Today is the first Monday after Spring Break. And, it has been a Monday. It started off with a call from one of my districts asking if I had a spare server he could use. I told him that I did not have one, but then realized I did have one I could take offline for his use. He appreciated the offer, but decided to use a desktop he had sitting there as a temporary solution so I would not have to take mine offline.
I got a call from another district asking for help with Teachscape. Turns out that he could no longer log in to do classroom walkthroughs. I gave him the support number to call since it seemed to be related specifically to Teachscape. Normally, I offer to help in these situations, but he had already done the troubleshooting was looking for the next level. In this case, it was the designer.
Then, we lost Internet connectivity at the office. This has happened before, so I had pretty good idea it was the firewall acting up. What I did not expect was the firewall to LOCK up. That was followed almost immediately by two other servers locking everyone out. I rebooted the firewall a couple times after unsuccessful attempts to correct the issue. I then rebooted the other errant servers. After everyone came back online, things seemed to be happy again. Users could get out to the 'net and they could get online to their mail, documents, etc locally.
Parts have been ordered and will hopefully be here asap. In the meantime, it has become apparent that new servers may be in order, considering these are now 5+ years old and have been heavily used since day one. As it so happens, another co-op is looking at new servers, too. We are sharing info and exchanging ideas about the direction(s) to take.
I worked with another district, helping them budget for a new server and the software to go with it. Seems to be a lot of that going around lately.
I received a call from USAC (E-rate) this morning as well. they need verification of student counts from one of my districts. Luckily, I had already been planning to visit that district this week and will be able to pick up the documentation when I head down there.
It's funny how things come about: Sunday in church, the discussion/topic centered on crisis situations and what did or did not constitute a crisis. This morning came close to meeting the definitions learned yesterday. Nothing like becoming the object lesson for a Sunday sermon.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Before Spring Break
This is Sunday, the last day of Spring Break for most of the folks in education in Arkansas.
Just before the break, I spent the week working solidly on E-Rate and on the grant proposal being used to attempt job security.
The E-Rate process is insane. Period. And, for those of us filing for plain telephone service, long distance and cell phones only, it is a matter of mindless repetition. I will say, though, that the process has gotten better to some degree. The ability to copy the list of entities from a previously submitted application makes filling in part of the form as simple as a few clicks and a couple required numbers. My complaint is that applicants who are only filing for the same old thing as they have for the last ten years should be given a pass. That is, we should be allowed to check a box marked "See 471 Number..." and fill in the form we used the previous year.
At least I got smarted this year. We have ONE local telephone carrier in my area. So, this year, we signed a 4-year agreement. Now, all I have to do in the future is say, "Hey, we have a multi-year contract. Thanks." I did the same with Long distance (only it's a two-year agreement).
As for the grant proposal, I worked it and reworked it until I felt good about it. Basically, the process includes a place for what I've done in the past year and a place to explain what I plan to do next year should I be funded. There is more to it than that, but for the purposes of posting here, that's enough to get the idea across. The biggest problem I had was coherently explaining everything I do without making it look like a laundry list. In truth, a laundry list would be easy to whip out. I enjoyed the process of narrowing focus and creating (for lack of a better word) categories of tasks.
We were told that we would know something near the beginning of April, with solid confirmation coming closer to the turn of the fiscal year. My fingers are crossed, though if I end up not funded, it only means that I did not convey everything I do well enough. I wish we could defend our proposals in person along with the written submission. I think that would prove very compelling. As it is, we can only hope that our words (each state tech had to submit a proposal) portray the necessity of our positions.
Just before the break, I spent the week working solidly on E-Rate and on the grant proposal being used to attempt job security.
The E-Rate process is insane. Period. And, for those of us filing for plain telephone service, long distance and cell phones only, it is a matter of mindless repetition. I will say, though, that the process has gotten better to some degree. The ability to copy the list of entities from a previously submitted application makes filling in part of the form as simple as a few clicks and a couple required numbers. My complaint is that applicants who are only filing for the same old thing as they have for the last ten years should be given a pass. That is, we should be allowed to check a box marked "See 471 Number..." and fill in the form we used the previous year.
At least I got smarted this year. We have ONE local telephone carrier in my area. So, this year, we signed a 4-year agreement. Now, all I have to do in the future is say, "Hey, we have a multi-year contract. Thanks." I did the same with Long distance (only it's a two-year agreement).
