Christian Brothers Academy Albany, NY

Transcription

1 Christian Brothers Academy Albany, NY Technology Plan Prepared by: Michael S. Smith Director of Technology Christian Brothers Academy ext 162

2 Technology Plan Christian Brothers Academy Albany, NY Process: A small group of administrators and school staff have met together to review the prior technology plan, as well as the results from a recent technology assessment of the entire school, in order to develop this technology plan. The intent is to provide overall guidance to the school for the next three school years, starting in September of 2010 and running until the end of the school year in June of We anticipate that this plan will go through a number of revisions and refinements over the course of the next three years. Goals: The overarching long-term goal for Technology in the Christian Brothers Academy is to insure that existing technology and technology to be procured, is used in a manner that increases student learning and supports teaching, as well as increasing overall staff efficiency, productivity, communications and data-based decision-making. We believe that learning technology, information technology and telecommunications can allow us to do things differently, and in ways that will improve what we do, and what and how students learn. Our hope is that technology will become a significant.aspect of the CBA learning experience, and allow us to offer new and expanded options for our students as a result of technology. Our short-term goals are to: Take advantage, to the extent possible, of the technology capabilities in place to improve teaching and learning and school decision-making. To identify, procure, and install the new technology infrastructure and systems components (including hardware, software and networking) to improve the level of access to information available to students, teachers, and administrators. To identify new instructional targets (curriculum areas) where technology can help us to improve significantly student learning, and to apply new hardware in those areas first. Some areas of immediate opportunity are science, math, and language arts. To provide more extensive, focused and on-going staff development for teachers to insure that technology is integrated into the curriculum.

3 Assessment of Existing and Projected Capacities There were two components to the assessment recently conducted and completed at CBA: 1. A physical inventory and technical review of existing technology conditions in the school, including infrastructure, hardware, local area networking (LAN) and Internet, instructional and administrative applications, and technical support capabilities. 2. Structured focus group interviews and surveys of instructional, administrative and support staff, as well as a representative group of students, relative to: Critical needs related to technology Present uses of technology Obstacles with respect to technology that stand in the way of more efficient and effective functioning. Opportunities for changes or additions to present technology capabilities and systems that would improve productivity. Results of Assessment Infrastructure The new CBA building has a reasonably solid cabling system for data communications. The data cabling infrastructure follows a standard structured cabling approach using both fiber optic cable and Category 5 copper cabling. Although the data cabling design is adequate for supporting present and future applications, this is not the case with the video (CATV) cabling system. Reliability issues were identified with the video system that seem linked to the video cabling, but the specific problem has not yet been identified. Apparently the high school wing of the building does not have a functioning cable television system that would allow the delivery of the Channel One programming to the high school students at the same time as the other classes in the school. In order to fulfill the commitment to Channel One, the programming must be shown at other times in the cafeteria during the lunch periods. Electrical power (specifically the number of separate dedicated power circuits available to support computer and other technology in all tree wiring closets) was adequate. Both in the main and center wiring closets selected computer equipment components are presently being served by multiple uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). These UPS power supplies provide sufficient backup power for all critical components. Wiring closets have adequate space, particularly in the main data room next to the computer lab. The wiring closets and racks are well organized in terms of cable routing and wire management, making troubleshooting easy. Hardware and Network Network equipment is significantly over-powered, and creates fast access to the Internet and network servers. The technology being used is state of the art. The IP addressing scheme used in the building is more than adequate which uses a single Windows based network. There are 3 servers in place. Two of the servers were updated in July 2008 and the remaining server was replaced with a Dell Poweredge 2900 running Windows Server All the servers have a tape backup system to support all critical fields. The backup procedure is performed daily during overnight hours. All the servers have had their software updated by Microsoft

