School has started ...... call tech support

School has started and we are flooded with requests.

tech team

A positive attitude always makes the job easy. The school year just started and even though we try to be as much prepared as we can, there are always some loose ends.

We are handling the requests as they come and we recommend using the ticketing system to our users.

It's going to be a great year.

Gearing up for next school year

During summer we get ready for next school year.

working during the summer

While students and most of the staff takes the summer off, we technology people and other staff (maintenance, grounds, board office, etc) stay working through the summer to make sure we are ready for the next school year to start.

I am sure pretty soon there will be teachers coming in and out of their classrooms as the month of july goes by. I have worked in the school system for almost 10 years and it is always exciting for me getting ready for the first day of school. It is stressing too :) but we have survived it every time.

My tip for today is:

Enjoy your summer students, in the mean time we will get ready for the next school year!

A list of passwords to avoid.

The list of the most common passwords and thus the easier to hack.

Last night I was watching the news while cooking dinner and there was this news that capture my attention.

worst passwords of 2014

It was a list of the worst passwords for the year 2014 and the number one was "123456" and second in the list was "password". The worst part was when Ryan Williams said that those where the perennials in the list. The list is published by Splahsdata and company dedicated to security applications and services.

They came out with such a list by compiling from more than 3.3 million leaked passwords during the year 2014. The compiled info came mostly from North America and Western Europe.

My tip for today:

Although  the name password suggest "word" it is better if we think about a pass phrase. That means 2 or 3 words and numbers to make a most secured password. For example 2hot2handle or AuntLucy0hi0. Use phrases that mean something to you so you can remember them and include numbers or symbols to add difficulty.

see you soon with more tips.

Keep your billfold in your pocket and Feliz Navidad !

If you are planning to buy a new PC maybe it will pay off to wait

As usual on Christmas time, I have received a few calls about suggestions for what computer to buy as a Christmas gift. I know there are a lot of sales and some are really good deals. However it might be a good idea to wait.

christmas gift

The computers now are being sold with windows 8 or 8.1 that most users dislike and in some cases some companies offer computers with windows 7 pro installed and with a free upgrade to windows 8.1. Which the user will have to install himself.

Although windows 7 pro is a really good option, there are some features that doesn't work as well on windows 7 as on the newer version windows 8.1.

So my tip for today:

If it is possible for you, wait for Windows 10, it is supposed to come out on late summer or early fall 2015.

see you soon with more tips.

what career or major to take?

Being prepared for the future includes having technology skills.

#futureready

I was checking on my twitter and I came across the hashtag #futureready.  It is related to a president initiative name ConnectED. The main idea of this initiative is to prepare american students with the skills they need to get good jobs and compete in the global economy demands.

That really captured my attention. It is really important for students to be ready to face a labor force that will require them to have technology skills.  Not only be able to use iphones and ipads and all those devices they comfortably use but to be able to be productive with them.

I have heard young people make comments that they don't like technology or computers because they don't like math or feel that they are inadequate because their grades in math are not as good, etc. Also, students are picking a career or major basing their decision on those fears.

Independently of what career path students chose, they will have to have computer skills. We all need to encourage kids to be future ready and in fact to select technology or any other STEM career.

The punch line today, while I was encouraging a student to pick computer science as his major instead of social studies, it was the fact that many people complain about calling tech support of any kind and always getting someone with a foreign accent, so I told him,  you have to power to change it! you all need to pick computer science.

So my tip for today:

Don't be afraid of technology, stay on top of it!

:)

see you soon.

The problem with the chromebooks.... is it really a problem?

The biggest complaint about chromebooks.

The problem with the chromebooks?

The biggest complaint people have made about chromebooks is that they only work with an internet connection. That is not true. There are some things that can be done offline. Yes it is very limited what you can do off line but to be honest, i don't know many people that owns a computer, ipad, etc. that uses them to work offline.

The other complaint I have heard is from the people that travels a lot and want to get some work done while flying. That is not a problem anymore because airlines offer wi-fi internet on their flights nowadays.

I our school district we have deployed 500+ chromebooks to students. We have wifi coverage on all our buildings. The students love them and can actually produce finished products on them like presentations, videos, documents, websites, blogs, etc. The price is very accessible, they come with a keyboard and webcam and they are so easy to use.

Are they the same as a PC? of course no, that would be comparing apples to oranges. 

Are the iPads cooler than them? maybe, but their price by the time you include a keyboard is almost un-affordable in this economy.

So my tip for today:

Don't let the fact that chromebooks need a internet connection to work best make you ignore its advantages. Christmas is coming we all need to be wise with our budget too. 

see you soon with more tips.

My google drive is different!!! can't find my shared with me folder

Incoming is the new shared with me folder.

With online applications the users aren't normally aware of an upcoming change. Since they are online, the application can change overnight without any user input.

The good news about the google drive is that as for now you can go back to the "old drive". Go to settings and click on leave new drive.

My tip for today:

I like the new drive. They have made some improvements to it that we just need to get used to.
Just don't panic, the shared with me folder now its named incoming and all your stuff is still there!

See you soon with more tips.