Disaster Recovery - Organization

ORGANIZATIONAL PROTECTION REFLECTION
This one is a bit tougher than what I want to tackle, but I think that it requires attention. The organization that I want to protect from “Data Disaster” is my family’s resort business in Door County. Below is my powerpoint that describes the business and the planned virus protection I would like to see implemented, but virus protection is only part of what needs to be considered.

Viruses And Their Cures

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Because this business runs financial documentation between 3 computers and other forms of data like confirmation letters, emails and web pages between about 5 computers, data back up and recovery should be a priority. Most of the work is conducted on the two computers on site – a laptop and a PC – so much of the back up would need to be focused on those two. The documents and emails that are generated on and between the other computers is minor compared to the amount of irreplaceable data on the two on site computers, so I’ll focus mostly on those.

One area that requires attention is financial data. All of the business accounts are run through a software program that is formally backed up once a year in the form of an accountant’s review copy after taxes are submitted. If the computer crashes, the data would be recoverable as it is duplicated in the checkbook register, but the time required to bring the data back to the computer would be immense as every transaction is entered individually.

As far as correspondence between my mom, my uncle and myself, I believe that if we started using an online collaborative tool like GoogleMail & GoogleDocs, we wouldn’t have to worry about the back up of this form of data as it is online storage in nature to begin with. This would also help alleviate the duplicate forms of letters and documents as we edit and change them for each successive year. Additionally, it would allow any one of us to access these documents from any computer with internet access without having the document on the hard drive. (We currently have some software issues where one person will create an invoice for example, but the other computers don’t have the same software and therefore are unable to open the document.)

ORGANIZATIONAL PROTECTION – THE PLAN…
1. Download and install virus protection that runs the same on all computers that use or work with business information and data. (See BitDefender in Viruses and Their Cures)
2. Set up Google accounts for all members/workers in the business (mom, uncle, aunt and myself) and begin using this exclusively when emailing each other and writing documents together.
3. Purchase an external hard drive that will be used to back up the two on site computers on a regular basis.
4. Find online storage for all of the business documents like letters of confirmation, address files for all of our customers and internal documents like cleaning schedules. This would be in addition to storing backups on the hard-drive. This would ensure that if anything happened on site (fire, theft etc.) the data would still be recoverable.

The system administrator

a. would need to find online storage that is stable and encrypted and begin backup of all data for both the on and off site computers
b. would have to organize and oversee the actual back up of related data to disks or USB drives monthly from the other computers so that they could be transferred to the desktop PC on site
c. keep the external drive and any disks with information in a secure location (??? is there really such a place ???)
d. maintain payments for online storage and virus protection
e. provide technical support or access to tech support for other users in the business
f. program/schedule automatic backups of critical data on a daily basis during the busy season (could be weekly in the off season)
g. organize all past files into an archive, create DVD backups and store off site so that the daily backing up is focused on current season data

The users

a. would have the responsibility to break from tradition and learn to use GoogleDocs (easy for me to say but very tough to actually get everyone to do)
b. maintain their own backups of data relating to the business in the forms of DVDs or USB drives on a daily basis in the busy season and weekly in the off season
c. provide these forms of backed up data to the system administrator

Author's note: If cost REALLY weren't an issue, I'd hire it all done!

Disaster Recovery - Personal Computer(s)

PERSONAL COMPUTER PROTECTION REFLECTION
For one’s personal computer, an individual can follow a number of different trains of thought concerning data recovery and backup protection. This protection can come in the form of recording data to CDs/DVDs, using thumb drives or backing up to an external hard drive but the drawback to these methods is that they can be lost or corrupted just as easily as the computer itself. One also has to consider the potential cost of using one of these methods as it will vary with the amount of memory necessary to effectively and efficiently back up the data.

