Sorry, have not been keeping up and I won't even apologize, I will tell you that I have very busy with a host of very interesting projects. We will be insgtalling and configuring an IP digital video system next week so that we can keep track of some "dark" areas inside the Chartertech School. Mostly I think that the cameras will at least make the students think twice about the staff's ability to keep tabs on them. Another project at the Chartertech school will be the addition to the server compliment of a digital streaming server so that we can start distributing the school's performing arts productions out to the wild and make them available to those that can't be there in person. We will use the streaming services provided by the Microsoft Server 2003 system and it should be a great project to be a part of. Yet another project for the long term is the creation of a LON at GTPS. The LON is a dirivitive of a LAN that we all know is a system of communications for personal computers and such for about 20 years or so. The LON (local operating system) is a system by which we could tie up all the mechanical devices within the district's assorted equipment. What the purpose of this would be to continuously monitor systems like the HVAC, electrical backbone, refrigeration systems, control systems of any sort, and maybe even the toaster in the admin dining room for that matter. The use of a LON would enable us to be pro-active approach to facilities management. It is a system like this that would allow us to control refrigeration, air conditioning, heating etc so that we could turn up and turn down as the systems were adjusted to maximise savings with regard to power consumption and thus reducing overall costs related to utilities. The LON can operate on the same infrastructure that the LAN runs on at present.
The use of this technology can bring the district one step closer to the "greening" of the buildings. Green buildings are now becoming avant garde in the sense that it is now cool to be green. I have been looking at Green technology for the Chartertech school for the past year or so. A one facility Green initiative, while noble, will not make that much of a difference. I am pushing forward on it in hopes of being able to convince the board at GTPS that it will be a worthwhile objective there as well. As I get more up to date on Green Technology I will write about it in the future and as it becomes more accessible for us to incorporate it into our working technologies on a day to day basis.
I had a BOE tech meeting last night and I guess it went well enough. There was an awful lot of information that had to be pushed through a short time frame. Unfortuneately, not enough time to really get any idea on what we will be able to get done this year. I hope we can push forward on our projects as we wanted to. We may very well have to extend some projects over two years or so there were some interesting ideas on splitting up some projects so that they can be front loaded to get the more necessary pieces of the project pushed ahead. The ideas came from the GTPS Instructional Technologist, Ms. Betty Garrity and while this concept may appear as a logical step it didn't occur to me or anyone else that has been working with the technology at GTPS. Her insight towards getting this project underway and into production may have solved a problem before it reared up.
There are some recaps that will be necessary this month and as we finish up with this year I will attempt to get each of them articulated and fully documented. Till next post.
9:28:47 PM 
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