Technology Medley

Wireless issues can be very frustrating because teachers often don’t know what to look for or how to troubleshoot. Here’s a quick checklist of things to look for when problems arise, and there is a handout with more information that you can download from the Box widget in the sidebar.

1. Check the Power

   Are both of the black electrical cords are plugged in?
   Are both power switches on the back turned on?

2. Check the Network Connection

   Is the Ethernet cable (the one that looks like a phone jack) plugged in?
   Is it plugged into a “hot” port?

3. Check the Wireless Access Point on top of the cart

   Is the wireless access point getting power?

4. Make sure that the wireless is enabled on the computer

   Has the wireless been accidentally disabled?

5. Check for low, very low, or no connectivity

   Are some computers not picking up a wireless signal even though you have a working access point in your room?

6. Check for a cart in a nearby room that is not connected

   Is there a cart nearby that is getting power but the network cable is not connected?

Don’t ever hesitate to ask for help from your technician or ITRT! Hopefully, though, this checklist will help you out when help is not immediately available. Remember the handout in the Box in the sidebar too if you don’t already have a copy.

Yesterday, I introduced laptops to the fourth kindergarten class at West Salem, and as always, I was absolutely amazed at how well these little friends adapted to the features of a laptop computer. Once I showed them how to use the touchpad and how to click and drag, they were off and running. Each time I’ve worked with kindergarten or first grade students, my thoughts have been the same. They are fearless! Even though they have spent time in the lab on desktops, using the mouse on a laptop is new to them. However, they are not at all intimidated by it. In fact, it seems as if the touchpad is intuitive for them.

We were using Starfall, one of our very favorite reading sites. Mrs. Gauck had printed the URL on sentence strips and had each student type in the web address themselves. She had previously talked about using the keyboard and showed them where the “dot” was, and of course we had a help a few, but the majority of the children typed in the address correctly. Honestly, I really don’t give these young children credit for doing as much as they are capable of doing for themselves! Hmm, we showed them how to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, so maybe we’ll have them type in the passwords for themselves next time!

It is always fun to watch the kids once they actually start watching the videos and playing the games in Starfall. Their faces light up, they giggle, they help each other find games, and they stay completely engaged.

As the children were leaving yesterday, several indicated that they didn’t want to go home yet! They were so excited and felt like “the big kids.” Hopefully, all of our young children will have more opportunities to use the laptops as the year continues, and I will be more than happy to come in and teach or to lend an extra set of hands.

Children are just amazing!

It’s great to see so many of you using the laptop carts with your students! When you see the excitement on the faces of the students and observe their increased level of engagement, you know it’s worth the extra effort it takes to move the cart to your classroom. These children are growing up in a world filled with mobile electronic devices, and the more we educate them in the proper use of those devices, the more prepared they will be for their own future. Hopefully, all of you will become more comfortable using the laptops with your classes as the year progresses. Remember, I am here to lend a hand or to teach the class along beside of you, so please don’t hesitate to ask!

To reserve the laptop cart, open up your email account in Kerio. Browse to the bottom of the folder list, and expand the Public Folder if necessary. Find either South Technology Scheduler or West Technology Scheduler. You will find instructions there. Go ahead and click on the + sign if you do not see the laptop carts listed. Click on the laptop cart or other item you would like to reserve. Then double click the date(s) you need and enter your name and time. Click Save and Close and you’re done!