Internet access is *vastly* improved - mostly due to the move to fiber and a
switched environment from a "hubbed out" landscape. We've had a T1 for over
two years, ISDN for two plus years before that. Today Internet access was
down for an hour and a half during school because of miscommunication
between Qwest and the district. Somebody cut a line. It's an adventure.
Nobody in our building has any idea of who has what kind of email account.
"Outlook rollout" is an unknown term in a galaxy far, far away....
Several teachers are VERY excited about the new technology available to
them. PowerPoint presentations at Open House, kids using a digital camera,
etc. Staff sharing ideas, successes, informally. Our tech committee has
met once. Huge agenda, much to do. We have asked our IT person to be in
our building a half day a week. It's a start.
We are building a computer lab on our own. Our PTSA and last year's
principal set aside money, so this is really a whole separate topic. I will
say that we realize the district's anti-lab position, so we have moved ahead
on our own... Dave's trying to learn how to use "Ghost", a parent is still
hitting all the refurb. spots for 17" monitors, but we are VERY close to a
30 station, win98, office 2000, 64 mb ram, refurb. Pentium II lab (for
$10,000). The lab has been a very successful environment at Arbor Heights
since we went Novell in 1992, so there is a strong tradition here. And we
see it as the only viable training milieu for our geographically isolated
building.
The hottest tech item in the building is one Sony Mavica digital camera.
Four teachers went to "Teach the Teacher" training last summer and came back
enthused! We have "TView Gold" computer to TV converters available for all
classrooms and the library. About two-thirds of the classrooms have them
hooked up and ready to use.
We have asked for a UWired student again this year. Last year's student
left with last year's principal, so we had to start all over again,
explaining the program to the new principal, figuring out if there is any
money, etc. As we have much more technology in our building, many more
staff are aware that we need tech support in our building *every day*. Our
budget is the same. Our class size is growing. Many realize and verbalize
with resignation that the district will never provide money at the building
level for tech support. This is discouraging for many. We will have to cut
a position and increase class size to get the tech support we need. I will
never vote for that one.
That was longer than I intended. Once I start talking technology.... ups
and downs, the story of a school getting hooked up. Are there more stories
out here in the Emerald City? - Mark
Mark Ahlness
mlahlness@seattleschools.org
Arbor Heights Elementary School
http://www.halcyon.com/arborhts/
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