Educating Staff on BHS Network
News for the week of August 20, 2012
All About Using the Internet/Network Reasonably...
How Our Network Worked
- Two years ago, we had same connection as a typical home connection
- Now, we have enough bandwidth to accommodate our needs - we just need to be conscious of what we do with on the internet
Pipe One
- YouTube
- Pandora
Pipe Two
- Google Drive (Docs)
- All other websites
Past History
Internet Crawling
Spinning Wheel of Death
Forgetting to Save Regularly
- Some days, internet worked and worked well...other days not so much
- From lunch on, internet appeared to CRAWL and we couldn't be productive
- Thus, need to get a handle on how/what we are using on the internet
BHS Compared to Most Public Institutions (CURRENTLY)
- We are fortunate that our network is ‘mostly’ open
- We had access to:
- Social Media websites
- YouTube
- Access to personal email
Below are some very happy teachers about our current situation!
Other Examples
- Many companies were worried about the amount of streaming happening during the 2012 Summer Olympics as felt did not have enough bandwidth
- A friend's company does not allow own devices to connect to wireless; cannot stream pandora or other music sites
- Cell phone companies charge users who go over their data plan
While, you can validate educationally what you do in the classroom, please understand that we do not have an unlimited amount of bandwidth. Thus...
New This Year
- We are now a wireless building (middle and high school)
- Wireless even covers Bulldog Stadium
- Wireless - think of Starbucks Model
- BHS-Wireless - school owned devices - has most bandwidth allocated (can register your own device - more info later)
- BHS-Student - low access
- BHS-Guest - even lower access - password required
- BYOD
- Electronic form must be completed to 'register' your device with our network (i.e. laptop, iPhone, iPod, iPad) to get approval
- Students will not have wireless access at beginning of the school year - deploying out slowly
- Ex: Hooksett school initiated a BYOD and their network 'crashed' right away as they did not properly 'think things through'
- Email notifications - possibly
- Possible communication informing being a 'heavy user' through email
- Not a 'hand slap' communication - just making you become aware of your usage and effect on rest of the school community
- Laptop Carts
- Gone are the days with dealing with airports on the carts
- Laptop computers access internet ports throughout the building (square devices on ceiling)
- No longer plug cart into ethernet port on the wall
Things You Should Not Do...
- Stream music on the internet such as Pandora and Grooveshark because you work well with music in the background
- Watching random YouTube videos that do not have an educational purpose
- Stream YouTube videos and/or netflix that are longer than 10 minutes
- Have every student watch the same webinar on their own device
- Have every student stream the same video on their own device
- Download extremely large files during school hours
- Searching the web to 'fill up your down time'
Moving Forward
- We want you to use the technology that has been provided for educational purposes (teaching and learning)
- Use it conciously
- Work with Media Center Specialist (Nick Bellows) to possible purchase movies that are shown as part of curriculum instead of streaming through netflix
- Without know it, your small task can affect the rest of the building
- Be sure to always have a PLAN B as internet cannot always be guaranteed
- Classroom management - rules apply to students as well
- We are not asking you to abandon technology
- We are asking you to be conscious of what you are doing with the technology
- If we cannot ‘manage’ the network within ourselves, the BUGS committee will have to evaluate how to help manage it
- Any questions or concerns, please talk with Sheil or Lunn
B.U.G.S - Bandwidth Usage Group Secondary
Brainstorming with Darth Vader for Disney's Star Wars Weekends
- Comprised of Director of Technology, Network Administrator, Assistant Superintendent, BHS Principal, and BHS Tech Integrator
- Met at the end of last school year (2011-2012)
- Goal: Meet once a month and evaluate usage of bandwidth and productivity
- Evaluate websites that are ‘heavy hitters’
- Determine educational value and effect it has on network
Tools for watching YouTube Videos:
All About Using the Internet/Network Reasonably
About Me
Technology Integration Teacher @ Bedford High School
Website: http://www.sau25.net/BedfordHigh.cfm?subpage=565616
Location: 47B Nashua Road, Bedford, NH
Twitter: @csheil