
Tech Notes
June 2022

End of Year Reminders
Please call the help desk at x5100 with any questions. If you are not returning to Shakopee Public Schools, there are additional notes at the end of this document for device return and links for Google Takeout (mass file archiving).
Remote Controls & SMART Board Peripherals: Any remote controls for TV, projector, or Apple TV should be labeled and placed on or around the hardware or left somewhere reasonably accessible. SmartBoard peripherals stay with the room. (If a room is being used for summer school, for instance, it is helpful to have the remote available so that it stays in the right room).
Return any checked-out peripherals: If you borrowed a CD/DVD drive (for instance), make sure it is empty and returned.
Summer storage: If for some reason you are leaving a laptop or iPad assigned to you at school over the summer, please return it to the building tech staff prior to leaving so that it can be stored securely.
Relocating? If you are moving to a new room or office, please do not swap components between classrooms. Fixed computer hardware, phone & remote controls are often assigned to the room. If you feel like something needs to be moved please put in a help ticket.
Staff Not Returning
A few tech notes and suggestions for any staff leaving the district.
- Google Takeout: Note that Google Takeout functionality has been disabled for staff in order to be compliant with data privacy standards. For assistance in moving personal data from district Google Drive contact the helpdesk.
- Shakopee.k12.mn.us e-mail account: This account is disabled as of last day of assignment.
- Shakopeeschools.org e-mail account and files: This account is disabled as of last day of assignment. Drive files are typically purged 6 months after last day of assignment. Please submit a help ticket for any general use files that may need ownership transferred.
- District devices can be turned in to the building tech staff, office staff, or at district office. Please call the tech help line or open a ticket to schedule a drop-off time.
Related Notes
1 year Leave of Absence - Accounts remain active but devices should be turned in.
Less than 1 year Leave of Absence - Accounts remain active and device can remain in possession of assigned staff.
Summer Projects and Next Year Notes
Chromebooks
Dell model 3120 Chromebooks have reached end of software support, meaning they will not install newer versions of ChromeOS. They will be retired from the environment and will not be replaced at this time. We will monitor demand to determine future replacement cycle needs.
Audio-Visual Updates
Audio-visual system replacements are scheduled for the following locations, hopefully during summer but likely spilling into fall or beyond depending on supply chain issues:
- Sweeney 2nd floor and remaining Kindergarten rooms
- East north wing (207, 208, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217, 218, 220, 221, 224, 226)
- West various rooms (101, 102, 114, 116, 118, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 144)
- HS Commons (original projector above food service area)
- District Office 105 (former Threads for Teens space)
Typical update will include removal of SmartBoard (where applicable), new short or long throw projector, removal of VGA inputs/addition of HDMI input, new control system, and audio system updates where needed.
User Account and Environment Changes for 2022
Starting this summer, we will be rolling out the ClassLink portal for logging into common systems.
Single Sign-On (SSO) via Classlink Launchpad
ClassLink will provide a portal which is a single point with which to access all district sites, apps, and resources. You will sign in once to the ClassLink portal using your district email and password and then be able to access Google, Canvas, and nearly every other digital resource without authenticating again. This will be available across every platform - Mac, iPad, PC, and Chromebook.
Conference Software - Meet The Teacher
For the 2022-2023 school year, the district will be using the Meet The Teacher site for handling Connect & Assess days and Parent-Teacher Conference events.
This replaces systems currently in use, including Pick-a-time, Sign Up Genius, and PTCFast.
It handles the typical tasks associated with these types of events, such as setting up schedules, communications, and options for in-person or video calls (which are handled directly within the site rather than using an external google meet link).
Aside from functionality, using a consistent system across buildings is less confusing for families, acknowledges the challenges of supporting translations, and is ultimately easier to support.
MacBook Deployments 2022-2023
Summary of all MacBook Air current and planned deployments for 2022-2023 school year.
Staff:
Mix of 2020 Intel and 2020 M1 model.
Staff with 2018 model will have that swapped out with M1 model.
Substitute Teacher and Student Teacher devices, as well as middle school Art Carts, will be updated using the 2018 model MacBooks reclaimed from staff.
Students
12th grade: 2018 Intel
11th grade: 2020 Intel
10th grade: 2020 M1
9th grade: 2020 M1
We are expecting to have all of the 2015 model (magsafe charger versus USB-C charger port) phased out by January 1, 2023.
Security Camera updates
Orders have been submitted for equipment and software to do new systems/upgrades at District Office/Tokata (addresses breakdowns and creates efficiencies; replacing two systems with one) and Eagle Creek (system is marginally functional). Once we account for some low voltage wiring work expecting those locations to ring up at about $135K.
We will reassess locations to determine which buildings are next. Prioritization is based on how poorly each system is currently functioning. As a reminder, we are funding this via surplus sales, so we are hopeful that those sales will keep up with the needs and we can get through the entirety in 3 years. Currently projecting this as a minimum $800K project; we have secured not quite half of the necessary funding as of now.
