Tech Talk
October 2001


Index


Alert! Software Forbidden on Computers Making Academic Videos with Students Computer Viruses A New Look for Amphi
Notes from the Director New Employees Join The Team A Note on Email Passwords Slow Connection to the Internet
Fill in the Blank Form Internet Update Free Teachers Web Page Programs PBL Lesson Activity Links
Student Information Services Paperless Student Council Microsoft's Online Clipart Copper Creek Doing Exciting Things
What is the Jason Project? Jason Scientist Chats PowerPointless Common Phone Problems . . . Corrected
Warranty Issues 5078 Hotline Tips Message from Claudiovisuals Walkie Talkie Repair Delays
Sending Attachments in Email Creating Folders in Netscape Email Microsoft Office Quick Tips Life on the Enterprise

The Importance of Passwords Rubrics that are Easy to Create & Use




Alert! Software Forbidden On District Computers

By Will McCullen

 

I would like to remind everyone that the computers that are in use throughout the classrooms, labs, and offices are District property. The District maintains responsibility for both the legal obligations of licensing and the sound operation of these resources. We provide a core set of software for each computer, called Category 1 software. These include programs such as Office, PowerPoint, Excel, Student Writing Center, Keywords, Netscape, etc. There are also provisions for purchasing and installing software that is required for the curriculum or your job function. We call this Category 2 software. There is a third category of software that constitutes software that is not pennitted on District machines. We have been having great difficulty with software that has been interfering with normal operation of our standard core software. These programs have crashed computers, prevented network access and have created a significant drain on our IT service. We can no longer allow these programs to be installed on District computers.

A sample listing includes:

     Webshots

     Gator

     Offer Companion

     Elf Bowling

     Snood

     Bonzi Buddy

     Felix the Cat and other screen mates.

 

Do not download these programs. If you already have any of these programs on your computer, you

will need to remove them immediately. Contact your Tech Specialist for help removing them properly. If our Repair Technicians encounter a machine with any of these programs on them, we will re-image your computer, which means we will erase the entire hard drive and start fresh again. You will lose anything else you saved on the computer.

These programs may be cute, but they cause numerous problems that effect the way your computer and our network operate. We do not have the personnel to deal with these difficulties; so they are forbidden from District computers.

 

For a more detailed explanation please see the article "Life on the Enterprise" in this issue.

 

Making Academic Videos with Students

By Cindy Rolewski

 

            Using iMovie and Avid Cinema with kids offers an opportunity for creativity, motivation, engagement, and learning. Of course, making videos with students is nothing new, but these tools allow for more timely and accurate editing which makes it easy to use video for academic purposes.

 

La Cima 8th grade English teacher Susie Pratt really used this to her advantage while teaching poetry terms last year. Frustrated with the lack of decent visual material available, Susie divided all of her students into small groups and assigned each group a poetry term such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, personification, etc. Their task was to put together a video to teach the assigned element of poetry to their peers.

 

Lesson criteria: a definition and explanation; two to three short examples, and the use of the element in two short poems or one longer one.

 

Production criteria: actors with costumes and props; narration; print overlay; sound effects; music; title sequence; and credits including crew, titles and authors of poems used and titles and authors of music used.

 

The students did all of the planning, writing and filming during their English classes, and then arranged time in the computer lab during seminar, lunch or after school to do the editing. Because the editing is so simple, that was the least time consuming part of the project but also the most engaging.

 

Just imagine having 130 + 8th grade students discussing, portraying, dramatizing, and getting excited about poetry terms! Also, once the videos were completed, Susie had a complete library of "teaching tapes" on poetry terms that can be used with each new group of students. Perhaps this year the students will tackle parts of speech!

 

 

Computer Viruses

What are They, What Can You Do? By Sheri Gimlin

 

Ahhchoo! Excuse me but lately thinking about viruses makes me sneeze. Viruses aren't fun whether they make you run for the doctor or call a computer tech. What the heck is a computer virus? A Rogue virus is a short program designed to copy itself to other computers and cause operating systems and applications to malfunction. Just like a regular virus that you and I would catch, a computer virus interrupts the normal function of the computer. Some viruses can be simply disruptive while others can destroy or corrupt data. The term "virus "is loosely used for any sort of program that tries to mask its possibly malicious function. There are two main classes of computer viruses. The first class is the file infector, which attaches to ordinary program files. The second class is the system or boot sector virus. The boot sector is the area that contains the first instructions that a computer executes when it is started or restarted.

