2012 Technology Preview slide presentation

1. a tour of new features
School Website
Technology Preview

2. ?
Michael Ahmed
Supervisor Web and Visual
Arts
ahmedm@duvalschools.org
webmaster@duvalschools.org
904-390-2656

3. ?
OBJECTIVES
1. Background on why the new strategy
2. Introduction to new server technology
3. Introduction to development/management options
GOAL
To be able to evaluate development/management
options being offered and make training choices for the
upcoming workshop events.

4. Field New Training
Assessment Technology Conference

5. Discovery
What was discovered from the field research Nov. – Jan.
• Old and unsupported web development software
• Confusing navigation choices from school to school
• Undefined or vague web publishing policies
Field Assessment
• Why can’t we have unique domains for schools?
• Why are we sending visitors to the district site for
content and forms?
• Why are Mac users jumping through so many hoops to
publish a site?
• Why can’t the district offer services that are offered
outside the district for free?

6. Hardware Discovery
Hardware/Hosting Assessment
• Current site(s) hosted on Windows 2000 server running
10 year old technology
• No FTP capabilities due to security and platform
limitations
• Unfriendly hosting options
• Security access issues and delays (i.e. changing of
webmasters)

7. Our Future
District Traffic 2010
• 2% Mobile Devices
District Traffic Today
• 11% Mobile Devices
U.S. Smartphone Subscribers
• 18% sales increase from 2011
• 3.8% growth in PC sales (Gartner 9/2011)
• 48% subs are smartphones
• MetroPCS 6th largest prepaid
wireless – 8.1 million customers
with 46% smartphone subs (Zacks
2/24/12)
• Amazon Fire sold 3.9 million devices
(iSuppli 2/16/12)

8. MISSION
To develop a strategy that places schools first as the
gateway to academic and district content.
GOAL
To establish an environment that provides flexible and
manageable options in the design, development and
maintenance of school websites.

9. New Technology

10. Web Server Infrastructure
Installation and launch of
Windows 2008 R2 Server
January 2012
• ASP.NET, 3.5/4.0, PHP,
HTML5, jQuery
development
• MySQL Server Database
Option
• FTP Access

11. Hosting Control Panel
Web-centric Server Control
Panel
January 2012
• School dedicated server control
panel
• Add/Edit/Delete users with
server access rights
• Configure server within limits
• One click server setup
• Ability to have unique domain
(must be approved prior to
registering domain name)
• All schools hosted on district
server

12. Hosting Control Panel
DEMO

13. Development Options
Options and flexibility in development
• Frontpage 2003 Removed by 6/1
• Distributing Visual Studio Express Web 2010 (FREE)
• iMac support direct FTP access
• Content Management Server (CMS) – District hosted
Wordpress server
• Ability to use Weebly service to design and develop website

14. Wordpress
DEMO

15. Wordpress iOS (iPad and iPhone)
Options and flexibility in development
• Post content to your site
• Post pictures or video
• View site statistics

16. Wordpress Android
Options and flexibility in development
• Same feature set as iOS
• Runs on Android phones and
tablet devices
• Includes support for Kindle Fire
or Nook Color

17. Comparisons
• Novice developers • Advanced developer
• Web browser – no software • Need PC (Mac for iWeb)
• PC or Mac can be used • Can build site locally on computer
• Tons of support tools • Can FTP to site
• Mobile tools • Customized look and feel
• Fast site designs (templates/themes)

18. Development Options
Plugin Offerings
Code snippets that can be dropped into a school website
that provide dynamic content and ease of management
District News: Plugin that automatically posts story to a school
website
District Forms: Automatically posts links to forms and documents
published by district (i.e. Sports Physical, Volunteer, etc.)
District Promotional: District wide event promotion posted to
school site (i.e. Magnet Mania, College Day, video/multimedia
event)

19. Improved Communications
@DCPSWeb
• News and information
• Web publishing guidelines
• Plugin library
• Webcasts
• Collaboration
http://www.duvalschools.org/dcpsweb

20. @dcpsWeb
DEMO

21. iTunes U K-12
Launch Late Spring 2012

22. iTunes U
DEMO

23. iTunes U K-12
At Launch
• How-to videos and documents on Grade
portal
• K-2 Reading Workshops
• Read It Forward videos
• School Matters
• Real School
• Superintendent’s Messages

24. Training

25. 2012 School
Website
Technology
Conference
Wednesday March 28th
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Schultz Center Gentry A
Sessions: Wordpress, Visual Studio, Using
Plugins, and Server Control Panel
Morning and afternoon session options
available.
Online Registration Begins 2/27

26. Timeline
February 27th Website Technology Conference Registration Opens
March 2nd Distribution of VS 2010 Web Express to Schools
March 2nd Server available to migrate or build new site
March 9th Conference Registration Closes*
March 16th District Plugins Available
March 28th Website Technology Conference
April –July Wordpress and iTunes U Workshop Sessions
April 20th iTunes U DCPS K-12 Launch
June 8th Launch of new District Site
Connecting School Sites
July 20th Deadline All Schools on New Server and Linked
*Note Will close earlier if all sessions are filled. Register early.

27. a tour of new features
School Website
Technology Preview