The
At first, labs were created in each of the
buildings. After the labs were established with sufficient Macintosh equipment all teachers and
students were trained to use computers and the current curriculum enhancing
software from ClarisWorks to Astound. In addition the teacher’s contract
has a provision where every teacher will annually submit one goal with specific
emphasis on the use of computers as an instructional tool. The labs have
teacher computer specialists and teachers aides and the school district
supports teacher in service projects and curriculum development on every grade
level and in all departments.
The original district equipment migration
plan was developed to put older working computers into the classrooms and to
maintain the newer equipment in the computer labs. At first, several mini on
line projects were attempted and the school district purchased 14.4 Global
Village Modems for all the libraries and the computer labs. America On Line
with the (POTS) plain old telephone service was the first district wide pilot
into the Cyber World. The America On Line projects enhanced the already growing
popularity of the computer in the curriculum and thanks to a letter to Dr.
William J. Brosnan, Superintendent of Schools, from a local internet service
provider, LINet, we were able to open the door to the internet.
It took a lot of trial and error with the
staff of LI Net and continued sharing between the administration and staff
before we were ready for our first World Wide Web site. The project was funded
by Peter Scordo, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction. He
supported Ira Goodman, Principal of the
The overwhelming success of the first home
page at Bellerose Elementary
School enabled the school district to go from the plain old telephone
service lines to an ISDN line in the high school Macintosh lab. Students were
able to send curriculum material over the internet and receive recognition for
their efforts from people all over the world. The ISDN telephone service gave the
school district the first internet networked lab and a way to in service twenty
four people at one time.
The computer specialists were trained to
create World Wide Web sites by Bill Hall, formerly of Educational Technology
Associates and a system engineer at Apple Computers. We had teacher
training and administrative training on the use of a browser, how to do on line
research and projects to put on a web site.
Repairs to out of warranty computers and
peripherals have been awarded to Computer
Equipment Services . They have a great staff that is reliable,
courteous and understand the concerns of schools. We have been able to reduce
our down time and the fees are better than most repair service companies.
Computer Equipment Services is currently helping us with non warranty items in
all of the nine schools.
The school district developed a three year
plan to continue the acquisition of computers and the installation of intra and
inter network. By February 1996 three of the elementary schools had Macintosh
ISDN labs, Bellerose,
In February 1996, we were able to video
conference using the Apple QuickTime Conferencing Kit. Our first attempts with
the conferencing equipment were successful in reaching staff members in the New
York City Board of Education and
On
The school district networking plan was
developed by Peter Scordo, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction along with a
team of administrators and consultants. Koncepts Communications was awarded the
installation and termination of a multi mode fiber optics backbone to labs. UTP
Category 5 wiring was installed from the wiring closets to each node with RJ45
connectors. We are using all Panduit products in the labs and networking closets.
The labs are using Ethernet cards and Mac TCP/IP to network. NYNEX installed a
T1 line to the main building and ISDN lines in each of the sub locations. Verio
L.I. is providing the internet services and provides staff to make the
connections and bring us all on line. We originally purchased Cisco 1000 and 4000 series routers at an
educational discount and are using the latest SMC, Standard Microsystems
Corporation Tiger hubs and switches to share the bandwidth between stations.
Steve Johannesman, former Principal Consulting Engineer for SMC was with us
from the conception of the plan to the management of each node. Tony
Stramandinoli, System Engineer has helped significantly with all the requests
since Steve left SMC.
Surprisingly every one of the vendors and
their respective staff members has been cooperative and has teamed their
efforts and time to help the project a long. We have had complete success since
the inception of the project.
Our architectural firm,
Staff and students have been patient with the
open ceilings, hanging wires and ladders all over the place. Everyone is
waiting for the day when a computer is in every classroom and we can
communicate with the World. That day is rapidly approaching and our project
plans continue to grow. We expect all to be installed and running before 1999
ends.
Our computer specialists continue to train
the staff in using Netscape, writing Home Pages to the World Wide Web and
special computer curriculum projects grow daily. In March 1996 a BBN internet
server and SMC Elite View Network Management software was added to the network
and we have a growth spurt in the use of e-mail and creative home pages. We
have on line sites with virtual reality, digital video, animation, java
scrolling text and were selected to represent
September 1996 marked the addition of two new
Macintosh labs using ISDN lines to the internet.
The UNIX server was a terrific addition to
the school district network. Everyone has an e-mail account and as many home pages
as they want. No one needs to know UNIX because of the Mac/PC software
interface. It is simple and reliable. Outsourcing staff from major internet
providers are always available to answer questions. The UNIX server has helped
with net safety and net security. Having an excellent security program in place
has been another reason for our school district's continued success.
