BASD Technology Reference Guide

BASD.net Computer Network
The BASD.net computer network is made up of all of the computers and devices that provide or use a network service. A network is made up of two or more computers connected together to share resources. The computers in each school in the district and in the central office are connected to several servers. Servers are computers that provide services such as file storage, printing, email and internet access. Having multiple servers explains why one network service may not be available while other services are uninterrupted.

User Accounts
     Access to the BASD.net network and the internet is a privilege, not a right. All BASD students and employees are provided with BASD.net user accounts. Accounts for student teachers can be provided at the request of the cooperating teacher. Please remind students that use of BASD.net accounts and resources if for school use only. Inappropriate use may result in a cancellation of those privileges.
     A user account is required to log in and gain access to BASD.net. Each employee has an individual user account made up of a user name and a password. The standard format for user names is to use the first initial of the first name followed by up to seven characters of the last name. A default password is assigned when a user account is created. When you first log in to BASD.net, change your password since the default password is not secure.
     Authorized BASD employees may disable or terminate an account when there is a violation of the acceptable use policy or when an individual is no longer employed by the school district.

User Account Security
     The weakest link in network security is unsecured passwords. Please adhere to the following guidelines in order to protect your data as well as the data of other employees:
          · Never provide your password to a student.
          · Do not make your password easily available to others (written down near computer, name/birthday of child, favorite sports team).
          · Do not allow a student to use your computer while you are logged on.
          · Never leave a computer unattended without logging off or locking the computer (Press “Ctrl, Alt, Delete”, select “Log off” or “Lock Computer”.

If you suspect that your password is not secure, change it immediately. WindowsXP users can press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and select “Change Password”. Others can use the Password Change Utility which can be found on the Instructional Technology web page.

Acceptable Use Policy
     The school board has approved an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) which applies to every individual who uses BASD.net resources. The policy is in addition to all information provided in the faculty handbook, student handbook or policies developed by building-level technology groups.
     Each user of the BASD.net network is responsible for any and all activity initiated by his or her account. Users can be held legally responsible for all content stored on BASD.net computers and servers.
     The use of a BASD account must be in support of education, academic research, or district administrative operations and must be consistent with the acceptable use policy.
     Activities that are not considered legitimate educational applications include, but are not limited to: illegal activity, for-profit activities (unless school sponsored), distribution of hate mail, discriminating remarks, possession or distribution of material in violation of copyright laws, or the possession or distribution of obscene or pornographic material.
     The same standards of intellectual and academic honesty and plagiarism that apply to other forms of published work also apply to electronic information. Failure to properly document material that is copied and pasted from an online resource is plagiarism.
     Additional guidelines and policies can be found in the Acceptable Use Policy which is available on the Instructional Technology web page.

Use of Email
     The Bellefonte Area School District provides email accounts to employees for educational and administrative purposes. The use of email is a privilege, not a right. Any information sent via e-mail becomes a district record that may be accessed and its contents disclosed by the Bellefonte Area School District.
     Students are not permitted to send or receive email or other forms of electronic communication without the specific approval of a teacher or administrator.
     District personnel may elect to use group e-mail to communicate with students or parents in regard to information of educational value and/or school assignments or programming. The use of any such group e-mails must be approved by the immediate supervisor or should be limited to those matters that affect the majority of the defined group.
     The following email addresses can be used to send group email messages to distribution lists using Microsoft Outlook:
             BASDDL - all BASD employees
             BEDL - Bellefonte Elementary Distribution List
             BNDL - Benner Elementary Distribution List
             DODL - District Office Distribution List
             HSDL - High School Distribution List
             MSDL - Middle School Distribution List
             MWDL - Marion-Walker Elementary Distribution List
             PGDL - Pleasant Gap Distribution List
     Email addresses and phone extensions for all employees can be found by clicking Tools, Address Book in Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook is the email program used by our district. To use Outlook for email, a computer must be configured to your individual account settings. A second option for using email is web mail. Web mail can be accessed at www.basd.net from any location in the world using a computer connected to the internet. Directions for setting up a BASD.net email account at home can be found under “BASD Dial Up From Home” on the Instructional Technology web page at www.basd.net.
Additional guidelines and policies can be found in the Electronic Mail Policy which is available on the Instructional Technology web page. Tips for avoiding junk email are also available.

