March+2

=**March 2 Meeting Agenda**=

Technology Awards and Grants

 * ====What awards and grants your schools have received to date and what are you doing with the technology?====

ISSUES
====QE, Kwantlen, Fleetwood – older servers and because of increased uses has created a network lag and fileservers bottle necked. Schools have been purchasing a separate server for student files and media. More problems with roaming profiles e.g. ADA testing some solutions, removing roaming profiles from Admin who don't require one. Newer file servers are more efficient than the older with more space. Lessen load by separating student files from staff.==== Some schools are recommending students get their own 8G flashdrive to back up their own file. Save their files in two spots (home folder and flash drive).

Polling on wireless networks - bad to connect to, more problems with the mobile carts - defaulting to outside accounts
Solution is deleting the ability to choose the wireless they will access, in the testing stage at the moment. Library account is problematic. Try to encourage staff and students to login on their CMS accounts. Generic accounts are not easy to remember for students. Moving from different areas in the school is an issue. Currently working on a new wireless solution that will help with the density and coverage. DECC will have 80 access points and designed for greater capacity of users (up to 3 devices per person). Guest user accounts for parents, guest speakers, etc. is part of the firewall project by 2011. SET BC machine is the second layer of guest, non-district owner but district user.

====Mobile carts – charging - batteries are starting to die. Replacement on batteries with bulk buy. CISC will look into this with purchasing and see if there is a way to get a pricing for bulk orders. Charging problem is human error.==== PC batteries will not be guaranteed past 1 yr. Major obstacle is the battery problems. “Generic brands do not have the intelligent power management features for trickle changing, temperatures alerts, and charge level feedback to the laptop."

Single firewall requires protection and not able to open things schools are requesting. Individual customization when it is per school. Piloted at CISC and Surrey Connect for the project last summer. Concept proved doable. Requires whole new infrastructure and secondary configuration.
 * Project Updates **
 * 1) ====Distributed firewall - Fred - PLnet supplies one access to the Internet and a series of firewalls out to the Internet. New distributed Firewall will be fueled by requesting greater capacity from PLNet, costs have come down. Every high school will have their own presence without coming back to IMS. Phase two will be feeder schools hubbed to highschool and will enable a bigger hub for this greater capacity by Sept. In the future it will be a dedicated box to the school.====
 * ====Guest access - what does this mean?====
 * ====Netbooks - Karen Technical review on the first version was discouraged because of the processor speed. 1 G of Ram. It is meant for is simple tasks and Internet searching, screen small, pages didn't view fully and required scrolling. Small laptop 13" Dell is recommended over the netbook and based on the Celeron processor approx. $500.====
 * ====Windows XP/Office 2007 - Karen - available for the last year, quiet release because of the difference in the way it appears. No training budget. Beware of one note defaults as printer.====
 * ====Mac Image updates and versions (Fred/Karl) - built 10.6 and elementary image done. Four images for the different models.====
 * ====CMS -for Macs using remote desktop (Fred/Karl) Net boot is being redone.====
 * 1) ====Announcement re: DECC and Microsoft Unified Communications - feedback on the project website - Superintendent's communication post announced that the current First Class will be moved to a Unified Communication platform for the new DECC building and a couple of pilots. Website will show a demo of this. This will eliminate license costs and phones. There are over 1000 people (10%) not using First Class.====
 * ====Three focus areas: First Class to Exchange, DECC and unified communications, Projects to Exchange====

3. BCeSIS - training admin and looking at training ICT/Tec Fac. - Brett Raycroft, Esther, and Dawne
Training Database access - BC Enterprise Student Information system is web-based and replaces ONESYS. Access from any Internet capable computer. Data stored by Lower Mainland Fujitsu. Advantage is that there is one record for students. Training day May 2 6th 9-3 p.m. at Frank Hurt, Summer refresher Friday Sept 3rd 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Help by going to the teacher conferences, http://www.sd36.bc.ca/bcesis flash videos www.isw-bc.ca BCeSIS website, training database

Demo - login on handout. Support for Changing passwords, etc. Teachers will have to enter marks through BCeSIS or final mark through the grade book in BCeSIS
 * ==== Assist with implementation – full release day in late May and August ====

Suggested speakers:

 * ====Alan November====
 * ====Alan Levine====
 * ====Jeff Pointek====
 * ====Jason Ohler====
 * ====David Warlick====

Other suggestions
Focus around assessment and learning People are at the level of using technology for grading. How can we show teachers how to use technology effectively and evaluate the learning,
 * Announcements:

SFU Open House MARCH 4TH 4:30-8:30PM

Skills Canada Lower Fraser Valley March 5th Schedulle http://www.skillscanada.bc.ca/RegionCompetitionInformation.aspx **