A Citizens Advisory Committee for the new
Instructional Technology Plan was organized and met from May 1996 through
December 1996. The Advisory Committee created a comprehensive plan which
explains all the network wiring projects, recommend purchases for the
technology needed to instruct students in every classroom and projected the
computer staffing trends for the next decade. Year one funding was
provided by a Technology Bond for $2.5 million dollars.
QuickTime Virtual Reality is now available to
teachers and students for their electronic portfolios and web pages. Our first
VR was taken with a QuickTake 100 camera by art teacher, Peter May and
downloaded the thirty one images to a Macintosh 5200. The images were made into
a VideoShop movie and saved as Virtual Reality from the QuickTime Virtual
Reality plug in available free from Apple. With the help of Bill Hall, Systems
Engineer at Apple Computers the images were added to an Apple 9660 server and
are available to see at:
http://admin.northport.k12.ny.us. The student sculpture was made by Joe
Kwok in his sculpture class with Mr. Nunziato. Additional VR projects have been
added to demonstrate the panoramic styles of VR. Projects have been developed
by classroom teachers and added to the site as time permitted.
Another first and a major innovation for the
school district was the addition of a QuickTime digital video installed by Bill
Hall of Apple Computers Inc. Bill took a student made digital video, which he
helped produce, of a
Dr. Romano created a fourth grade geography
assessment, added staff suggestions and along with the help of the high school
computer teacher, Ms. Maureen Kirk and ninth grade student Daniel Seavers, the
assessment was added to the school district web site for students to critique
and take. Five of the six elementary schools participated in the pilot
assessment and three of the schools video conferenced with Dr. Romano. The
event was a testing first and everyone involved agreed on the value of using
the on line assessment and the video conference. As a result of this day we are
making plans to extend the concept into other academic areas for the 1997-1998
school year. Social Studies, Languages other than English and Language Arts are
all developing on line assessments. An I.P. multicast reflector site server has
been installed in the network closet to enable many individuals to video
conference at the same time. The video conference site is only available to
Northport-East Northport schools.
S.M.C helped to convert the 10 mb network to
100/200 with the use of their fiber ready Lan Extenders. They were able to
place key hardware within the high school networking closets that maintain a
secure and non secure network and give the fiber backbone a 200 mb throughput.
We completed a new 100+ backbone during the summer of 1998.
Our two Middle Schools, East Northport Middle
and Northport Middle conducted an on-line debate between classes of selected
eighth grade students. Students of Mrs. Melandro and Mrs. Leahy worked with
computer teachers, Mrs. Knopp and Mrs. Scott respectively. The on line debate
was focused on the American Civil War. Students used CU See Me software over
Mac computers on an ISDN line. The event was very successful and allowed all to
see the value of on line testing for knowledge as well as post assessment
feedback from all participants. Ed Tech news, Volume 5, Number 2, Feb./Mar.98,
the cover story was about the Civil War debate between the schools.
By June 1998, we managed to have a core
computer unit with a printer and large screen monitor in every K-6 classroom in
the school district. Each of our classrooms has a fiber connection to a network
closet and is wired for 5 computer drops. The K-8 wiring project was awarded to
ICAS and they put in fiber and the Category 5 wiring in all of the schools.
Some additional bids were necessary to complete the district wiring project.
All of the old computer labs have been upgraded with 12 strand multi mode fiber
and a new group of labs were added to the high school. We worked with LI Net,
Koncepts and BBS on this phase of the project and know this will make an
enormous impact on the instructional programs throughout the school district.
The Technology Bond, program improvement funds and dedicated computer budget
funding enabled the computer program to stay current with the growth in
technology. The final building,
Our K-6 classroom core unit consists of a
Compaq 4230ES with a Hauppauge board for video in, video out and NTSC and a
complete Learning Pac software kit and three years on site warranty. An H.P.
890cx printer, R.C.A.27" T.V. and special cart was delivered ready for the
internet. Cisco 5000 and 1900 series switches were installed and were be ready
for October 1998. In addition we converted 8 of the schools from ISDN to T1 and
added to the existing high school T1 with the cooperation of our ISP, Verio
L.I. and network Management Company ICS.
In addition to being the only school district
to make a Mac World presentation, on
Four teachers from Northport Middle School,
T. Goodenough, M. Miller, C. Chu, and B. Scott presented their HyperStudio as
an Interdisciplinary format for comparing native cultures, CD-ROM which
integrated student classroom activities, science and social studies in a multi
media project to the 4th annual SCOPE Technology Conference, Friday, November
6, 1998.
On November 21, 1998, Dr. Michael Romano,
Chairperson of Social Studies, along with Mrs. Marsha Knopp, Computer
Specialist at East Northport Middle School; Alberta Scott, Computer Specialist
at Northport Middle School and two sixth grade teachers, Mrs. Paula Bienia and
Mrs. Joanne Ahern presented the latest technological integration of computing
and the curriculum in their newly created CD-ROM at the 78th National Council
of Social Studies in Anaheim, California. The team used the Social Studies
curriculum and their classroom activities to have students make HyperStudio,
multi media presentations and put the student work, teacher assessments, parent’s
assessments and administrative assessments onto a CD-ROM.
Due to the Year 2000 issues with our old
UNIX-BSDI server and new outsourced contracts with CCSI, Dino Vassino, Vice
President of Network Services came up with an excellent solution. He built a
new, faster and more reliable internet server for the web pages and the e-mail.
On
A school budget proposition for 1999-2000 was
passed which provided $559,600 to continue funding computer technology. The
funds were used to purchase and install on our network 4 additional Compaq
computers in every 6th grade classroom, computer equipment needed in the high
school as well as to complete the integration of Compaq PC computers in the
elementary and middle school computer labs. The remaining funds are being used
to add electrical outlets to rooms where needed. Additional Virtual Reality
sculptures were added to our site, http://admin.northport.k12.ny.us/ as well as
the addition of the "Effective Teaching" project,
http://admin.northport.k12.ny.us/ this year.
The school district budget for 2000 - 2001
included funding to continue the network wiring project at
For the school year 2001-2002 there are many
upgrades and changes to the instructional computer system. Computer Equipment
Services will provide the daily support to the desktop computers as well as to
our network. They are also responsible for the installation of new equipment
and the warranty to existing equipment. A homework server was added for
teachers to use this year and we hope all will participate in using it for
students and parents. Go to http://homework.northport.k12.ny.us
to see who is presently using the homework server. Virus protection continues to
be an ongoing problem. We have installed special server software and are adding
software to the computers in the labs to prevent any known virus to come into
the school district from outside the network.
The Global Communications Lab was totally overhauled with new PC's and special
languages software. Students are able to access satellite T.V. from all
workstations as well as to communicate with people everywhere in the world. The
science program has expanded into using SmartCarts and wireless laptops for
scientific inquiry. The H.S. English department replaced all of the computers
in their mini lab. All specialized classes were added to the network and are
connected to the Internet in both middle schools and each of those classrooms
received new computers. The new portable rooms in N.M.S. have fiber added to a
new network closet, wired to the Internet and new computers for each of their
rooms. At the elementary level LCD projectors with laptops and carts were
purchased for large group instruction and special presentations. New H.P.
printers and Compaq Evo workstations were added to each of the elementary
schools as well.
An additional T1 line was added to the school district and the bandwidth was
load balanced with the first T1 line to accommodate all the new computers,
servers and IP dependent devices on the network. Several switches have been
upgraded from Cisco 1900 series to 2900 series and network blades were added to
the Cisco Catalyst 5000 devices to accommodate additional drops in each of the
schools.
In 2002-2003, we expected new challenges. The
proxy server, used for Internet filtering, is now a BASCOM unit. Profiles have
been set for students, teachers, administrators and special groups to access
the Internet. A replacement server for the e-mail and web pages was completed.
We grew out of the old web server in three years. Additional wireless laptops
and access points, the replacement of 250 computers and meeting the
instructional technology needs in each of the expanded facilities throughout the
school district was our focus this year. Many digital videos made in the
schools were added to the server and we have been updating the web site. I2000
became the ISP and we have been working on making hardware and software
improvements to the network. A new Cisco Catalyst 6506 was added to the
expansion project in the high school.
