Introduction
Welcome to the first Tech Report for the 2023-2024 school year. For those of you unfamiliar with my Tech Reports, they are done bi-monthly and highlight everything going on in the Tech World of HAST. This year is a year of plenty of changes, not only from a Tech standpoint, but also from a personnel standpoint. We have a new school leader and we have also hired a Technology Coach. Ms. Stephanie Kite has been serving in the role of Technology Coach this school year and she is doing a fantastic job with assisting teachers. She is also in charge of our social media accounts and has been actively posting to them the last few weeks. A number of people have asked me what a Technology Coach does, so here is what she can do for our teachers:
- Assist teachers with minor technology issues that arise during the school day
- Show teachers how to utilize different technology programs in the classroom including google apps, powerschool, edpuzzle, formative, etc.
- Model and co-teach with teachers when it comes to technology integration in the classroom
- Create tutorials on specific technology for staff
- Lead professional development sessions
- Troubleshoot and problem solve the best ways to help teachers integrate technology for certain projects
- Assist teachers when they want to try something new with technology
As you can see from the list, there are many ways you can benefit from enlisting Ms. Kite’s help in your classroom. She has already been working with a number of new teachers, but she is also available to veteran teachers as needed. A technology coach is something we have needed for a while to assist staff and to be an extra resource.
Summer Projects
There were a number of upgrades this summer that should benefit the school from a Technology standpoint
New Switches
In June I installed new Extreme Networks switches capable of 10G connection and able to handle speeds of 2.5Gbps. This allows for our switches to receive a 10G connection from our firewall and modem and then send out 2.5Gbps to the access points. Previously we were only capable of 1G connection from the firewall and 1G out to the access points. This is a major upgrade and should keep us up to date for years to come.
Cable Runs
In order to maximize the speeds our Access Points were able to get, we had new CAT6A cables ran to all access points in the building. Previously we had CAT6 cabling. The new cables are capable of sending up to 10G connection across a longer distance than CAT6 and is less prone to interference. This was necessary in order for the access points to the receive the 2.5Gbps speeds from the switches I installed. This also allowed for a stronger and more reliable connection.
Internet Upgrade
This summer we also upgraded our Internet from 700Mbps to 3Gbps. The new switches and the new cable runs allow the fastest speeds we are able to get to our access points. This is a major upgrade at four times the previous speed. People should remember, we will not get 3Gbps over WiFi. The fastest speeds possible is 2.5Gbps as that is the speed sent from switch to access point. Even at that, due to the distance of cable runs, the splitting of the signal through switches, and web filter, you will not get anywhere near those speeds; however, the difference will be noticeable and you will have a much more reliable signal. We will also not experience the mid day lull in our network we have experienced in years past due to the network being bogged down during peak times. It is important to keep in mind problems still do come up. More often than not they are web filter related. I address some other challenges in the Issues section below. Overall, this has been an awesome upgrade for our school.
Caching Server
In addition to the network upgrades mentioned above, I installed a new caching server. The purpose of this server is to allow for faster downloads of apps to iPads and MacBooks by storing a copy of those apps on our local network. This allows for a faster download because devices can grab it locally instead of from apple servers.
New iPads
This summer our iPads were replaced with 9th generation iPads. We also ordered Logitech keyboard cases for the first time. The keyboards are very smooth functioning and will make a huge difference for kids’ writing papers or answering questions on their iPads. Before last school year was over, I unboxed, stickered, and cased all iPads. Over the summer, several teachers came in to put screen protectors on the iPads. Finally, right before school, staff logged in each iPad and put name tags on them. This process was the smoothest I have ever experienced here at HAST. The process being broken down made it much easier for staff leading up to the first day of school. Thank you to Mrs. Lucito, Mr. Dunlap, Mrs. Kleszynski, Mrs. Hartz, Mr. Meyer, and Mr. Wander for helping to put screen protectors on over the summer.
SSO With Clever
Last year we rolled out Clever to use for one app in the classroom. This year, we integrated Clever into all textbooks, and almost all educational programs we use at HAST. Clever allows for students and teachers to use their HAST email to login and access Edmentum Courseware, Study Island, McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin, MobyMax, Newsela. Additionally, Clever auto rosters these programs as well as NWEA and Google Classroom. This makes it much easier for staff and students to go to one place to access what they need. Additionally, I am using Clever to create student email accounts. The goal is to have all emails use STN numbers from here on out. While there have been some glitches in the process and some kinks, they are all working themselves out.
PowerSchool SSO With Google
This summer, Mr. Kman and I set up PowerSchool Single Sign on with Google. This means all students can access their PowerSchool accounts using their HAST emails. This cut down on PowerSchool tickets at the start of the school year tremendously and will make things much easier moving forward.
Infosec Training
Infosec Cybersecurity training has begun for new staff. Veteran staff will begin theirs in a few days. Please make sure you complete these trainings on time. Do not let them pile up. They take 5-10 minutes and can be done very quickly. The videos contain good information and training does help prevent cybersecurity incidents. A majority of data breaches, ransomware attacks, spyware, and malware are done through social engineering scams. Protect yourself and HAST by doing the training.
Updated Printer Procedure
For the 2023-2024 school year, all teachers were given an extra toner for each color. I advised all teachers print in black and white, as it is cheaper. When pods go through a specific toner, they should fill out a support ticket for more. This will help us keep better track of who is printing and using more toner. The toner will be placed in the Teacher’s mailbox who makes the request. Additionally, any used Toner should be placed in the bag included with the new box and placed in that box. Then the box should be dropped off at the main office. Pulse is supposed to pick them up when they drop off new toner.
Monthly Tech Training
This year, with the addition of a Tech Coach, we will be doing something new for staff. Each month we will hold a few short sessions of Tech Training related to a specific strategy, software, or something we think will be useful to teachers. The month of September will be on Apple Classroom. We will hold four sessions, two before school and two after school, about 40 minutes each. Typically these sessions will involve a demo and we can follow up with individual teachers as they implement in their classrooms. Be on the lookout for more information in the next week or so regarding these sessions.
New HAST Website
Towards the end of August, I worked on upgrading our website to a new modern template. I spent a few days getting everything set up the way I wanted it and the new design turned out great! It is a much more modern and visual design. The next steps are to work on some individual pages and eventually merge the Tech Support Page with the main site. I also am looking for some new photos to put in the slider. These photos must be 1300 x 346. If you have anything, please send my way!
Issues
Issue #1 Balancing AP Signals
Despite the improvements to our network, I have seen a number of issues arise around the building relating to signal interference on our Access Points (APs). This could be due to the much more reliable signal coming through the new wiring. When this happens it involves a balancing act of adjusting the radio power on each device until there is no interference. Sometimes it involves changing the channel the device is broadcasting. This happened in the two Special Ed rooms. Both APs were interfering with each other and causing degraded service for individuals in both rooms. I turned down the signal in one room and that seemed to have fixed the issue for them. This also happened in the Spanish room, PLTW room, and the Front Hallway access points. I adjusted the signal of all three and that seemed to have done the trick.
Finally, I am still working on an issue in the 12th grade Language Arts room. Most devices are fine, but the teacher’s laptop is connecting to the Access Point next door and not her own. When she moves to the front of her room, she loses connection instead of connecting to her own access point. Since Mac converted to their own processor and stopped using Intel based chips, there is no way to adjust the wifi radio to connect to specific access points. I moved the neighboring access point and changed the channel width of the 12LA access point to encourage the teacher’s device to connect to that AP and not neighboring APs. This still did not work. I tweaked the radios a little bit more and that worked for a day or so before the rooms next door experienced degradation in service. The Network Engineer I work with advised we disable WiFi 6 in those rooms and test how that works. I am following up daily to see how things look.
These are normal issues that arise and it’s really just a balancing act to try and adjust things accordingly. It has nothing to do with our Internet. It is something that arises and has to be fixed by trial and error.
Issue #2 Google SSO for Third Party Apps
The second issue that has arisen this school year involves Google Single Sign On (SSO) being used for Third Party Apps. Both Google and Microsoft are the most used SSO entities in the world. They both have decided to beef up their security and make it harder for this service to be abused. One of the changes Google made was to automatically block SSO for third party apps for anyone under the age of 18. This includes nearly all of our students by default. Apps such as Edpuzzle, Duolingo, Formative, IXL, were all blocked from allowing SSO of HAST emails to sign into these programs. Once I realized what was going on, it was a simple fix to unblock specific apps for students. This issue will arise again if there is anything new using Google SSO, but it is a simple and quick fix.
Issue #3 Sharp Board Touch Screens
At the end of last school year we had one Sharp Board Touch Screen stop working. At the end of the summer, I had found two more. Our Sharp Board model appears to have an issue where the board stops responding to touch. This has happened to four boards total out of the 42 we have, but it is something to keep an eye on. When this happen I notify Pulse, who then files a claim with SHARP. It takes a while, but new boards are ordered and eventually installed to replace the defective ones.
Issue #4 iPad Keyboard stops Working
There have been a few reports of keyboards not working on the new iPads. In every case, doing a hard reboot solved the issue. Press and hold both the home button and the power button until you see the Apple logo. Then let go. The device will start up and the keyboard will work again.
Issue #5 IXL Google SSO not Working
There was an issue with the IXL Google SSO not working. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is due to the third party apps and Google I mentioned above. The second reason is because the Google SSO is only an option when logging in through the website, not the app. Students have more functionality on the website and would probably be better off using that instead. Next year I will convert IXL logins to Clever and it should solve this issue entirely.
Support Ticket Breakdown
Lost iPads
Broken iPads
There were no broken iPads to report for August. Usually I have one or two at the start of the school year. I hope to see this trend continue as students appear to be taking better care of their iPads this year with the addition of the keyboard cases.
Tech Reminders
- Follow procedures for lost iPads, broken iPads, and support tickets. I have had a number of staff email me instead of using the support ticket portal. I have directed all to the portal. Also, do not send students to my office. I am not always there and if I am in the middle of something, they will be sent right back and told to have you fill out a support ticket.
- Screen protectors, replacement chargers, and deductible payments can be purchased from the Technology store on our website. This is located under the quick links.
- All staff should stay up to date on their Infosec training.
- Look out for Monthly Tech Training dates. This month will be Apple Classroom.