A second train of thought involves on-line data storage with many options available at a variety of costs. There are options for data, pictures, music and video available through services like DropBox, Box.net & SnapFish, and while there are plenty of free options, many charge annual fees for their storage services. Other than associated costs, another potential drawback of online storage is the integrity of the service. It is necessary for a person to feel that the online service is trustworthy and stable enough to remain operational for the long term. On the flip side, these services are offsite and keep your data protected no matter what happens to your computer or the site your computer remains at (no worries about fire damage, water damage etc. that could kill a computer and any external drives or devices that data is stored on).

I have already started on my way to protecting the data on my computer. I began using DropBox initially as a method of avoiding emailing documents back and forth to myself from my personal computer to my school computer. I really like the convenience of having my files accessible no matter what computer I’m on (although downloading DropBox on any computer that I create documents on can be a drag). I currently am having issues with QuickTime on my computer so I have no access to my music because I’m unable to open iTunes. After doing my best to clear up the issue and consulting with a computer technician, I was told that I’d have to save all of the data I have on the computer, wipe the hard drive clean and start over with re-installing all of my programs. I’ve known about this problem since January and I still haven’t taken any steps towards this because it seems so time consuming – I wish that more of my data was already backed up in some form so that I could just start fresh.

My real issue is the back up and protection of my picture files. I can’t even begin to count the number of pictures on my computer. I did back them up once a few years ago but I haven’t done it since then. Honestly, I think I’d lose almost every picture of my 4 year old daughter and all pictures beyond when my 6 year old turned two.

PERSONAL COMPUTER PROTECTION - THE PLAN…
1. I plan to purchase an external hard drive with enough memory to back up my personal computer. I would want one that could also back up a desktop that we just inherited at the same time. (My husband just picked up one with 320GB of memory for $125 for his computer at work and our home PC.)
2. I’ll continue to use DropBox for online storage of my schoolwork files so the external drive would be primarily for music and pictures.
3. I think that I would also save the pictures to DVD’s and stash copies of them at home, work and with relatives. This would be a really inexpensive method to ensure that even if my computer/external hard drive crashed I would still have copies floating around.
4. As far as virus protection, I currently run Kaspersky 2009 and am very happy with how it works.
As the system administrator and only user of my computer, I would just have to make sure that I consistently backed up my data to the external drive and that I used my DropBox. In addition, I would need to continue to run virus updates and regular scans to keep my computer protection current.

Computer Failures - 3

Honestly as I think about it, I would survive a computer crash except for one thing – my pictures. I have all of our digital pictures on my computer, so if it failed and I lost all of my personal pictures, I would be heartbroken. Many of the pictures of my two kids might be replaced from other sources as I’ve copied disks to give to family members, but the most recent pictures would be lost. This would bother me the most.

If my computer failed, I would miss all of the documents but they can be replaced or rewritten for the most part – not fun, but definitely survivable. As far as work is concerned, I’ve started using Dropbox when I create work on my laptop that is to be used at school. That way I don’t have to worry about saving to a jump drive and transferring documents. Even my favorites have been modified to utilize Diigo so I can get to them anywhere I have internet access. I just perused my personal documents and found many outdated and unnecessary files that need to be cleared out but there are a few items that I would consider irreplaceable.

All in all, I would survive a computer crash – not happily and with some irreplaceable pictures and a few documents gone forever. There would be a considerable amount of time and many headaches associated with recovering from the crash, but why tempt fate that way when there are so many options to circumvent the inevitable? My husband just picked up an external hard drive with 320GB – more than enough to back up both of our work computers and personal computers. Now, to become disciplined enough to make saving to an external drive part of the process of turning off a computer...

Future of Desktops - 510 W2

Just watch television advertisements and I think the advent of cloud computing is pretty much the way of the future. As the technology continues to develop and the machines get smaller and handier, the desktop will take second seat. I don’t think that there will be a time in which the desktop is gone completely – I see it’s place in schools and businesses to run things smoothly and efficiently. Word processing and setting up spreadsheets, creating movies and editing photographs will still be tasks that require desktops and laptops but with BlackBerries and iPhones and all of the applications to choose from, the need for a traditional computer for each member of the family will dwindle. I also see some of the software becoming less necessary – for example won’t there be a time when we dictate to a machine that will record and print (if necessary) the information for us?