As for the grant proposal, I worked it and reworked it until I felt good about it. Basically, the process includes a place for what I've done in the past year and a place to explain what I plan to do next year should I be funded. There is more to it than that, but for the purposes of posting here, that's enough to get the idea across. The biggest problem I had was coherently explaining everything I do without making it look like a laundry list. In truth, a laundry list would be easy to whip out. I enjoyed the process of narrowing focus and creating (for lack of a better word) categories of tasks.
We were told that we would know something near the beginning of April, with solid confirmation coming closer to the turn of the fiscal year. My fingers are crossed, though if I end up not funded, it only means that I did not convey everything I do well enough. I wish we could defend our proposals in person along with the written submission. I think that would prove very compelling. As it is, we can only hope that our words (each state tech had to submit a proposal) portray the necessity of our positions.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Moodle: Day One
The state techs attended a Moodle training on Wednesday, part one of a two-day event. Wednesday was all about the teacher/student side of the online learning management system. Each participant walked through a series of examples, demonstrating the various types of forums, quizzes, resources, etc that can be used in the Moodle environment.
The biggest advantage to Moodle over other LMS set-ups: Moodle is free and open source. There is also quite a large community of developers and installations.
The biggest "issue" with Moodle (in my opinion): the interface. The way units (or whatever you choose to call them) are laid out, everything is in blocks on the screen, giving the user a distinctly utilitarian feel for things. Even with a custom skin/theme (we were shown some custom examples), the basic layout is the same. Then again, maybe I am just growing weary of the "two-column" and "three-column" layout we seem to find everywhere online these days (just take a look at your Facebook layout, or heck even this blog's layout). With Moodle, though, at least you can hide certain blocks until the appropriate time. This allows for limiting the number of class units displayed, keeping things a little tidier.
I see Moodle as a way to complement the other online professional development offerings the state of Arkansas has: ArkansasIDEAS, iTunesU, and the new Digital Sandbox. Though, the Sandbox is not really for PD, it is for teachers and students to conduct online collaboration in a closed environment. ArkansasIDEAS currently structures its PD in a self-directed, self-paced manner. A Moodle implementation would allow for facilitated (and/or blended) online professional development. It would not surprise me if ArkansasIDEAS moved to a facilitated (again, and/or blended) course offering.
How would that work in our state? Well, teachers are required to have so many hours of "seat time" (as it is called). With a blended environment, teachers could take a 6-week course (1 hour per week) and get 6 hours of seat time credit. It wouldnt even have to be that stretched out. Let's say the course was designed for 6 days, one hour each day. Still, the teacher received 6-hours of seat time.
Eventually, I see a hybrid model for PD where earned credits are tied to the course and material and not tied to how long someone sits in a chair. Well, that's my hope, anyway.
Thursday's Moodle training takes us to the administration side of a Moodle environment.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What's going on: Monday and Tuesday Edition
Trying to document everything I do really is a challenge. I have got to get better at this.
Monday:
Got the agreements/contracts for AT&T faxed for E-rate yesterday.
Took several calls from schools, but cannot remember specifically what the content invloved.
Sent emails to area schools regarding several matters: Letters of Impact/Support for the co-op Technology Coordinator position, 2011 Technology Needs/Use survey for professional development, general technical assistance.
Talked with Max Kolstad who is back with ADE! Scheduled a CIV for March regarding the TAC/HAC program.
Sent requests to vendors for quotes on a couple desktop computers for our early childhood program.
Worked on E-rate numbers - child counts, etc, gearing up for 471 submittal.
Worked on the HIPPY computer that had become infected with spyware/adware
Helped several co-workers with iPad questions, cell phone questions, etc.
Researched several topics (Parental Involvement, School Board training) on the ArkansasIDEAS portal in order to help folks find the staff development resources they needed.
========
Tuesday
More work on E-rate information.
Helped multiple school techs (in my area and outside my area) through the statewide system administrators listserv throughout the day.
Worked on the firewall to add/modify blocked sites
Performed a few administrative functions on the co-op's Sharepoint server.
Other regular duties as well, among things that have slipped my mind.
=====
These lists are in no way near anything remotely close to "complete." Instead, these are the things I can specifically pull out of my memory from the non-stop "blowin' and goin'" I do every day.
Wednesday and Thursday, the state techs are in Moodle training.
Monday:
Got the agreements/contracts for AT&T faxed for E-rate yesterday.
Took several calls from schools, but cannot remember specifically what the content invloved.
Sent emails to area schools regarding several matters: Letters of Impact/Support for the co-op Technology Coordinator position, 2011 Technology Needs/Use survey for professional development, general technical assistance.
Talked with Max Kolstad who is back with ADE! Scheduled a CIV for March regarding the TAC/HAC program.
Sent requests to vendors for quotes on a couple desktop computers for our early childhood program.
Worked on E-rate numbers - child counts, etc, gearing up for 471 submittal.
Worked on the HIPPY computer that had become infected with spyware/adware
Helped several co-workers with iPad questions, cell phone questions, etc.
Researched several topics (Parental Involvement, School Board training) on the ArkansasIDEAS portal in order to help folks find the staff development resources they needed.
========
Tuesday
More work on E-rate information.
Helped multiple school techs (in my area and outside my area) through the statewide system administrators listserv throughout the day.
Worked on the firewall to add/modify blocked sites
Performed a few administrative functions on the co-op's Sharepoint server.
Other regular duties as well, among things that have slipped my mind.
=====
These lists are in no way near anything remotely close to "complete." Instead, these are the things I can specifically pull out of my memory from the non-stop "blowin' and goin'" I do every day.
Wednesday and Thursday, the state techs are in Moodle training.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Catching up, sort of
Okay, so daily logging is NOT working for me. I haven't updated this since January 26. There have been all kinds of weather-related issues (bunches of snow) and, frankly, day-to-day running around taking care of business.
I will attempt to update this site with highlights between then and now, but even as I type this, I don't have time to do it now. Too much to do! I am working with a district trying to solve a routing problem.
I will attempt to update this site with highlights between then and now, but even as I type this, I don't have time to do it now. Too much to do! I am working with a district trying to solve a routing problem.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday in Bradley
I spent 1/25/11 in Bradley, working on several issues:
Before heading to Bradley, I set up the conference room for a presentation that day.
They recently switched to Vexira Antivirus and were having problems with the software. Specifically, it would not auto-update. Since the tech is also a classroom teacher, she could not stay on the phone with tech support for long durations due to class conflicts. That's where I stepped in. The tech on the phone was very helpful, fixed a few configuration issues and got the software up and running.
Sidenote here: *MANY* districts in the state of Arkansas employ the services of one of their teachers in the role of Technology Coordinator for the district. Part of what I do as a State Technology Coordinator helps offset the times the tech is teaching classes. I am not the only State Tech Coordinator that does this, either. Without folks like us, small, rural schools would have ZERO support for thier teacher/techs.
After getting the AV fixed, I went to the elementary library to work on their book circulation software. Turns out the software is not Windows 7 "supported." They can try to run the software, but there is no support for it on Windows 7. The issue I ran into was a bit weird. They have a hand scanner for barcode reading. The device lit up and would scan a code (acknowledged by an audible BEEP" but nothing would show up on screen (the read code would not transfer). I called tech support, which is how I found out about the lack of Win7 support, and decided to replace the new machine (Win7) with thei old one (XP) until we could figure something out. That's when I saw the problem. The hand scanner is PS/2, as is the keyboard and mouse. There is a Y-Adapater that connects both the scanner and the keyboard together into the PS/2 slot. When moving things around, evidently the mouse and scanner had been plugged into the Y instead of the keyboard and scanner. Once I took care of that, the thing worked as designed - Windows 7 and all!
Next on the list, a pair of computers in one of the elementary classrooms. Dell had replaced a power supply and motherboard, but the computer would still not boot correctly. The tech said the problem was software related because the computer reported that Windows system files were corrupt. I booted (or tried to) from a Recovery CD and when the system got to the "searching for pervious versions" screen, things would come to a halt. I booted the computer to Dell's Diagnostics system and immediately received CMOS error messages. Once I got through those, the system reported that the hard drive was not functioning. Looks like another call to Dell.
The other computer in the room had malware on it. It wouldn't let users go anywhere online or access resources on the local network. On another machine, the local tech downloaded Malwarebytes and I installed it on the infected machine. After a full system scan, I cleaned the computer of the malware.
Several smart boards had issues that needed addressing. Unfortunately, removing the light bulb and blowing out the dust did not cure these ones. The projectors will have to be swapped out for new ones.
A couple of the laptops in the Distance Learning Lab were not working correctly, so the local tech and I worked on those to get them working again.
Once user has a new wireless inkjet in her classroom and wanted her laptop set to print to it. I installed the software and had her printing wirelessly.
During the day, I fielded a couple calls from the office about technology issues related to the presentation happening in the conference room. Luckily, I was able to find a spot outside where the cell signal managed to come through. You won't see the little Verizon guy anywhere near Bradley! No, he can't hear you now.
Before heading to Bradley, I set up the conference room for a presentation that day.
They recently switched to Vexira Antivirus and were having problems with the software. Specifically, it would not auto-update. Since the tech is also a classroom teacher, she could not stay on the phone with tech support for long durations due to class conflicts. That's where I stepped in. The tech on the phone was very helpful, fixed a few configuration issues and got the software up and running.
Sidenote here: *MANY* districts in the state of Arkansas employ the services of one of their teachers in the role of Technology Coordinator for the district. Part of what I do as a State Technology Coordinator helps offset the times the tech is teaching classes. I am not the only State Tech Coordinator that does this, either. Without folks like us, small, rural schools would have ZERO support for thier teacher/techs.
After getting the AV fixed, I went to the elementary library to work on their book circulation software. Turns out the software is not Windows 7 "supported." They can try to run the software, but there is no support for it on Windows 7. The issue I ran into was a bit weird. They have a hand scanner for barcode reading. The device lit up and would scan a code (acknowledged by an audible BEEP" but nothing would show up on screen (the read code would not transfer). I called tech support, which is how I found out about the lack of Win7 support, and decided to replace the new machine (Win7) with thei old one (XP) until we could figure something out. That's when I saw the problem. The hand scanner is PS/2, as is the keyboard and mouse. There is a Y-Adapater that connects both the scanner and the keyboard together into the PS/2 slot. When moving things around, evidently the mouse and scanner had been plugged into the Y instead of the keyboard and scanner. Once I took care of that, the thing worked as designed - Windows 7 and all!
Next on the list, a pair of computers in one of the elementary classrooms. Dell had replaced a power supply and motherboard, but the computer would still not boot correctly. The tech said the problem was software related because the computer reported that Windows system files were corrupt. I booted (or tried to) from a Recovery CD and when the system got to the "searching for pervious versions" screen, things would come to a halt. I booted the computer to Dell's Diagnostics system and immediately received CMOS error messages. Once I got through those, the system reported that the hard drive was not functioning. Looks like another call to Dell.
The other computer in the room had malware on it. It wouldn't let users go anywhere online or access resources on the local network. On another machine, the local tech downloaded Malwarebytes and I installed it on the infected machine. After a full system scan, I cleaned the computer of the malware.
Several smart boards had issues that needed addressing. Unfortunately, removing the light bulb and blowing out the dust did not cure these ones. The projectors will have to be swapped out for new ones.
A couple of the laptops in the Distance Learning Lab were not working correctly, so the local tech and I worked on those to get them working again.
Once user has a new wireless inkjet in her classroom and wanted her laptop set to print to it. I installed the software and had her printing wirelessly.
During the day, I fielded a couple calls from the office about technology issues related to the presentation happening in the conference room. Luckily, I was able to find a spot outside where the cell signal managed to come through. You won't see the little Verizon guy anywhere near Bradley! No, he can't hear you now.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Tuesday
NOTE: This was actually created on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. I don't know why it never posted. Gotta love technology...
Wow, you would think by now that I'd have some cool, creative naming scheme for my daily entries. No such luck, my friends!
Tuesday started off with setting up the CIV room for a small conference between our co-op and a handful of others. That was followed by a weird phone situation in which I had managed to connect the wrong extension for one of our offices. That was readily fixed, though. I love our new phone system layout: go into the tech closet, move a jumper from one extension to another and voila!
We've got a big Common Core preso here on Friday, so I set up with triple-wide room so that the computer image would be displayed on three projectors at the same time. The units we have feature a "piggy back" option and I think it may be time to look into making that a permanent feature. As it is right now, I come out of the presenter's station into a 4-way splitter. The signal is then split between the three rooms by cables running across the floor. It looks ugly. I am generally more of a "function over form" kinda guy, but this setup is starting to make me cringe a little. I'm adding the changeover to my 'to-do' list!
