Technology Center

Technology can make a teacher's job easier. Technology can enrich lessons. Technology can keep you in the loop both at home and in your professional community. Here are some 'must have' products which I think will help you achieve these three goals. All links take you to PriceGrabber.com so you can find the best deal before you buy. And, best of all, none of these gadgets will bust your budget. I used to be a teacher. I understand how tight the money is.

Setting up a network at your school is a complex business. Will it be secure? How much will it cost? Do we really need one? How do we maintain it? In the old days we set up networks by running cable everywhere. It was an expensive, time-consuming project. It also involved building permits and other assorted bureaucratic necessities. Fortunately for us, wireless networking has made a small network affordable. This guide to the process will help you understand what is involved.

You don't have to be an MCSE to protect your network. Much of what you need to do is really easy and common sense. You just have to make sure that you do it. It's just like remembering to lock your car. Follow these easy steps to secure your network.

Thin clients offer schools a cost effective way to get extra mileage out of older computers. How does it work? The older computers are used as 'dumb' terminals. That means that the server or host computer actually runs the programs. You merely see the program on the 'dumb' terminal. so, don't refuse those gifts of older technology. You just may be able to use them.

I had written about the MP3 copyright problems in a post to ISED-L, the private school mailing list. A trustee of a private school replied to my post with the experiences which they had encountered. It is food for thought, to say the least. My post was: "The copyright infringement issues and the free, open nature of Internet use create so much confusion...The school which does not adopt a firm "anti-stealing" policy concerning music files is going to be a target for litigation IMHO."

Technology is revolutionizing the way we live, work and teach. Even more importantly, technology can help your school become 'green'. Being environmentally sensitive is something we have to teach our children. So why not set a good example in your school? Here are five technologies which can save your school and you money.

Students who store copyrighted music on your school's servers can cause you serious legal headaches. The reality is that students think nothing of sharing anything, including videos, music and just about everything else! You need to protect your school from legal liability. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that your school is not liable.

Many schools give their faculty laptops. What are the limits, if any, to the technical support for that equipment? Have you defined a protocol? Set expectations reasonably? Attend to these details and you will keep teachers and the IT staff happy!

Your small to medium sized school needs dependable hardware. It needs hardware which will have many uses and also increase productivity. Whether you are in the market for projectors, white boards, a remote KVM switch, you need the best. Use these top picks as a starting point in your evaluation process. Most products link to PriceGrabber.com so you can find the best deal before you call your vendor.

Using illegal software often starts innocently enough. No matter, schools should be aware that using pirated software is immoral and illegal. The BSA can exact heavy fines from organizations which fail to pay for the software they use. Then, there is the ethical issue. What kind of example are we giving our students if we steal software?