Differentiated Filtering
05.January.2012 10:41 Filed in: Tech Tips
In order to qualify for
Federal funding, including E-Rate funding that
significantly offsets the cost of District 21's
telecommunications bills, District 21 is required to
comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act
(CIPA). One of the requirements of CIPA is that a web
filter is in place to provide an additional layer of
protection for students from inappropriate websites.
Additionally, limited
bandwidth also requires District 21 to
filter streaming media as those sites would quickly
overwhelm the network with traffic.
Last school year, District 21 sought and received clarification that a differentiated Internet experience for students and staff is a legally acceptable practice, and the District 21 Technology Office has worked with the District 21 Education Association, other administrators, and technical aspects of both the filter and Active Directory to make this differentiated Internet experience a reality. After putting this structure in place last Spring at Holmes Middle School, additional technical details had to be addressed.
This weekend, District 21 is rolling out this new filtering by group feature that will be almost entirely transparent to users with one exception:
(For Windows users in Thin Client, this process is completely transparent following your login to Thin Client. There are no additional steps.)
For Mac users, when the new filter is turned on, you will:
As each student and staff member completes this process, as long as the user has logged in to the computer (as one should be doing regularly), Active Directory and the SmartFilter will, in concert, provide the student or staff member with the appropriate level of filtering based on their status as a student or staff member.
At times, you may be greeted with a dialog that looks like the one pictured below. When you see this, simply click the "Always Allow" button.
As a result of this change, staff members will have much greater access to a wider swath of the Internet than they have ever had previously since District 21 began filtering following the passage of CIPA a decade ago. This access includes Google Images, Flickr, and other sites for identifying instructional resources for school.
As a result of this change, older computers on Mac OS 10.3 will no longer be able to access the Internet. In truth, this is a small price to pay as these computers were not able to access most current websites over the past few years anyway.
One important reminder: with this change, prior to using a new website with students, staff members will need to test whether or not students have access to that site with their level of filtering. This can be done in this way:
Should staff members have any questions about this change, please check with the school's iTech teacher.
Last school year, District 21 sought and received clarification that a differentiated Internet experience for students and staff is a legally acceptable practice, and the District 21 Technology Office has worked with the District 21 Education Association, other administrators, and technical aspects of both the filter and Active Directory to make this differentiated Internet experience a reality. After putting this structure in place last Spring at Holmes Middle School, additional technical details had to be addressed.
This weekend, District 21 is rolling out this new filtering by group feature that will be almost entirely transparent to users with one exception:
(For Windows users in Thin Client, this process is completely transparent following your login to Thin Client. There are no additional steps.)
For Mac users, when the new filter is turned on, you will:
- Log in to the computer as usual with your Active Directory username and password.
- Launch Safari as one would do normally.
- When you navigate to a website outside of District 21, the browser will ask you to re-authenticate using your Active Directory username and password, again. (See the picture below.) If you also check the checkbox, you should not be asked to enter your username and password again.
As each student and staff member completes this process, as long as the user has logged in to the computer (as one should be doing regularly), Active Directory and the SmartFilter will, in concert, provide the student or staff member with the appropriate level of filtering based on their status as a student or staff member.
At times, you may be greeted with a dialog that looks like the one pictured below. When you see this, simply click the "Always Allow" button.
As a result of this change, staff members will have much greater access to a wider swath of the Internet than they have ever had previously since District 21 began filtering following the passage of CIPA a decade ago. This access includes Google Images, Flickr, and other sites for identifying instructional resources for school.
As a result of this change, older computers on Mac OS 10.3 will no longer be able to access the Internet. In truth, this is a small price to pay as these computers were not able to access most current websites over the past few years anyway.
One important reminder: with this change, prior to using a new website with students, staff members will need to test whether or not students have access to that site with their level of filtering. This can be done in this way:
- log into a student's account (even on the teacher laptop)
- launch Safari
- navigate to the website (If it's accessible from within the student's account, it's accessible to all students!)