 

Some programs or viruses should more correctly be called "worms," or "Trojan horses." A worm is a self-contained program that is able to spread functional copies of itself to other computer systems usually through the network. A Trojan horse is a malicious program that usually looks like a harmless application. It is designed to do something undocumented that the programmer intends but that users would not approve of it if they knew about it. The cute little "game" called Elf Bowling is an example of a Trojan horse. Many seemingly cute little programs can degrade the performance of your computer.

 

There are several thousand known computer viruses with an average of three to five new strains discovered daily. What can you do to prevent computer viruses? I'm glad you asked! The district has invested in Norton Antivirus Corporate Edition software to protect all Windows computers. Macintosh computers use the Virex Antivirus software. If you have a Windows 95 or 98 computer and you do not have Norton Antivirus Corporate installed yet you should contact your Technology Specialist. Norton Antivirus automatically updates the files needed to search for viruses and sends those updates every morning to each server. When you log into the Network, at the Novell login, you are automatically updating your antivirus DAT files. These DAT files are what the software uses to detect viruses. As mentioned above, new viruses are found daily so updating these files is extremely important. Norton's also has real-time protection which means any file that you attempt to open is first scanned. This eliminates the need to manually scan downloads and floppies before opening.

 

If you are a Macintosh user you should update the virus DAT files frequently so that the software can recognize the latest viruses. You can go to the website, http:/I download.mcafee.com/updates/ updates.asp?, and download the DAT files from there. Amphi has also invested in Antivirus software for email that catches viruses sent through email before they get to your computer.

 

Home users should install antivirus software and either update DAT files manually or set the software to auto update. Home users should regularly scan the C: drive for viruses and scan all floppies. Consideration should also be given to opening email and downloading

games and files from the Internet. If a virus is detected you should report it to the hotline (5078) as soon as possible. In many cases we can completely clean and remove the virus from the infected files. So remember:

     Check your computer for the latest Antivirus software

     Log in at the Novell screen

     Update DAT files if you have a Macintosh computer with Virex Antivirus software

     Call the hotline @ 5078 to report viruses

 

 

A New Look for Amphi

By Chris Cox

 

This summer saw some changes in Amphitheater's District website. The website went under renovation to create a more user-friendly environment. It provides more information about our District, which includes school information, Superintendent messages, a District directory, provided by Connie McFarland, and more. With the new front image to the site, it opens up many possibilities for what lies inside.

 

Within the site, the pages are made to be easier to surf through with easy-to-read links and the pages are now meant to load faster than ever before. If you have not already checked out this site, you're missing out. Go to

www.amphi.com

 

An alternate District web site was created for those with a disability who cannot read pages with images. We created text only pages for use with screen readers. The text-only pages start at www.arnphi.com/indextxt.htm.

 

There are many more new and exciting ideas being created for this web page, so be sure to check us out to see what might pop up.

 

 

Notes from the Director

By Ron Shannon

 

We are working on a number of projects at this time that will have an impact on all of you in one way or another. Here is a brief description:

 

Refresh Program: This year, we will be replacing 10 file servers and 270 computers. Those people with the oldest multimedia computers will have brand new computers by the end of this school year.

 

QWEST/SFB Network Upgrade:

Every school district in the state will be evaluated and provided with an upgrade to their computer network (both the LAN — Local Area Network, and WAN — Wide Area Network). I expect to see this network upgrade installed over the next year.

 

SAIS Implementation: As directed by the State Department of Education, the 515 department will be implementing DI (District Integration), so that the information contained in SASI (Schools Administrative Student Information), can be submitted electronically to the State for SAIS (Student Accountability Information System).

