After lengthy discussions, there was unanimous support in favor of NetDay for Thompson School District.
However, there was substantial trepidation among the majority of members in terms of the time frame (approximately two months).
And there was substantial concern among the majority of members over the number of schools the District could reasonably hope to manage and support.
The TAC recommended that the NetDay concept be presented at the Principals' meeting scheduled for September 5. The TAC is scheduled to meet again on September 12, at which time the TAC hopes to have a preliminary estimate of the number of schools wanting to participate.
A short video introducing NetDay was shown. A brief and highly abridged checklist of requirements for a successful NetDay was presented.
The Principals were informed of the TAC's concern over the time-frame and the number of schools the District could support. It was suggested that no National NetDay plans existed beyond the October '96 time-frame, but we thought future National NetDay's were probable. It was suggested that future District-wide NetDays were probable. A large majority of Principals expressed interest in the concept, and requested copies of the video and hardcopy materials.
Several Principals expressed the confidence that they could meet the requirements and the desire to hold a NetDay at their school in the October '96 time frame.
Exclusive of Mary Blair Elementary School, six schools have affirmed their desire to hold a NetDay in the October time-frame. These include four elementary schools (BF Kitchen, Carrie Martin, Namaqua, and Lincoln); one middle school (Bill Reed); and one high school (Ferguson).
Two additional schools (Walt Clark Middle School and Cottonwood Plains Elementary School) have affirmed their desire to hold a NetDay, but not as early as October.
While the NetDay project is open to all schools, the TAC wants to emphasize that all phases of the project are the responsibility of each individual school.
Participating schools are responsible for funding the project.
Participating schools are responsible for recruiting their own volunteers.
Participating schools are responsible for any damage to their premises.
The TAC has identified and assigned people who are competent to plan the 5-classroom NetDay for each of the six schools. If additional schools choose to join the project later on, or if a school hopes for a significantly larger project, the school will likely have to locate their own planner.
Technology Services and the TAC strongly urge all participating schools to submit their plans (as soon as practicable) to Technology Services for review and approval.
Although the TAC is attempting to secure corporate financial and technical sponsorship of this project, such support has not been forthcoming. Participating schools should not expect any funding from the District for this project.
Participating schools are urged to contact businesses and other members of their school community to seek financial and technical sponsorship. [The NetDay How-To guide offers many suggestions for obtaining sponsorship.]
The TAC is hoping to arrange a pilot school on September 28 and another on October 5. At this time, these plans are tentative!
There is a possibility that the TAC can arrange a 1/2 day inservice from a cable distributor. [Should we ask the schools if they are interested in this?]
Each participating school is strongly urged to have a few of their key volunteers attend (and assist with) the cabling of a pilot school.
Non-participating schools are urged to attend (and assist with) the cabling of a pilot or an October 26 school. Besides helping a fellow school, what you and your volunteers learn will help with your school's future NetDay plans.
Mary Blair Elementary will be asked to host the September 28 pilot. Mary Blair was chosen for three major reasons. They already have plans in place for additional cabling; they can probably be ready in just 16 days; and they have substantial cabling already in place, which volunteers can inspect.
Lincoln Elementary will be asked to host the October 5 pilot. Lincoln was chosen because they appear to have enlisted a strong, competent, experienced team of volunteers from the cabling industry.
Beginning next week, the Technology Services department and the assigned volunteer planners will meet with participating schools.
As there seems to be some confusion, all participating schools need to be reminded that this is only a wiring project. No immediate connectivity to a LAN or a WAN should be expected.
In many cases, dial-up connectivity to the Internet might be possible. However, the school needs a modern computer, a 28.8 bps modem, a dedicated telephone line, and an account with an Internet Service Provider. NetDay plans would need to include bringing the dedicated telephone line to the Category 5 wiring closet for your school.
BF Kitchen Elementary has withdrawn from an October NetDay.
Mary Blair Elementary hosted a NetDay on September 28, 1996. This was a combination pilot and training event.
We held the event with approximately the same amount of materials and work as a typical school's NetDay. The emphasis was on training, not efficiency.
Over 20 people participated. These people represented four or five schools in addition to Mary Blair. Also participating were two school board members, the heads of the Technology Services Department and the District Media Center, two teen-age students, and at least one community member, not affiliated with a particular school.
I should emphasize that everyone, including board members, department heads, principals, teachers, parents, students, and citizens performed real work and received hands-on training!
The following comments are a combination of the facts surrounding the event, my (Rocke's) personal observations, and a telephone debriefing of a few of the participants conducted the following day.