4 Windows Update. There are presently approximately 135 computers in use in the school, of which 90 are older AMD computers, 20 are Atom based desktops and the remaining have varying specs as they are used by administrators and support staff. All of the computer workstations available to the students and teachers and all have 256 MB of RAM and run at 2.0 Ghz processor speed. All of the computers run Windows XP Professional SP3 operating system and the Open Office Productivity Suite. All of the computers accessible to the faculty and students in the computer lab, Media center, and classrooms have multimedia capability. Many either have speakers or headphones. They all have CD-R drives for playing and recording. A firewall appliance is in place, providing an adequate level of network security. Software-System and Applications All three servers are currently running Windows Server We were advised to use Server 2003 and XP Professional SP3 by Tech II because they are the most stable server and desktop operating systems currently available. Basic workstation operating system software is the latest Windows XP, which offers the latest capability to run more current office and instructional applications software. All student and teacher computers run the latest version of the Open Office Suite. We chose Open Office as a Microsoft Office alternative. Most administrative computers run Office Users-Administrators, Teachers and Students At the present time, computers are used for a wide range of administrative functions, but there is some limited educational use of computers across the school for instructional applications. Computers and the Internet are somewhat integral to teaching and learning. There is little frustration among regular classroom teachers and students relative to the present computer system. As a result of system reliability, teachers have more and more used the technology in their lessons. Students can work on the personal laptops in the school as well as at home if they have a wireless card installed, because the whole school has wireless internet access with parental control of course. The computers hardly ever freeze up due to the increase in memory. Administrators have the DELL computers which are newer than the student machines and are using technology in a wide variety of ways. User knowledge and skill is limited, and needs to be extended with additional staff development. Technical Support Computer technology is increasingly more complex, and requires knowledgeable, trained technical staff to install, support and fix it. At the present time, a single individual, Michael Smith, who does have the level of skills and training to support fully all existing components and the newest ones is supplying technical support along with knowledge, support and advice from the technology savvy principal James Schlegel. As new network equipment, computer hardware and software are added, the problems of support have been met by him or by outside technical support. Presently CBA is in the process of finding an appropriate firm to supply support. NESS is the most likely candidate. Space At the present time, computers are not used in the classrooms except in the sixth grade, the science lab classrooms, and in the computer lab classroom. All classrooms have at least one computer for the teacher's use and an extra one for the presentation on the screen of the internet Video Streaming database that the school is licensed to use. The computer lab has 32

5 computers for all the classes to use including a permanent projector for Power Point presentations. The Lecture hall is being used every period, because it is set up with not only a computer, but also with Smart Board technology via a Sympodium Interactive Display. There is sufficient classroom space in the building to allow teachers to bring their class to the lecture hall or to the computer room for special computer-based classroom projects when the rooms are not being used as regular classroom space throughout the school day. In addition, the library/media center contains 20 student computers with new LCD screens, wireless keyboards and mice and two new high volume laser printers. The media center and guidance office are two additional open places for computer work. Professional Development The assessment identified a significant, on-going need for staff development. This staff development must focus on two levels, first helping all staff to understand how to use a key set of software tools (including Microsoft Office/Open Office) and second, helping staff to develop the skills and confidence to use software tools within the context of their curriculum. The long-term focus of staff development for teachers will be on how technology can be used to improve student learning and allow teachers to teach in ways that would not be possible without technology. In addition, staff development must also be focused on administrative staff in order to help them use software tools to increase their productivity, to make better management decisions, and to communicate better with the school community, as well as with parents. Staff development methodologies will include: On-site classes, off-site classes, on-site modeling, on-line courses and CD-ROM courses. CBA is committed to providing on-going staff development to insure the successful use of technology. We are also committed to budgeting the time and resources (fiscal and nonfiscal) to insure that all staff have the professional development they need to use technology. Budget In order to implement this three year plan, CBA must commit to a multiple year budget plan that will provide for all components, including: hardware, software, network, technical support, and professional development. The budget will address the following infrastructure, hardware, and software recommendations. INFRASTRUCTURE BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Address critical cabling infrastructure issues, including resolving the video cabling problem, and establishing cable management and additional electrical power circuits/outlets in wiring closets. CBA will arrange for a video-audio specialists to review the problems in the gym and provide more detailed solutions. 2. Provide a separate HV AC system to cool and control humidity in the supplementary main wiring closet. System must be capable of operating year-round so that all equipment is kept within manufacturer's specifications. High heat and humidity shorten component life and lead to more equipment failures. 3. Add another uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to one of the wiring closets to protect critical equipment. 4. Implement a DLT tape autoloader for automated backup of all servers. 5. Purchase new computers in 2009 for at least the computer lab and library.

