Google Apps: Education Edition

I am pleased to announce that SVUSD has been approved for Google Apps: Education Edition. Google Apps is a variety of cloud based tools that Google provides to the public. The Education Edition includes Gmail (an e-mail application), Google Chat (an instant messaging client), Google Calendar (a collaborative calendar), Google Docs (an Office suite), Google Sites (for creating websites), and much more.

The IT Department is very excited, not only because of the applications that Google provides, but because it provides solutions for two issues that we have been working on. The first issue was storage and remote access. Earlier this year, the IT Department set out to provide a place for students to store files that was accessible both on and off campus. Google provides us with a turn key solution with 7GB of storage per user that is accessible anywhere you have Internet. The second issue was student e-mail. Gmail gives the district with the ability to provide e-mail access to all of our students. Currently we are working out the details of the e-mail system and what features will be enabled when students are given access. Some of the questions are what grade levels will have access to the mail system and whether or not we will close the e-mail system, only allowing students to e-mail other students and/or staff at SVUSD.

The first feature that we will be implementing is the Calendar. Google Calendar is a collaborative calendar that can be shared amongst the staff, students, and even the public. At the Administrative Cabinet meeting last week, I gave a presentation about how it can be used by sites to share important dates and events with the public. A great feature of the calendar it that is easily embedded into websites, providing visitors a calendar that is updated in real time without IT intervention.

As we work out the details of our deployment plan for the district, I am hoping to get some input from teachers that currently use Google Apps or would like to use it next year. We are interested in hearing how you are using it in the classroom and what your experience has been like. Please feel free to e-mail me or post comments and feedback below.

Check back here often as I will post updates about our Google Apps deployment and other IT related information.

Prestwood Network Upgrade

On May 13^th Brendan and I upgraded the network equipment at Prestwood Elementary. Every piece of network equipment on their campus, many of which were over 10 years old, were upgraded to brand new HP ProCurve switches. The new HP equipment provides gigabit LAN speeds (10/100/1000 MB) and Power Over Ethernet (PoE). Gigabit network speeds along with a new network layout (we deployed multiple VLANS on the student network to segment traffic) will provide faster LAN speeds and the ability to move data more efficiently through the Prestwood campus. Gigabit Ethernet and PoE will also be the foundation our new ShoreTel Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system that we are will be installing district wide over the summer.

The network upgrade went smoothly. Brendan worked diligently from the 10^th to the 13^th preparing the 8 network closets for installation. We started the installation at 4 PM on the 13^th and had all the old equipment removed and new equipment installed by about 9:30 PM the same evening. We were able to configure the new switches on site and had the new equipment up and running before the staff came in the next morning. By noon the next day, the network was tested and determined to be fully functional.

We have now installed new HP Procurve switches at the High School, Adele Harrison, Altimira, Sassarini, and Prestood. We have Dunbar scheduled to be installed right after school gets out and El Verano and Flowery scheduled in July when their equipment arrives. By the start of the 2010/2011 school year all of the sites will be fully upgraded.

We are working with Maintenance and our wiring contractor to find the best way to pull Fiber Optic cables from the High School to Prestwood. Fiber optic lines would provide far greater speeds (2 GB or more) between Prestwood and the High School and would alleviate the congestion and latency inherent in the the Proxim microwave solution (100 MB) that current connects Prestwood to the High School. We hope to have the specific details worked out soon with the help of the maintenance.

Charter Network Rescue

Last week the IT Department, with help from Maintenance and Operations, completed work on a new network for the Sonoma Charter School. We became involved when some of Charter's Token Ring network equipment failed . We took emergency measures to ensure connectivity (an outdoor Ethernet cable from the POP to a switch in the office and a wireless mesh) and assessed their situation. Spending time and money on the 10MB Token Ring technology didn't seem justifiable so we opted to create a new 10/100 Ethernet network from the ground up. For two weeks Ken and Andreas from Maintenance pulled and terminated new CAT5e throughout the campus. When they were done, we installed and configured 4 HP Procurve switches and an Ubuntu Server for DHCP.

The new network was well received at Charter. Office staff have commented on how much quicker webpages are loading. Teachers have expressed to us their excitement about having a network that is consistent and ports that are conveniently located. Ultimately, I feel like we accomplished what we set out to do: Implement a functioning, consistent, modern, manageable, and upgradable Ethernet based network infrastructure.