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Issue 20 - 2016 │T4 │W9

 

Link - access past issues in the archive

eT4L Windows 10 progress News item

Since the launch of Windows 10 in eT4L schools in Week 6 of this term, regular deployments have been occurring with very positive feedback and reports received. Some schools have installed Windows 10 to only one PC for testing purposes, while others have completed testing and widely deployed it to more than 200 computers. Here is just some of the feedback:

  • "Can I just say that I am loving the Win 10 build, the kids have adapted so well and love it as well. Thank you to all who made it an eventuality." - Steph Westwood
  • "I've completed 2 labs without any failures and SCCM is picking up all the software. I'm having a lot less failures on Windows 10 :)" - Sean Piper
  • "It makes the recycled red DER Lenovos go like stink!" - Brendan Jones

Windows 10 in eT4L schools - deployment statistics

Windows 10 webinar recording Link item

The four webinars we presented for Windows 10 in eT4L schools were well attended and offered a good understanding of our new operating environment, how to get it and what it's all about. In case you missed the webinar, you can now watch the recording at any time to catch up.

Windows 10 and browsers Information item

While Windows 10 installations at home have Edge as the default browser, the eT4L Win 10 build has Internet Explorer (IE) 11 set as default. Edge is included and available, and other browsers can be deployed from UDM as is the case with Windows 7. For DoE corporate applications, the recommended browser is IE11, with thorough testing completed under Windows 10.

Win 10 & Software Catalogue Information item

After final testing, a list of around 65 titles from Software Catalogue that were confirmed as being incompatible with Windows 10 has been published. It is expected that many of these titles have newer versions available from the vendor that are compatible with Windows 10. If your school requires any of these titles and an updated version is not yet in Software Catalogue, it will need to be submitted for packaging following the regular software submission procedure.

The plan for Windows 8.1 Information item

Windows 10 deployments in eT4L schools have already exceeded the entire Windows 8.1 fleet size. It's now recommended that schools consider updating all remaining Win 8.1 touch notebooks and tablets to Windows 10. The ability to build devices with Win 8.1 in eT4L sites will soon be removed. While no existing Win 8.1 device will be forcibly upgraded to Win 10 and will continue to run, if any issues arise on an 8.1 device, it should be rebuilt with Windows 10 as the first troubleshooting step.

SketchUp Pro 2017 News item

High schools in particular will be pleased to learn that the latest version of this excellent tool for 2D / 3D design and drawing will be available in the eT4L Software Catalogue for the start of the next school year. The department's Enterprise licence for SketchUp Pro 2017 covers all school-owned computers only. Students and staff can download the free SketchUp Make program for use on personal devices.

SketchUp Pro 2017

eT4L Primary server refresh News item

Since its first installations in mid-2012, eT4L Primary has been a very successful infrastructure and ICT services solution for our schools. It brought a level of consistency, reliability and self-service across all schools that previously was not possible. With the completion of the eT4L Secondary project in our high schools nearing, planning is is now underway for the server refresh for eT4L Primary. Commencing in 2017, this new project will deliver new hardware, migrate existing school data and remove the old hardware. Minimising disruption at each school is a priority for us and we look forward to updating you on our progress as this important project develops.

eT4L Collaboration drive Information item

The end of each year (or the beginning of the next) presents a decision-time for eT4L schools around the school's Collaboration drive. The folders in this drive are broken into each year group and access permissions for each folder are allocated automatically at the start of each year, so a student moving into year 8 in 2017 (for example), will only get access to the year 8 folder from early 2017. But before then, it's important to decide what to do with the current contents of each year folder. The files stored in the folder represent work from 2016 (and maybe earlier). If nothing is done, new year 8 students will have access to the files created by 2016's year 8 students. If teachers or students have saved work in the Collaboration folder that they'd like to keep, it's best to advise them to copy the files either into their personal home folder or their cloud storage - oneDrive or Google Drive. Allow time for users to do this then delete the unnecessary files from each year folder for the start of 2017.

