Extending the Learning Day

Kids have been doing homework around the kitchen table for generations without the internet, but times are changing. Now they can work on a Google doc from their laptop in the basement or watch a video lecture from their tablet in the car. Internet access makes it possible for students to extend their learning day—they can access online educational tools anytime, anywhere.

But students without internet access at home can’t take advantage of these opportunities; this situation creates what is known as the digital divide and contributes to a general opportunity gap. As more teaching and learning is done online, this gap grows.

To mitigate the digital divide within its student population, BVSD has formed a partnership with Boulder Housing Partners (BHP), Impact on Education, and the City of Boulder to pilot a program that provides free wireless internet service to students in one of BHP’s housing developments.

"Extending learning time and opportunity through home BVSD internet access is a key way to increase student success. BVSD appreciates community partnerships like this, which are needed to expand capacity and enhance educational opportunities for all students.”  Dr. Bruce Messinger, Superintendent, BVSD.

Here’s how the program will work: BVSD will provide access to the fiber network and internet that it already pays for; BHP will install wireless infrastructure in the buildings. Since students will be accessing BVSD’s network, the connection will be filtered and authenticated (meaning that students must use a password to get online).

The pilot will run from Feb - May. Based on our learnings from this pilot, we hope to extend the program to other housing developments both in Boulder and east county.

I’d like to hear your comments about this partnership with BHP to bring wireless internet to BVSD students extending their school day. Please chime in below. (remember to login first)

Andrew

IT Communication Strategy - Survey Says...

We all strive to communicate productively in our personal and professional lives. In IT, we want to communicate the right amount of relevant information so that you know what’s going on without feeling overwhelmed.

Recently, BVSD conducted a survey to better understand your communication preferences and habits. Based on your feedback, we in IT have created a new communication strategy that I will outline below.

When IT now communicates to all BVSD Staff, we will follow this model:

Email

We all prefer a tidy inbox. However, the survey results show that BVSD staff overwhelmingly prefers email to other forms of communication—provided those emails are relevant and written for easy scanning. Here are the types of emails that you can expect from IT:

• IT Alerts and time-sensitive communications that affect the majority of BVSD staff; sent as needed 
• IT Tips and Tricks; sent weekly 

Hint: Google offers several tools to help you manage an overwhelming inbox. Try using filters to sort your mail when it arrives. Also, try the Priority Inbox to put the really important stuff at the top.

Service Manager Portal

We will post alerts and outages that don’t affect the majority of BVSD staff on the Service Manager Portal, which you will see when you submit an IT Service Request. Check here first for status updates of your favorite apps.

Hint: Check the Google Apps Dashboard if you suspect an outage of a Google service such as Gmail, Google Drive, Sites, etc.

Monthly IT Newsletter

Every month we will send an IT Newsletter, which will contain the BVSD Technology Blog (see below), upcoming Ed Tech professional development opportunities, short surveys, and other timely topics from the IT Department. We hope you will enjoy this consolidated version of the information that you used to receive in separate emails.

BVSD Technology Blog

You’re reading the BVSD Technology Blog right now! This is where I share information about the technology that affects the business of education at BVSD. Some topics are very specific, such as changes to passwords, and some are broader discussions about the direction of technology. I’ll include the link to my newest blog post in the IT Monthly Newsletter.

Hint: You can add the RSS feed of this blog to your favorite RSS reader. (Not sure what RSS is? Watch this short video.)

Do you have thoughts about our new IT communication strategy? Leave your comments below. Don't forget you have to log in first.

Andrew

Progress Toward One Password

How many usernames and passwords do you have to remember? If you’re like me, you have dozens of online accounts (probably more), and each requires a unique username and password.

Until recently, you also had a different username and password for almost every application you used at BVSD. But now, due to some key changes, that situation is reversing: you are able to use the same information to sign in to multiple BVSD applications.

So what has changed to make this possible?

Password Manager

You should all be familiar with Password Manager by now. This tool changes your password in two places—BVSD’s database (called Active Directory) and Google—which means that you use the same password to sign in to your computer, email, calendar, docs, etc. But you may not know that you can use this same password to sign in to other key BVSD applications:

• Avatar
• Infinite Campus
• Insignia (Library software)
• Lawson
• MediaCAST

Windows — Ctrl-Alt-Delete

We recently introduced the ability to change your password in both Google and Active Directory by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then following the change password option. You must be on a Windows PC for this option to work.

Google Authentication

Many online applications use Google authentication, which is a process that signs you in using your Google account instead of requiring you to create a new username and password. If you come across an app with the option to “Sign in with Google”, do it! We are working with our vendors to enable Google Authentication whenever possible.

App Launcher

The App Launcher appears at the top right corner of the browser when you are in your email or calendar. Any apps that you find in the App Launcher will automatically log you in when you click them. Click on “More” in the App Launcher to see apps like BrainPOP and VoiceThread.

With a move toward one password I’m hopeful your technology world will get easier to navigate.   

Please chime in with your comments below.

Andrew