May 2017

May 2017

Topics this month:

  • NACS EDGE - Phase Two on the Way!!
  • Windows 10 - Coming for 2017
  • Classroom Desktops - Shifting to laptop docks
  • Year End Tasks - Ignore at your own risk!
  • Moving rooms or leaving NACS - Tech Instructions
  • NACS EDGE - Phase Two is on the Way!!

    We are so excited to see phase two of the NACS EDGE initiative coming to fruition - now equipping students and teachers in grades K-5 with 3,800 Chromebooks! Our delivery is expected in mid-June, so once they're here we'll get them assigned and send a note out with instructions for pickup for those teachers who want it yet this summer. Watch for training options coming from the coordinators. In the meantime, we are preparing to collect ~4,000 MS/HS laptops for summer refreshing, along with 660 new laptops for the incoming freshman. Students will receive their devices within the first few days of school. We'll also be installing a new firewall and distribution switches to our network and doubling our ACENET Internet bandwidth from 1G to 2G. Upgrades are coming to several servers, including PowerSchool, Schoolnet, Exchange (email), GroupLink (HelpDesk), and Lightspeed (filter). Several elem desktop labs will be removed while a few specialty labs at CH will be updated. We are glad this is one of the longer summers we've had in quite a while!

    Windows 10 - Coming for 2017

    We are finalizing an image for Windows 10 and hope to move the student laptops to it this summer. If you want your teacher laptop to be converted once we're ready, drop a note to the Help Desk. Otherwise we can upgrade you at your convenience in the fall. We expect Win 10 to handle updates MUCH more efficiently and hope to greatly reduce the burden of running and troubleshooting updates. The look and feel of Windows 10 is a bit different but we don't expect it to slow you down. We will provide some instructions and/or training if needed.

    Classroom Desktops - Shifting to laptop docks

    We will continuing converting teacher desktops over to laptop docks as we have time around other projects, potentially dragging this project into the fall. Desktop stations for office staff and instructional assistants will remain in place. For K-5, the second desktop for student use will also be removed since students will all have their own device for fall.

    Year End Tasks - Ignore at your own risk!

    As we get ready to head into summer, please remember these end of year tech tasks.

  • Teacher Laptops: As long as you intend to return to NACS in the fall, your laptop will stay with you for the summer. We've shifted your Windows Updates so they will continue to run while you are away from the schools. Watch for the yellow shield to appear in the lower right SysTray if it needs your intervention, otherwise they should run on their own.
  • Move Files Off C: Drive: Those of you working on desktops, remember that files saved to your C: drive or desktop should be considered in temporary storage. Be sure that files you want to keep are saved to H:. We will be looking to shift some desktops around now that we'll be fully 1:1 for students, so you may return to a newer desktop machine in the fall.
  • Delete Old H: and I: Drive Files: Delete any files in your H: drive that you no longer need, particularly large video, picture, and music files. Do the same for your unneeded files in the Common folders (I: drive), being careful not to delete others' files. There should be NO executable or program files in either of these drives. Do not keep Discovery Streaming or Learn360 videos on the network over the summer. All student H: drive files will be erased on 6/1 unless we're asked to keep something. Staff and student files stored in Google Drive will remain untouched.
  • Delete Old E-mail Messages: Clear out e-mail that you don't need to keep. Mailbox limits are as generous as we can make them, but large mailboxes will cause you performance issues.
  • >Give Software to Tech: Remember that only technology staff may install software on any computer, and all disks/CDs must be stored with the technology department. Please return any programs to your building's tech office before summer, or send them over to the Tech Help Desk at CHS, specifying which are to be installed on where.
  • Return iPads and Laptop Carts: We want you to have full use of technology throughout the last student day, but when you are done with these items please reassemble all the devices/adapters/cables and make sure they are checked back into the media center or stowed in the tech office/lab. We are converting our iPads/Mini's to a new configuration system this summer, so they will all be erased and reset as we enroll them in the new Mobile Device Manager.
  • Stow or Return Peripherals: Everyone - if you have a wireless keyboard, mouse, Mobi, document camera, clickers, or other device, please remove the batteries and tape them to the device or drop it all in a zipper bag so they stay together. Also remove any dongles (USB plugs) from the computer and store them with their device. (CHS - we are not finished with your inventory, so please leave your equipment out so we can find it.) Watch for the cords for these devices as many of them resemble your phone's charger cord. We do not have spares for these little parts so it is important that we don't lose them over the summer. If you have a device you no longer use, please let us have it back to store or reassign.
  • Moving rooms or retiring/resigning?

  • If you will be working in a different classroom or building next year, the laptop assigned to you goes with you, but please do NOT move the dock or any other technology from your room when you move your other belongings. Tech will set up the technology in your new room for you. If you feel you have something specific to you that we might miss, feel free to alert us through the Help Desk.
  • If you will NOT be working at NACS next fall, we will inactivate your network, email, and other accounts early this summer. If you want to leave files for your successor, assemble those in your H: drive or in a subfolder there and let us know what to move. Emails can be printed to a PDF to share if needed. Let the Help Desk know if you need help with either of those.