OS update blocks over Xmas Information item

Since September 2015, to ensure internet bandwidth is not being excessively consumed by iOS and Windows updates during school hours, central blocks have been in place. This has been an effective strategy which will continue in 2017. The blocks are lifted outside school hours (before 9am and after 3pm), and all day when school is not operating - weekends, public holidays, school vacations and scheduled school development days. To assist schools with their device management planning, blocks will be lifted from 3pm on 16 December and reinstated from 9am on 30 January 2017.

Google PhotoScan app Link item

Schools are full of old albums and boxes of photos, but we don’t take the time to digitise them because it’s just too hard to get it right. Buying a scanner is costly and time consuming, and if you try to take a digital photo of a photo, you end up with crooked edges and glare. Google have announced PhotoScan, a free, new standalone app that scans photos using your Apple iOS or Android camera, detects edges, straightens the image, rotates it to the correct orientation, and removes glare. Scanned photos can be saved in one tap to Google Photos to be organised, searchable, shared, and safely backed up at high quality. Watch the video below to see this amazing technology in action. The Google Photos app also was upgraded to include pro editing functions.

Watch this video of Google PhotoScan in action

Computer terms glossary Link item

Computers, technology and the Internet have over the past 30 years or so added more terms into the English language than any other subset of life. One excellent resource is available that contains a comprehensive glossary of ICT terms sorted both alphabetically and in categories. Each term links to its own page that provides a good description and often links to further resources on the subject.

SPA for primary schools update News item

By Friday this week, around 650 primary schools will have been cut over to Secure Proxy Authentication (SPA). No further cutovers will occur this year, but will recommence in week 4 of term 1 next year. It is expected that all remaining schools will have been cut over to SPA for internet access before the end of term 1. Feedback to date has been very positive. In a nutshell:

  • If you are using a Windows or Mac computer that has been eT4L-built (managed), then once logged onto the computer, you will no longer be prompted to access the internet on any browser. You will still authenticate to Portal as usual, but never again for the proxy and internet access.
  • If you are using any unmanaged device, you will be prompted for internet (proxy) access and you will need to add @detnsw to your username. However, for some BYODs like Windows 8.1 or 10, or Macs or iPads, because they are designed for a single user, when you save your credentials (with the @detnsw) the first time, the device will remember them, saving you from re-entering it all the time.

ICT Christmas thought of the day Fun item

May Christmas shine all the joy and happiness to you and your family that only a multitude of tech gadgets can bring.

Christmas greetings

What NOT to turn off! Tip item

Turning off ICT infrastructure over the holiday period can stop important software upgrades and antivirus and security updates.  It is strongly recommended that you do not turn off the following infrastructure:

  • The Cisco router that connects your site to DoE
  • All other devices in the main data cabinet
  • Your school’s eT4L Server and UPS
  • Connected Classroom cabinet and other VC units

If you turn these devices off, necessary updates will take place on your return to school and slow down your network access during the busy first days of Term 1 next year.  

What to turn off and what not to turn off

What you should turn off Tip item

In many areas of NSW, Summer is lightning season. In order to protect your equipment over the long break, it’s a good idea to turn off the power point and unplug the following devices:

  • Computers (desktops/laptops) and monitors
  • Printers, projectors and other peripherals
  • Multifunction devices and copiers
  • Televisions

Term 1 Staff Development Day – turn on all your school computers so they receive security and Windows updates from your eT4L server so they are ready for use by students the next day.

Staff leaving your school? Tip item

As the end of the year approaches, it’s important to clean up access and permissions granted via AMU. Otherwise departing staff will continue to have access to your school’s resources at their new site.  This could include the ability to reset your student and staff passwords, access your eT4L file shares and be members of your school’s email distribution lists. It’s VERY IMPORTANT to remove these permissions BEFORE they start at their new school. Once they start at their new site, staff will disappear from your main AMU lists, but your granted permissions will remain for them. If they have disappeared from your AMU list, click the “View & Add Staff not at this site” link at the bottom of AMU to find them and remove their access from the various applets in AMU. If they are not shown there but have reported they still have access, a service desk call will need to be logged to have them removed from your site totally. Casual/ temporary/relieving staff that have left will need to have their access removed from the various applets in AMU, then be removed from the “Casual – Search/ Remove Staff” list in SMU.

