PVSD Ed Tech Meeting

1. PVSD Ed Tech Meeting November 5, 2008 Ron Holtby – IT Manager

2. Introduction • Synrevoice and SchoolConnects • Toshiba Photocopiers • Phase I and Phase II and more • Re-Rite Scan, Email, OCR and Ebooks • Joomla Website and SharePoint Sites • Microsoft Live and Exchange Labs • Ed Tech School Hardware/Software Committee • Conclusions and Q&A

3. Synrevoice – SchoolConnects • What is Synrevoice – SchoolConnects? • SchoolConnects is a technology based communication tool used to keep students and parents informed. SchoolConnects can be tailored to individual school requirements, for example, to contact students and parents with information about school trips, events and activities, notify parents of student absences, school closures and emergency situations. • PVSD Division Office purchased a site license starting on September 1, 2008.

4. Synrevoice – SchoolConnects What is Synrevoice – SchoolConnects? Greenall High School has been using Synrevoice’s local server copy for over 2 years. New system is web based and hosted outside the Division. It allows the Division to send a phone message to all parents throughout the division or over 8000 students in a matter of minutes. The system uses multiple hosts and phone lines throughout Canada and U.S. PVSD Schools have unlimited use of the system at no additional charge. i.e.) No long distance charges or additional usage fees. 4

5. Synrevoice – SchoolConnects What is Synrevoice – SchoolConnect? Training for all schools to occur via a Synrevoice webinar on November 14th at 1:00pm and November 18th at 11:00am Select High Schools are already using the system (Balcarres, Bert Fox, Greenall) as part of the initial pilot. PVSD Schools have unlimited use of the system at no additional charge. i.e.) No long distance charges 5

6. Synrevoice – SchoolConnects What is Synrevoice – SchoolConnect? Messages can be sent from on the road, or home via phone or cellphone to an IVR as well via webpage on the Internet. Secure ssl webpage for the school division is located at https://www.schoolconnectsweb.com/?prairiev208 System uses SIRs address and attendance files. Local Teacher contact lists including team sports, canoe clubs, SRC etc can be setup by the schools. 6

7. Synrevoice – SchoolConnects What is Synrevoice – SchoolConnect? Quick Demo of SchoolConnects via Internet and Webpage. 7

8. Toshiba Photocopiers • RFP completed in May 2008 with vendor selection completed in early June 2008. Toshiba Canada Inc was selected as winning vendor. • Rollout of over 40 photocopiers in Phase I to a variety of schools throughout the division. • Phase II to start in February 2009 and complete in June 2009.

9. Toshiba Photocopiers – Phase I All photocopiers are connected to the network and administrators and teachers can print to them directly. Private print and department codes options are available via print drivers. Web Internet access using Internet Explorer IP address to Top Access Server located on photocopiers. Allows you to view print/scan/fax options. 9

10. Toshiba Photocopiers – Phase I Scan to email has been enabled on all photocopiers. Gives users the ability to scan to one or multiple people including searching for people using LDAP lookup. For security reasons you must login to photocopier using PVSD LAN account to use the scan to email features i.e) ron.holtby@pvsd.ca and password or rholtby@pvsd.ca and password for older qvsd.ca accounts. 10

11. Toshiba Photocopiers – Phase I • Colour copiers (typically) have fax cards and allow faxing. • Sasktel may have to be contacted to move fax lines (Fame request). • The print drivers allow to fax directly out from the workstations. • Free onsite training can be setup with Toshiba. Russ Kerr from Toshiba phone:761-7045 russ.kerr@tbs.toshiba.ca is expecting calls and emails for training. • Sharon Bender and me to finalize photocopier document and “How to” for all schools.

12. Toshiba Photocopiers – Phase I • Big cost savings on printing on decentralized school dollars. • Previous cost of one photocopy = $0.07 cents a copy for black and white. • New lease $0.007 cents for black and white per copy. (10 times the savings!!) • New lease $0.07 cents for colour copies = same that we were previously paying for B & W. • Average cost per copy for Dell printer (Black and White) $0.07, $0.12 (Colour)/page.

