The 2007-08 school year is quickly coming to an end. The use of technology is expanding throughout our district classrooms, fueled by a surge of interest in Web 2 including Blogs, Podcasts and Wikis. Next year 42 classrooms will be testing the effectiveness of teaching with various technology tools. We’ll be watching closely to determine which of these projects should be expanded to include additional classrooms.
The primary purpose of this posting is to provide you with answers to some of the most common questions we receive regarding technology equipment and the end of the school year.
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*** Teachers leaving the district ***
Laptop computers are to be returned to the Technology Department. Arrangements can be made to remove your files and save the information on a CD. Since some teachers return in August, the information on the computer will not be removed until we are certain you will not be returning. If you would like to have your email forwarded to a new address, let us know.
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*** Teachers moving to a different classroom ***
Laptop computers assigned to teachers stay with the teacher. If you are moving to a different classroom or building, take the laptop and accessories with you. Networked printers, airports and other shared devices stay in the building. If in doubt, contact the Technology Department.
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*** Storage of laptops ***
You are responsible for your laptop! If you will not be taking the laptop home for the summer, please return the computer to the technology department for summer storage. While the computer is here we can do maintenance and update the software. If you choose to leave the computer in your building, please store the computer in a secure location approved by your principal and notify the Technology Department.
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*** Email Privacy ***
This has been a tough year for our e-mail server! We’ve been getting hit with thousands of spam messages every day, mailboxes are reaching quotas faster than ever, and we’ve come to expect slow responses between 8 and 10 every morning. The technology department has been investigating solutions and has two suggestions:
1. Use POP3 rather than IMAP. This means you download your mail to your computer and no longer have to deal with quotas. The advantage is - every message is on your computer. There’s no delay while the mailboxes are synchronized with the server. The disadvantage is - every message is on your computer. You’re responsible for your own backup. If you’d like to switch to POP3, contact the technology department for instructions.
2. Use RISD Mail for RISD work. The vast majority of our email problems are related to personal messages being sent through our mail server. These messages have photos, slide shows, and other attachments that cause delays in the system. If you don’t have a personal email address, we can help you set up an account. You should also be aware that risd41.org messages are not private and we will soon be storing a copy of every message that comes in or out of our server.
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*** Laptop Survey ***
At the end of each year we post a survey for teachers to give us feedback on the use of a laptop in the classroom. We’re interested in your opinion! The survey will be available online at http://tp.risd41.org/technology/surveys/laptops08.tp3?USER_ID=teacher until June16th. You can only access the survey from the link in this e-mail message.
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*** Backup, Backup, Backup ***
Please backup your important files! We backup files stored on most of our file servers, but do not backup files from individual teacher laptops. If you are not certain how to back up your files, we can give you instructions. We will also provide you with a blank DVD or CD to store the files - just stop by the technology office.
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*** Storage of cameras, desktops, projectors, etc. ***
Technology equipment other than laptops should be stored in a secure location approved by your building principal. If you plan to take technology equipment home, you must complete and submit a Property Off Premises form.
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