Google Apps is now "G Suite" News item

You may have noticed that in the DoE portal, Google Apps for Education has been renamed to "G Suite" for Education. That's because Google recently changed the name to better reflect their intention to "to help people everywhere work and innovate together". Along with the name change, new features were also added to their Docs, Sheets and Slides apps.

Google Apps is now G Suite

Google Sites updated News item

Google Sites now delivers an extremely simple way to create and host websites. They've removed most of the complexities and least-used features of the old version that many users thought made it an undesirable web tool. Now, every page is an easy-to-read single column of content. Every page works well on a desktop, tablet, or phone. The elements of every site work together, thanks to themes, fonts, and colour choices that help you create a coherent, more modern design. More importantly, you can insert content from Google Drive into your site. Insert any of your Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Charts, Videos, or Images from Google Drive into a section of your site. And you can still insert Google Calendars, Maps, and YouTube videos, too. All of these show a preview of the file, with the full content viewable after a visitor selects the file. Before the end of this year, the G Suite landing page in your DoE Portal will be updated to add a link to the new Google Sites. Access to the old Google Sites will still be available. In the meantime, you can access the new Sites through Drive... New...More...Google Sites. Note however that the new Sites is only compatible with Chrome or Firefox browser for editing. Learn how to use it by watching the fifteen minute tutorial below.

Watch this tutorial for the new Google Sites tool

OSX Sierra at eT4L schools Information item

In our previous issue, we advised that Apple's latest operating system for Macs was ready for deployment in eT4L schools. Due to an identified issue with the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite and Acrobat software, the Sierra build for Macs has been rolled back. Further advice about this will be published in the new year. The Apple Caching Server build which was also mentioned in our last newsletter, is still in place and available for deployment to Mac Minis.

Important iOS update for iPads News item

For the past few months, some schools have reported an issue that affects internet browsing on some iPads. We have been working closely with Apple to test iOS 10.2 Beta to ensure that a fix is in place. We are pleased to advise that our testing has confirmed that the soon to be released iOS 10.2 will resolve this issue. We would encourage schools to upgrade all eligible iPads to iOS 10.2 as soon as it is publicly available.

Satya Nadella and SSC Leichhardt Peer item

Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella was recently in Australia and had the opportunity to meet with NSW public school students from Sydney Secondary College - Leichhardt Campus. The years 9 and 10 students were selected to present elements from their school's project-based learning subject, ACCORD at Microsoft's flagship store in Sydney. Focusing on applying Minecraft to create a virtual world representing Japan in the 17th century, they then used the collaboration space of OneNote to explain their research and what they were building. Satya spent some time with the students, sharing the infectious joy they experience when learning comes through doing.

Satya Nadella meets students from Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt Campus

Adobe creativity workshops Link item

If you're in Sydney during the January school vacation, why not consider some free professional development for you and some of your students? These workshops at our headquarters in Eveleigh are hands-on with devices supplied. You'll learn how you can use and integrate Adobe creativity tools into your teaching and learning programs. The sessions are led by a variety of Adobe Education Leaders, all of whom are current teachers in our NSW school system. Their work is relevant, realistic and achievable for all who attend. All teacher workshops are registered with QTC (BOSTES) for 4 hours professional learning for those maintaining accreditation at the proficient teacher level. Let your students know and get in quick to ensure a place. Courses include:

  • Create it! - 2 day workshop for 10 to 14 year olds
  • Create it! - 2 day workshop for 15 to 18 year olds
  • Adobe Spark Post, Page and Video - 1 day for teachers
  • Adobe XD app prototype design - 1 day for teachers

The Future of Work - toolkit Link item

The Regional Australia Institute and NBN have posted a new toolkit and resource focusing on setting students up for success in the 2030 job market. Helping students to develop the skills to approach and tackle challenges is critical for them to be able to thrive in their future jobs. The Future of Work Toolkit looks closely at how technology can help to develop the required skills shown in the screen shot below to help them thrive in a digital world.

Screenshot of Future of Work toolkit

 

More news.T4L in Week 3

Information Technology Directorate publishes news.T4L three times every term. Remember to share each issue with your staff!

 

NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE