SISD January Technology Report

Over the Holiday break GCI, AP&T, and SISD all worked as a team. SISD completed the wireless install with AP&T reviewing the installation as a contractor for GCI, for final certification for E-Rate. The new Meraki Access Points are planned to stay in service for the next five years. This gives all over our schools the most updated Wifi possible. SISD does not own the equipment it is on lease under contract from GCI under their Managed Services.

All active schools on POW have had their core switches and wireless access points changed out. Port Alexander has been put on a safety hold until better weather later in the year allows for safer travel.

To facilitate student activities during an unusual year due to COVID-19, the district has looked in to alternative activities. E-Sports is a popular activity among our current student body. The Technology Department and the Activities Department have been working together to ensure there are activities for our students that can transcend whatever this unique year brings.

Using Computer Systems as a class to learn the practical Computer Science students will be building the gaming computers to support E-Sports at SISD. This helps create a culture around technology and show students a fun and engaging implementation of critical work skills.

The team building and community this creates will leave a lasting impression on the district and the community of POW. The goal is to show students how to be self-sufficient in their computing world and how to support those around them. The success of building the computer will then lead to team building on the "Digital Field".

Hydaburg, Craig, and Petersburg are our close neighbors who are also competitively playing this year nearby.

For more information on the ASAA Sanctioned Activity:

https://asaa.org/esports/

Our new website is just in the beginning stages of setup and configuration is the birth of a new website. To ensure our district provides the most accessible platform for all of our communities and to meet ADA requirements we looked for newer options during these COVID times. Apptegy fit the requirements and went above and beyond. By combining the website with a communications system for emergencies and an app as well, to keep our community connected even when on RED status.

There will be more information on this project in the following months.

The tentative Go-Live date will be 03/05/2020

This project will help us meet a selection of our SISD Strategic Goals:

► Improve communication district and community-wide

► Increase visibility to share lifestyle and increase enrollment

SISD is compiling old and aged equipment from switch rooms, classrooms, and offices across the district for the POW island-wide E-Recycling on earth day. Some of our older equipment might be usable by the communities we serve, but others are equipment no longer relevant to current technology, such as a specialized 20-year-old satellite receiver or battery backups long expired.

Each year educators across Alaska travel to Anchorage for the Alaska Society for Technology in Education conference. This is a wonderful training opportunity for staff that utilizes technology-based services. This year the conference is digital, and for $75 any staff member can attend and the sessions are recorded for viewing at any time. This is a very good deal given the usual cost of attending in person and has been offered to the certified staff as an optional oportunity.

SISD will be represented by Matthew Gore, Technology Director, a board member. A presentation on the SISD Computer Systems course will be presented at the conference.