Overlake
Technology

The Overlake School took an important step over spring break.  We moved some of our technology services to the cloud.  Beginning on April 12 we decommissioned our in-house email server and transferred it to Microsoft Office 365.

What are the advantages for Overlake?

Cost: The service is free for schools.  Given the cost of server hardware, backup systems, antivirus, SPAM filtering and other related aspects of hosting your own email service it made good financial sense to move to the cloud.

Availability: Given our location, power interruptions are not uncommon.  This fact coupled with the our increased dependency on email and offsite access it is advantageous to have our email hosted in the cloud.

Storage: Each user now has 25 gigabytes of email storage to work with… much more than our old limit of 400 megabytes.

What’s Next for Cloud Computing at Overlake?

Microsoft has an entire suite of services that will soon be free for schools.  You can learn more about them here.  The technology team will continue to monitor the newest offerings from Microsoft and determine if they are a good fit.

Last week we launched a new technology mentoring program.  Do you have a technology project you want to tackle but need more than a Lunch & Learn to get it started?  Do you learn best when you have someone there to show you?  We are extending our technology mentoring program to include more mentors and topics.  If have an idea about something you want to learn or try with technology in the context of your classroom or job we will match you with a mentor.

Topics might include:

• Getting your email organized
• Understanding how the internet works
• Video project in your classroom
• Exploring the flipped classroom
• Podcasting
• Learning Photoshop
• Understand the lingo around technology
• Learning how to create graphs and charts in Excel
• Keyboard shortcuts
• File management
• Sky is the limit….

The mentoring can be as big or small, formal or informal as you would like.  Want to meet on a regular basis? Once a week, once a month?  We will design a program tailored to your goals and progress.

Next step is send us an idea and we will connect you with someone on the team to help you reach your goals.  Want to try something but not sure what?  We can help provide some ideas as well…. Just let us know.

Thanks,
The Technology Team

This week we hear from guest blogger Jennifer Blanton our Lab Monitor.

The Overlake School’s Robotics club takes advantage of many of the technology resources available. They use Lego Mindstorm Robotics Kits to build their robots. Computers are used for coding programs; programming the movements, and responses the robots need to function. The diversity of knowledge ranges from beginner to advance in both designing and programming. Students help students, educating and assisting each other in the hopes to obtain the ultimate Sumo Bot.

23 students split into 7 teams with the challenge to create a robot able to battle in a Sumo Robot Competition. Each robot had a maximum size and could only be outfitted with a certain number of parts. Working within these perimeters for 3 weeks even outside of club time, the 7 teams’ robots were ready to hit the ring. Each robot although built within the same specifications was unique. There were robots built with claws, with battering rams, some low to the ground, some tall, and even one built like a brick wall. The teams were paired off for the first round of double elimination. The winner was decided when over half of one robot was outside of the circle. The competition allowed students to see how each design and program functioned.  Between rounds teams were allowed to modify their design and program, learning what works and what doesn’t. The competition lasted 3 club days, and although there can only be one winner, each team walked away not thinking about wins or losses, but how to make their robot even better.

The Overlake Independent is our schools student-run newspaper.  Over the last few weeks the students and technology staff brought the newspaper online.  Rather than limited print editions the site will be updated regularly by the newspaper staff.  Be sure to check it out.

What is Flip-Lab?

FlipLab is a 21st century professional development experience. The participants collaborate to create a roadmap for a great flipped classroom. Everything developed at FlipLab is shared with other teachers under a Creative Commons license.

Attendees will leave a FlipLab workshop with flipped lessons tailored for your classroom and ready to implement. You’ll pilot them in your classroom and work with peer coaches to debrief the results. Even better, you’ll be part of a network of educators pushing the boundaries of educational best practice.

For more information visit the website here.

Overlake’s new “green” technology educational kiosk is up and running in the Technology and Language Center. The kiosk describes and demonstrates the ways in which the building’s technologies make it more energy efficient. You can view solar and rainwater data, weather, information about LEED certification and the building’s history.

You can actually view and explore the program on your computer, at this URL.  The actual kiosk screen is a touch screen, and the whole hallway was built wider to accommodate whole classes. Teachers and students can interact with the screen in different ways. The kiosk is a collaboration between the webmaster, technology department and the Green Team. If you’d like to try out the screen, it is located on a wall on the first floor of the technology side of the TLC.

After five great years of service at The Overlake School Rennie Grossman has decided to take on a new opportunity.  We are sad to see her go, but excited for her and her new adventures.

As a result of her departure we are looking for a full-time Desktop Support Specialist. Here is the brief write-up describing the position.

The Overlake technology department is a collaborative team focused on supporting the mission of the school. The Desktop Support Specialist provides technical support to computer system users.  Primary responsibilities include managing computer deployments and routine maintenance of classroom, faculty and staff computers.

This position requires patience, excellent customer service skills, exceptional troubleshooting skills, and the ability to problem solve while working on multiple projects.

A complete job announcement will be posted shortly.  Please visit http://www.overlake.org/info/employment.html.

Please pass this along to anyone that is interested. Email me directly with applications or questions about the position.

We are excited to announce that student report cards are now being archived on My BackPack. This will look the same as the report cards that you previously received in the mail. Beginning this quarter the reports will be available at the end of each quarter and will remain archived until the student graduates.

To access the reports:

Log on to My BackPack

Under the heading My Profile (on the far right hand side) you will now see a My Documents link

Click on My Documents and you will see a folder for 2011-2012 Reports Cards.

Last week we launched a series of video guides for Overlake’s online resources.  Over the years Overlake has added a variety of useful online tools for students, parents, faculty and staff.   If you’ve ever wondered about how to subscribe the online Overlake calendar, or how to access and use all the functions of Family Connection or other online resources, we have posted the first of several short video tutorials that will guide you through those processes. Tutorials on using OwlNet and MyBackpack will be posted soon. We hope this will help everyone enjoy all the features these tools offer.

After our success reconfiguring the Library Lab we decided to reconfigure the TLC Main Computer Lab. The lab is housed on the lower level of the Technology and Language Center and is equipped with 20 wide screen desktops.

The computers are now arranged in a way that allows better visibility and access for students and faculty. Classes have already begun to take advantage of this new arrangement and teachers have reported that the new configuration of computers encourages communication, allows for better interaction, and enhances mobility.

With these new additions, the TLC lab has become a real asset to the Overlake community and stands out as one of the nicest labs on campus.  Students and teachers are encouraged to take full advantage of this top-notch facility!