I just love acronyms! And emoticons ;-)

Video Networks: We are currently working on obtaining the bids for the completion of the video networks at AHS, Copper Creek, Donaldson, Rio Vista, and Keeling. We hope to complete these schools by the end of the 3rd quarter.

 

While we are working on these large projects, we continue to support users on Pentamation, SASI, SubFinder, ABRA, MP2, the telephone and voicemail system, as well as provide training on the integration of technology into the curriculum, and offer repair and installation for the computer and video equipment across the District.

 

On a personal note, it makes me extremely happy to see all of you using this technology!

 

New Employees Join The Team

By Ron Shannon

 

I'd like to introduce you to our two newest members in the Technology Department.

 

Josh Shoffner has lived in Tucson for 16 years. He graduated from the U of A with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He started his professional career as a Teachers Assistant, then became Computer Tech and moved up to a Network Technician in the Catalina Foothills School District. We are most fortunate to have him join us because he has considerable experience supporting the same type of network topology and functionality that we have in our District. His experience includes wide-area networking, Novell network operating system, Mac & PC desktop support, Folleft Library software, and ZenWorks (a network distribution package). He enjoys playing basketball, going to movies, and is very much a family man.

 

We are pleased to have Josh join the Technology Team.

 

I'd like to introduce you to our newest SASI support person in the SIS Group, Steve Frost. Steve has lived in Arizona all of his life, and has lived in Oracle for the last 18 years with his wife and 2 children. Steve worked at BHP Copper for 20 years, 10 as a laborer and 10 as a supervisor. He recently graduated from Apollo College and earned a degree in Network and Data Base Administration. For a short period of time, he was the Computer Specialist at Amphi Middle School.

 

His hobbies include family activities such as hiking and camping, and photography. We are pleased to have Steve join the Technology Team.

 

Say Hi to our newest Amphi Tech members when you see them!

 

A Note on Email Passwords

By Jim Davis

 

It is important to keep your email passwords secure. Unlike the Novell password (which should also be kept secure), your email password is accessible from off campus. Making your email password easy to remember, like your name or your cat s name or the name of the school or your job title, also makes it easy to guess. If someone wanted to, they could guess your password, receive YOUR mail from THEIR home, read it, and then reply to it, in YOUR name. This is bad. So, from now on, these are the rules for email passwords:

1)   It must be six (6) characters long (or longer)

2)   It must be a mix of letters and numbers

3)   It must have a mix of upper and lower case letters

4)   It must not be a dictionary word, or a person's name or school or school mascot

 

For your security, the server enforces these rules. As the System Administrator for the system, I can, and have in the past, overridden these rules and allowed for five character long passwords, passwords that are the same as the login name, etc. I am not sleeping well at night knowing this. So, from now on, I will be rejecting any password that the server would.

This is a double-edged sword, I know. By making the passwords

harder to guess, it makes them harder to remember. Please, don't write your password on a sticky note and leave it taped on your monitor. I would rather reset your password, than have some disgruntled student or co-worker hack into your account.

 

If you know your current password, and would like to change it, please visit our Technology FAQ web page and do a search on "passwords" and follow the link to "Changing your email password". There are also other articles that discuss the importance of passwords. Please take the time to read them.

 

 

Slow Connection to the Internet?

A Cache Clear can speed things up

By Seth Butler

 

From time to time you may see a slow Internet connection. Hopefully it is local to your PC and not the entire district, but that does happen from time to time. Here is a suggestion that might just put the wind back into your Internet sail when things seem to be a bit slow.

 

Step #1: Start Netscape

Communicator and click with

your mouse pointer on the Edit

Menu.

 

Step #2: Click on the word Preferences

 

Step #3: Click on the "+" next to "Advanced".

 

Step #4: Click on "Cache"

 

Step #5: Click on the button that says Clear Memory Cache and say "OK" and wait, this may take up to 10 seconds.

 

Step#6: Click on the button that says Clear Disk Cache and say "OK" and wait, this may take up to 30 seconds.

 

Step#7: Click on the OK button and you should be able to navigate more quickly through the Internet.

 

 

Fill in the Blank Forms How Do They Do That?

