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Issue 04 - 2015 │T3 │W6

Blocking Updates FAQ News item

As announced in Technology News for Schools, approval was granted to block Windows and Apple OS updates (but not iOS apps) during school hours (9am-3pm).  While this is expected to have a positive effect on available bandwidth to all schools, what does it mean for non-eT4L schools that manage their own fleet of Windows computers or for schools with large numbers of iPads?  What about updates for BYOD Windows or Apple devices? To assist with answering these and other questions around managing updates at school, we’ve published a Frequently Asked Questions document. 

Discovered your Sway yet? News item

Sway recently appeared for all students and staff in Office 365 in their Portal. If you haven’t had time to look at it, it’s really worth the effort.  Sway will help people quickly create and share their polished, interactive content for all sorts of uses. Whether you’re a student pulling together your digital report on Antarctica, a teacher compiling an easy-to-deliver lesson comprising multimedia and links, or a busy principal wanting to present the latest updates to the school council, Sway can help get you up and running quickly with something polished and presentable that expresses your ideas.  Here’s a quick getting started guide to help you get your Sway going. NOTE: Sway is not compatible with IE9.

Should schools engrave PCs? Tip item

For the past few years, the warranty conditions attached to computers purchased by schools via the DoE contract or received from rollouts has stated that hardware vendors will not swap out any equipment that is engraved or has customer induced damage (CID).  The practice of engraving equipment is not recommended as it will impact the warranty service that is applied.  If computers are faulty, our warranty provisions may call for a swap out of the device if that provides the quickest resolution. Engraved computers cannot be swapped out and will be taken away for off-site repair, which may take longer to complete before being returned.

Apple Configurator Backup Tip item

Schools that use Apple Configurator to deploy apps to iPads must ensure that they have a backup solution in place for the Apple computer.  If the Configurator database is lost/corrupted, all purchases made via the Volume Purchase Program will be lost.  Once a VPP code has been used to install an app or iBook, Configurator records which iPad(s) the app was installed on. If you lose the Configurator database, these records are lost and you can no longer install the apps on another iPad. You’ll have to re-purchase all of your VPP apps and iBooks.

Coding for younger students Link item

Software is becoming a critical layer of all our lives. It is the language of our world. In the future, not knowing the language of computers will be as challenging as being illiterate or innumerate are today. It is one thing to know how to use programs. It’s another to understand how the logic behind them works. This is a challenge today’s young will love as it deals with the digital world. Knowing how to program helps them understand and tinker with the world that they are living in. The younger generation is a population of change-makers. However, in order to bring innovation and change, they need to learn how to code.  The great thing is, coding isn’t that hard to learn. Peter McAsh has compiled and shared a great Wiki of coding resources for younger students.

Image of a student coding

Free Student access: MS Azure Link item

High school students taking Software Design & Development or Information & Software Technology subjects might be interested to know that Microsoft is giving them free access to develop and host web apps in the cloud using their Azure platform.  Azure App Service Web Apps is a part of a fully managed cloud offering that enables you to build and deploy web apps in seconds. Use ASP.NET, Java, PHP, Node.js or Python.  They also get full access to Visual Studio Online without having to install or configure servers to host their apps. Full details are here.

Video Streaming an event Tip item

From time to time, schools have wanted to be able to stream high definition live video and audio footage from performances occurring in their hall to projectors in multiple classrooms. This is to allow students that cannot attend the live performance due to capacity or other reasons, to be able to see the performance via a digital video link.  Here’s an affordable and workable solution that utilises a computer with webcam and microphone connected via cable to the school’s network to deliver streaming video to all parts of the school. The solution has been tested in a school with 16 classrooms and successfully delivered full-screen video and clear audio without stuttering and with only a six-second delay from the live event. Network performance will vary depending on cabling quality and switch capacity.

Office 365 at Barnier PS Peer item

Further to the release of the Teach and Learn with Microsoft resource, Barnier Public School in western Sydney has published a ClassMovie about their work with Microsoft to implement new technology programs into the classroom. They report that it’s providing their students with engaging and real world experiences.  Click the image below to link to their video.

Click to watch this video

Dialling into a VC by phone Tip item

Many staff are not aware that it is possible to attend a connected classroom-based VC using a telephone to allow for an audio-only connection. To dial in via phone, you need to:

  • dial – (02) 9467 1996
  • Listen for the prompts.  It will ask for the meeting’s VMR number. NOTE! You must end with a # even though it doesn't ask for it.

Update your profile in Portal News item

The option in the Staff Portal at the top-right to update your profile has been modified and now individual staff can edit their own Global Address List (GAL) details, including their work location and contact details.  If the details in the email address list about you are not accurate, you can use this tool to easily and quickly update them.  

OneNote Class Sharing Error Tip item

To date, a small number of users have reported an error message when trying to share a OneNote document in Office 365’s Class Notebook Creator.  The error states – “Oops! Setting Notebook process failed. Please refresh the page and try again.” – A series of steps are required to resolve the issue and the process is explained on this Sway webpage.

T4L Rollout update News item

Approvals for the T4L Rollout notifications are being finalised with announcements expected shortly.

Video History on YouTube Link item

Excellent news for History buffs! The Associated Press, British Movietone and British Pathé have released their entire catalogue of historic video and newsreels on YouTube, with footage dating back to 1895. The collections include war-era footage, world and sporting events, disasters, and celebrity videos.

YouTube without the guff Link item

Teachers use YouTube content every day to reinforce their lessons and provide an engaging experiences and discussion-starters in the classroom. Unfortunately, YouTube is full of ads, unpredictable “Related videos” lists and inappropriate comments.  If you know the URL of the video you want to present, use these sites for a clean, video-only experience.

O365: “Shared with Everyone” Tip item

In the OneDrive cloud storage area of Office 365, is a folder that is called "Shared with Everyone". If you save any files in there, they will automatically be visible to ANY Office 365 user in the DoE system, including all staff and students.  Furthermore, not only can anyone view the documents, but they can edit them as well, by default.  It appears that many students and teachers have been saving files in that folder of their personal OneDrive, because they are appearing in search results and are retrievable by others. It’s important that all users are made aware of the way the Shared with Everyone folder works.

AirServer in High Schools Tip item

Many schools with iPads have discovered that AirServer is a useful program that allows iPads to wirelessly project their screens via a classroom projector.  With the projector connected to a PC or Mac and AirServer installed, the AirPlay option on the iPad is switched on and the image projected.  Unless you are in a high school. Then, it’s not so simple – because AirPlay does not support the virtual LANs that high school WiFi setups use.  That’s where the new AirServer Connect app for iPad comes in. Use it on your iPad to easily find your AirServer host!

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