May 2010
Setting the Desktop Image
23.May.2010 21:26 Filed in: Tech Tips
One
thing you can do to personalize your desktop is use a
picture to make it more personal. To do this, you do
not need to open any System Preferences. If you
already have the picture or graphic on your computer,
it is very simple.
First, navigate to the location on your computer that the picture is sitting. It is easiest if it is just on the Desktop, like in the picture below. Right-click on the picture (see Managing Your Trackpad for more information on learning how to right-click on your MacBook), and choose Set Desktop Picture. See the picture below.
One potential problem that may occur is that the picture may become pixilated (showing all of the little squares/pixels that make up the picture). The best way to avoid this is to use pictures of high resolution, such as a full-size picture from a modern digital camera.
If you would like to use a picture that is stored online, that, too, is simple. First, you can only use a picture if the copyright allows you to do so--either because it is open source under something like Creative Commons or a picture that is now in the public domain. Then, go to the online site that hosts the picture that you would like to use. Next, you will typically be on a page that displays thumbnail images, smaller versions (lower resolution) of each picture. So, click on the picture you want to use in order to enlarge it to its highest resolution (to avoid or minimize pixilation).
Next you will right-click on the picture, and you will choose Use Image as Desktop Picture.
At that point, your picture will be set on the Desktop. Depending on the size of the original photo, you may only see a portion of the photo on your Desktop.
First, navigate to the location on your computer that the picture is sitting. It is easiest if it is just on the Desktop, like in the picture below. Right-click on the picture (see Managing Your Trackpad for more information on learning how to right-click on your MacBook), and choose Set Desktop Picture. See the picture below.
One potential problem that may occur is that the picture may become pixilated (showing all of the little squares/pixels that make up the picture). The best way to avoid this is to use pictures of high resolution, such as a full-size picture from a modern digital camera.
If you would like to use a picture that is stored online, that, too, is simple. First, you can only use a picture if the copyright allows you to do so--either because it is open source under something like Creative Commons or a picture that is now in the public domain. Then, go to the online site that hosts the picture that you would like to use. Next, you will typically be on a page that displays thumbnail images, smaller versions (lower resolution) of each picture. So, click on the picture you want to use in order to enlarge it to its highest resolution (to avoid or minimize pixilation).
Next you will right-click on the picture, and you will choose Use Image as Desktop Picture.
At that point, your picture will be set on the Desktop. Depending on the size of the original photo, you may only see a portion of the photo on your Desktop.
Checking Email without the MacBook
23.May.2010 20:50 Filed in: Tech Tips
How do I check my Exchange email when I don’t have my
Staff MacBook with me?
If you are without your laptop and want to check your email, calendar, and contacts, simply go to Outlook Web App (OWA), also known as Exchange Webmail. This is linked on the left sidebar on the Staff homepage, and can be found at:
webmail.ccsd21.org
There is also a PDF document that is available to help you navigate using OWA. To access this document, which is on the CCSD21 Exchange Support page, you will need to enter your Active Directory Username and Password.
If you are without your laptop and want to check your email, calendar, and contacts, simply go to Outlook Web App (OWA), also known as Exchange Webmail. This is linked on the left sidebar on the Staff homepage, and can be found at:
webmail.ccsd21.org
There is also a PDF document that is available to help you navigate using OWA. To access this document, which is on the CCSD21 Exchange Support page, you will need to enter your Active Directory Username and Password.
Transitioning to the New Wireless Network
19.May.2010 09:53 Filed in: Tech Tips
On Thursday, May 20, 2010, the new CCSD21 wireless
network will be up and running. Over the following
week and a half, there will still be additional
testing, surveying, and troubleshooting.
For those computers that are Staff MacBooks, the computers will just automatically see and connect to the CCSD21 network (as pictured in the image below).
For existing laptops, such as student laptops and administrator laptops, the Tech Office will need to connect your laptop to this new network. We will be doing that over the coming weeks to all student and administrator laptops. In the meantime, to use a wireless connection, student laptops and administrator laptops need to connect to CCSD21_Temp (pictured below). This network does not require a password. In June, this network will be eliminated.