By Sheri Sense

 

Sometimes fill-in-the blank forms are so nice and helpful for a variety of needs around the office. If you 'ye ever used the electronic PAF, an electronic Evaluation Form, or just wondered how a document with form fields is made, it's easy to make a simple document — and here's how!

 

Open a blank word document and make sure that you have the "Forms" toolbar on your screen, by clicking "View" on the menu bar then "Toolbars", and then "Forms." Next, make your document as you want, then add your form fields by clicking the "ab," or ""(checkbox). You can get much more advanced, but will probably want to take one of the many great Technology classes to do so.

 

Once you've gotten your document like you want it, you will want to protect it, so that a user may only fill-in-the-blanks or check the boxes. To do this, click on Tools in the Menu bar, and go to "Protect Document." You will want to check the "Form" box, and then give it a password name. It will ask you to confirm the password name. Then just save the document as you normally would. Wa-lah!!! You now have a Form Field document.

 

Internet Update

By Peggy Steffens

 

Here are a variety of Internet sites that are useful for students and teachers. Check them out.

 

Archiving Early America-

provides information, activities and historic documents from 18th century America. www.earlyamerica.com/

 

Beginner's Guide to the Internet for Educators - provides information on the Internet's impact in the classroom, history of the Internet, searching tips, how to cite internet resources, and more.

205.146.39. 13/linktuts/bgtoc. htm

 

Venn Diagram - allows users to create Venn Diagrams or to view the database of Venn Diagrams created by other users. www.venndiagrarn.com/

 

The History Place — provides historical information, photo of the week, speech of the week, this month in history, and more. www.historyplace.com/

 

Jan Brett Home Page - provides information about the author and a wide variety of activity pages for students.

www.janbrett.com/

 

Myth Web — provides information about Greek mythology. The site focuses on Greek heroes and gods. www. rnythweb.com!

 

The Factor Game - an interactive lesson that gives students the

opportunity to learn about factors by playing a two-person board game.

illuminations.nctrn.org/imath/6-8/FactorGarne/index.html

 

 

Free Teacher Web Page Programs

By Peggy Steffens

 

Many teachers in our District have created wonderful web pages. They have learned how to program in HTML and FTP their pages to the Amphi Server. But, wait there is another way. There are many free sites that allow educators to create web pages without learning anything new. You simply have to fill in the information and submit

it. The web pages won't be as customizable as if you learned how to make them yourself, but with the free programs you can have a web page up in an hour or so.

 

Below are listed some of the places you can create free web sites.

 

Quia! This site has a simple one-

page web program for teachers that allows for their name, school address, announcements, and links to Quia activities and web pages.

www. quia.corn

 

eBoard - a Bulletin Board page that allows you to post sticky notes with links, images and information. It is the only site that allows for an interactive section for students to share thoughts on a given topic.

www. eboard. corn

 

Teacher Web — this is my favorite free web page program for teachers. It has an easy screen for students and parents to interact with and use. The basic page allows for teacher information, links, homework, calendar, frequently asked questions and announcements. You can also ask permission to post pictures. Be sure to follow the Amphitheater District HTML policy for posting pictures of students and student work. Ask your Tech Coach for information. I have created a handout on how to use Teacher Web at www.amphi.com/~psteffen/docs/teacherweb.pdf  www.teacherweb.corn

 

School Line — has many excellent features; however, ads pop up while you are creating it and students and parents are using it. myschoolonline.com/ors/

 

School Notes — this is a very simple to use web page program; it allows you to enter messages and links.

schoolnotes.com

 

PBL Lesson Activity Links

By Patti Greenleaf

 

Problem-based learning is a great way to address your curriculum by involving students in real life problem situations. They employ higher-level thinking, intrinsically motivate the students, and teach critical thinking and problem solving. Many WebQuests are Internet lesson activities that utilize problem-based learning. To find problem-based learning WebQuest activities that meet your grade or content area check out these sights below.

 

San Diego City Schools Technology Challenge Grant http:!!projects. edtech. sandi. net! projects!featured!featured. html This link will take you to the featured WebQuests of this grant broken down by grade level. There is also a link for Grade-Level Projects, Literature-based Projects, and Ocean-Themed Projects.

