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Issue 05 - 2015 │T3 │W9

IE 11 deployment News item

As announced in SchoolBiz in Week 8, an upgrade commencing this week to the Windows 7 Standard Operating Environment (SOE) will be deployed to all schools running eT4L services.  It will bring about a replacement of the Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) browser, from IE9 to IE11. The local eT4L server will deliver the update automatically to all Windows 7 desktops and laptops that were commissioned by the F12 build function.  The update will be seamless, requiring no action on the part of users aside from a need to restart their computer when prompted/ convenient. Schools not yet migrated to eT4L services will need to apply their own local upgrades on computers where the browser is still IE9.   Further information is included in the IE11 Fact Sheet.

Clicking links in our articles Tip item

You may find that clicking links in articles opens the link in the same tab which then makes it difficult to get back to the newsletter. We've focussed on accessibility and following WCAG 2.0 standards, so all links from articles will open in the same tab or window. If you'd rather links open in a separate tab, right-click or long-press and choose to open in a new tab. Or just tick the little check box in the top left corner! 

Managing bottlenecks Tip item

Following on from the performance issues updates provided in previous issues of this newsletter, ITD has produced a new infographic to explain the effect of bottlenecks on the network. Bottlenecks can occur centrally as a result of demand, affecting all schools. Or they might be in individual schools, affecting those schools alone.  While ITD has been making necessary adjustments to our gateway and systems to better cope with demand, there are steps that each school can take to ensure their throughput is not negatively impacted by local bottlenecks.  Download this two-page infographic to share with your staff.

BYOD iPad settings Tip item

While Apple iPads are useful devices at school for both staff and students, some of the default settings are likely to be impacting on your school’s Internet gateway.  While it’s easy to adjust the settings on school-owned iPads and iPod Touches, it’s not so simple when it comes to BYODs.  We’ve published some advice regarding two settings that are recommended for ALL BYOD iPads used by staff and students at school as well as all School-owned unmanaged iPads.

2015 DER Laptop graduation News item

SchoolBiz (week 8) announced the launch of the 2015 graduation process for all remaining locked DER laptops (Silver x130e and Red x131e).  Self-support materials are available to assist high schools undertaking graduation in DER and eT4L schools.

Be wary: Non-contract vendors News item

Every week, staff and schools receive emails or phone calls from vendors selling training courses, solutions, products and services.  These unsolicited contacts from vendors offering to solve internet performance, BYOD or WiFi issues by installing additional broadband services or non-standard WiFi alternatives into the school may sound tempting.  In most of these cases, the solutions offered are non-standard and not endorsed by the department and introduce major security concerns for the DoE wide area network.  School Principals and ICT Coordinators have an important role to maintain local ICT security by installing approved/endorsed ICT solutions.  Under the Local Schools, Local Decisions purchasing initiative, Telecommunications, including broadband, networking equipment and WiFi are excluded contracts.  Schools should always obtain advice from their local ICT Services team before making purchases based on unsolicited information.

T4L Rollout notifications News item

All eligible schools can expect to receive their T4L Rollout notification email via the Principal’s email account on Friday 11 September.  Please take note that the closing date for orders will be Friday, 9 October (Week 1).

Integrated Imaging help Tip item

The ICT Service Desk is seeing many requests for assistance from schools to complete the Fuji Xerox Check List prior to installation of the renewed Integrated Imaging solution for new copiers and printers.  As the renewal program ramps up, we anticipate that many schools will also request assistance with the installation and configuration of the print server and associated permission scripts. To assist our support teams with prioritising their workload and to avoid any disappointment, we request that schools log service support calls at least two weeks prior to the scheduled installation date. Your co-operation is appreciated.

Learning tools in DoE Link item

The Learning tools intranet page has been refreshed with additional information to support teachers using the department-provided online collaboration and learning tools, Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps for Education. In addition to information about each of these tools, the site features a growing list of teaching and learning resources that support the innovative use of the tools in the classroom. The site also includes current professional learning opportunities and case studies that highlight existing best practice in NSW schools.

Got time for some feedback?

After the first five issues of T4L News for Schools, we’d love to know if you have any feedback – positive or negative. It’ll only take you a minute or two and will assist us to ensure we keep on delivering the type of information you need as an ICT coordinator.

School Email distribution lists Peer item

Multiple email distribution lists (DL) are available for use by schools to send group emails to different subsets of their staff. The School.All.Staff DL is made up of 16 different DLs. If you find that the All.Staff group is sending to people no longer based at your school, it’s because those people are still associated with one or more of these other DLs.  Changing the membership of some of these DLs can be done via AMU or SMU, while others need to be adjusted by People and Services (formerly HR). A full description of each of the sub-DLs can be found in this quick reference guide.

eT4L Software Catalogue Tip item

Typically, ICT Coordinators in eT4L schools have been set as Software Managers in AMU/eT4L by the Principal. While any staff member is able to request software to be deployed at the school, nothing will happen until a Software Manager at the school goes into Software Catalogue and checks for Alerts at the top of the screen.  Next, the Software Manager must Approve the request before the package appears in the school’s UDM so it can be deployed. 

So the process is: Request / Action (Submit or Decline) / Deploy.  As at the end of August, there were close to 5,000 requests sitting in Software Catalogue that have not yet been actioned by Software Managers across NSW.

Dell Server warranty emails Tip item

With Dell being the preferred server provider for schools for the past several years, many schools have installed Dell servers for Sentral, Moodle, Terminal Servers and other purposes.  As a reminder, Dell will email schools to remind them when their server’s four year warranty will expire and offer extended warranty options.If you receive any of these emails, it’s never about the eT4L server which has centrally-managed warranty. It’s always about another school-owned server and the information is important and shouldn’t be ignored, especially if the server is critical to your school’s operations.  It’s best to ask for advice on planning for replacing the server or extending the existing server’s warranty.

MS Office Apps for iPad Link item

Word for iPad, Excel for iPad, and PowerPoint for iPad are all free and will link with your DoE Office 365 online account, giving you access to your documents on the go. These apps have the robust capabilities and familiar look and feel of Office, while offering a fantastic touch experience built from the ground up for iPad. If you have an iPad but haven’t installed these apps, it’s worth getting the official Microsoft guide.

Learning Potential app Link item

The Federal government has released a free mobile app for parents containing tips and inspiring ways to be more involved in their child’s learning. It’s for all ages, from the high chair to high school, and provides relevant information tailored to each child’s age as well as fun and easy ways to stimulate learning. It suggests ways to fit educational games into the regular family routines, such as in the car or supermarket, and lets parents personalise the app for their children. No data is collected by the app. Available for iOS and Android.

Access for Relieving Principals News item

Setting up a Relieving Principal with access to the school’s AMU while the Principal is away, can now be completed as a self-service function. This process does not add them to the Relieving Principal email distribution list for the school, so it’s still necessary to also complete the Relieving Principals form and submit to the ICT Service Desk for this to occur.

Want to buy a Smart TV? Tip item

Smart TVs are getting smarter all the time with great internet-based content like on-demand free TV (ABC iView, SBS On-Demand, PLUS7, Tenplay etc).  All you have to do is plug your TV into an Ethernet cable or connect wirelessly to the internet and you’re away!  However, all Smart TVs are designed for domestic purposes and expect a direct connection to the internet. In our schools environment, the department’s authenticated proxy presents a barrier that Smart TVs are not yet smart enough to understand and work with. Before buying any new device that requires internet access, it’s best to test in school before purchasing, or at least get advice.

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