Much of these perceived changes will depend greatly on the users – I can’t see myself tied to a blackberry like my sister is. I was just with her for a few days last week and she is tied to her phone. It beeps and vibrates when she receives an email (an average of 1 per every ½ hour), it rings and toots when she’s receiving a call. Although that may be normal for many people, I can’t see myself or many of my peers living by phone that way. However, if you asked me if my high school students could function that way the answer would be a resounding yes.

Computer History for Ann Perry - 510 W1

So I was enrolled in a Catholic grade school in Milwaukee and there was a special permission slip that went home. For a small fee (I don't remember what it was...) students could sign up to participate in computer training. It was the early 1980's and once a week a semi trailer would be parked next to the school and about 15 of us would walk up the makeshift stairs and thus I entered a computer lab for the very first time. I'm guessing that the computers were early Apples and I spent plenty of time with basic creating blocks of color that spelled out my name. Once we had that down, our final project was to plan and program a full screen picture. We had paper similar to graph paper that we used to do our planning and from there we spent our time on the trailer writing the script that would result in our picture. If I'm sounding vague it's because I really don't recall the details all that well nor do I know the correct terms.
I do however recall our first computer in the house. My mother was a teacher and got a special school deal on a home purchase. It was an Apple II GS with a dot matrix printer. I primarily used it for school work and word processing and it was the computer that went to college with me. I still have pieces and assignments in some of my files that were printed on that special track-edged paper and I remember having to print before quiet hours in the dorms because of the racket created when printing.
The thing that amazed me most about using a computer was the ability to change and edit on the screen without having to worry. When using a typewriter, making a spelling mistake was a huge problem, with the little slips of paper (correctype?), backing up a space, finding a place on the correcting paper that wasn't used, striking the same letter again to get it to erase..... at that point White Out was a big technological advance. And remember having to spool the ribbon when the typing started to fade? Computing for me in high school involved a different freedom as I didn't worry about all of those details - but I was still afraid of making a mistake. I thought I might break the computer!

The Final Countdown

So here we are at the last week of Technology Tools...and I feel like I've accomplished so much. I must admit that although I wasn't a big fan of reading the textbook, I think it will come in great as a resource for my classroom planning. I did like the formats with the guidelines for incorporating concepts like more critical thinking, problem based learning and creative exercises and the lesson ideas were helpful starting points. The resources referenced are also going to come in handy when I'm searching for new ideas and tools. I think that my students will benefit because I am already starting to take bits and pieces from class and incorporate them this year with larger plans for next year. For example, my midterm exam for biology last semester was a poster project on one of the animal phyla. This semester, the students are creating a book on one of the taxonomic groups that will be written for and shared with our seventh graders. All of the text and artwork must be original so Monday I plan on introducing some of the graphics programs from Week One. The plans for next year are to have the students do more of the planning with us like choosing the grade level of the audience and contacting teachers in the other building to set up sharing times. So I have utilized ideas and theory from the text that I can't really put together all at once, but I can build on from semester to semester.

Week One opened so many doors because I've already put some of the presentation programs to work for me in my absences from the classroom. I blogged about Kids and Cadavers two weeks ago and talked more about how I was able to have a productive class even though I was absent. I'm hoping the trend continues and I'm still working on a way to start video taping some of the lectures and labs for students who were absent to reference or for those who are going to be gone for extended periods to keep up while they are out of the building. Why can't I have students Skype me and keep assignments posted through a Ning or Moodle? Week Two was helpful in that it opened my eyes to the possibilities of collaborative projects that aren't a nightmare to organize with one student having lost their school email passwords, another saving a document at home only to find that the school's programs can't open it, and the person who has all of the information saved to their account absent on the day we're supposed to print and edit to be ready for submission deadlines. In my dream world, all of the students have an account on WriteWith or GoogleDocs and I see hands flying over keyboards, training their mouses - clicking away and I hear the sounds of only happy students excited to be doing something that they consider worthwhile. And then they bring me chocolate... OK so maybe I'm pushing it, but even without the chocolate and some of the other aspects - meeting the kids in the middle would make my day.