6 Computers should be either reasonably high-end "fat-client" computer workstations (such as AMD 4.0 GHz machines with at least 1 GB of RAM) or a mix of these machines and thin client computers. All client machines should be implemented with the latest stable version of the Windows operating system. 6. Upgrade the Microsoft Office software on all computers capable of supporting it. 7. Provide additional technical support resources, and provide additional technical training to support staff to ensure they can address system problems. Instructional Use Budget Recommendations 1. Identify one or two critical instructional needs that are linked with the overall learning standards and work with staff to make those areas the focus for using technology tools. Two specific instructional needs that the school might consider in this regard as the major focal points for the school are: research using technology tools, and digital literacy/communications (verbal and visual). 2. Begin to upgrade workstations in an area that will support the instructional needs identified. The intent should be to provide more current, faster computer capabilities to students and teachers, by purchasing some newer multimedia computers. Two areas that make the most sense to consider for upgrading because they could have a significant and rapid impact on the entire school are the library-media center with 20 computers, and the computer lab, with 32 computers. 3. One computer option to consider is the purchase of some wireless notebook computers that could be moved from classroom to classroom by the poorer students. Because there might be some students who do not have access to a computer at home. 4. Provide additional, targeted staff training in the existing software packages such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, and help teachers understand how to integrate these software tools into their curriculum and instruction. 5. Explore new instructional software applications that can help in high priority curriculum areas. Teachers must be exposed to a wider range of computer software tools that have direct curriculum linkages. All curriculum areas could benefit from computer-based applications and resources. 6. Focus on the many needs and opportunities identified by teachers and students in the interviews relative to their use of computers. They identified opportunities to use computers to address problems that require little, if any, new hardware and software. What will be required is staff development focused on the use of particular software tools such as Excel. 7. Encourage teachers to identify curriculum areas that they can integrate technology into their lessons more effectively to address specific learning goals. 8. Examine how to make better use of facilities such as the library-media center, the computer lab, the cafeteria and the lecture hall for increasing student access to computers with a concentration on teaching and learning and true integration of technology into all areas of the curriculum, not just use of computers for their own sake. 9. Provide training for staff on the use of LCD projectors in classrooms, and establish a clear procedure for sharing these devices. 10. Establish clear policies and procedures related to copyright and web publishing of information. 11. Look at technologies that allow expansion of the school program offerings, including virtual high school courses and interactive video courses (distance learning).

7 Administrative Use Budget Recommendations 1. Establish clear policies and procedures for security, backup, and confidentiality of information. 2. Establish clear policies related to web-information. 3. Focus on the many needs and opportunities identified by administrators and support staff in the interviews relative to their use of computers. They identified opportunities to use computers to address problems that require little, if any, new hardware or software, but reflect the need for additional, focused training. What will be required is more individualized staff development targeted to the use of particular software applications or tools such as Microsoft Excel. 4. Focus on specialized applications and tools (such as graphical software, digital cameras, as well as web development and publishing tools) that can offer significant curriculum advantages in terms of student learning. 5. Expand upon the present use of the student administrative software (SASlxp) with staff. This application could make the jobs of a number of administrative staff easier, once it is fully implemented. Organization and Vision Budget Recommendations 1. Create an expanded technology planning committee that has adequate representation form administrators, teaching staff, and board trustees, with consideration of input from parents and students. This committee should provide the overall vision and direction for technology in the school, and help ensure the initial and on-going funding commitment necessary to support technology in the school. This committee may also coordinate and plan fund-raising efforts involving influential parents and other benefactors in order to bring about improvements in CBA's technology, based on the shared technology vision, and multiyear plan that is developed. 2. Develop a revised technology statement and expand this present three year plan so that it can be shared more widely with the students, parents and donor community. This plan can also be used to address requirements for the federal E-Rate program. This vision and plan will allow all stakeholders involved with the school to understand what will happen, and also allow unique funding opportunities, grants and donations to be directed toward implementing the vision. 3. Establish a yearly, three-part budgetary commitment consistent with the vision and plan. This budget should provide for technical support, computer system maintenance, and upgrading both instructional and administrative technology to insure that the school can stay ahead of the obsolescence cycle. These costs are in addition to the yearly expenditures in place now for Internet Services, telephone service, and on-going technical support and maintenance costs. A more comprehensive budget will be developed following the discussions and revisions that evolve from the re-constituted school technology planning committee.