The day's activities began at 08:30. We began with the NetDay Pep Rally and How-to videos.
Shortly after 09:00, we distributed handouts describing Category 5 cable-routing guidelines, jack termination guidelines, patch panel termination guidelines, and MBE's standards for color-coding, marking, and numbering cables and jacks. I went over the cable-routing guidelines, item-by-item before work began.
The work was divided into four crews. Each crew had an objective in a separate area of the building. In fact, this worked fairly well. Everyone who stayed for most of the day saw all phases of the work, except installation and termination of the patch panel.
I also hoped this division of work would allow for minimal interference between crews. In fact, this worked fairly well, except there was too much contention for the two spools of cable. In some cases, crews stood idle while waiting for access to the cable.
[On previous (non-training) NetDays at MBE, we cut each cable to length in a very long hallway prior to beginning the pull. This allowed us to pull more than two cables at once, and it virtually eliminated contention for the two spools of cable.
We were able to do this because the floorplan and cable runs were diagrammed in a CAD system. We used the CAD system to measure very accurate estimates of the cable runs.]
After lunch, the workforce shrank to about a dozen. [Several people had been misinformed this would be a "short" training session.]
As a pilot, this event went well. We pulled over 1600' of new Category 5 cable, and terminated 15 new Category 5 jacks.
As a training event for NetDay... Only time will tell. I think several previously untrained people are now trained sufficiently to pull Category 5 cables and successfully comply with the guidelines. [This matched the concensus of those I debriefed by phone.]
The termination of jacks did not go as well. Ordinarily, one person would have performed all fifteen terminations. But with this being a training event, six to eight volunteers each performed a couple of terminations. Nobody got much practice, and many jacks were improperly terminated. [A separate, practice-intensive "Terminations Workshop" is scheduled for the October 5 training session!]
We didn't perform any work at the patch panel. This was for two reasons. First, an additional patch panel we ordered didn't arrive. Second, the telecommunications room (MDF) was always congested with cables being pulled.
[Persons wishing to terminate their own school's patch panel and one additional school will be invited to observe and learn how to terminate the patch panel at the next training session scheduled for October 5.]
See you on October 5!
Approximately 16 people were in attendance. These included a cross-section of representatives from business and industry, labor, and education.
The state NetDay organizers (Dan Morris, Eric Fedder, et.al.) invited Preston Jones (Director of Technology Services), Patty McNeely (Mary Blair Elementary Media Specialist), and Rocke Verser (Parent Volunteer and District NetDay co-Organizer) to attend the meeting.
The state NetDay organizers began the meeting with an introduction to NetDay, descriptions of how they got involved, why NetDay was slow getting started in Colorado, the importance of NetDay, etc.
Eventually they called upon those of us from Thompson School District to describe our NetDay activities, which are perhaps the only such activies currently underway in the state.
I (Rocke) described how I had stumbled upon California's NetDay pages, recognized that the model would work well at my daughter's school (Mary Blair Elementary), and organized the school's first NetDay on March 30. I described how the effort continued throughout the month of April with a few volunteers working evenings and weekends.
I emphasized the large amount of organization required to pull this off.
Patty described how several teachers had rapidly adapted to the use of the Internet in their classrooms, and had begun integrating use of the Internet into their curricula. Meanwhile, Dan Morris showed Mary Blair's Web site as Patty described a teacher (and her new Web page), who had previously been reluctant to even turn on her classroom computer.
Preston described the role of the District as one of "support". He emphasized that this is really a "school project". Each school is responsible for organizing and managing the whole project. Only when a school has a problem or situation that they cannot resolve by themselves should they rely on the District.
Furthermore, the District has a legitimate interest in seeing that the volunteer cabling is performed in compliance with District standards.
Preston invited attendees to come to the October 5 or October 26 NetDays in Loveland. He indicated five schools, in addition to Mary Blair would be holding NetDays in October. He indicated about half of the 28 schools in the District were seriously considering hosting a NetDay this academic year.
All three of us from Loveland were very upbeat about the results of Mary Blair's NetDays and the prospects for the other schools' NetDays.
There were many questions directed to those of us from Thompson School District. And there were many questions and much discussion of a general nature.
Dan is asking the Governor to proclaim now through March 1997 to be "Colorado NetDays". The proclamation has not been signed.
Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, each participant was asked how they felt about NetDay. There was unanimous support for the concept.
To get things going, he asks everyone to excersize their political, business, and community ties to gather support for "Colorado NetDays".