Should staff members have any questions about this change, please check with the school's iTech teacher.
Projector Project Officially Complete
13.December.2011 06:44 Filed in: Tech Tips
Tomorrow afternoon,
Midwest Computer Products will be visiting a handful of
District 21 schools to complete outstanding repairs.
With their visit, the project is officially, officially
complete, and we now move in to a maintenance phase.
While we negotiated a five-year warranty on the Epson
projectors themselves, we have a one-year warranty on
parts and workmanship through Midwest Computer
Products, so through next summer, Midwest Computer
Products will be completing necessary repairs on our
projectors. (Their work will focus on the projector,
remote control, cables in the wall, and the VGA box.
District 21 and Net56 staff will deal with issues
related to the VGA cable and the Apple
MiniDisplayPort-VGA Adapter, also known as a dongle.)
At this point, any projector-related issues should be called in to the Help Desk at 847.934.8100 (press 2).
These tickets will be assigned to the Technology Office and these tickets will be aggregated by the District's Network & Systems team. Then, depending on how many tickets there are and how severe these tickets are, they will be sent by the Network & Systems team on to Midwest Computer Products for resolution. Typically, we hope to be able to resolve projector issues within 5-7 school days.
This post was also cross-published on the CCSD21 Tech Updates Blog.
At this point, any projector-related issues should be called in to the Help Desk at 847.934.8100 (press 2).
These tickets will be assigned to the Technology Office and these tickets will be aggregated by the District's Network & Systems team. Then, depending on how many tickets there are and how severe these tickets are, they will be sent by the Network & Systems team on to Midwest Computer Products for resolution. Typically, we hope to be able to resolve projector issues within 5-7 school days.
This post was also cross-published on the CCSD21 Tech Updates Blog.
Defining MAP Tests in Inform
09.December.2011 09:08 Filed in: Assessment
| Instruction
There are three MAP
scores entered in to Inform each year in School
District 21. Two are entered in the Spring, just prior
to the May SIP Reflection Institute Day, and the other
score is entered in the Late Summer, just prior to the
August SIP Team Planning Day and the start of the new
school year.
These are described below. (In each example, ## represents the grade level.)
MAP-Math-## or MAP-Read-##
These scores are entered each spring. These are the students' actual overall reading and mathematics RIT scores from the testing that April/May.
MAP-MTMath-## or MAP-MTRead-##
These scores are entered each spring. They are Yes-No scores (1 or 0). They answer the question of whether or not the student met his or her target from the previous spring on this spring's testing.
MAP-PTMath-## or MAP-PTRead-##
These scores are entered in late summer and are considered fall scores. These are the Predicted Target (PT) RIT scores for the end of the current/new school year based on each student's performance the previous spring.
These are described below. (In each example, ## represents the grade level.)
MAP-Math-## or MAP-Read-##
These scores are entered each spring. These are the students' actual overall reading and mathematics RIT scores from the testing that April/May.
MAP-MTMath-## or MAP-MTRead-##
These scores are entered each spring. They are Yes-No scores (1 or 0). They answer the question of whether or not the student met his or her target from the previous spring on this spring's testing.
MAP-PTMath-## or MAP-PTRead-##
These scores are entered in late summer and are considered fall scores. These are the Predicted Target (PT) RIT scores for the end of the current/new school year based on each student's performance the previous spring.
Learning First, Technology Second
09.December.2011 08:33 Filed in: Instruction
***This post was written
by Tracy Crowley, CCSD21 Integrated Technology
Specialist, and was previously published in the
December 2011 Beacon, published by the District 21
Education Association.
This summer I attended a learning conference hosted by education and technology expert Alan November. The learning I experienced there led me to ask some very important questions of myself and of our District. I would like to share these questions with you, as well as some resources I discovered to help blend learning and technology to make our Learning21 Principles a reality for all students.
View the Learning21 Principles.
Who owns the learning? The one talking and doing the learning owns the learning.
How can students add value to the classroom and to the world? One example is they can take what they are learning and create products posted through wikis, blogs, and podcasts. Give your students opportunities to have a global voice!
