Web Wednesday 2.0 Questions of the day.

What is the current purpose of your website?

What do you want your website to do for your students and you?

 

(Feed back appreciated, it will help to build and plan for future Web Wednesday 2.0 sessions)

 

I've shared a one note with everyone

Feel free to write any questions you might have about Live on the OneNote I’ve shared, and we can collectively answer them on the same sheet.

 

Click here to login to Live and access the shared OneNote: Live Questions

Hixson Media Center

The computer lab has been redesigned with Multi Media Productions in mind. Every year for the past 4 years media production has increased in classrooms and in our after school activities.  With the influx of computer availability in the building this year, the Tech Department, building LMT, and Dr. Heisserer took a look at the lab and discussed the possibilities of converting the space to meet the needs of our student body. The space has been designed to offer students a place to create, edit, and produce media rich productions in one place. The Media Center offers a floor to ceiling permanent green screen for filming, 7 editing computers, a sound booth for audio recordings, a permanent scan station, conference table and white board for story boarding, projector and screen for viewing, and seating for up to 30 students for presenting.

 

This project is currently in phase one. If the Media Center is used often and the need to expand becomes a necessity we have plans in place for improvements. This center has the potential to expand the life of all of the equipment in the building as the weight of media production can fall on it rather that the laptops in your rooms. Your classrooms and the library will still be the primary places for student research, but once students are ready to produce a media rich project the Media Center will be accessible.

 

To use the lab, this year, I ask that you send a technology request in stating the date your students will need the space, how many students you will be sending, and the project the students will be working on while in the center. This will ensure that we have the space ready for your students and document the frequency the center is used, as well as give us data on what sort of future updates/upgrades would be helpful to the student body.

 

The Media center has been used a few times with great success this year and I look forward to its continued use and growth.

Hixson_Media_Center.mov
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Web Wednesday 2.0

Starting in December, on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays of every month, I will be offering Web Wednesday 2.0 sessions. During this time we can work to grow and develop your website, learn how to navigate through the School Center 10, collaborate and create new ideas for your website, etc.

 

Web Wednesday 2.0 differs from the original Web Wednesday as I will be asking you to schedule your time with me. I will make myself available during all plan periods on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays of every month to assist individuals or teams in the development of their sites. The methods in which I will be taking all requests are as follows: (All based on first come first serve basis)

 

Tech Request

Email Request

Verbal Request

 

 

If you would like to work on your site, team site, or anything in between, this will be a time to get assistance with it. As per usual, if you ever want to work on your website any other time and would need assistance, please submit a tech request.

 

 

December Monthly Maintenance

Here is a link to the monthly maintenance schedule for this month. We will be remoting into your computers during the scheduled time. Once we have remoted in, your screen will display this message: “This computer is in use and has been locked.” At this time, we have successfully remoted in to your laptop and have begun to perform the maintenance. Please DO NOT log back into your computer until you have received a phone call from a Tech Department member.

 

This month we will be connecting your Windows live email account to your outlook account so that you receive all your emails in one place. There will be a folder setup after we have performed the maintenance labeled Live.edu. All emails to your live.edu account will show up there.

 

 

Windows Live Software Install

If you are looking to install the windows live essential pack for windows 7 click here and download. (Do not install parent security)

This will give you all of the tools found on the student mini's plus the instant messenger application.

 

Here is the instant messenger application for Win. XP

Office Suite Compatability Pack

If you are having several students bring in files that will not open becuase they have used a newer version of the Office Suite (we are currently running 2003) install the linked exe. Then use your computer to open the student files.

Web based install

 

"Open, edit, and save documents, workbooks, and presentations in the Open XML file formats, which were introduced to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint beginning with Office 2007 and continuing with Office 2010." - Microsoft Download Center

 

You can also have your students upload and use their Windows Live Account to open the new version of the files.

Adding Printers on Windows 7

1. Click the windows icon at the bottom right of your display:
   
   
   
   
   
2. Enter in \hx-pdc
3. Press the enter key on your keyboard
4. This will bring up a list of printers in the building:
   
   
   
   
   
5. Double click on the printer you want to add
6. Print Server will add drivers to your computer
7. Please print responsibly. All print jobs over 10 pages should be sent to the Copy machine as a stored print

Infamous Test Post

If you have received an email notification stating that an update has been made to TheTechSpec's posterous then you will always receive updates via email when I update information on this blog. You can also stay connected by checking the Hixson Network at the bottom right hand side of the page. Everything I post will show up there as well as on Facebook and Twitter. I chose to use this method so that I had an instant method of sharing both lengthy and short messages with all of you, as soon as I had the information. This blog, along with Twitter and Facebook, allow me to post information form my phone, which is a great convenience to me as I am often traveling and not often at a computer when I have information to share with you.

