Brian Ghilliotti

November 17th, 2016

Computer Networking
Professor Christoper Parden
(Quinnebaug Valley Community College)
Frontline Supervisor: Michael
Location: Plainfield Middle School
Time Spent: 6 hours
I met Michael at the Plainfield Central Middle School while he was in his
office responding to help desk tickets about printer issues. We then set up
some newly issued Google Chrome Books just issued to a class room.
This was followed by installing a new password on a copier/printer in an
administrative office that wanted controlled access to make color copies.
This administrative office wanted to establish authentication controls so
only a few faculty could make color copies. This was to control the amount
of color ink cartridges being used, which are expensive.
He had to set this up through a separate lap top. This specific copier has a
web based management page to prevent non-administrators from changing
critical settings from the copier/printers touch screen.
On this website he entered the copiers IP address, which led to a web
based configuration page for the device. He changed the password. During
this process he found out that its present configuration was set up so that it
did not require a password entry every time a new copy job was made. He
decided to configure the copier so that it did require a new password entry
after each print job.
This was done by establishing a timer control between each print job,
which, once passed, required password re-entry before another print job
could be entered. I helped him find the timer control adjustment function as
he was navigating through the web based copier management settings
page. He then reset it to an appropriate reset time.
We then helped another faculty member reorganize extension cords
connected to her Chrome Books. During this process he found a Chrome

Book that was unlicensed. Michael explained that Plainfield Public Schools
bought additional licenses in case Chrome Books were found without
licenses. He applied a license to this Chrome Book on site.
We then discussed with the principal a classroom TV mounted visual based
bus arrival alert system. This idea was actually proposed to the principal by
a student. Michael was tasked with implementing it. Each classroom has a
TV monitor, and the idea was to set them up so that at the end of the day it
would display twenty-four numbers. These twenty-four numbers
corresponded to bus numbers. When a bus arrived, the principal would
highlight one of the numbers from a computer in his office, displayed on a
website, turning it green on all TV monitors in the classrooms. This
indicated that the bus had arrived, and students who used that bus could
leave.
This was developed after a student complained that he could not hear the
bus numbers being called off in the class rooms over the intercom since it
could get noisy.
The school principal also discussed the idea of having a day as an e-mail
free day. He said that at least he was planning doing this. If any faculty
member wanted to talk to him, they would have to find him personally. He
wanted to do this to bring back direct face to face communication, and
encourage personal connections.
I applaud his view point, but I think it will be more difficult to implement than
he thinks. In my view, technology was created to help deal with a world
moving at a faster pace. However, when technology was developed to deal
with this problem, it only made the pace of life even faster. If he tries to live
without e-mail for a day, he may find himself catching up on things. This is
fine if his set of responsibilities are not time sensitive.
We then returned to Micheals office, where he adjusted a video concerning
a time capsule opening that was posted on the Plainfield Schools website.
We noted that it worked when the video was hosted on a local site, which
he promptly reset. He then used photoshop to put finishing touches on the
video display.