Each updated location will switch to Avigilon camera software (rather than the Exacq software) and there will be strategic upgrades and in some cases re-location of cameras. As each location is completed we will follow up with training sessions.
Walkie Talkie updates
We are in year 3 of a 4 year project to update all walkie-talkies in the district while also standardizing the model in use.
- Completed Locations: Eagle Creek, Sun Path, Sweeney, East, West, Tokata.
- Summer 2022 wave: Jackson, Red Oak, Pearson ELC.
- Summer 2023 wave: High School.
Tech Tools & District Site Recent Updates
Software Requisition & Review Process
Reminders on processes related to software and apps.
- Free iPad app: Submit a help ticket to request for review.
- Paid iPad app: Submit a help ticket to request review and be prepared to provide a budget code for purchase.
- Free and Paid software and websites: Complete the request form.
We are working on a new comprehensive list of all software and apps in use throughout the district. Our summer goal is to make this list available in more user-friendly versions targeted to specific audiences.
Software and Sites being phased out for 2022-2023
- Discovery Education video streaming (actual usage did not justify cost)
- PickaTime, PTC Fast, Sign-Up Genius (for conferences): District-wide move to Meet The Teacher software.
- Mystery Science: Full roll-out of Amplify science curriculum and resources makes this redundant.
- BrainPop: promo pricing expired and unlikely to be renewed.
Related: HF 2353 Signed into law 5/22/22 (attached below). In effect for 2022-2023 school year. MSBA and lawyers need to do further interpretation, but here are some likely impacts:
- Any service provider we use who may access personally identifiable student data: We should have a contract with and have clarity on data privacy. They cannot keep student data in any form. They cannot market to parents or students using data we provide to them (Epic, ClassDojo, Remind, etc…we’re looking at you).
- Parent awareness: We need (minimally) to publish on our website a listing of all sites, services, software we use that interact in any way with student data. There is still some fuzziness around parents being able to opt out of student use for some or all sites. This reinforces what we have been attempting to do the past few years in discouraging staff from signing themselves or students up for websites or other resources without our knowledge. That simply cannot happen in this context and I would expect any policy implemented pursuant to this law to speak plainly to consequences for violation of the statute.
- Device management: No substantive change from our actual practices, but the law spells out limits on device tracking, use of monitoring software, and so on. Still some disagreement on whether this extends to requests from admin to view website browsing data (for example).
Hoping to get more clarity as the policy and legal groups weigh in on interpreting the law.
Video Streaming
It is common for video streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Disney and so on to have protections built into their systems that prevent the use of Airplay to wirelessly stream content to an Apple TV device. This is not new, but recent software updates may have closed some loopholes on that functionality.
If you are going to use this type of service for showing a video, the best option is a physical connection to the display.
Is this legal? Kind of depends who you ask and when, but this summary on the Common Sense Media site does a decent job of covering this question. Briefly, legitimate educational use in an in-person setting is okay but there are some drawbacks to using a personal account.
Wouldn't this work on Apple TV if we installed the vendor apps? Yes, but then you'd be logging in to that app on that device with your personal account. We have no way to control that or protect the account, and it also increases the likelihood of personal streaming accounts being locked down or flagged for violating terms of service.
Why don't we just get a bunch of district streaming accounts? As far as we can tell, the use of personal accounts on streaming services to access content is not documented in a way where the district can even begin to determine the actual needs to support the curriculum.
What about alternative streaming services that are targeted to school use? As noted above, we do not have good data on the amount of usage and the specific content (movies) being shown. Exploring other options needs to start with an accurate picture of the needs. Open to suggestions on how to gather that data.
To request tech help
The fastest and best way to get help is by opening a ticket using one of these contact methods. Less effective and in some cases inconsiderate: Sticky notes, direct emails, or giving out the direct phone extension of whatever tech person you happen to have known forever.
E-mail: helpdesk@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Web: https://whd.shakopee.k12.mn.us/
Phone: 952-496-5100
If you need a call-back please add a good number and time to contact you in ticket.
Whenever possible and necessary we may also use remote support tools such as Splashtop to assist you.
Details help! For instance, student name and ID number is useful when submitting a ticket in regards to a student issue. Or letting us know if you already tried common troubleshooting steps such as restarting. "Student 123456 had this specific problem on their iPad starting at 9 AM this morning." is a much more useful starting point than "I have student with a problem." We appreciate the detail and it helps speed up the process of resolving an issue.
Shakopee Instructional Technology Services
Email: helpdesk@shakopee.k12.mn.us
Website: https://techtools.shakopeeschools.org/
Location: 1200 Shakopee Town Square, Shakopee, MN, USA
Phone: 5100