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Issue 44 - 2018 │T4 │W9

 

Link - access past issues in the archive

Help us make T4L even better! Feedback item

Every teacher has their own library of resources, peers and trusted organisations that they go to for input and updates on teaching with technology. While our aim is to keep you all in-the-know with T4L news, resources and learning events around the state, we know ultimately each of you have your preferred channels and communities. As another busy year draws to an end, we’d love to hear from you on where, why and how you access education and technology information online. With your input, we can better engage every teacher and help them to find the motivation and resources they need to thrive in a changing tech world. Thanks for working with us this year, and we look forward to building on our NSW public schools ed-tech community throughout 2019. Please take the time to share your thoughts in this short survey and encourage your fellow teachers and other school staff to do so as well.

Click to take the T4L short survey

Why did the boot order change? Info item

With the latest T4L device rollout, people have noticed that the Boot Order setting in BIOS has changed for our HP devices. The primary boot device is now set to the internal hard disk drive, rather than the network card (ethernet) or USB device.This is to avoid unnecessary delays when starting up or restarting PCs. What it also means is that there is a much smaller window for kicking off an F12 network boot, if you are wanting to build or rebuild the computer. The most effective way to kick off the F12 boot on a 2018 and newer PC is to:

  • Connect power, monitor and ethernet cable
  • Press the power button to turn the PC on and...
  • Start tapping the F12 key until the Startup menu appears
  • Select Network Boot, then choose IPv4 Network
  • Continue the normal F12 process from there.

It's best to NOT change the Boot order in BIOS as this will be the standard setting going forward. Some may have also turned OFF the Secure Boot option in BIOS. To support Windows 10's security settings, it is important to leave Secure Boot ON.

The end of Windows 7 is coming! News item

As Microsoft gears towards ending all support for Windows 7, NSW DoE is developing a plan to move our remaining fleet in schools and corporate offices to Windows 10. In cases where the device is too old and not compatible with the latest version, it will eventually need to be decommissioned. As the first step of this plan, from the end of Term 4 this year, it will no longer be possible to rebuild a PC with Windows 7 via eT4L. Existing Windows 7 PCs will continue to function, but if they ever require rebuilding, the only option will be to choose Windows 10. For those Windows 7 users concerned about ebs: central and SAP, both work with Windows 10. To assist with this important transition, please advise all staff who are still using Windows 7 that they will need to upgrade during 2019.

Why you should lock your PC Tip item

Staff that use the department's corporate applications and systems, risk exposing sensitive data and their own personal information when leaving their computer unattended. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect the privacy of this data. When leaving your desk, always lock your computer or activate a password-protected screensaver to prevent anyone else from using it while you are away. Please advise all staff at your school and share these Safe Passwords tips at your next staff meeting.

Use Windows-L to lock your PC before walking away

Prowise Presenter is now FREE! News item

Many schools are still looking for a replacement for SMART Notebook 11.4. They might have tried using MS OneNote or one of the packages bundled with their newer IWB or LED touch panels and not found them suitable. Why not consider Prowise Presenter? The great thing about this software is it can open your old SMART Notebook files directly and the good news is that Prowise Presenter is now FREE for educators!

Prowise Presenter is now free!

ChromeOS v70 for Chromebooks News item

Since ITD launched its Chromebook Enrolment facility in term 3 last year, over 25,000 school Chromebooks have been enrolled into the DoE Google domain! Following a successful pilot to test and confirm compatibility in our environment, we have commenced the release of Chrome OS v70. Along with important security updates, this version includes several cosmetic enhancements to the user interface, better multitasking and new touch features. Chrome OS v70 started rolling out to enrolled Chromebooks on Thursday 6 December.  Each Chromebook will automatically download the update from Google and then install it. This occurs in the background with no impact on the use of the Chromebook. A restart will be required to complete the installation.

Locked-mode Quizzes in Forms News item

For those schools using Chromebooks that are enrolled in the DoE Google domain, we've unlocked a new feature in Google Forms. You can now create a Quiz using Google Forms as normal, but with the flick of a simple checkbox, you'll be able to set the Quiz to run in locked-mode. This means that the Chromebook prevents students from navigating away from the quiz until they submit their answers!

Demonstration of using Locked Mode in Google Forms

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, an EDConnect 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 removed from the “Casual – Search / Remove Staff” list in SMU.

Image: Hello, I am in transition

Are YOU changing schools? Tip item

It's always recommended that staff take a backup of all their files before leaving a school. Your DoE user account is fully transferable and will work at your new school. But one of the traps that staff find when they move schools is that the contents of your personal home folder (U:) are not automatically transferred and stay behind on your old school's eT4L Server. As a result, when you sign in at your new school, you get a brand new U: drive which is empty! So how do you access your old home folder contents so that you can copy them to your new U:? Let's say for example that your DoE user ID is Meghan.Markle2 and that the school code of your previous school is 6482. Log onto any Windows PC at your new school, open Computer and in the address bar at the top, type in: \\detnsw.win\6482\staff\_Meghan.Markle2 - except, replace the school code and the user ID with yours. Take note of the _ before the user ID. It should open your old home folder and you can copy all the files and folders from there to your empty U: drive. Then delete your content from the old school's server.