For those computers that are Staff MacBooks, the computers will just automatically see and connect to the CCSD21 network (as pictured in the image below).
For existing laptops, such as student laptops and administrator laptops, the Tech Office will need to connect your laptop to this new network. We will be doing that over the coming weeks to all student and administrator laptops. In the meantime, to use a wireless connection, student laptops and administrator laptops need to connect to CCSD21_Temp (pictured below). This network does not require a password. In June, this network will be eliminated.
Trimester III Report Card Timeline
15.May.2010 21:38 Filed in: Assessment
| PowerSchool
While
instruction and assessment should continue through
the last day of school, the reality of sending report
cards home with students on June 7th, the final day
of school, requires that we “close our gradebooks”
prior to the last day of the trimester at the end of
the school year.
Beginning with Trimester 3 of the 2009-2010 school year, students in grades 3-5 will receive their report card, which includes Academic Grades, Learner Qualities, and Comments, and a separate Power Standards Summary Report. Students in grades 6-8 will receive both documents beginning at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. While the parent/student documents have changed, teacher entry in the PowerTeacher Gradebook has not changed at this time! (Though, Power Standards data collection may look very different next year with this summer’s major PowerSchool upgrade!)
For more information on how to use the PowerTeacher Gradebook, please visit the CCSD21 PowerSchool Support Site. (You will be prompted for your Active Directory username and password to enter this site.) Specifically, elementary teachers will want to review the Elementary School Report Card Learner Quality, Comments, and Power Standards Entry document if you have questions about this process.
For the close of the 2009-2010 school year, the final grade timeline for Grades 3-8 looks like:
May 27, 2010--9 AM
All grades (Academic, LQ, Power Standard) and comments must be entered and completed in the PowerTeacher Web Gradebook by teachers throughout District 21. Then, Technology Office staff members will store grades district-wide, and following that, school secretaries will print verification sheets and distribute those to teachers.
June 2, 2010--9 AM
Teachers will have finished reviewing Academic Grades, Learner Qualities, Power Standards, and Comments. Any corrections that need to be made are made by the teacher or team directly in to the PowerTeacher Web Gradebook by the 9 AM deadline on June 2nd. At this point, Technology Office staff members will store grades district-wide, once again, and following that, school secretaries will begin printing report cards in an order determined by the Technology Office. Report card printing will continue through June 3rd.
June 7, 2010
All students leave school (and the 2009-2010 school year!) with their Trimester 3 Report Card and Power Standards Summary Report.
Beginning with Trimester 3 of the 2009-2010 school year, students in grades 3-5 will receive their report card, which includes Academic Grades, Learner Qualities, and Comments, and a separate Power Standards Summary Report. Students in grades 6-8 will receive both documents beginning at the end of the 2010-2011 school year. While the parent/student documents have changed, teacher entry in the PowerTeacher Gradebook has not changed at this time! (Though, Power Standards data collection may look very different next year with this summer’s major PowerSchool upgrade!)
For more information on how to use the PowerTeacher Gradebook, please visit the CCSD21 PowerSchool Support Site. (You will be prompted for your Active Directory username and password to enter this site.) Specifically, elementary teachers will want to review the Elementary School Report Card Learner Quality, Comments, and Power Standards Entry document if you have questions about this process.
For the close of the 2009-2010 school year, the final grade timeline for Grades 3-8 looks like:
May 27, 2010--9 AM
All grades (Academic, LQ, Power Standard) and comments must be entered and completed in the PowerTeacher Web Gradebook by teachers throughout District 21. Then, Technology Office staff members will store grades district-wide, and following that, school secretaries will print verification sheets and distribute those to teachers.
June 2, 2010--9 AM
Teachers will have finished reviewing Academic Grades, Learner Qualities, Power Standards, and Comments. Any corrections that need to be made are made by the teacher or team directly in to the PowerTeacher Web Gradebook by the 9 AM deadline on June 2nd. At this point, Technology Office staff members will store grades district-wide, once again, and following that, school secretaries will begin printing report cards in an order determined by the Technology Office. Report card printing will continue through June 3rd.
June 7, 2010
All students leave school (and the 2009-2010 school year!) with their Trimester 3 Report Card and Power Standards Summary Report.
Remotely Accessing Staff Computers
09.May.2010 21:06 Filed in: Tech Tips
Can the Technology Office access staff laptops
remotely?
Inside, the CCSD21 network (in any of our 14 buildings), we do have the ability to access your computer. We will only do this after either specifically announcing that we will be accessing your machine or after asking for your permission. This is a great advantage for everyone as we can provide remote support immediately upon your initial phone call in many cases.
The only ways that the Technology Office can access your computer outside the District is with the IP address of your computer and knowing that the appropriate ports are open in your firewall or through an iChat conversation. In either case, you would have to provide information or accept the iChat invitation, and we will not access your computer remotely without your permission unless some type of investigation or process required us to do so.
Inside, the CCSD21 network (in any of our 14 buildings), we do have the ability to access your computer. We will only do this after either specifically announcing that we will be accessing your machine or after asking for your permission. This is a great advantage for everyone as we can provide remote support immediately upon your initial phone call in many cases.
The only ways that the Technology Office can access your computer outside the District is with the IP address of your computer and knowing that the appropriate ports are open in your firewall or through an iChat conversation. In either case, you would have to provide information or accept the iChat invitation, and we will not access your computer remotely without your permission unless some type of investigation or process required us to do so.
Adding Additional School Printers
09.May.2010 20:19 Filed in: Tech Tips
When at school most of the schools computers have
been automatically added to your printer list.
However, if there is a computer missing, or if you
need to add a printer for a different school, the
process to add a printer is very simple. The first
thing you want to do, is open System
Preferences, which is found in the menu
underneath the Apple icon in the upper left corner of
your screen on the left side of the Menu Bar (the
white bar that runs across the top of the
screen).
Next, from among the buttons in System Preferences, choose Print and Fax.
Once this Print & Fax preference pane opens up, you will see the already configured printers for your school. Under that, you will see the + button. It is important to note, that although the lock is shut, you do not need to unlock it, nor use the computer’s administrator password to add these printers.
At this point, the “Add Printer” dialog appears. There are three important steps you need to do in this dialog. First, choose the IP icon. Then, choose HP Jet Direct for the Protocol field if the printer you are adding is an HP printer. If the printer is from any other brand, chose Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) from the pull-down menu.
At this point, you will need to put in the ip address of the school printer you want to add. You may find this number posted on the printer or perhaps your iTech teacher has made a school-wide list for your school. Otherwise, ask your school’s Itech teacher, who has all of this information. You also want to “name” this printer so that you can remember which printer is which when you go to actually print. Then, press the Add button.
Once this process is complete, you will notice that your printer has been added to the list of printers for the computer.
Now, you can go ahead and use this printer just like any of the school printers that appeared on the list already. Just remember, you must select the correct printer to which you want to print before printing!
Next, from among the buttons in System Preferences, choose Print and Fax.
Once this Print & Fax preference pane opens up, you will see the already configured printers for your school. Under that, you will see the + button. It is important to note, that although the lock is shut, you do not need to unlock it, nor use the computer’s administrator password to add these printers.
At this point, the “Add Printer” dialog appears. There are three important steps you need to do in this dialog. First, choose the IP icon. Then, choose HP Jet Direct for the Protocol field if the printer you are adding is an HP printer. If the printer is from any other brand, chose Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) from the pull-down menu.
At this point, you will need to put in the ip address of the school printer you want to add. You may find this number posted on the printer or perhaps your iTech teacher has made a school-wide list for your school. Otherwise, ask your school’s Itech teacher, who has all of this information. You also want to “name” this printer so that you can remember which printer is which when you go to actually print. Then, press the Add button.
Once this process is complete, you will notice that your printer has been added to the list of printers for the computer.
Now, you can go ahead and use this printer just like any of the school printers that appeared on the list already. Just remember, you must select the correct printer to which you want to print before printing!