Internet Filtering Policy
In order to remain eligible for certain federal funds, to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, and to provide a safeguard to help prevent the accidental access of inappropriate material, internet access will be filtered using filtering software. The filtering, which is provided by N₂H₂ Bess Internet Filtering Service, is in place for all computers.
Authorized employees may provide a temporary override of filtering when appropriate. Additional information regarding the Bess filter can be found at www.n2h2.com/products/bess_home.php .

Web Page Guidelines
     Web space on BASD.net servers is available to employees of the school district for use in the support of school related activities. All content should reflect this purpose. Teachers are encouraged to post homework assignments and other class information on a class web page.
     The following guidelines apply to both web pages hosted by BASD.net as defined above and web pages linked from BASD.net.
          · All content must be in compliance with the BASD.net acceptable use policy and all applicable copyright laws.
          · Users are solely responsible for all files contained in their own directory, and can be held legally liable for the contents of their web site.
          · Each web site should include the email address and name or initials of the person responsible for the site.
          · Each web page should include a link back to www.basd.net or the back to the web site home page.
          · Web pages may not contain objectionable material or link to objectionable material.
          · Except in cases of public domain (events open to the public), photos of students may not be published to a web page without the approval of the building administrator.
          · Except in cases of public domain (events open to the public), names of students will not be published with photos without the permission of a parent or guardian.

Microsoft FrontPage is used to create web pages and to save them to the BASD.net web server. Directions for accessing and editing your web page can be found under Front Page-Beginner’s Guide which is available on the Instructional Technology web page.

File Storage
Employees and students are provided with storage space on the BASD.net file servers. Network storage space may be accessed through the U: drive found in My Computer. In most cases, the My Documents folder saves files to the network U: drive. It is a good practice to keep at least one back up copy of any file or document that would be missed if it were deleted. Files can be saved to your computer’s C: drive to provide a backup of files saved on the network U: drive. Floppy disks are not a reliable method for saving files!
Students should always save files to their U: drives. It is often helpful to organize files using folders.

Antivirus Protection
Antivirus software is used to reduce the spread of unwanted and/or malicious files. Each user must take steps (verify that antivirus software is installed, do not open attachments from unknown senders) to reduce the spread of viruses and malicious files throughout the BASD.net network. The Instructional Technology web site contains software which can be used to identify and remove annoying and/or malicious adware and spyware.
Copies of anti-virus software for use at home can be obtained by submitting a technical services request.

Voice Mail
     Within the school district, a four digit extension can be used to call any employee with a voicemail account. Using the four digit extension costs less than using the seven digit number.
     Most extensions and voice mail mailbox numbers are based on the building number and the room number. Check with a fellow staff member or contact the MIS department to identify your voice mail extension. Voice mail can be accessed from any phone in the district by pressing 7000 and following the log in procedure. Phone extensions for all employees can be found by clicking File, Address Book in Outlook.
     Telephones in classrooms should be forwarded to voice mail so that they do not ring. The office has the capability to override the forwarding if it is necessary for your phone to ring during class. To forward all calls to voice mail: Lift the receiver, press #1. Hang up. To remove the forwarding, allowing the phone to ring, repeat the procedure. When a phone is set up with voicemail forwarding, the dial tone will sound as short tones rather than the normal, constant dial tone.
     Directions for accessing your voice mail box can be found in the Voice Mail User Guide which is available on the Instructional Technology web page.

Copy Center Requests
Work requests can be sent to the copy center by email. The email address is copycenter@basd.net . Additional instructions can be found at www.basd.net/copy_center .