13. Toshiba Photocopiers–Phase II • Phase II to begin in early 2009. • Phase III (August 2010) and Phase IV (June 2011) also planned however not as big of a change. Currently, these photocopiers are networked and are already Toshiba. • Photocopier Summary - PVSD.xls

14. Toshiba Photocopiers – Re-Rite What is Re-Rite Software? Documents get saved to “ebridge” server located at the Division office. Network drives are mapped to the J: Drive to school directory on ebridge server at Division office. Documents stay on server for 2 days. If not moved or copied off they automatically delete. 14

15. Toshiba Photocopiers – Re-Rite What is Re-Rite Software? Re-Rite software is OCR software that allows you to scan document(s) on the photocopiers and have it change into searchable PDF, Word, Excel and eBook formats. This allows you to save time without retyping documents and spreadsheets. eBook scan feature is a free solution and is an optional Wynn replacement. 15

16. Toshiba Photocopiers – Re-Rite What is Re-Rite Software? Demo of document scanned. Demo of free eBook reader on same document scanned. Free eBook reader v2.1.1 and voices can be downloaded from Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com/reader/default.mspx More and more books are now being completely converted into eBook format. Great for students with reading disabilities. 16

17. What is Joomla? • Joomla is an open source solution that is freely available. • Joomla is an award-winning Content Management System (CMS) • Content management system (CMS) is computer software used to create, edit, manage, and publish content in a consistently organized fashion • Actively growing community of over 150,000 developers with numerous snap-in components and extensions.

18. What is Joomla? • Joomla is growing in popularity in Education in Saskatchewan and throughout the world. • Prairie South and Saskatoon Catholic School Divisions have recently implemented Joomla on there public Internet sites. • PVSD.ca officially launched on the Joomla platform on August 27, 2008.

19. What is SharePoint? • Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 - (MOSS) is a new server and web program developed by Microsoft that is part of the 2007 Microsoft Office system. • SharePoint facilitates web collaboration, provide content management features, implement business processes, and supply access to information that is essential to business goals and processes.

20. What is SharePoint? • SharePoint Designer has taken over for FrontPage Designer. • PVSD is currently licensed to use SharePoint Designer as well as Microsoft Office 2007 on all desktops. • Integrates with the current PVSD LAN user accounts, Microsoft Outlook and folder structure. • Currently being used by IT Group. Plan to move to Finance and Transportation groups next.

21. PVSD Web Network Design

22. PVSD Future Web Design • The Joomla website is the public facing internet website and communication. • The SharePoint web servers are to be used internally by the teachers, board members and administration of the schools and division office with no outside access from the public.

23. Microsoft Exchange Labs What is Microsoft Live and Exchange Labs? Microsoft created exchange labs designed for schools and universities as part of http://get.live.com/edu.  Created this due to numerous teacher requests for students using hotmail.com and no access for teachers to collaborate with them. Windows Live @ edu "powered by Exchange Labs", allows select academic institutions to easily connect students and alumni with e-mail, and integrate these users with existing on-premises Exchange Server deployments that support faculty and staff. Looking at completing pilot with Montmartre school once settings are complete. 23

24. Microsoft Exchange Labs What is Microsoft Live and Exchange Labs? Students connect to live@edu or hotmail.com using live email address firstname.lastname@students.pvsd.ca Uses Microsoft email servers, spam and antivirus software. Tracking support for administrators and Ed Tech teachers. Support directly from Microsoft and no additional cost to PVSD schools. More on Exchange Labs… 10 minute video that can be run at end of presentation or during lunch to show more information on Live @ Edu. http://liveatedu.spaces.live.com/ 24

25. Ed Tech Committees? Creation of Hardware and Software Committees. IT Hardware Committee – focus in on hardware that would benefit all schools across division. i.e.) Tablets, small form factor notebooks, smartboards, senteo, printers, headsets etc. Help IT standardize and create new hardware standards and update list. IT Software Committee – Look at new software, web sites and weblinks, exchange labs, Autocad, SIRs updates, Synrevoice. Discuss any issues with software and desktop images. Better understanding and control on software and hardware selections from all schools. 25

26. Ed Tech Committees? Pro’s Schools control software from decentralized budgets better. Schools and teachers have better control in IT decisions. Better understanding and clearer direction of software and hardware. More centralized and controlled rollouts i.e.) Wynn software Use of decision item templates Con’s Distance factors with meetings No clear monthly agendas 26

27. Conclusions • Synrevoice Administrator training occurring in mid November. • Toshiba Photocopiers – Re-Rite and OCR word, excel, pdf and ebook support available. Phase I - 90% complete. • SharePoint to be used for Internal Intranet collaboration. Joomla for external pvsd.ca only http://schools.pvsd.ca site to be made available in early 2009. http://sharepoint.pvsd.ca currently in pilot in IT group. • Pilot of Exchange Labs to occur in Montmartre in late 2008. • Creation of Ed Tech Committees? • Setup of Hardware and Software Group or Committees?

28. Q & A Thank You! • Ron Holtby, IT ManagerPrairie Valley School Division #208 (306) 537-2095Email: Ron.Holtby@pvsd.ca