How can students have authentic learning experiences with a real purpose, solving real problems, and create solutions for real audiences centered around learning standards? Start with a unit you are already doing and focus on the Power Standards that are embedded in that unit and/or can be integrated with other subject areas. Next, ask yourself and/or your students what problems exist today and what they can do to solve those problems. Once you have decided on a problem, identify the real audience for your solution. From there, plan specific, differentiated learning experiences to attain those goals.
How can students do more than digest information and output answers for the teacher? Have students develop and articulate a deep understanding of important concepts rather than isolated facts. Let them learn in public and receive feedback from others around the world.
How do I allow students to create real products using different technologies I may not be comfortable with? One way is to assign groups of students to discover, play with, learn, and teach new technologies. See Alan November’s Digital Learning Farm article for ideas. Students can go to AtomicLearning to learn how to use software we have in our district. (CCSD21 staff members--If you do not remember the username and password for AtomicLearning, please see your LMC Team.)
I want to use more technology with my students, where do I start? Always start with the Power Standards and the CCSD21 Curriculum Frameworks, look for technology to help solve a real problem for real audiences. Also, ask your students and iTech teachers, LMC Specialists, Learning Coaches, or Principals; they will have ideas! In addition, check Connect21 for sample authentic learning units as staff members are posting them. (And--Post the authentic learning units that you have created, too!)
How much time should I spend on learning the technology? Spend more time on critical thinking and problem solving skills. Don’t spend too much time learning one type of technology, which will change quickly, but do become “tech comfortable,” in general.
Are our students leaving learning legacies? If they are doing purposeful work to solve real problems for real audiences, they are. Authentic learning experiences lead to learning legacies that last well after students graduate. This kind of learning will stay with them for a long, long time. There are an unlimited number of real problems our students can be solving during the learning process.
How can I better motivate students? If students are working on real problems and sharing with real audiences, they know they are making a difference. This will motivate nearly every student. Also, saying to every student (and saying it as often as possible) “You matter, and the world values your contribution” will deeply motivate students to learn and produce to the best of their ability. They will amaze us (and meet standards along the way)!
Overall, how are my students experiencing learning? Take a look at your day from an outside perspective. Does what students are doing look like a working and/or learning environment in the “real world” in 2011? It should. If not, what baby steps can you take to make it look like how the world works today? Congratulate yourself and celebrate each success. This is important work!
Where can I find some examples of this kind of work being done by students? Two great examples: http://mathtrain.tv (view from outside of the district) and http://dgh.wikispaces.com/Mr.+Holman+%26+Mr.+Pennington (a class digital textbook).
Asking and answering these questions in teams can build on the great things already happening our classrooms and help take learning experiences to the next level…reaching the goals of the Learning21 Principles and standards while completely engaging students. View an Alan November talk on this subject on YouTube (again, outside CCSD21).
This summer I attended a learning conference hosted by education and technology expert Alan November. The learning I experienced there led me to ask some very important questions of myself and of our District. I would like to share these questions with you, as well as some resources I discovered to help blend learning and technology to make our Learning21 Principles a reality for all students.
View the Learning21 Principles.
Who owns the learning? The one talking and doing the learning owns the learning.
How can students add value to the classroom and to the world? One example is they can take what they are learning and create products posted through wikis, blogs, and podcasts. Give your students opportunities to have a global voice!
How can students have authentic learning experiences with a real purpose, solving real problems, and create solutions for real audiences centered around learning standards? Start with a unit you are already doing and focus on the Power Standards that are embedded in that unit and/or can be integrated with other subject areas. Next, ask yourself and/or your students what problems exist today and what they can do to solve those problems. Once you have decided on a problem, identify the real audience for your solution. From there, plan specific, differentiated learning experiences to attain those goals.
How can students do more than digest information and output answers for the teacher? Have students develop and articulate a deep understanding of important concepts rather than isolated facts. Let them learn in public and receive feedback from others around the world.