ICT Thought of the day Fun item

ICT Thought - Getting a text while watching a show on your phone is the modern version of someone walking in front of the TV

Leave these ON over Summer Tip item

Turning off ICT infrastructure over the holiday period can stop important software upgrades, 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 switches and components in the main data cabinet
  • Your school’s eT4L Server and UPS
  • Apple Caching Server - if you have one
  • 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.  

eT4L data cabinet

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
  • Also, consider taking batteries out of projector and TV remote controls in case of leaks that can occur

Term 1 School 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.

What to turn OFF and what NOT to turn off

What about batteries? Tip item

The long, hot summer vacation is also known to cause problems with the remote controls for your projectors, TVs, LED touch panels and VC units. The AA and AAA batteries in these remote controls are known to occasionally leak. While it usually is only required to replace the batteries, sometimes the leaking actually damages the remote control. Some of these can be difficult or expensive to replace, depending on the device. As a precaution, it's a good idea to remove these batteries from the remotes before the end of the school year. Remember, many robotic devices also use these batteries, so consider removing them as well!

Beware leaking batteries!

2019 Student Rollover outages Info item

The annual student rollover process is a highly complex and critical procedure that affects multiple corporate systems. It involves the adjustment of every student account (more than 850,000 of them!) at over 2,200 schools. Most accounts remain with the same school, they just progress a year. But almost 20% are reassigned to a new year group in a new school. It's vitally important to normal school operations that this occurs seamlessly and accurately. To facilitate the upcoming rollover, two outages have been scheduled during the holiday period:

  • ERN and ebs: central will be unavailable from 9am on
    28 December through to 5pm on 13 January 2019
  • Student Portal will be unavailable from 9am on 8 January through to 5pm on 9 January.

Students that attempt to logon to their Portal will be presented a page which offers instructions for accessing their DoE GMail, G Suite and Office 365 during the outage period.

Farewell OASIS... RIP item

OASIS will be fully decommissioned on 28 December. From that date, schools will no longer be able to access OASIS. The link on the Staff Portal to the application will be removed. For the past year, OASIS has been set to read only mode. If you need to retrieve any OASIS data after 28 December, please log a request with EDConnect. For any further questions, please contact the OASIS Decommissioning team via email at oasisdecom@det.nsw.edu.au.

Google Alerts now enabled! News item

Previously, DoE's G Suite service did not include Google Alerts for staff or students. This handy feature has now been enabled and allows users to automatically monitor the Internet for any new content published about any Google search terms. It's very handy for researching a specific topic and getting the latest news about it. Alerts will then email you any new links relating to your settings. Students will automatically receive their set alerts in their school GMail account, while staff will have them directed to their Outlook email. Just sign into your G Suite first, then follow this handy guide to see how you can set up your own Google Alerts.

The T4L Show - episode 2 PL item

If you missed the second episode of the T4L Show released after our last newsletter, it's not too late to catch up. Episode 3 is expected this week to wrap up the 2018 school year. So what is the T4L Show? It's our new way of delivering educational technologies news from the T4L Team. Get yourself and your staff up to date quickly with an easy to digest discussion about what's happening right now with tech in NSW public schools! The video description contains timestamps to jump to, then see the discussion around each topic we cover (and there are plenty of them!). The best way to keep up to date with every new video we post on T4L TV is to SUBSCRIBE - just like you would with any YouTube channel. Click play below to start watching! And leave us your comments!

Click play to watch this episode of the T4L Show

Got time for one last Power Up!? PL item

As 2019 comes to a close and we all head off for a relaxing break, there are two final chances to attend one of these great PL sessions. The T4L Power Up! PL event is new for the T4L team and our first event was held at Alstonville PS recently. It's a unique day with a deep-dive into one of three vendor-driven streams: Apple, Google or Microsoft. It's also unique because we're using some cool new technology to deliver focused-learning virtually anywhere! Check the photo below (click for a larger view) - three groups all in the same room. See their headphones? Notice the different colours? Some of the feedback from participants in Alstonville:

  • "Would love another session so I can do other workshops."
  • "I would like an opportunity to participate in the Apple and Microsoft breakout sessions as I found the content is also relevant to my role. Please come back SOON!"

Details and registration form are on the T4L Power Up! site to join us in either Sydney (this week) or Wollongong (next week). More Power Ups! are planned for 2019 in other centres.

Click for a larger image of T4L Power Up! in Alstonville


More news.T4L in Week 3 next year!

Information Technology Directorate wishes all of our readers a great Christmas, a happy New Year and a safe and relaxing holiday. We publish news.T4L three times each term. Remember to share each issue with your staff!

 

Share your story in news.T4L - just email us at T4Lnews@det.nsw.edu.au

NSW DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTORATE