Preparing for Online Testing, Spring 2015

March is a big time of year for testing. IT has been preparing our network and devices for the increase in traffic. Below is information you can use to help create the most ideal environment for students taking online assessments.

Preparing your devices

Our field technicians have been visiting all schools to ensure that computers are ready for testing. If you have any concerns about specific devices, please don’t hesitate to submit an IT Service Request or call IT at x5065. 

Only BVSD devices can be used for testing. To verify that you have a BVSD device, look for the blue asset tag on the back.

Managing your bandwidth

We have plenty of bandwidth for testing as long as we are conscious of how we use it. To conserve the bandwidth in your building on testing days, limit streaming video and turn off the wireless on personal devices (phones, tablets, etc.)

We also have other measures in place to save bandwidth. The assessments are downloaded to the student devices from a server rather than directly from the Pearson site. Chromebooks are also prevented from receiving updates during the testing period. Both of these measures will reduce the strain on our internet pipe.

Using the wireless

Our new wireless infrastructure was designed to handle all the testing devices connecting to the network. Also, student Chromebooks have recently been moved from the BVSD-Guest or BVSD-Guest-Fast network to the BVSD (secure) network; not only does this strengthen the wireless connectivity, it also eliminates the “use of this network” pop-up that students used to see when they logged into Chromebooks. 

However, if you still notice any issues with wireless, please submit an IT Service Request immediately or call IT at x5065.

I hope that your assessments go smoothly in March. Please let me know if you have any concerns. As always, I appreciate your comments below. Don't forget to log in to post a comment.

Andrew

IT Service Request System Upgrade this Summer

Over the last few years, IT has implemented numerous changes to proactively serve our customers better.

You may recognize some of the more visible changes now in place:

• Answering most calls that come into our service desk immediately
• Grouping schools into zones with an accountable IT zone leader
• Upgrading our software to the more reliable Windows 7
• Reintroducing Apple products into the District
• Supporting iPads, Droids, and Chromebooks
• Allowing schools to supplement the Tech Refresh process with additional technology purchases
• Increasing communications on outages, tips, and future directions

Over the summer we will make another transition by upgrading to a more robust IT Service Request system. The new system will be called Service Manager, a Microsoft product. It will replace HEAT, the system we currently use.

The IT Service Request icon on the desktop will remain the same, however, the interface will look different—watch for a sneak peak coming later this spring!

Service Manager will be fast and easy to use: it will automatically populate information about your computer and your location, and you will be able to enter a new ticket in 60 seconds or less.

I’m excited about this upcoming change. Besides being easier to use, Service Manager will give us more reliable data to help us locate and resolve pesky lingering issues that can be hard to track down. It will also have professional asset tracking capabilities, which will help us keep track of district devices.

When you come back in the fall, be ready for a new way to enter IT Service Requests. I think you’ll find it even easier than our current system.

Please chime in below after you log in above.   

Andrew