MBC Instructional Technology Committee Newsletter 2
Information Technology
What we did over the summer
Reported by Beverly Riddell and Reid Oechslin
Instructional Technology Team,
Office of Information Technology
It was a busy summer for the entire Office of Information Technology group. Here are some highlights:
Labs & Student PCs:
A new Language Lab was built and equipped in Grafton 105. The lab has a SMART Board, 24 Student PCs and lab software and language lab equipment and programs. This project included moving Multimedia equipment to a new storage room in the Basement of Grafton, and also the move of the Archives from the Basement to the Grafton first floor. Library and OIT staff were getting plenty of exercise during these moves!
A new computer lab was set up in PSC 306 with 6 student PCs.
The PCs were replaced in computer labs in Wenger 401, 402 and 403. Four new Student PCs and a SMART Board were added to the lab in Wenger 402, bringing it to a total of 25 student stations. New PCs were placed in the Grafton 302, ACA 101 and Deming 09 computer labs.
Approximately 35 Student Worker PCs were replaced in various buildings on campus.
Network:
Network equipment on the MBC Campus was consolidated to minimize risk of failure. The bandwidth of the internal network was also upgraded so we can manage the ever-increasing demand.
Francis:
The new Francis is a beautiful sight. In addition to the sterling work put in by Physical Plant to improve the appearance of Francis, the technology has been significantly upgraded, including:
New sound system
New MAC mini
Upgraded image signal to HMI
Retirement of the large podium with its umbilical tether
Installation of a beautiful cabinet which holds all the equipment that used to be in the old podium
Institution of a wireless laptop solution so an event can be run from a small podium
More information about how to use Francis can be found here:
http://www.mbc.edu/oit/francis-auditorium-equipment-documentation/
Smart Boards
New SMART Boards were installed in:
· Deming 108
· PAC 213D
· Grafton 105
· Wenger 402
· PSC 301
We have started a SMART board FAQ at:
http://www.mbc.edu/oit/mbc-SMART-board-faq/
PSC 301
PSC 301 has had a makeover as well. Physical plant worked with great efficiency to get all the renovating and furniture replacement done between the end of the Heifetz Institute and the start of school so that the room can now accommodate 48 students. OIT set up a dual projector solution and a SMART Board for this Large Classroom. Documentation for the equipment in PSC 301 is located here:
http://www.mbc.edu/oit/teaching-in-psc-301/
Popups:
In order to avoid the annoying software update popups in Instructor PCs we will make the default group for professors to NOT be Administrators on Classroom PCs after September 21st. This means that after the PC is Smartshielded, you will not be able to install software, even temporarily. If you need to be an Administrator on a Classroom PC, please contact OIT at help@mbc.edu and you will be put into the Administrator group. In that case, to avoid getting the pop-ups, you’ll want to follow the instructions described here before September 21st:
http://www.mbc.edu/oit/smartshield-and-classroom-pcs-at-mbc-staunton/
Virtual Classrooms
The Blackboard Collaborate / Elluminate product has been upgraded and you no longer need to wear a headset to avoid echoes—sound plays just fine with regular computer speakers. We have two 50-seat “Virtual” classrooms that are available for booking. For more information please see the documentation link here:
http://www.mbc.edu/oit/blackboard-collaborate-elluminate-at-mbc/
Documentation
We have been working to create documentation about how to use technology and how to resolve problems online. This is a constantly evolving project, so if there is something you think should be documented or better explained please let us know at help@mbc.edu or 887-7075.
http://www.mbc.edu/oit/faculty-and-staff-information/
Thank you for your willingness to work with new systems and technologies towards our mutual goals of improving student outcomes!