 

WebQuest Matrix

http:/edweb.sdsu.edu/web quest/matrix. html

A matrix of Web Quest found at the The Web Quest Page. The WebQuests are broken down by content area and grade level.

 

Student Information Services

By Jean Scott

 

Updates:

SAIS (Student Accountability Information System): The SAIS coordinator at your site will be receiving a data verification report shortly, noting any errors in your student data, which must be corrected before the initial submission of information to ADE for SAJS student ID Numbers. This does NOT imply that ALL BLANK fields in the SAIS atom must be filled in for every student enrolled at your school (prior to initial submission)! The verification report will simply list omitted ethnic codes, birth dates, etc. and it is generated to confirm that the data entry being done at your school is in the correct format.

**Note: every single error must be fixed before the data will be accepted for transmission up to Phoenix.

 

District Integration: Our new

"DI" server will arrive shortly and the district consolidation and aggregation processes will commence again once the new server is up and running. (DI is the 800 lb gorilla that sleeps wherever it wants to and crushes everything in its path . . . including the MIS server!) In anticipation of district integration (in the VERY near future), regular updates to the ADMIN server's SASIxp have been suspended. Anyone wishing to view information remotely must now log in live (but as Read-Only) to each school's SASIxp. Many groups have already been configured for this experience, but if you feel you have been left off "The List" for Live & Remote SASIxp access, email me at jscott@amphi.com with your request. [Groups already added include: Records, F&R Lunch, Title 1, Language Acquisition, Indian Education, and Special Ed.]

 

FYI:

I attended a two day SASIxp users conference earlier this month, and one of the best suggestions I heard during user discussions was to use the 7 digit telephone number as the Family ID number. This is a great idea! . . .it tracks all of the students residing at a physical address no matter whose last name they have or who their siblings are related to. It is also transferable to the next school when they are promoted or if they just move to another school within the district. Why should you care? Its main purpose is for 1-per-household mailings. If you would like me to help you do this for your school (i.e., as a mass change) email me at jscott®amphi.com with your request.

 

SASIxp FAQ: Why did we have to change the grade level value for kindergartners to KG for grade 00? Because the SAIS software will not accept leading zeros! Hence, Grade zero-zero becomes Grade"#@$%$&?" (AAACK! Beeeeeep! CRASHING. «Thud» *ahem*... you get the picture).

 

Paperless Student Council

By Robert Walling

 

This year, I have taken on the responsibility of Student Council Sponsor. I wanted to make a

• change in how we elect our officers. Last year, we had an assembly to watch speeches, and we had paper ballots that needed to be counted by hand. I wanted to try something new. After discussing it with our administrator and Tech Coach, we decided to do an electronic election. First, we used the live circuit television feed to broadcast the speeches. This eliminated the need to move all of our intermediate classes to an assembly. The speeches went really smooth and the teachers and students loved doing this! In order to eliminate the paper ballots, we went to an online election format. I created a survey at Funbrain.com and students were able to go into the lab, follow the directions, and take part in an online election. Results were available immediately after the election and we were able to announce the winners within a matter of minutes. We have revamped the entire election process and it works wonderfully!

 

 

Microsoft's  Online Clipart

Close the Insert Clipart window. By Patti Greenleaf

 

Looking to insert a piece of clipart art into a Microsoft document can sometimes be a trying task. While the clipart gallery that comes with the installation of Microsoft is quite I extensive there might be times when the topic you are covering is not well represented in the clipart gallery. However, you can go to the Microsoft Online Clipart to find tons of clipart on almost any subject. Below, I am including the steps to insert clipart into a document, how to search the Clipart Gallery, and how to use the Online Clipart of Microsoft. These directions will work in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

 

Inserting a Piece of Clipart

On the Menu Bar, select Insert. Slide down and select Picture. Slide over and select ClipArt. This opens the Insert ClipArt window.

In the main area of the window there are 51 categories that you can browse.

Click on the category that interests you.