8 Evaluation Plan In order to evaluate our progress toward our short-term goals (formative evaluation) and to determine the impact technology is actually having on student achievement and the standards (summative evaluation), CBA is developing a more comprehensive and detailed evaluation plan that will have the support of an outside researcher/evaluator in the final design and in the analysis of data collected. We want to know what is working, as well as how well it is working and where we can improve what we are doing with technology. Formative Evaluation In order to conduct the formative evaluation, which will allow us to monitor or progress toward our goals and to implement mid-course corrections, the technology committee will provide a progress report, generated at three points each year (prior to the start of school, at the end of the first semester, and at the end of the school year, that will summarize all anticipated actions for that time period, those actions that were completed of those anticipated and of those that were not completed, why they were not completed and when they are anticipated to be completed. Summative Evaluation We will use an updated teacher survey administered this fall to assess teaching and administrative staff skills with software, skills and use of technology in the classroom (teachers only) and anticipated professional development needs. Results will be summarized in a yearly report that will be shared with school staff and school administrators. APPENDIX-Inventory of Capacity and Equipment 2010 Infrastructure The data cabling system implemented in the new building (using 62.5 micron fiber optic and Category 5 copper cabling) is basically sound and robust, offering widespread connectivity in nearly every room of the building. The structured cabling design includes a main wiring closet in the technology room, as well as a two other intermediate closets, together providing complete coverage of the facility. See Appendix for drawings of each closet.) Cabling is generally labeled, making troubleshooting easier. The short wires installed on the racks make it easy to trace the connections very quickly. The building is cabled for video, but there are video distribution problems in the high school wing that may be due to either incorrect cabling or to incorrect terminations. Electrical power to the wiring closets is not provided on separate, isolated ground circuits. Electrical outlets are shared with both the network/server equipment and other devices in the closets. In the case of the main wiring closet, all devices run off power strips connected into a few outlets, which are presumably on the same circuit. At a minimum, two 20 amp dedicated circuits should be implemented in each intermediate wiring closet, and four separate circuits should be provided in the main closet. We need to determine how many separate circuits actually were provided in the main wiring closet. Additional uninterruptible power supplies (UPS's) are installed on all key equipment in all wiring closets. At the present time multiple UPS in the main wiring closet provides power backup for all equipment, including the servers, network equipment and the phone system, thereby reducing the amount of backup time needed for equipment connected to the UPS batteries. Basic wiring closet environments have some level of ventilation, but the main data closet has its own separate BV AC system that can operate year-round in order to keep all equipment cool and operating within manufacturer specifications. The two intermediate closets were in spaces that are used for other purposes such as storage of equipment, albeit in spaces not accessible by students. Ideally,

