Clickers Now Available for Instruction
ITS purchased enough clickers for three classrooms and have installed the software in several classrooms. Several faculty are now experimenting with this technology. Clickers allow instructors to ask questions and gather students' responses during a lecture.
In clicker systems, each student uses a device (a "clicker") that looks like a TV remote to answer questions posed by the instructor in a specially-designed PowerPoint presentation. The instructor can display questions, surveys, opinion polls and games that allow everyone in the class to select a response via their wireless keypads and transmit the data immediately to the presentation. The system effectively and efficiently gathers, ranks and communicates critical information regarding session results. Summaries of student responses can be shown in real time to both instructors and students. Answers are also stored electronically for later viewing.
A training session will be held on Thursday, Nov. 30th at 9:30 am in C200 on how to use clickers in the classroom. Call Kathy Cosentino (x5357) to make a reservation.
To check out a clicker system email the Help Desk with the date, time and room in which you would like to use the clickers. In addition, prior to that date arrange a time when an ITS staff member can install the software on your PC so that you can make up the PowerPoint presentation and drop off the clickers.
Training on Calendering and Unified Messaging
On Thursday, Nov. 30 ITS is offering two training sessions; one on calendaring and one on Unified Messaging. The main topics covered in the calendaring session will be: Using Multiple Calendars, Posting Appointments, and Reoccurring Events Posting. The session is at 10 am in C211.
The main topics covered in the unified messaging session will be: Check your NCC voice mail from your cell phone without typing in your password; Setup a "Mobility number" so callers can press * to reach your cell phone; Change your "referral extension" through the Xpressions Website; Record multiple greetings like vacation, out of office; Record greetings through Xpressions Web site and telephone; Change which greeting your voice mail box plays through the Xpressions Web site. The session is at 1 pm in C211.
Call Kathy Cosentino (x5357) to make a reservation.
Technology Changes and Happenings Over Interim
Upgrades to Browser and Other Standard Software
ITS will upgrade the Web browser to Firefox 2 over interim. Firefox 2 has improved tabbed browsing, search suggestions, session restore, live titles, integrated search, live book marks, phishing protection, protection from spyware, clear private data and a search engine manager. Upgrades will also be made to Flash, Real Player, QuickTime and Adobe Acrobat.
Super Lab
The firmware on the new iMacs will be upgraded. In addition, a white board and a new wider SmartBoard will be added to the lab.
C210
A SmartBoard will be added to this lab and an additional white board will be installed.
Labs and Teaching Stations
Clean Slate will be installed in the computer labs and on all teaching stations. Clean Slate restores a computer to its original configuration discarding unwanted computer changes. It also blocks unwanted programs from running and restores on reboot or logoff. The main reason for this installation is to reduce problems with PCs when other people install new programs or download programs and change settings on a PC that make it so other people cannot use the PC as intended. Faculty should notify ITS if they want special software loaded on a teaching station so that upon reboot that requested software will be functional.
Cascading Hardware
Three iMacs have replaced the 3 oldest Macs in the Learning Resource Lab. 15" CRT monitors will be replaced with 17" CRT monitors. Two PCs will be added to the study rooms in the Oesterle Library. Upgraded PCs will be placed in the Physics Lab and the Science General Lab.
Peter and Paul Rewiring
ITS staff will be rewiring Peter and Paul Hall to eliminate the need for students to have splitters to connect their PCs to the network. Each of the 24 ports will be rewired.
Datatel
The largest patch ever released by Datatel will be installed in December. This patch will affect cash receipt processing and refund vouchers. It requires that ITS update to Unidata 6.1 and DMI 3.7. Basically, Datatel is moving e-commerce processing from the ST module to CORE. New features in this patch include: multiple e-commerce provider accounts, ability to add another e-commerce provider, card-present transactions, electronic check processing, ability to charge an optional convenience fee. In addition, ITS will also load the latest W-2 and end-of-year processing updates to Datatel.
Internet Security Assessment
As required by the College's Auditor, Grant Thornton, ITS will have a Internet security assessment conducted by an outside vendor. The security assessment will take 3 weeks and will involve reconnaissance and discovery, a vulnerability scan, and detailed probing to try to hack into our computer systems. The process began last week and we have reviewed with Berbee, the company doing the security assessment, the first phase of the project which was discovery. So far so good. The real difficult testing and looking for holes in the College's security begins this week.
On The Horizon
ITS will be reviewing computer lab instructional software that will be installed over spring break. This software would enable an instructor to monitor student screens, show any student computer screen to the class, control any student computer, block applications and websites, transfer files or lock all student computers. | 