Once you have selected a category, it will display a number of pieces of clipart. If you don't see what you are looking for in that first set at the bottom click on "Keep Looking" that will take you to more clips in that category. When you have found a piece of clipart that you would like to use, click on the image.

A toolbar will appear next to the image. Click on the first icon to insert that image in your document.

Use the Search Feature Instead of Browsing

If you know of a specific image or topic you are looking for (i.e. cat) and you don't want to browse the categories you can do a search. On the Menu Bar, select Insert. Slide down and select Picture. Slide over and select ClipArt. This opens the Insert ClipArt window.

Towards the top of that window you will see Search for clips: and a line next to it where you can type. Type the topic (i.e. cats) and press enter.

In the main area of the window it will show you the first 60 images related to your search.

If you don't see what you are looking for in that first set at the bottom click on "Keep Looking" that it will take you to more clips in that search.

When you have found a piece of clipart that you would like to use, click on the image. A toolbar will appear next to the image. Click on the first icon to insert that image in

your document. Close the Insert Clipart window.

 

Using the Online Clipart

On the Menu Bar, select Insert. Slide down and select Picture. Slide over and select ClipArt. This opens the Insert ClipArt window.

At the top of the window, select Clips Online.

You may receive a warning that states if you have access to the World Wide Web, click Ok. Click

OK.

Your network browser will load and you will be taken to the Microsoft Clip Gallery. Read the terms of the agreement and click Accept.

You will now see several search options. You may use one, all or any combination of these options.

In the Search for box, type the kind of images you need. In the Search in box, pull down the category you would like to search. In the Results should be box pull down to the type of file (i.e. clipart, sound, etc.) you need, and in the Order by box, pull down to the choice you want. Click on Go. You will then see images. Put a check on each image you would like to add to the Clipart Gallery on your computer. If you received more than one page of images, it will allow you to see the next page by clicking on the 2 blue greater than signs. When you have selected all the images you desire, click on Download Clips. It will tell you how many images you have selected, the total size, and approximately how long it will take. Read the instructions it is very important NOT to select save it to disk. This ensures that the clip will be downloaded to the Clipart Gallery program on your computer. Click on Download Now.* Click on Open it and click on OK. You will see the clip in the Insert ClipArt Window. Follow the steps to insert it into your document. *After you click Download Now, if it states that it is an unknown file type, select Pick App, click on Browse. In the Look In box, select your hard drive (C:), select Program Files, select Common Files, select Microsoft Shared, select Artgalry, select Cag, and click OK. You will now be able to click on Open it and click on OK.

The clips that you have downloaded are saved into the category called Downloaded Clips. Click on that category to see clips that you have previously downloaded.

 

Copper Creek Students Doing Exciting Things

By Angela Neibel, Copper Creek

 

Both computer labs at Copper Creek are kept busy. Every class gets a 1-hour time slot each week, with the option of signing up for extra time if needed. We have 1st through 5th grades using the lab for their Accelerated Reader Quizzes, 3rd through 5th doing Keywords each week and kindergarten using Learn to Read With Phonics. Some of our 5th grade students are writing letters, 4th grade are working with graphs, and several classes are exploring the new KidPix.

 

This year we have a new intermediate MAP class at Copper Creek. Teacher, Sheryl Tieney, is not only piloting the Accelerated Math program, but the class is also having a great time with the Jason Project. I asked a couple of students to share a little about what they are doing.

 

 

 

What is the Jason Project?

By Hayley Evans, Copper Creek 5th grade

 

 

The Jason Project is a program that takes students on an exciting adventure to the Frozen Worlds. Robert Ballard, the scientist who discovered the Titanic, started this program. The Jason Project was named after a myth about a man named Jason who sailed around with his crew called the Argos.

 

The Jason Project has many different areas to explore, such as geography, climate, history, Alaskan native culture, frozen features, what lives there, and local field investigations. The Jason Project web site is an extraordinary one. It is fun and educational for both teachers and students.

 

We go to the computer lab 3 times a week to explore J.T.O., which stands for Jason Team Online. One of the many learning tools is the digital lab. The digital labs are where Jason's interactive activities are held. The experiments you can do in a digital lab help you better understand the science of the frozen worlds.