Managing Your Trackpad
09.May.2010 20:05 Filed in: Tech Tips
How do I set-up right-clicking with my trackpad and
learn more about what gestures I can
use?
The trackpad below your keyboard on your staff MacBook is made out of glass and is similar to the screen of an iPhone or iPod Touch, supporting a variety of different hand movements as types of computer inputs. Additionally, there is no easily identifiable and separate button. As you’ve learned by now, the entire trackpad (particularly the bottom half) is the button.
To learn more about what your trackpad can do and to set specific preferences yourself, first, go to System Preferences by choosing it from under the Apple icon in the white menu bar at the top of the screen.
Select the Trackpad button by clicking on it.
Once you are in there, you can select the options you want to enable and watch the videos built-in to the System Preferences dialog to understand what these options really do!
Try some different options, and please do not be afraid to experiment with these settings!
The trackpad below your keyboard on your staff MacBook is made out of glass and is similar to the screen of an iPhone or iPod Touch, supporting a variety of different hand movements as types of computer inputs. Additionally, there is no easily identifiable and separate button. As you’ve learned by now, the entire trackpad (particularly the bottom half) is the button.
To learn more about what your trackpad can do and to set specific preferences yourself, first, go to System Preferences by choosing it from under the Apple icon in the white menu bar at the top of the screen.
Select the Trackpad button by clicking on it.
Once you are in there, you can select the options you want to enable and watch the videos built-in to the System Preferences dialog to understand what these options really do!
Try some different options, and please do not be afraid to experiment with these settings!
Software Upgrades
09.May.2010 19:58 Filed in: Tech Tips
If I receive a prompt to upgrade software, should I
allow it or not?
You should not allow it, but even if you did, you do not have the technological permissions to do software upgrades. You should not actually see dialogs asking you about updating software, though.
All software upgrades will typically be performed remotely and on a schedule to all computers in a school and/or across the District at the same time after we have tested the software upgrade to be certain that it does not create and/or cause new problems with our staff laptops.
During the summer of 2010, a software system will be installed to allow us to perform these upgrades en masse. More information will follow as we run such updates.
You should not allow it, but even if you did, you do not have the technological permissions to do software upgrades. You should not actually see dialogs asking you about updating software, though.
All software upgrades will typically be performed remotely and on a schedule to all computers in a school and/or across the District at the same time after we have tested the software upgrade to be certain that it does not create and/or cause new problems with our staff laptops.
During the summer of 2010, a software system will be installed to allow us to perform these upgrades en masse. More information will follow as we run such updates.
Bookmarking Websites
01.May.2010 07:10 Filed in: Tech Tips
Bookmarking
a frequently visited website is easy! If you find a
website that you would like to go back and visit and
would like to bookmark it, when in Safari, simply go
to the Bookmarks Menu option in the white Menu Bar at
the top of the screen.
Choose Add Bookmark...
When you add your bookmark, you can either put it in the Bookmarks Menu like the one that appears below...
...Or if you think you’ll use your bookmark frequently, you can add it to the Bookmarks Toolbar in the browser, which is pictured below.
To add a bookmark to the Bookmarks Toolbar, when you add your bookmark after selecting Add Bookmark..., you will see a new dialog box pop up. It looks like the one pictured below. Before you click the Add button, choose where you want to put the bookmark from the pull-down menu.
If you want it out of the way and listed in the Bookmarks Menu, choose that. If you want it in the Bookmarks Toolbar, select that. You can even put it in to your Top Sites view.
Once you have lots of bookmarks, you can even organize them, by organizing your bookmarks. In Safari, doing this is as simple as clicking on the Bookmarks Button in the Bookmarks Toolbar on the far left side.
Once there, you can organize with folders, re-order bookmarks, and/or delete bookmarks.
Choose Add Bookmark...
When you add your bookmark, you can either put it in the Bookmarks Menu like the one that appears below...
...Or if you think you’ll use your bookmark frequently, you can add it to the Bookmarks Toolbar in the browser, which is pictured below.