9 these two locations should be completely separate from other uses to provide better security and also protection from dust. Internet connectivity is via a commercial Road Runner connection, and every classroom and other network connection provides access to the Internet. At the present time, the Road Runner connection seems very adequate, given the bottlenecks presented by other aspects of the network system currently in place (e.g. network backbone of fiber optic cable). The building telephone system located in the technology room, with a remote unit in the building and grounds office, is a Partner System with voice mail, installed and supported by Adirondack Business Systems. The public address system is a Bogen system (MCP35A). Individual classrooms, while having handsets, are not programmed to access outside dial tone for making outside calls. Hardware All Switches were updated to high speed PowerConnect switches in July This allows 100Mps throughput on a switched network. This provides adequate network connectivity speed throughout the school. A firewall hardware appliance (D-link FL-300) is in place to provide a level of protection to the school networks form the Internet. A software firewall has been added to each machine with Windows XP. The school presently has 135 computers, of which 90 are old AMD computers used by mostly the students (70) and faculty (20). All new computers contain at least of 160 Gb hard drive and 2GB of RAM with DVD RW drives. Most computers are connected to older 15 inch CRT monitors while the library computers all have new widescreen LCDs. The servers are all in the Technology Office Room 305. There is a server for each of the following: 1. Students, Faculty and Administration (CBA 2) 2. Development. (CBA 4) 3. Backup, Antivirus and Deploy (CBA 3) All computers have multimedia capability with CD-ROM's and sound cards. They are equipped with either speakers or headsets. This multimedia capability increases the educational use of all the computers by the students and teachers. There is at least one computer in every classroom, and some classrooms have seven or more. In many cases, these classroom computers are being used only by the teacher, because most classrooms only have one computer. Those that have more than one computer are the classrooms that have a LCD projector for showing videos from the computer to the screen. There is a least one printer in every room that has a computer. Some of the larger printers are connected by JetDirect to the network and not to anyone computer in the room. Most of the printers are only black and white, but there are a few color printers if the need is real. There are 8 LCD projectors in the school, including one in the computer lab and one in the large lecture hall. The building has a video distribution system that can feed standard cable TV (CATV), as well as provide local origination form the library media center for videotapes. The library-media center is also the control point for Channel One broadcasts throughout the building. Because of video cabling or system equipment problems as yet undetermined (noted above) the Channel One feed cannot be made into the High School wing for classes, so the daily program is fed into the cafeteria during lunches. There are a number of devices using Smart Technology. The math and foreign language departments have a total of 5 Smartboards. There is also a Sympodium located in the lecture hall.

10 Other devices include digital cameras, video cameras, and video tape players. There are also DVD players and DVD capable computers connected to each of the LCD projectors and/or on each of the teachers' desks. System Software System software includes Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Exchange for networking system servers. There is no web hosting server. Sophos Security Suite is running on the network to protect from computer viruses and worms. Individual workstation operating system is Windows XP. Open DNS has been implemented to provide Internet filtering on all the computers. The school web site is hosted by StartLogic.com off site. There are web links on the cbaalbany.org web page to other web pages for the Forensics Team and the CBA JROTC for example. Application Software General Tool Software At the present time, all computers have Open Office, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Adobe Reader and Flash Administrative Basic student information is provided through Pearson's SASlxp. The faculty is now using all the aspects InteGrade Pro in order input their grades and comments for each marking period and between each marking period for the interim notices. Other applications include RaisersEdge, a software package to track donors. A separate file server running Windows 2003 is dedicated to the RaisersEdge package. Other educational databases Other databases are available to the students thru the web page which is used by the students to access information usually found in reference books in the library. These databases are all licensed by the school.

