Mike Albee

This year we are introducing an exciting new component to our computer science classes: student email. Currently we have 284 students using the system at the Anaheim Hills and Edgewood campuses.

Last year the Technology Committee examined several email providers. Although there are several very powerful solutions on the market today, we found Gaggle.net to be the most school-centric while providing a host of security features. Gaggle provides teachers and schools a safe online environment within which students can use their e-mail safely with a Web browser and Internet connection.

Whether at home or in the classroom, email messages and their accounts can be supervised and monitored by our teachers. The products are hosted by Gaggle, as such it is easier for teachers to implement without additional hardware or software. Gaggle consists of advanced features in security, archiving, anti-pornography, digital locking, etc

Messages consisting of offensive language, questionable domains, banned file types or pornographic images are automatically delivered to educator for review. The teacher can delete or allow a message. Both outgoing and incoming mail can be compared to a whitelist of approved addresses and domains before to final delivery.  

The Gaggle Scanner inspects embedded images, scans linked photos and addresses, and can identify any suspicious words or groups of words found in email. The digital locker can be accessed from any place, and in a digital locker a student can upload or download school assignments. It provides student-focused chats, blogs and message boards.

At present, over 13,000 schools signed up for Gaggle's secure email system, including Department of Defense Education Activity schools across the globe. It won a number of awards for innovative education technologies in 2007.

As our educators continually find new and innovative ways of infusing technology into the Fairmont curriculum, our network infrastructure must keep pace. This year Fairmont is working closely with AT&T and several other technology partners on an exciting upgrade to our network.

Our current network was designed in the 2001-2002 school year and was based on what was known as a “Point-To-Point” design. Although this design functioned well for us for several years, the addition of educational applications such as United Streaming, Renaissance Place, and NetClassroom has pushed the existing network beyond its capabilities.

We are currently upgrading our network to what is known as a “Multiprotocol Label Switching” (MPLS) system. The MPLS is a relatively new technology and many schools across the nation are upgrading their networks with MPLS. Our current network challenges, such as speed, scalability, quality of service, and traffic management are solved by MPLS. We believe that this new design will serve our classroom’s needs for many years to come.  

MPLS is also at the forefront of what is known in the IT industry as ‘convergence.’ Applications such as voice, internet, networking, and video conferencing were traditionally separate networks.  MPLS combines all of these applications and “bumper to bumper” quality of IT service for our classrooms is achieved.

As a parent, you can now sign-in and view your child's Accelerated Reader information with Renaissance Place - a suite of applications or software that promotes core area instruction in the pre- K-12. Fairmont uses Renaissance Place to help ensure that your child will master reading, math, and other skills.

The Renaissance Place consists of five products that have been integrated into the curriculum:

• Accelerated Reader                - Reading Management Software
• Accelerated Math                   - Math Management Software
• STAR Early Literacy              - Computer - adaptive diagnostic assessment
• STAR Reading                       - Computer adaptive reading test and database
• STAR Math                            - Computer adaptive test and database

All these applications are integrated, Web-based systems that assist our educators to monitor progress and improve learning and teaching.

We have found that Accelerated Math makes math practice fun and exciting for every student, and gives a teacher precise feedback to customize instruction so that a student can succeed. Accelerated Reader provides the essential practice component of a core reading curriculum.

Renaissance Place stores student data at a one place and enables to create data-driven student reports - monthly, weekly, daily and even hourly. It gives immediate access to real-time student information, and allows our teachers and administrators to monitor progress, customize reporting and conduct statistical analyses easily. Teachers can quickly view assessment information of each student, or specific groups of students.

For more information about Renaissance Place, see their website at http://www.renlearn.com or contact your campus.