 

Stay connected!

 

Feel free to add a comment to the blog to let me know you've seen it. 

September Monthly Maintenance

This round of maintenance is focused on updates and new technologies.

The tech team is adding Inspiration, PDF creator, FireFox, Microsoft Live Software Suite( MovieMaker, Photo Gallery, Instant messenger, Outlook Account Connector, Writer, Phone Call, etc.) and the proper Track Pad driver.

In order to use the suite of MicroSoft live tools you must first setup your account. Attached to this post you will find an easy to follow instructional video on how to set up your account. Once you have done this you can then setup your Instant messenger and begin adding other Wgmail users and open up a new method to communicate. Take a look at the brand new tools and begin to think about how the students could use tools such as: Movie Maker, email, instant messaging, Word 2010, Excel 2010, OneNote. Feel free to share the ideas you have about using the new software in your classes, on team, deparmentally, etc. here on this blog.  If you'd like to meet to discuss more about the new technolgies, feel free to send a technology request or check in with your nearest Hixson LMT representive.  

 

Acitvate your account: Go to Live.com and follow the video instructions

Live_Initial_sign_in.wmv
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Outlook 2003: Share your calendar

I have had many requests for directions on how to share your calendar in Outlook. I have created this video to help you set it up. Happy sharing.

Outlook2003_Shared_Calendar.wmv
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Adding Printers on Windows 7

1. Click the windows icon at the bottom right of your display:


2. Enter in \\hx-pdc


3. Press the enter key on your keyboard


4. This will bring up a list of printers in the building:


5. Double click on the printer you want to add


6. Print Server will add drivers to your computer


7. Please print responsibly. All print jobs over 10 pages should be sent to the Copy machine as a stored print

Got Bing?

In the past week you may have found that when you typed in Google.com in your address bar you were automatically re-directed to Bing. I spoke with TLC about this on Friday and learned that the reason we are all being redirected back to Bing is due to a setting that Google has recently offered that allows a user to bypass any filter with a few simple clicks. Google is currently working on an educational version and once it is released we will then be able to access Google. This blocked access of google has also caused issues with the softwares that use Googles search engine (google earth, sketchup, etc.).

Printing for Success

This week some of you may have noticed issues with sending print jobs to your team printers. Our print server, setup with drivers compatible with Windows XP, has not matched up with our new operating system, Windows 7. TLC is aware of the issue. Thank you to those who sent in technology requests alerting me to the problem.  Currently all print jobs, whether one page or many, should be sent to the copy machines. Sending them as a stored print will ensure that your document will be available when you go to get it. Here is the link to the instructional video on how to send stored jobs: http://schools.webster.k12.mo.us/hxstoredprints

Prep for Tech Req

Few notes that you may need for sending in those first few Technology Request.

 

Often it will ask you at the initial setup for an organizational code. Here it is: 681433059

The password for sending the request is: WGSD

 

Technology requests can be used for but are not limited to: Performing maintenance/repairs, requesting time for in class technology assistance, request for technology plan/meeting time (one on one or team) requesting equipment for in class use or check out, website collaborative work, etc.

 

Please allow two days to process technology requests for hardware/software.

 

 

 

New computer info

The new teacher computers that you will be receiving are Dell Latitude E5410's. They have 4 GB of RAM a 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and a 150 GB hard drive. All the new computers coming into the building will be running Windows 7. 

 

Stay tuned....

Feed Reader in School Center

Add informative site RSS feeds on your school center home page to create a central hub of information about your subject area. Use the reader to share quick information about your class room activities by making a Twitter Feed on your website. The possibilities are endless and the video is just the first step. If you would like to schedule time to meet to develop your site please feel free to put in a Technology Request.

Feed_Reader_Walk_Through.wmv
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Test video post

This vide was posted to Posterous through the web. I wanted to test the functions and abilities it would have with uploading movies.

NewDocCam2.avi
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