Weeks Three and Four really had me implementing some tools I was familiar with (spreadsheets) in additional areas in my curriculum. Science is a natural fit for spreadsheets with all of the data collection and my area of weakness was using the spreadsheet to create charts and graphs to assist in analyzing the data. I am going to make a more concerted effort to not only collect and compile data in spreadsheets but also teach the tools of charting and graphing to all of my students. The tool that was new to me was the database. I can't wait to really start making good use of this tool. I began the NHS documentation of hours and service and the information is so malleable. I can organize to see what seniors are in danger of losing their status because of not having items complete or I can switch the filter and search for the students that have paid their dues and are eligible for scholarships. My next step is to learn how to mail merge so that I can get letters home to parents and students so that they are aware of their status.

Finally, Week Five got my interest piqued as we talked about whether or not schools kill creativity. Things really started coming full circle for me as I was receiving emails with great tech tools, the ideas for modifying my midterms started rolling around in my head and I wrote what was to become my guide for integrating technology wholeheartedly in my classroom. It's easy to blog about and choose bits and pieces to start with but the novelty can soon wear off and then I feel like I'm stuck in that rut again. With the technology plan, I can do all of the little pieces with a much larger focus. Now I'm going to do this as part of something bigger and not just because it was part of an assignment or because it was kind of fun or cool. I'm a checklist kind of person and I love crossing things off of a "to do" list, so my tech plan has become my new list. I'm motivated to start making some of the larger changes so I can say that I made them... and so my students will have the benefit of a teacher who still loves what she does and never quite does the same thing twice

Culminating Events

So I was thinking - what can I really do to address all of the ideas and concepts we've been covering in the class so far? To believe that my lessons in class encompass all of the best practices, utilize technology in an engaging manner and use PBL to foster critical thinking while encouraging creativity is truly wishful thinking. Not that I'm saying I'm not a good teacher - great even at times (although maybe not ever awesome like Ryan!). I try different things in class to address bits and pieces of the whole... it's just that I still feel like I'm not doing enough because I don't have a plan of attack.
There are all sorts of great ideas that have been rolling around - I want to attempt for some grants to get a flotilla of laptops and some probeware for the science dept... I want to refurbish my biology classes to make the students the givers of knowledge... I want to completely rewrite the course outline for forensic science to make it more PBL... I want better dissection software that works when we need it to... I want to create Moodles for my classes... I want to create custom search engines for the four classes I teach... I want to scour the internet and sites like NetTrekker, Learn360, and Teacher's Domain for materials to support my student's learning... the list could go on and on and on. I want students to be excited about science!
And then I look at that list and I get down... how can I possibly do it all? And believe me I know that the longest trek starts with a single step and all the rest of the motivational mumbo jumbo, but seriously - where should a person begin without getting lost?
Now, when I read the assignments for the week I'll be honest, I did groan at the thought of putting together my Personal Technology Plan and I thought about what a monumental amount of time it would take. But after looking at my "to do's" I realized that instead of this just being an assignment, it was also an opportunity. Just the other day I blogged that I found a great new site and the author posed the tenent that when the phone rings, a hand is raised or a question is posed - I can deal with it as an opportunity or as an obligation. The assignment is the obligation, but depending on my point of view this might be just the right opportunity to truly lay down a plan of attack to prioritize the "to do" list into a series of goals and objectives that will ultimately accomplish what I want it to in the classroom.
So when asked to blog about what was covered this week and how it will impact my teaching I must say that it has given me a new vision for my methods of teaching as well as a renewed sense of the importance of taking that first step and building beyond it. I'm a great teacher right now, but I have the opportunity to learn and do so much more with my students. With this vision in mind, I can start my Personal Technology Plan with a purpose that will drive my ambition to never rest on "good enough" because I've fulfilled my obligations. Instead the ambition will help me to uncover the opportunities and build on them both in and out of the classroom.