How do I allow students to create real products using different technologies I may not be comfortable with? One way is to assign groups of students to discover, play with, learn, and teach new technologies. See Alan November’s Digital Learning Farm article for ideas. Students can go to AtomicLearning to learn how to use software we have in our district. (CCSD21 staff members--If you do not remember the username and password for AtomicLearning, please see your LMC Team.)
I want to use more technology with my students, where do I start? Always start with the Power Standards and the CCSD21 Curriculum Frameworks, look for technology to help solve a real problem for real audiences. Also, ask your students and iTech teachers, LMC Specialists, Learning Coaches, or Principals; they will have ideas! In addition, check Connect21 for sample authentic learning units as staff members are posting them. (And--Post the authentic learning units that you have created, too!)
How much time should I spend on learning the technology? Spend more time on critical thinking and problem solving skills. Don’t spend too much time learning one type of technology, which will change quickly, but do become “tech comfortable,” in general.
Are our students leaving learning legacies? If they are doing purposeful work to solve real problems for real audiences, they are. Authentic learning experiences lead to learning legacies that last well after students graduate. This kind of learning will stay with them for a long, long time. There are an unlimited number of real problems our students can be solving during the learning process.
How can I better motivate students? If students are working on real problems and sharing with real audiences, they know they are making a difference. This will motivate nearly every student. Also, saying to every student (and saying it as often as possible) “You matter, and the world values your contribution” will deeply motivate students to learn and produce to the best of their ability. They will amaze us (and meet standards along the way)!
Overall, how are my students experiencing learning? Take a look at your day from an outside perspective. Does what students are doing look like a working and/or learning environment in the “real world” in 2011? It should. If not, what baby steps can you take to make it look like how the world works today? Congratulate yourself and celebrate each success. This is important work!
Where can I find some examples of this kind of work being done by students? Two great examples: http://mathtrain.tv (view from outside of the district) and http://dgh.wikispaces.com/Mr.+Holman+%26+Mr.+Pennington (a class digital textbook).
Asking and answering these questions in teams can build on the great things already happening our classrooms and help take learning experiences to the next level…reaching the goals of the Learning21 Principles and standards while completely engaging students. View an Alan November talk on this subject on YouTube (again, outside CCSD21).
Going on Leave? Important Tech Notes
26.October.2011 08:20 Filed in: Tech Tips
Starting
with the 2011-2012 school year, when a teacher goes on
leave and has a long-term substitute fulfill his or her
assignment, the teacher's laptop is provided to the
long-term substitute for the duration of the assignment
as the laptop "stays with the students." When this
occurs, the long-term substitute teacher has his or her
own account and his or her own password. (For
PowerTeacher, the long-term substitute does log in as
as the permanent classroom teacher for attendance. For
the PowerTeacher Gradebooks and Inform, the long-term
substitute uses the team account.)
For the Teacher--Preparing for Leave
Sharing Documents Between Teacher & Long-Term Substitute--
A Critical Preparation Detail
As a result of each teacher having his or her own account on the laptop, while the permanent teacher's files are on the same device that the long-term substitute is using, the substitute does not have access to those files in the other account. To address this, there are two options that the permanent teachers can choose from:
Option 1-Upload documents to a specific page on the Team Wiki
Option 2-File Transfer
Laptop Drop-Off (Teacher) & Pick-Up (Substitute)
The following items should be dropped off to the Technology Office prior to your Leave:
The Long-Term Substitute teacher should be directed by you to contact the Technology Office (847.520.2834 or tech@ccsd21.org) to set-up a time to come in and pick it up. Long-Term Substitutes should have already completed one of the mandatory Staff Laptop trainings prior to receiving the laptop.
End of Leave Transitions
At the end of the Leave period, the Long-Term Substitute should bring all of the above items to the Technology Office. Upon his or her return, the permanent teacher who had been on leave should contact the Tech Office (847.520.2834 or tech@ccsd21.org) to set-up a time to come in and pick-up the laptop, which will entail logging in to the laptop, transferring documents back to the teacher's account, if necessary, etc.