To add a bookmark to the Bookmarks Toolbar, when you add your bookmark after selecting Add Bookmark..., you will see a new dialog box pop up. It looks like the one pictured below. Before you click the Add button, choose where you want to put the bookmark from the pull-down menu.
If you want it out of the way and listed in the Bookmarks Menu, choose that. If you want it in the Bookmarks Toolbar, select that. You can even put it in to your Top Sites view.
Once you have lots of bookmarks, you can even organize them, by organizing your bookmarks. In Safari, doing this is as simple as clicking on the Bookmarks Button in the Bookmarks Toolbar on the far left side.
Once there, you can organize with folders, re-order bookmarks, and/or delete bookmarks.
Adding Software to Staff MacBooks
01.May.2010 07:03 Filed in: Tech Tips
Due
to technical and legal (i.e., licensing) reasons and
our current level of manpower, we cannot install
software individually on individual computers. The
software provided in the base image for the MacBooks
provides the vast majority of software for nearly
everything that they need to do, yet we realize that
some teachers have very specialized needs in terms of
specific software.
Beginning during Fall 2010, we will be able to plan projects with schools or central office departments to install needed software for which we have licensing on specific groups of computers. Even once begun, this process will not be quick and easy. We will need to:
Once we’ve done all of that, we’ll be able to actually install the software.
More information on this process will be made available during the Fall 2010. In the meantime, staff members can and should continue to use their specialized software on the existing computers on which they have been using it.
Beginning during Fall 2010, we will be able to plan projects with schools or central office departments to install needed software for which we have licensing on specific groups of computers. Even once begun, this process will not be quick and easy. We will need to:
- identify exactly which computers need the software
- determine whether or not we own the licensing or if it needs to be purchased
- test the software on test MacBooks to make sure it does not conflict with other software on the machines and works within our larger deployment
- schedule and prepare to install software on multiple laptops
Once we’ve done all of that, we’ll be able to actually install the software.
More information on this process will be made available during the Fall 2010. In the meantime, staff members can and should continue to use their specialized software on the existing computers on which they have been using it.
Video Cameras & Staff MacBooks
01.May.2010 06:38 Filed in: Tech Tips
Over
the past few years, staff members have been strongly
encouraged to consider the role that podcasting might
play in their classroom. Audio podcasts can be made
very quickly with little production time, allowing
students to create fantastic, authentic products that
are available to the whole world via the Internet and
our media server. With tools like USB microphones,
iPods with voice recording capabilities, and Garage
Band, students can create a podcast in no time, and
instead of spending lots of time working on the
computer producing, they can move on to learning new
concepts and content and skills.
Producing video rather than audio typically requires a much greater investment in time working on the computers. In spite of this, there are many times and reasons why teachers will want to use video in the classroom. From capturing video on new iPod Nanos to Flip cameras to more traditional Canon, Panasonic, and JVC video cameras, there are lots of different types of video cameras available for schools to purchase and use with our MacBooks.
One of the changes that has taken place in the video cameras in recent years has been the shift from recording on tape to recording on hard drives (not so good for a school environment) or flash memory (ideal for tapeless cameras). While hard drives and flash memory can offer lots of storage, there are more complications in terms of compatibility with different operating systems and software depending on how the video is being encoded. To be sure that a compatible camera is being purchased for use with iMovie 09 on the Staff MacBooks, visit Apple’s guide to compatible cameras.
Producing video rather than audio typically requires a much greater investment in time working on the computers. In spite of this, there are many times and reasons why teachers will want to use video in the classroom. From capturing video on new iPod Nanos to Flip cameras to more traditional Canon, Panasonic, and JVC video cameras, there are lots of different types of video cameras available for schools to purchase and use with our MacBooks.
One of the changes that has taken place in the video cameras in recent years has been the shift from recording on tape to recording on hard drives (not so good for a school environment) or flash memory (ideal for tapeless cameras). While hard drives and flash memory can offer lots of storage, there are more complications in terms of compatibility with different operating systems and software depending on how the video is being encoded. To be sure that a compatible camera is being purchased for use with iMovie 09 on the Staff MacBooks, visit Apple’s guide to compatible cameras.