11 Changes occurring May 2010 September 2010 May 2010 CBA purchased 20 Acer Revo desktop computers with Atom processors and 1GB or Ram and Nvidea Ion 1GB video cards. 16 of these computers were paired with 17inch LCD monitors and placed in the Library. 1 computer was used as a media cart computer and 1 has been deployed as a fourth computer in the faculty room. Each computer was reformatted and Windows XP Professional SP3, Open Office, Adobe Reader and Flash were installed. Each computer was also connected to multiple pre-existing laser printers. Summer 2010 HVCC Computer Lab Hudson Valley Community College has formally committed to redesigning and outfitting our computer lab. 28 older AMD computers will be replaced with Lenovo desktops with i3 processors and Microsoft Windows XP and Office 2010 preinstalled. Existing CRT monitors will be replaced with 19inch LCD displays. Additionally, HVCC will provide an instructors console which will consist of a multimedia projector and an interactive display. This project will be completed prior to the start of classes in September of Summer 2010 Pearson PowerSchool CBA will transition to Pearson PowerSchool as their primary academic software system in July We have hired someone experienced with PowerSchool to assist in implementing the system, migrating current data and training current faculty and staff. This will be a significant cost to the school Budget Plan Computer Network (Maintenance/Repairs) $16,500 PowerSchools Implementation $15,000 Raisers Edge Support $4,500 New Projectors $4,500 Upgrade Certain Desktops $2,500 Smart Upgrades $2,000 Software $5,000 Phone $24,000 Cable $6,000

12 11-12 Budget Plan Computer Network (Maintenance/Repairs) $17,200 PowerSchools Maintenance $3,000 Raisers Edge Support $4,500 New Projectors $4,500 Widespread Workstation Upgrade $35,000 Smart Upgrades $2,000 Software $5,000 Phone $25,000 Cable $6, Budget Plan Computer Network (Maintenance/Repairs) $18,000 PowerSchools Maintenance $3,000 Raisers Edge Support $4,500 New Projectors $4,500 Workstation Repairs/Upgrades $2,500 Smart Upgrades $2,000 Software $5,000 Phone $26,000 Cable $6, Budget Plan Computer Network (Maintenance/Repairs) $18,000 PowerSchools Maintenance $3,000 Raisers Edge Support $4,500 New Projectors $4,500 Workstation Repairs/Upgrades $2,500 Smart Upgrades $2,000 Software $5,000 Phone $26,000 Cable $6, Budget Plan Computer Network (Maintenance/Repairs) $18,000 PowerSchools Maintenance $3,000 Raisers Edge Support $4,500 New Projectors $4,500 Workstation Repairs/Upgrades $2,500 Smart Upgrades $2,000 Software $5,000 Phone $26,000 Cable $6,600

13 Other Recent Updates and Changes March 2011 Allworx Phone System CBA Transitioned to VOIP phone system. The system is powered over Ethernet and runs on a separate network via netgear POE switches. The system is comprised of 46 centrally managed digital phones. Faculty can access voic using the Allworx app which is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. We also purchased a conference phone which is digital POE. January 2012 Wireless Microphone System Replace previous gym wireless audio system with 2 new Line 6 XD-V70 wireless systems. This system can lapel microphone and up to two handheld microphones. August 2012 Alumni Library Alumni Library upgraded with 16 new Lenovo All-In-One Windows 7 workstations. August 2012 Fiber Optic High Speed Internet and Voice First Light Optical cable replaced our Time Warner Cable Internet connection. We increased our bandwidth to 35mb/s download and 5mb/s upload. (Previously it had been 15/3). First light also handles PRI for Phone System at $450/month, which includes 50K minutes/month. August Wireless Centrally managed Ruckus Zonedirector 1100 wireless system deployed. The system is comprised of 6 wireless access points that blanket the entire school with reliable high speed wireless internet access. The network was reconfigured with a new subnet mask to handle the increased number of clients. August 2013 Nutrikids POS Nutrikids service deployed as virtual server for Chartwells food service. Comprised of local POS machines, local server and online My School Bucks payment system. August 2013 Library TV A 70 Vizio Smart TV was mounted above the technology wing of the Alumni Library. It is connected to a computer for instructional purposes. August 2014 Projector Mounts Most classrooms were outfitted with drop-ceiling mounts for LCD projectors. Cabling includes VGA, HDMI and RCA type of cables. August 2014 Cafeteria and Weightroom TVs Three 60 TVs were installed in the Cafeteria by Audio Obsessions. The TVs are connected to our network via Apple TV and 3 Android based computers. The weight room was wired for ipod connected sound and two TVs were installed. Each TV has cable TV connected as well.