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The 3-2-1: This Week’s Skinny on TEch @ CSD

Today is Sunday, October 7, 2018. Work on the new WiFi network continues!

On these pages, you'll find:

  • A 3-part update as we rocket toward technological greatness,
  • 2 answers to your questions about the digital classroom, and
  • 1 short lesson on how technology works at CSD.

WHOA.

Cabling almost finished at the High School

The cabling crews ran up against a couple of wiring challenges this week, which slowed their work a bit. Science hall, Arts folks, and the front (1st and 2nd floors) should now see evidence of progress, including new access points in classrooms and common spaces. No messy antennas for us this time . . . We’re rocketing into the space age! Cabling work remaining at the high school includes Learning Street and Math Hall wiring and access points and tying all of the data closets together with fiber connections, allowing us a substantial upgrade in internal speeds that the old copper connections were preventing.

What’s next?

When the cabling crews complete their work at high school, they’ll move on to the K7 building. Remember that at K7, cabling will include all the upgrades introduced at the High School as well as an additional wired port upgrade in every classroom.

Meanwhile, at High School, network crews will follow behind the cabling crews to do the back-end set-up for WiFi. We will be working with them to design a more intuitive and efficient, front-end user experience. What? You’ll be able to get on the WiFi fast and easy. How’s that?

How much longer?

We could be looking at testing the new network at High School by next week. We will keep you updated. K7 folks, assume we’ll be ready for testing on your side of the street in about 2.5 weeks.

Your Questions

  1. My wireless device isn’t connecting! We are continuing to work an issue at K7, which began just last week (at least that’s when we first saw reports of it). Personally-owned devices struggle to connect to vStaff-565, and the issue appears to be connected to the encryption certificate the system uses to connect your device. In some limited instances, we’ve had success with the steps we’ll review below. We are continuing to troubleshoot to find a system-wide fix. We apologize for the inconvenience. Apple TV connections and ChromeBook connections are functioning without interruption at K7. We are really sorry for the inconvenience with your own devices.
  2. Is there anyway I can help myself? You can try the following steps on your own device (do not attempt this intervention with a school-owned ChromeBook!), which resolved the connection issue with some devices:
  • Forget the vStaff-565 WiFi location.
  • Turn off WiFi.
  • Shut down your phone or iPad completely.
  • Turn on your device.
  • Turn on WiFi.
  • Select the vStaff 565 location and log back on. If the network sends you a request to install a certificate, accept the request.

Tech @ CSD 101:

Protecting our Investment

Here are a few easy steps you can take to maintain the devices in your room:

  1. Use Surge Protector Strips. Make sure that your Chromebooks, Apple TVs, and TV monitors are connected to wall outlets through a surge protector strip. If you do not have enough surge protectors, tell us so that we can get another one to you.
  2. Make sure remotes, iPads, Apple TVs, iPencils, and Chromebooks are tucked away from easy access and view when you leave your classroom. Please help us avoid loss and damage when you aren’t in your room.
  3. Help us make sure your Apple TV is velcroed to the top of your monitor. If it isn’t, please reach out to Dan at K7 or Joe at 8HS so that we can get you on our list! One theme for the coming workday is: Velcro Party!
  4. Make sure the Chromebooks assigned to your classroom or grade level return to their proper storage places at the end of each school day. The other theme for the coming work day is: Chromebook Count! Dan and Joe will be visiting each classroom or classroom cart to recheck our inventory and reconfirm the number of devices assigned to you at the start of the year. This effort will take place several times this year to monitor the inventory and check for unreported damage. Please, please, please help us by reporting damage when it happens and by keeping track of the Chromebooks assigned to your care.
  5. Involve students directly in taking care of our devices. Please ask students using school-owned devices to work at a desk or table. Please don’t allow them to leave devices on the floor. Keep an eye on fidgety hands and pencils that cause damage to the gaskets that protect and the ports that power our devices. Our oldest Chromebooks (6-7 years old) continue to function because of caring adults who supervise classroom use and model good care for our students.

What’s your point?

We are investing to improve the quality and the availability of instructional technology in your classroom. It is an expensive proposition, and we need your help as stewards of all this hardware to make it a sound investment. As these devices become less a scarce commodity and more a common element of instruction, it may be tempting to forget how far we’ve come. If we are to maintain or grow past the classroom resources we have today, we have to maximize the life cycle of the devices we have at our disposal.

Next stop: A new, more wonderful wireless world!

Don't forget:

Support@nucentric.com: wired pcs and laptops, CSD.local domain, wireless or wired Internet connection, etc. AND SEND A SCREENSHOT!!!!!! (Know that we will poke back and insist on a screenshot. It is the most efficient way to help us diagnose what's up.)

Tech Team Students are available for triage and diagnosis ONLY. Please do not tempt them to make changes to your device! They remain on provisional licenses only!

Please know that we know that Dan and Joe are two of the nicest guys in the world, but if you just resort to calling out randomly for help when you see them, you will likely be taking them from an already scheduled task to help a colleague. We promise to churn through support requests as quickly as possible, but please help us maintain a queue.

Godspeed. See you next week!
Created By
Connie Wessner
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