For school year 2003-2004, the school
district had many new computer projects. Finishing the installation of XP
networked computers and printers in the 6 elementary computer labs improved the
labs total performance and provide a single platform. New elementary
school servers were also added to store the collected data from teachers and
students. Converting a Catalyst 5000 to a Catalyst 6506, updating
the entire library computers in each of the two middle schools and completing
the new midi lab at
During the school year 2004-2005, the school
district completed the high school expansion project adding network closets and
classroom computer drops to designated new rooms. IPTV a Cisco product was used
throughout both middle schools with great success. Students are digitally
taping events and presenting the daily announcements through the computer
network using digital television. A
new digital music lab and a computer training center were added in Family and
Consumer Sciences. The school
district continues to use the Internet to share public information about the
schools and is receiving teacher applications on line. An on line substitute
service, AESOP, was instituted as well. Repairs to out of warranty computers
and peripherals have once again been awarded to
Computer Equipment Services . They have technicians that are reliable,
courteous and understand how to operate in schools. We continue to reduce our
down time and the contract fees from the bid are better than all other repair
service companies. Computer Equipment Services is currently helping us with
warranty and non warranty items in all of the ten facilities. I-2000 was
purchased by Transbeam of New York City and is providing our Internet services.
Challenges faced by no equipment for
2004-2005 and very few computer items for 2005-2006 made for a tough year. Only
emergency repairs were made to the existing network and Transbeam stabilized
its conversions so we had continuous Internet services. Computer Equipment Services had
the contract for technical support to the network and work stations.
The schools have started to use a new school
management system, eschooldata, to take attendance, do grades and prepare the
student schedules. In 2005-2006 the schools expanded the use of eschooldata to
take advantage of its on line potential. A new district web page was created
which links Board of
Education information and all that is happening at Board meetings. With
the annual requirement of Professional
Development hours increasing each year, our web site has listed all the
opportunities available to teachers. We also added the BOCES on line job
applications, January 1, 2006, through OLAS
a BOCES service linking applicants from around the country to our anticipated
jobs. Teachers with initial teaching certificates are working on electronic
portfolios and had them ready March 1, 2006. A series of workshops were
attended by the new teachers and they were given a template to work from and
shown the model created by Denise Becker for 2004-2005. Brendan Colfer has
provided laboratory time in ENMS for teachers to work on their portfolios.
So much is happening for
2006-2007. The original computer network backbone was upgraded with a better
firewall, new closet switches and routers.
One of our web servers had to be replaced. A new T1 line was added to provide
additional bandwidth to accommodate all of the growth in Internet traffic and
required on line services. Over two hundred very old classroom computers were
replaced and selected servers and workstations were replaced in the school
libraries. We also changed our Internet Service Provider to Verizon and Computer Equipment Services will
continue to provide technical support for our network and schools. A new spam filter was added and we are
providing a shared drive for staff and students to store work on in the H.S.
This is the second year,
2007-2008; we have used a BOCES lease agreement to purchase all of the
computers and peripherals in the school district. We replaced 271 very old
computers and 3 critical servers by October, 2007. Over the summer, our school
libraries added Destiny services to their Follett system and we put in fiber
and workstations for our centralized gifted program. The BASCOM server was
upgraded to provide the latest Internet protection for our staff and students. Connect-ed, NTI , community outreach
and emergency contact services were started. The web server was upgraded to
accommodate a need for storage. The
classroom computers were delivered to every school and each building had a
priority list for their distribution. Computer Equipment Services has
won the contract for the integration of the computers and for the network
services for this year. In addition, we installed over 30 Smartboards, three in
each building and teachers have been trained on how to use them to integrate
the Smartboards into their curriculum. This new equipment will allow us to meet
the challenges in technology and provide teachers and students with software
necessary to improve the standards of education. The Verizon lines between the
schools were switched from a copper line to fiber and we are adding additional
T1 lines to accommodate the traffic. Verizon has become our I.S.P. as well. The
electronic portfolio project for those teachers with initial teaching
certificates is in its third year. For the second year we are using Atlas Rubicon, curriculum mapping for
documenting curriculum. A grant secured by the Office of Instruction, provided
digital document maker stands with a projector for all of the schools to assist
in the teaching of reading, writing and literacy in general.
For the third year of a BOCES
lease agreement to purchase computers and peripherals, we were able to install
146 new computers in classrooms, 43 SmartBoards, 18 visual presenters, 22
projectors and printers. Computer Equipment Services is the outsourced vendor
to provide installations, monitor the network and provide technical support to
the school district computers. The electronic portfolio project for those
teachers with initial teaching certificates is in its fourth year and has been
very successful. For the third year we are using Atlas Rubicon, curriculum mapping for
documenting the curriculum. We started a study to increase the bandwidth and
provide a fiber optic backbone. Lastly, all of the schools will have CCTV for
better security and protection to students and staff.
Please take some time to examine each of the
schools electronic sites in the district, make suggestions or comments and let
us know if you are interested in helping. We are always looking for new
partners in education. Northport - East
Northport Schools