The policies that guide the definition of IT-related protocols and procedures are also affected by rules that regulate school operations. Because many IT users are children, and much of the data collected and stored by schools are about children, school and IT leaders are obligated to conform to certain laws and regulations that vary by Read More
Category: Technology
Web 2.0 & Privacy
Teachers are always in search of lessons, units, and activities that will help them teach. In the decades since web 2.0 tools arrived on the world wide web, teachers have been able to (for example) create online quizzes and make them available to students; after they take the quizzes, teachers can then check their progress. Read More
#edtech for #edleaders: More Network Security
The most effective way to prevent network security threats is to avoid them. For that reason, network security efforts are primarily intended to prevent threats from access the network and its data. We require complex passwords and multi-factor authentication for even more identify protection, we teach users to recognize phishing and how to respond. We Read More
#edtech for #edleaders: Malware
Most computer users would not knowingly spread malware, so hackers must use stealth methods to install the software. One example of a brute force attack is bots that search the internet for computers with unpatched operating systems that can be used a backdoors through which malware is installed. One of the most common methods of Read More
#edtech for #edleaders: Browsers
Computer users have many choices for web browsers. It is not unusual to find some computer users who have multiple web browsers installed on their computer; while some use different browsers for different purposes, most keep multiple browsers because they know one of the first steps for troubleshooting a malfunctioning web site is to use a Read More
Elevator Pitch on Data Security
Hackers are individuals or groups who try to gain access to others’ computers. Phishers are individuals and groups who try to trick users into giving them access to a computer system. Both hackers and phishers are generally after either computing capacity or data. In some cases, they want to use our computers for nefarious purposes, Read More
Technology for Educators: Internet Gateways
When you subscribe to your local internet service provider, you will receive a device that you can easily carry under your arm that is called a gateway. While a technician may arrive to install it, a reasonably tech-savvy individual can install and configure it using the directions they provide and the automated scripts programmed into Read More
On Collaboration in Decision making
To minimize the threats of incomplete or inaccurate understanding of the work done by others, effective IT decision-making in schools requires the collaboration of individuals who approach them from very different perspectives, and it is unusual to find single individuals who have expertise in more than one of these perspectives. When designing and redesigning IT Read More
School Users of IT
Compared to IT users in business, school populations are different. They bring different skills to the IT they use, they need more flexibility more often than business users, and their needs change over time (only to return to the original need). These characteristics arise from the facts that students have emerging literacies; it is not Read More
Elevator Pitch: Firewalls
Even before computer viruses and network security became a concern, the idea of a firewall was familiar. We construct them to prevent certain unwanted “things” from passing through. The firewall in your car prevents an engine fire from passing into the passenger compartment. In IT systems, firewalls enhance network security by ensuring only certain types Read More