A second meeting was scheduled for October 10 from noon to 4pm at the Colorado Education Association, in Denver.
Approximately 20 people participated.
Monroe's plans were to install two Category 5 data cables plus one Category 3 telephone cable in each of six classrooms.
Introductions and doughnut consumption began about 8:00. At about 8:30 the NetDay videos were shown.
Then the Monroe Project Manager, Randy Meadows, talked a little bit about the planning that was required. Then I (Rocke) discussed Category 5 cable routing guidelines.
Four people, plus an observer or two, began a "terminations workshop". The others began work under the direction of the Project Manager.
I (Rocke) held "termination workshops" throughout the morning. During this time, I trained approximately ten people on how to properly perform terminations on the jacks in the classrooms.
This was not a difficult task, but there are many rules to be followed to assure the jacks will pass, and lots of practice was required. It took most people about an hour and at least half a dozen practice terminations to become reasonably proficient. By the end of the sessions, the students were recognizing their own mistakes and were able to distinguish a "good" termination from a poor one.
Meanwhile, the Project Manager assigned crews to various tasks and demonstrated drilling through firewalls and installing chases (EMT, set-screw connectors, and nylon bushings).
Around noon, crews took a break for lunch, which was provided.
By mid-afternoon, all cables had been pulled to four classrooms in one section of the building. Two classrooms in another section of the building remained to be cabled. While the planners had generally done a good job, it was becoming clear that the distances (and materials) had exceeded the estimates.
The crew working on the remaining two classrooms had been understaffed and were also in dire need of beam clamps and bridle rings.
Without the benefit of sufficient hardware, this crew managed to find a route for the pull string and cables.
Pulling the cables proved tedius and time-consuming. We ran out of Category 3 cable. The Principal and Media Specialist were sent to Builder's Square, which was still open at 5 pm. And which just happens to carry Category 3, 4-pair, plenum-rated cable.
Meanwhile the first crew had completed installing the surface mount boxes and all of the the Category 5 terminations in the first four classrooms, and had closed up much of the ceiling in that area of the building.
Also meanwhile, the number of volunteers was diminishing. A local pizza parlor (Justine's) donated a large pizza, which arrived at the same time as the Category 3 cable.
The last cable was in place before 7pm. One of the 1000' spools of Category 5 cable had about 6 feet remaining. The other spool should have been about 20 feet longer. (The twelfth (final) Category 5 cable was placed in an alternate position in the classroom.)
I left at about 7:30. I understand several others remained until at least 8:30 cleaning up.
Whew! These folks did a lot of work... Twelve Category 5 cables totalling 2000'. Six Category 3 cables totalling almost 1100'. Twelve separate drops in six separate classrooms. Four firewall penetrations. Eleven Category 5 terminations in the classroom. Patch panel mounted, but not terminated.
If we'd had enough Category 3 cable, we would have been gone an hour sooner. If we'd had enough beam clamps and bridle rings, we would have been gone another hour sooner.
I think the day was a success. I am especially pleased with the number of trained "terminators" we have. Monroe accomplished considerably more than a typical NetDay school is planning for their project.
Lessons learned...
I think it was an excellent article! Page 1. Photograph with caption. About 11 column-inches of text. Facts were accurate. Tone was positive.
My thanks to staff writer Scott C. Yates and photographer Patrick Andrade for this accurate and positive story!
Thanks also to the editors of the paper for chosing to cover this event and for giving this event Front Page coverage!
As of this date, NetDay News has lots of information on the e-rate.
The formal plan was submitted jointly by the Departments of Education, Commerce, and Agriculture.
[The current NetDay schools are: Mary Blair Elementary, Monroe Elementary, Namaqua Elementary, Carrie Martin Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Bill Reed Middle School, and Ferguson High School.]
Thanks, HP!
"The Thompson School District in Loveland is already leading the way in Colorado. Volunteers have already come together in Loveland and donated over 400 hours of time to wire, to district and industry specifications, Mary Blair Elementary school at a cost of $160 per classroom. Local businesses, the PTO, and the student council rallied around the school to provide the needed funding and volunteer time. NetDay activities in the district will continue on October 26, with the wiring of five additional schools."
Thompson School District has been awarded some "Internet Appliances". Details and quantities are not known at this time.
Thanks to nearly one hundred volunteer parents, students, teachers, and computing and network professionals from the business community, who made a difference by installing network wiring in seven of our schools.
When I stopped by early in the morning, they were sitting around eating muffins.
Incredibly, they had accomplished all (and more) than they planned. They called about 1 pm, seeking 10 additional jacks for the extra cables they had pulled.
When I stopped by in the middle of the afternoon, they were packing up to leave.
I arrived prior to the scheduled start of work. Finding the doors locked, I moved on to another school. I went by again after lunch. Finding the doors locked again, I moved on again.
I understand the poles and cables were installed by noon.
By 10:30, the 32 pre-cut cables were in the ceiling. By noon, the remaining 10 cables were in the ceiling. After a six-pizza lunch donated by Domino's, volunteers were set to work installing beam-clamps, bridle-rings, and pull-string for their next NetDay.
When I arrived at about 1 pm, all of the cables were in the ceiling, and this team was devouring a 6' sub sandwich.
After lunch, volunteers were set to work installing surface-mount boxes at each location.
Only the Principal had received training on how to terminate Category 5 jacks. I terminated a few jacks before leaving at about 2 pm.
Since this school had borrowed a high-end Category 5 cable tester (a PentaScanner, courtesy of IBM, Boulder), I returned at about 6 pm, to assist with the terminations. The Principal had terminated about a dozen jacks. I terminated the remaining eight jacks, while the Principal set to work terminating the patch panel. The first two cables had passed all tests before I left at 7 pm. The Principal was completing the termination of the patch panel.
At about noon, I received a phone call saying they were almost finished. At about 1:30, Preston Jones said he had stopped by, but the building was all locked up.
This school had some parents who were professional cablers. I guess those guys work fast!
The photographs show lots of cables at the patch panel.
Gail Garey, MCI; Rob Campbell, TCI; and Dan Morris, US West / NEA each attended, observed, and assisted with the day's NetDay activities. Each of these persons is a member of the Colorado NetDay Steering Committee, which formally began meeting on October 3.
I hosted Gail and Rob throughout much of the morning, and I believe Don Saul, Superintendent, hosted Dan Morris throughout much of the morning.
Gail and Rob also asked many, many, many organizational questions; met Don Saul; and asked for and received a tour of the completed work at Mary Blair Elementary. I left Gail and Rob at about 11:30. I do not know if they left town or if they visited other NetDay sites on their own.
Dan Morris had some kind words for our District in the following e-mail:
Congratulations to all those involved in todays NetDay efforts in Thompson(Loveland).I was able to visit 4 of the 5 sites and was impressed with the work being done!!!
The number of classrooms and computer labs wired was impressive. The work was very well organized and the quality of work was outstanding.
Thompson is setting an outstanding example of how Colorado communities can work together to bring access directly to the classroom.
Keep up the great work.
Dan Morris
U S WEST/NEA Teacher Network
dmorris@csn.net
This rather modest NetDay project (7 of 26 schools) has brought nearly one hundred volunteer parents, students, community members, teachers, support staff, and principals together in our schools.
There are now several more pockets of awareness in our community who know the importance of technology to our childrens' future. More importantly, there are pockets of awareness who see that volunteers can make a real difference in our schools. I am optimistic that volunteership will increase slightly at some of the NetDay schools.
There were many business leaders who helped by training volunteers, donating funds, discounting materials, loaning tools, and donating lunches. These businesses were happy to help our kids become more technologically literate. I applaud them all! I am confident these and other business leaders will cooperate with our schools on future projects.
It would have been easy for our Superintendent and our School Board to just say "no". They deserve much credit for not just tolerating today's NetDay activities, but for encouraging today's NetDay activities, and for providing a financial incentive to participating schools.
Special thanks to Don Saul, Superintendent; Preston Jones, Director of Technology Services; and Joe Jabaily, School Board Member. Each of these three key people encouraged the process, and each of them visited each of the five NetDay sites, on October 26.
I am proud to be associated with NetDay'96 at Thompson School District, and with each and every one of the seven NetDay schools.
Unless you have participated in a NetDay, you'll never know how gratifying the experience can be. Especially gratifying is when you learn that a teacher has brought the Internet into her classroom, integrated an online resource with her lesson plan, and enriched the children's education in some small way.
Most special thanks to my wife, Myra, and my children, April and Amber, who recently have seen quite a bit less of me.
As for me, I got a better night's sleep last night (12 hours, very soundly) than I have gotten for weeks. :)
Back to Unofficial TSD NetDay Home Page
State Contacts:
dmorris@teal.csn.net, Dan Morris
lareins@bentley.univnorthco.edu, Lori Reinsvold
National Contact:
netday@netday96.com