 

There is also a journal system for student to keep track of what they have learned. Each student has his or her own journal. Another exciting feature of the web site is the message boards. Message boards allow students and teachers to discuss what they have learned or chat over the Internet. We have our own private message board to use as well.

 

The Jason Project is a program everyone should definite1y check out. Last year's theme covered Hawaii and this year's theme is on Frozen Worlds. I wonder what next will be?

 

Jason Scientist Chats

By Brett A. Rowley, Copper Creek 5th grade

 

The scientist chat is when Jason scientists get a chance to interact with students over the Internet. They answer kids questions and tell them about what they are currently doing in their personal lives. This gives not only students but also Jason scientists a chance to learn. There have been 3 digital chats so far this year, which we can print out and use in the classroom. I think it is important for students to interact with, the Jason scientists. There are also student chats where we can chat with other classes from all over the world.

 

Another interesting piece of Jason information is that there are live broadcasts transmitted, via satellite, to other Jason classes all over the world. Students who watch from a PIN site have the chance to video tape their questions and send them to the Jason scientists.

 

 

PowerPointless

By Jeannie Wager, Amphitheater Middle School

 

Have you ever heard someone refer to PowerPoint as PowerPointless? Well, there is good reason for that title if we are having students use technology without demanding that they apply critical and higher level thinking to their work on the computer. Some of the students at AMS are finding that they must really apply themselves to get an A on their book reports in the READ 180 lab. Ms. Wager and Ms. Rutynowski work to make sure that students understand that they must analyze their work before applying technology.

 

The rubric for an A includes the following criteria: Make personal or book-to-book connections using higher level thinking. Use slide backgrounds that enhance the meaning of your presentation. Music or sounds should add depth and understanding to the slide show. In the note section of PowerPoint tell why you chose certain color schemes, pictures, and music. Vocabulary must be scrutinized carefully to maximize impact.

 

 

Common Phone Problems...Corrected! Part I

By Tom Gill

 

As the phone administrator for Amphitheater for over three years, I have noticed a reoccurrence of the same problems over and over again. I realize, with the turn over of new staff, keeping up with their education and supplying them with information on how to properly use district technology can present a real challenge. So I put together a list of common problems and possible solutions for users—old or new—so they can troubleshoot and quickly fix their problem.

 

Problem 1:

I can't call a certain extension because it gives me a "quick busy" signal.

Possible Solutions:

1.) If possible, check to make sure the extension you are calling is properly forwarded. Phones that are accidentally forwarded to a nonexistent number will produce this "quick busy" when they are called. To properly forward a phone, see Problem 2.

2.) If possible, try to contact someone in the vicinity of the questionable phone to see if it is unplugged or disabled. Then inform the phone administrator of the suspect phone.

 

Problem 2:

My phone is forwarded and I do not get any messages. Possible Solution:

1.) The phone will remember the last number you forwarded to and by simply pressing the forward button twice, you will forward your phone to the last typed numbers in the forwarding feature. But some times nonexistent numbers are accidentally typed in, so you must check to make sure your phone is properly forwarded. To do this, turn off forwarding by pressing the "forward button" once (the solid black triangle to the' left of the forward button will disappear). The forwarding feature is now disengaged. Then press the forward button once again (you will then see a blinking black arrow to the left of the "forward button"). Type 5100 (voice mail number) or any number you want your extension to forward to. Then press the forward button again (you will see the black triangle become solid). This will reengage the forwarding feature. Doing these steps every time you want to forward your phone will ensure that your phone calls are going to the proper place.

 

Problem 3:

My phone can't dial anywhere.

Possible Solution:

1.) Check all the buttons on the keypad. A stuck button will disable the dialing capability. To stop buttons from sticking clean the keypad by using an alcohol based cleaning solution (e.g. Windex) with a cotton swab.

 

Problem 4:

I record my new voice greeting but callers still hear the old voice greeting.