The Director asked me to help with some half-fold note cards, so she and I worked together to get the right feel and fit. That was pretty easy to do in Publisher. I'm not a pro at Publisher by any means, but simple things are fun to generate when the program makes it easy to handle.
Evidently, there are going to be after-work aerobics classes on the third floor. This means that I needed to install a DVD/VCR attached to the big screen TV we brought from the old building. Easy peasy.
I fielded several 'helpdesk' phone calls from a couple of the area schools. Once of these regarded login issues with the Ideas portal. I offered to call the AETN helpdesk to get the logins fixed, but the administrator said she wanted to see how far she got, but that she would employ my assistance if she hit any snags.
Another phone issue came up regarding several machines showing a BSOD. The only way to power down was to unplug the machine from the wall. After a bit of conversation, we determined that several folks had left their computers on during the two-week holiday and that power surges during that break mostly likely contributed to the BSOD. (A snarky aside: perhaps someone was lighting fireworks too close to the school, thus sending the computers into a tizzy... /re: thousands of birds falling from Arkansas skies/)
I helped that same tech with a wireless issue - namely, we downloaded the Linksys WAP54G setup spftware so that she could find wireless devices on her network and manage those from her office without needing to physically visit each one. It's nice in theory. The problem is that the software doesn't give enough time for the units to respond during the initial launch. The software then only sees a handful of units at a time. It is a bit frustrating.
After the PIA review with USAC for E-rate, I received a letter extending our refund request deadline. I now have to submit a BEAR form in order to get my discounted funding from our phone bills. I've never done BEAR before (we usually just get the discounts and do not fuss with reimbursements), so that is adventure unfolding before me.
Wow, you would think by now that I'd have some cool, creative naming scheme for my daily entries. No such luck, my friends!
Tuesday started off with setting up the CIV room for a small conference between our co-op and a handful of others. That was followed by a weird phone situation in which I had managed to connect the wrong extension for one of our offices. That was readily fixed, though. I love our new phone system layout: go into the tech closet, move a jumper from one extension to another and voila!
We've got a big Common Core preso here on Friday, so I set up with triple-wide room so that the computer image would be displayed on three projectors at the same time. The units we have feature a "piggy back" option and I think it may be time to look into making that a permanent feature. As it is right now, I come out of the presenter's station into a 4-way splitter. The signal is then split between the three rooms by cables running across the floor. It looks ugly. I am generally more of a "function over form" kinda guy, but this setup is starting to make me cringe a little. I'm adding the changeover to my 'to-do' list!
The Director asked me to help with some half-fold note cards, so she and I worked together to get the right feel and fit. That was pretty easy to do in Publisher. I'm not a pro at Publisher by any means, but simple things are fun to generate when the program makes it easy to handle.
Evidently, there are going to be after-work aerobics classes on the third floor. This means that I needed to install a DVD/VCR attached to the big screen TV we brought from the old building. Easy peasy.
I fielded several 'helpdesk' phone calls from a couple of the area schools. Once of these regarded login issues with the Ideas portal. I offered to call the AETN helpdesk to get the logins fixed, but the administrator said she wanted to see how far she got, but that she would employ my assistance if she hit any snags.
Another phone issue came up regarding several machines showing a BSOD. The only way to power down was to unplug the machine from the wall. After a bit of conversation, we determined that several folks had left their computers on during the two-week holiday and that power surges during that break mostly likely contributed to the BSOD. (A snarky aside: perhaps someone was lighting fireworks too close to the school, thus sending the computers into a tizzy... /re: thousands of birds falling from Arkansas skies/)
I helped that same tech with a wireless issue - namely, we downloaded the Linksys WAP54G setup spftware so that she could find wireless devices on her network and manage those from her office without needing to physically visit each one. It's nice in theory. The problem is that the software doesn't give enough time for the units to respond during the initial launch. The software then only sees a handful of units at a time. It is a bit frustrating.
After the PIA review with USAC for E-rate, I received a letter extending our refund request deadline. I now have to submit a BEAR form in order to get my discounted funding from our phone bills. I've never done BEAR before (we usually just get the discounts and do not fuss with reimbursements), so that is adventure unfolding before me.
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