hool data to school servers. Kids have a folder on their desktop called My=
Classes. Inside, they create a folder for each academic class. This is w=
here their academic work is stored. Once every cycle (6 day rotation), 7th=
graders (first year of 1-1) back up their work as the warm-up activity in =
their tech class. By the end of the year, kids are transitioning to backin=
g up more frequently and independently. All personal data needs to be back=
ed up outside of school (flash drives, CDs/DVDs, externals, etc.). 8th gra=
ders and above don't have the constant reminders of tech class, so it must =
be done independently.
I also take the time to explain our triage process for malfunction. If a m=
achine isn't responding normally and the issue isn't an obvious hardware si=
tuation, reimaging is frequently one of the first steps we take. I also te=
ll kids to expect to be reimaged at least once per year. We have a few kid=
s who can get through the whole year, but it's best if kids are prepared fo=
r it and accept it as part of 1-1 computing. Reliability for academic use =
has to be the top priority.
Throughout the year, we issue reminders, usually via advisory or announceme=
nts, that kids (and faculty) need to be backed up. All students are requir=
ed to purchase a flash drive for emergencies. Many have external drives. =
Faculty are issued them by the school.
For emergency situations, we have an external HD in the tech area for stude=
nt/faculty backup, but it isn't widely advertised. =20
I should also mention that we frequently swap student HDs with HDs of loane=
r machines when systems are sent out for repair. This minimizes student do=
wntime if hardware (other than the HD) fails.
I RARELY back up data for someone. I consider it a learning experience, ev=
en when it's done in a high-stress situation. I'm happy to take the time t=
o sit down with a student, parent, or faculty member to walk them through t=
he process. It's a better use of my time than doing backups for someone.
Tami Brass
Middle School Technology Coordinator
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105
tbrass@spa.edu=20
(651)696-1444
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