Student Administration Software
In addition to reporting attendance and grades, Classxp can be used to create seating charts, and to obtain class lists, student information, attendance and contact information. To view a student’s information, simply open a class and double click the student’s picture.
Instructions for using Classxp can be found in the Classxp User’s Guide which is available on the Instructional Technology web page.

Grading Program
     InteGrade Pro can be used to calculate and report student grades. IGPro works with Classxp to automatically obtain class lists and export grades. IGPro supports both total points and weighted grading methods. Teachers who use IGPro can automatically import class lists and export grades. IGPro also provides a means for teachers to send progress reports by email.
     Scanning devices are available in the middle school and high school which enable scores to be entered directly into IGPro from the scan sheets.
     Copies of IGPro are available for use at home. Submit a Technical Services Request to obtain a copy of the IGPro CD. Middle school teachers can access their gradebooks through a web page using Internet Explorer by entering http://stuadm while working at school or http:// 205.174.111.130 when working from home. High school teachers can access gradebooks at school using the following web page URL address: http://hssasi .
     Instructions for using IGPro can be found in the InteGrade Pro User’s Guide which is available on the Instructional Technology web page.

Reporting Absences
In addition to reporting absences by phone, employees may use the web based DISC service to report absences and request substitutes. To access the web service, look under “Substitute Request” at www.basd.net and click “Internal” when working on a BASD computer and “From Home” to access the service from home.

Troubleshooting
     Other suggestions to keep your computer running efficiently include:
          · Avoid installing unnecessary software and programs which can provide entertaining effects but slow the performance of your computer, cause conflicts with other programs or contain hidden programs that collect user information.
          · Run Disk Clean Up found under Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools on a regular basis to delete all temporary files and offline content.
          · Run Disk Defragmenter found under Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools on a regular basis. Click “Analyze” to determine if defragmenting is necessary.

Technical Services Request
     All requests for services from the Management of Information (MIS) Department are made using the Technical Services Request web page found on the Instructional Technology web page. Many computers also have a shortcut on the desktop which leads to the form. If you are not able to access the form using your computer, use a different computer to submit the request.
     Please do the following before contacting the MIS department:
          · Check to see if all cables are securely connected to the computer
          · Check to see if the computer and monitor are turned on and running.
          · Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and select "Task Manager" to quit programs during freezes.
          · Restart the computer.
          · Verify that the "link light" on the back of the computer (where the network wire connects) is on.
          · Check with another user in your area to determine if the problem is widespread or if it only effects your machine.

Computer Supply Request
Requests for supplies such as floppy disks, recordable CDs, laser printer toner and ink jet cartridges are made using the Computer Supply Request web page found on the Instructional Technology web page.

Finding Help
     Each building has at least one teacher designated as a Technology Trainer. Tech trainers provide first line support for software and hardware problems. They are also involved in technology in-service and training.
     The Instructional Technology web site is updated throughout the year with user guides, software and links to useful web sites such as the PA Department of Education Teacher Certification and Act 48 departments.. Announcements and information are also sent by email as needed. To locate the Instructional Technology web site, go to www.basd.net and click “Instructional Technology”.
     The Instructional Technology Committee meets each month to report on how technology is being used to improve teaching and learning, discuss technology needs, establish policy, and continually revise the district's technology plan. Contact information for each committee member can be found on the Instructional Technology web site.

Computer Buy Program
The Bellefonte Area Board of Education has set aside a fund to provide an interest-free loan up to $2,000 for a full-time employee to purchase personal computer equipment. The loans will be repaid through payroll deduction over a period of two years. Contact Ken Bean, Director of Fiscal Affairs, for more information.

Microsoft Software for Home Use
As a Qualified Education Customer, faculty and staff members are granted the right to use Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office products on a home computer for work-related purposes. To request copies of Office and/or Windows for use at home, submit a Technical Services request.

BASD Instructional Technology