For the Teacher--Preparing for Leave
- Documents--Move important documents and files for the long-term substitute either to your team wiki or to a transfer folder as per the directions in the next section.
- Wiki Access--Notify the Technology Office (Send an email to: tech@ccsd21.org) if your substitute will need wiki access and send the main links of those wikis within the email by copying and pasting them from the URL address bar in the web browser in to the email.
- Media--Create a flashdrive with any music, movies, or pictures that the substitute will need. The flashdrive can be brought to the Tech Office with your laptop, cords, and dongle when you turn in those items to the Tech Office for the Long-Term Substitute.
- PowerTeacher Homeroom Password--If you are an elementary school core classroom teacher who takes daily attendance, reset the password for your PowerTeacher account to be sure that it is a password that you are comfortable sharing with your Long-Term Substitute. (The Long-Term Substitute should not be given your Active Directory password!)
- PowerTeacher Team Gradebook Password--The Long-Term Substitute will need to use the team's Gradebook password to access PowerTeacher Gradebook. If the team needs to change this for each Gradebook account, the team should do so.
Sharing Documents Between Teacher & Long-Term Substitute--
A Critical Preparation Detail
As a result of each teacher having his or her own account on the laptop, while the permanent teacher's files are on the same device that the long-term substitute is using, the substitute does not have access to those files in the other account. To address this, there are two options that the permanent teachers can choose from:
Option 1-Upload documents to a specific page on the Team Wiki
- Permanent teacher uploads necessary files to a specific page on the grade-level team wiki
- The long-term substitute should have access to this wiki after receiving the laptop from the Tech Office. If, after working with teammates, to access the wiki, the long-term substitute cannot access it, he or she should contact the school's iTech teacher or email tech@ccsd21.org.
- During the course of the assignment, the long-term substitute posts new or modified documents to the same page on the wiki for the permanent teacher to access upon his or her return.
- At the end of the assignment, upon turning the laptop back in, the long-term substitute will be removed from having access to the team wiki.
Option 2-File Transfer
- As the permanent teacher prepares for his or her leave, he or she should create a folder within the Documents folder on his or her computer entitled, "Transfer." Then, as he or she moves through his or her final weeks before the Leave, documents that will be needed by the long-term substitute can be moved in to that folder.
- Then, when the teacher drops off the laptop prior to his or her leave with the Tech Office at the Ad Center, he or she will tell the Tech Office that there is a "Transfer" folder that needs to be moved to the long-term substitute's account. This folder will be moved to a flashdrive at this time.
- When the long-term substitute arrives at the Tech Office to claim the laptop, following his or her login to the new machine, a new folder entitled, "Transfer" will be created on his or her Desktop. The items from the permanent teacher's "Transfer" folder will be moved in to the long-term substitute's "Transfer" folder.
- During the course of the assignment, the long-term substitute places new or modified documents in to the "Transfer" folder.
- At the end of the assignment, the "Transfer" folder will be moved back from the long-term substitute to the permanent teacher.
Laptop Drop-Off (Teacher) & Pick-Up (Substitute)
The following items should be dropped off to the Technology Office prior to your Leave:
- Laptop computer
- Power brick, extension cord, and slide-on plug for brick
- Mini-DisplayPort Adapter (Dongle)
The Long-Term Substitute teacher should be directed by you to contact the Technology Office (847.520.2834 or tech@ccsd21.org) to set-up a time to come in and pick it up. Long-Term Substitutes should have already completed one of the mandatory Staff Laptop trainings prior to receiving the laptop.
End of Leave Transitions
At the end of the Leave period, the Long-Term Substitute should bring all of the above items to the Technology Office. Upon his or her return, the permanent teacher who had been on leave should contact the Tech Office (847.520.2834 or tech@ccsd21.org) to set-up a time to come in and pick-up the laptop, which will entail logging in to the laptop, transferring documents back to the teacher's account, if necessary, etc.
