DNS Standards As They Relate to E-mail
One common source of confusion for Districts who are running their own mail servers is how DNS should be configured to send and receive e- mail from their server. Proper DNS is vital for both of these activities and requires configuration of both forward DNS (name to IP address mapping) and reverse DNS (IP address to name mapping). (More...)
Virtualization in the Education Space
Working at ENA has many perks and benefits beyond collaborating with top-notch people, exposure to ever-changing technologies, and Amanda’s occasional chocolate goo cake. And in my particular position, perhaps the greatest perk and pleasure is the daily interaction with our customers via consulting, tech support, and plain-old howdy-dos. As a systems engineer with ENA, I have had the priceless opportunity to work with a great number of our customers in designing and deploying new infrastructures as well as repairing current ones. Despite such popular topics such as Exchange 2007 migrations, W2K8 and its newly revamped Active Directory Services modules, and many other trends and technologies, by far the topic I am most queried on is Virtualization and how it fits into the education space.
(More...)
Could one person generate 1.21 gigawatts at 88mph?
Have you seen the latest Sprint Mobile Phone Commercials? They are advertising their “Now Network” featuring metrics that brandish facts like, “26,000 people researched restaurants in a cab, while 29 of those people left their phones in that same cab”. How about the statistic that states “The most popular subject among 67,000 people texting in a staff meeting is Diapers.” We are bombarded with metrics, of the massive or mundane everywhere, and they focus on all kinds of information. What you do with that information is a whole different story. (More...)
Ed Tech Funding: Going, Going, Gone … Sign of Success or Failure?
Stimulus or no stimulus, the federal funding landscape is changing and I predict it is changing forever. Let’s take a look at the history of dedicated educational technology funding starting in the 90s with the Technology Literacy Challenge Funds (TLCF) which evolved into today’s primary direct funding source, Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT). The TLCF started out in 1997 at $200 million per year and grew to a high of $425 million in 2000. In 2001, the fund changed to EETT and continued to grow to a high in 2002 of $700 million. Since 2002, this fund has reduced steadily each year and is currently at $270 million. The President’s proposed budget for 2010 is $100 million. In the 25 years I have been tracking educational funding, I have never seen a funding source go from $700 million to $100 million and not sunset at some point. In other words, it looks like this funding is targeted to be eliminated. So, after 2010 when the stimulus funds are distributed and spent, and EETT is potentially phasing out, and a new National Technology Plan has been published, what will be the source of edtech funding? After all these years, have we failed to keep the momentum alive? Or have we truly succeeded in integrating technology into the mainstream? I would like to think we have succeeded and suggest we take a new approach to our technology-funding advocacy efforts. (More...)
Networked for Life & Learning
ENA produces new story in Networked for Life & Learning Series. Check out the most recent article.
Networked for Life & Learning: Adams County, IN, Library Embraces Change for the Better
 |
"Does [the proposed solution] work for our patrons? Does it work for our staff? If it doesn't work for both, then it really doesn't work."—Kelly Ehinger, Director of Adams County Public Library, IN Download Full PDF Version Here |
Want more from this series? Check them out, click here. For all the ENA articles, click here.
New Webinar Schedule
ENA is launching its new webinar schedule for the fall. If you've had questions about the Consortium Program and want to know more about it, now is your chance. To see the full schedule, click here. For login help or for questions please contact Kylie Watkins at kwatkins@ena.com or (615) 312-6083.
To sign up for any ENA webinars to go https://educationnetworks.webex.com/
Do you have an idea for more webinars? If so, please comment and let us know your ideas.
Education and Technology Article
Check out the New York Times article about education using technology in the classroom and to connect with parents. To read the full article, click here.
What's in the LAB
With the start of the new school year, it’s a hectic and exciting time
here at ENA, as I’m sure it is for all of you. Beyond everything we’re
doing to help make sure schools get off to a good start with their
education technology initiatives, we’ve got an awful lot going on in
the ENA Lab, which is why it looks a little something like this:
(Not an actual picture of Michael's desk, but close enough.)
Instead of focusing on one new technology or project we’re working on, today I’m going to review a number of different things we’ve got going on in the Lab. Not all our testing, experimenting, and product development efforts actually lead to new services (we break a lot of stuff), but many do, so hopefully this will give you a preview of things to come from ENA.
(More...)
EdTech Matters
In ENA’s most recent Get Connected Community Journal, I wrote an article about the USDOE’s work to develop a new National Technology Plan. This is encouraging news as it will potentially result in much-needed vision and leadership for educational technology. From my perspective, I believe the lack of vision has a direct correlation to the lack of educational technology funding. Hopefully, the creation of a new plan will focus more attention on much-needed funding. (More...)
Back-to-School Get Connected Newsletter September 2009
The ENA Get Connected newsletter is now available! Check it out and read articles about:
- IN Finds Textbook Solution in netTrekker
- Centurion: A Bodyguard for Your Hard Drives
- ENA Unveils New Blog
- A Lab on a Mission: Lenoir City Schools Hopes to Instill Pride and Open Eyes with Technology
Check out this newsletter and other Get Connected newsletters at ENA's website.
(More...)
