Tower
  • Computers and Networks
    1. Using Computer Labs
      1. Community Education: Room 201, 301, 303 and 305 computer labs can all be used for intermittent and advanced computer classes. Putting this into practice the 2001 schedule for Community Ed, we have the "Emerging Technologies" being served in both 301 and 305.
      2. Teacher Training: Teachers must contact lab trainer three weeks before the class is to start. This will give plenty of time for an appropriate number of training sessions before the class starts. Teachers need to be given their passwords, student IDís and students need to have the courses they plan to use assigned ahead of time (especially for rooms 303 and 305).
      3. Lab Training contacts are as follows: IAC Technology Coordinator and the OAC Technology Coordinator.
      4. Computer Lab Manuals (Appendix H): At the OAC and IAC sites Computer Lab Manuals that describe courseware, give basic troubleshooting tips, and provide computer project examples. The ESL program has a computer lab manual for both the lab instructor and the ESL teachers.
      5. Computer Labs are designed to create a quality learning environment where student workspace has room for books on the table top, a keyborad slide to put the keyboard in the proper urgonomic position and the system unit is put out of harms way in a CPU shelf at the side of the table.
        1. Appendix G has the Computer lab floor plans
      6. Technical staff consists of a Technology Coordinator, Lab Teachers and lab aides (we look to the future hoping a data tech is possible) The Technology Coordinator is where teachers know to bring all software and hardware problems to see if something can be done to fix it. The lab teachers and aides work directly with the students and classroom teachers helping with the academic software. They also make sure proper progress reports get back to the teacher and student. (Appendix I is Job Descriptions)
    2. New Building Network complete with audio, video and data capability. Each room is equipped with a TV, VCR, telephone, modem port and computer access ports. The Computer Intranet uses a fiber-optice backbone between hubs, NetBuilder, CoreBuilders and the T1 line. 10/100 M bit CAD 5 cabling is used to connect the hubs to the computer systems. The heart of the computer Intranet is centered in a temperature controlled server room.
    3. Internet Connection: With the installation of a new phone system, the current 56kbs data line will be upgraded to an ATM connection capable of much faster transmission speeds. We now have a 1 gig bit backbone servicing the 100MBit system. This will benefit students using the Internet in our labs as well as presenter who do any kind of web-based workshops or classes at adult ed sites. The better than 100MBit connection to the Internet will require some upgrades in labs, which we won't need to do for sometime because our pipeline is morethan adequate.
    4. Computers at IAC in Classrooms: In a constant effort to update our computer systems and software as funds permit, new systems were installed in ABE, GED, Reading and Math classrooms. The new Pentium 4's with LCD's were installed 10 in Math Lab, 10 in Reading Lab, 6 in ABE and 6 in GED Lab.
      1. All 486ís were upgraded over the summer by staff to Pentium 166MHz with CD ROM drives and 3 meg hard drives to accommodate the new Windows NT system, Office 97 and Works 4.5.
    5. 201 Computer Lab: The courseware and other software in the lab will be augmented as 231 funding for media becomes available. The ESL courseware includes Rosetta Stone Levels I, II and III, Focus on Grammar (4 levels), Type to Learn, Mavis Beacon, and Live Action English Interactive. All workstations have internet access and both Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers.
      1. Currently we have 26 eMac's installed and networked through a G4 server.
      2. In the past this room had 26 Macintosh 7200's and before that three models of Macintosh in the lab:PowerPC 5500 (3), LC580 (10) and LC 575 (10). In the future we used a server may deliver the courseware applications to each workstation in the lab, rather than running the software from CDROM's and local hard drives
    6. 301 Computer Lab: Uses 28 G4 workstations networked through a G4 server and services the Vocational Education department classes. Purchased two digital cameras, LCD projector, color printer, two scanners, one digital video camera and one VHS video camera to update class offerings. The software available in the lab is Mavis, Office 2001 and Photoshop.
    7. 303 Computer Lab: The teaching theater in 303 has been recently augmented with an LCD ceiling-mounted projection system connected to a new teacherís station. This new learning environment includes 30 new Pentium 4 student stations with LCD flat screens. The medical software was upgraded and Microsoft Office 2003 was also installed. The addition of the new equipment has allowed the Program to broaden Vocational and Community Education offerings.
      1. The previous 26 Pentium one's whose mother boards were upgraded from the 486 machines. Formerly a local business donated 20 IBM PS/2 486 machines without monitors. We put old PS/2 monitor with them and use the systems for computerized accounting and a GAIN career classes. With the addition of a micro channel ethernet card we could put them on the Intranet.
    8. 305 Computer Lab: Presently we have 30 Gateway Athlon student workstations and two teacher stations networked through a 100baseT ethernet to the Dell 2000 Server. There are two Computer Lab Technical Staff stations in 305 for servicing the academic software databases management systems. The room 305 computer lab is used as an academic lab where every 40 minutes a defferent classroom of students is brought in for a computer session to remediate in Math, English, writing, grammar and reading. It services 14 classrooms making it cost-effective.
    9. Room 5 Computer Lab: The courseware in Room 5 at OAC are similar to Room 201 of IAC, atypical of our Computer Lab.  All workstations have internet and printer access.
      1. Currently we have 22 eMacs in the room
      2. Previously we had three models of Macintosh in the lab:PowerPC 5400 (1), PowerPC 5500 (6) and LC 575 (16).
    10. Computers in the OAC Classroom: In addition to the computer lab, there are 4 classrooms at Overfelt Adult Center with computer workstations for students. The classroom used for ESL/Citizenship has 6 eMacs networked to a printer and with internet access. The 3 other classrooms have older 4-6 Power Mac models networked to older Apple LaserWriter printers. Teachers devise organizational schemes to allow the students to use the computers during class time and computers are also accessible to the students during break time and before class. The courseware available on computers in the classrooms depends upon the teachers' prerogatives and the capabilities of the hardware to support it.
    11. Off-Site Computers: There is an ESL computer lab at the Yerba Buena, Andrew Hill and Oak Grove High School sites. The computer labs at these sites all support the Rosetta Stone and Focus on Grammar courseware. At the YB site the computers are stand alone PowerMac 5500ís and not networked. At the AH and OG school sites the labs have internet access as well. There is a plan to move the ESL lab at YB into a networked lab somewhere on the campus some time in 2004.
      1. AWDcomputer vision is that they should receive any computer that has become too old for the main campuses to use. AWD received 22 old computers for the different sites and has installed them at two locations including San Jose Care and Guidance.
      2. Lifelong Learning offers computer instruction at many school and community sites using the computers at those location
    12. Lap Top Carts: We recommend that we order lap top carts for the IAC and OAC campus's to broaden student access to computers. We don't have room for another computer lab, so carts are the best vehicle for expansion. OAC is not recommending the use of laptop carts at this time.

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