Possible Solution:

1.) Make sure all old external, internal and temporary greeting are deleted before a new one is recorded. To do this, log into your mailbox. Then dial 821 (this is the external greeting). Press 76 (this is the delete command) this will delete anything that was previously recorded. Then press 4 (this will back out to the beginning). Now dial 822 (this is the internal greeting). Press 76 to delete. Then press 4 to go back to the beginning. Finally, dial 823 (this is the temporary greeting). Press 76 to, delete. Then press 4 to go back to the beginning. Now you are ready to record a new greeting. You want to record only an external greeting! All calls will default to this greeting. To do this, dial 821. Press 5 to record your greeting. Press # to end the recording. Then follow system prompts.

 

Problem 5:

When I leave a message in another voice mailbox someone else's name and extension plays before my message.

Possible Solution:

1.) Make sure the old personal verification is deleted and a new one is recorded. To do this, log into your mailbox. Then dial 89 (this is the personal verification feature). Press 76 to delete the old personal verification. Press 4 to go back to the beginning. Dial 89 again. Press 5 to record. Press # to end the recording. New personal verification is now recorded.

 

Warranty Issues

Do Not Mix Computer Parts

By Raul Bejarano

While out at different sites around the district I have come across many computer systems where the

parts have been mixed and matched. While most computer components are interchangeable like keyboards, mice and monitors, our warranty program dictates that the systems should not be mixed.

 

The manufacturers of these systems take most of these components in exchange for good parts. All systems have a three-year warranty so if a mouse or keyboard fails please call the HOTLINE at 5078, so we can get the item replaced.

 

If your system is mixed p1ease~call your Tech Specialist so that they can find items that properly go with the system you have. HP, Compaq and Gateway all have either the name or brand insignia printed on them.

 

5078 Hotline Tips

By Sue Sledge

 

If, after consulting your Tech Specialist, it is determined that a call needs to be made for service, please keep the following tips in mind:

 

1)      Dial X5078 and determine which option best suits your request — option 1 for installation, option 2 for repair and option 4 for network issues.

2)      Listen to the recorded message so you leave the correct information on your message. You may press the number 1 to go backward in the message. If you don't have the required information, please hang up and call back when you have it.

3)      Please keep in mind there is a time limit for your recording. If you have an unusually long message, you may call back to continue.

4)      Please be sure to leave the type of equipment (ex. HP, Compaq), the location (ex. Room 16) and the ASD tag number (5 digit, silver tag) to insure timely service.

5)      Please provide the ASD tag number located on the broken equipment. If you are calling in a bad monitor, don't call in the tag number on the CPU or vice versa.

6)      If possible, please provide the equipment serial number. If you are calling in a Compaq repair, we MUST have the serial number as another company does the warranty repair.

7)      If you are phoning in a repair, you will receive a pink service request sheet via interoffice mail. Installation requests and network calls do not receive the pink sheet.

 

If you have any questions not answered above, please call Sue Sledge at X5214.

 

Message from Claudiovisuals

By Claudio Araya

 

Just a short informational message that will help with deciding on what media material you would like to use in the classroom. There are now two ways to get a Claudiovisuals media catalog with your computer. The technology web page features a media catalog with descriptions of films, laserdiscs and CD-ROMs. To access this catalog from your computer you need to go to techreg amp hi. com/mediacatalog index.htm

This catalog is viewed like a regular hard copy catalog. Scrolling on the pages will allow you to view the entire catalog. This catalog is still under construction and it currently may be a bit difficult to read. If you are having difficulty, print the pages you need and you will be able to read the items and descriptions clearly.

 

The other catalog is a library type computer catalog that allows you to search for items by title or subject. To get this catalog you need to call Claudio at 6214 and I will email you the program so that you can download it to your desktop and have it available whenever you need it. Once you have this catalog and you want to open it you will need a couple of minutes to allow it to open. You will also need instructions in using the catalog that I will provide when I email it to you.

 

Walkie Talkie Repair Delays

By Gordon Larsen

 

The Media Services Department has had the responsibility of servicing the two-way radios that breakdown for the schools in the District. When a situation arises that requires the radio to be sent out to a local vendor for repair, a blanket P.O. for the year was established with the vendor to cover the charges.