Jo Watson has submitted PERFECT FUNDING for her families every month since the beginning of the school year! Thank you, Jo, for doing such a great job for your families and Learners!
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a growing collection of the most frequently asked questions regarding computers, databases, websites, Internet safety and other technology related items that affect our learners and parents.
Director's Message:
Caryn Braddy
Each month Caryn sends a message out to everyone at the Delta Vision Home and Community Program. This month she writes about the support levels that are available to learners. You can read it here
Updated: October 26, 2011
Teaching Tips:
Characteristics of Great Teachers
A recent blog from Scantron lists three characteristics of a great teacher. The characteristics are compassion, coach mentality and adaptability. While the blog is directed at traditional teachers, parents and educators can also benefit from the information. It is certainly worth your time to read the blog.
Updated: Thursday, December 1, 2011
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Do you fund wireless routers?
- How do I clean the screen on my laptop computer?
- The power adapter is very warm/hot, what should I do?
- Can I use my Vision computer as a family computer and download games, music, videos, etc.
- What is Deep Freeze and why is it on my computer?
- Why is there a $50 maintenance fee for using the used computers from Vision?
- My Vision owned computer needs to be repaired, should I take it to a repair shop?
- Can I buy a computer and then get reimbursed for it?
- What should I do to care for my Vision computer?
- Why don't you fund Apple brand computers such as Macs and iPads?
- Can you help me set up my wireless router at my home and connect to it?
- Can I hire your technician to work on a personal computer that I own?
Do you fund wireless routers?
- No, wireless routers are mainly for convenience and are not a necessary item for learners to use the Internet. They are considered a personal item and are not funded with learner funds.
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How do I clean the screen on my laptop computer?
- Unplug the power adapter and take the battery out of the laptop.
- Use a fine brush or soft cloth the remove the large particles gently from the screen. You don't want to scrub sand or grit around on the screen.
- Use a lintless cloth (microfiber works well) or tissue paper that does not contain lotion (toilet paper often works).
- LIGHTLY dampen the cloth or tissue with rubbing alcohol and clean the screen and other parts of the exterior of the computer.
- Use dry cloth or tissue to remove any remaining moisture.
- Repeat if necessary.
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The power adapter is very warm/hot, what should I do?
- This is not unusual, especially if the computer battery is completely discharged. If it is so hot that you can't touch it, then you should unplug it. Otherwise, let the battery charge and see what the adapter does with a fully charged battery. If it is still very warm or hot, bring it in to the Vision office and have our technician test it.
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Can I use my Vision computer as a family computer and download games, music, videos, bitstreaming, etc.
- First, we need to be very clear that this is a computer that is owned by the school district. And as such, it is to be used for educational purposes that fall within the boundaries of your ILP as approved by your RC and HQC.
- Because of its intended use as an educational tool, it is not appropriate to use it for family use, downloading games, videos, music and using such utilities as bitstreaming.
- If a family truly wants one computer that can be used for everyone and everything, they should purchase one with their own personal funds.
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What is Deep Freeze and why is it on my computer?
- You won't find Deep Freeze on "your computer," just computers owned by the school district.
- Deep Freeze is a program created by Faronics Corporation to prevent any changes from being written to a computer's hard drive. This serves three purposes here at Delta Vision HCP. The first is that it prevents viruses and other malware from being added to the computer. The second reason is that it prevents Learners from downloading and installing unapproved software on school district computers (and also possible copyright violations). The third reason is that it cuts down on maintenance costs.
- The program can be "thawed" by your RC or Vision IT personnel to allow the installation of printers, routers, approved software, etc. Occasionally the installation of software needs to be configured to save files to the permanently thawed "Learner Data" drive.
- Rarely, we have to completely disable the Deep Freeze software to allow educational software to run because it cannot be otherwise configured. Check with DVHCP IT personnel.
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Why is there a $50 maintenance fee for using the used computers from Vision?
- As computers age, there are certain things that inevitably need to be replaced. Batteries have a life of about 300 recharges before they need to be replaced. Hard drives wear out and must be replaced. Power adapters eventually develop problems. The $50 covers these routine repair items. It does not cover damage caused by carelessness, recklessness, horseplay and accidents. These must be paid for by learners or families and cannot be covered by learner funds.
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My computer needs to be repaired, should I take it to a repair shop?
- No. Please bring it to the Vision office and turn it in with a completed Repair Work Order.
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Can I buy a computer and then get reimbursed for it?
- No. Computers purchased for learners are purchased by the program. If you purchase one with your own funds, you will not be able to be reimbursed for it.
- There is a detailed procedure here.
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What should I do to care for my Vision computer?
- As computers have become an everyday item in our lives, we often forget that they are delicate (read--not a hockey puck) complex electronic marvels. Even though they are everyday items, we need to keep in mind their delicate nature.
- There are sections here in the FAQ-Tech section about cleaning screens and maintaining batteries, so review them. In addition, here are a few more basic items.
- Do not drop them, throw them, hit them, sit heavy items (including yourself) on them.
- Keep them cool; don't leave them in the hot car. Don't set them on a blanket while operating as this can cause the cooling fan to be blocked.
- Keep them in clean, dust-free (and cat-hair-free) environments. Dust and pet hair can get inside and block the cooling components. When computers overheat, they become sluggish and can even be permanently damaged.
- Don't jerk plugs out of the wall or the computer. The power jack in the computer is very difficult and expensive to repair. The local repair shop won't even try to repair it, but our IT department usually can fix it.
- Don't string the power adapter cords across traffic areas in your home. It could cause and injury if someone trips over it. Also, this will almost certainly, damage the internal power connector on the computer.
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Why don't you fund Apple brand computers such as Macs and iPads?
- There are many reasons, but the main reason has to do with our limited staff. Our IT specialist is trained and experienced with PC based computers.
- Most of our applications are web based and it doesn't matter from which platform they are accessed.
- Most businesses are using PC computers, so learning to use them is beneficial for future work.
- Many graphics oriented businesses use Apple, but much of the software is cross-platform compatible and looks the same on PC and Apple computers. If there is a compelling reason that a learner required an Apple brand computer, this could be addressed through an exception. However, support and maintenance would not be possible through Vision IT; this would have to be addressed in the exception plan.
- iPads do not recognize Flash components on web pages and most webpages contain Flash components.
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Can you help me set up my wireless router at my home and connect to it?
- No, we can't. Once again our limited resources just don't give us enough time, money and manpower to do this. But we can at least give you some pointers regarding the connection of your computer to your Wi-Fi.
- First, we'll assume your computer is a Vision Computer. If it is, it has already been checked on both our technician's home wireless and the Vision wireless which are open, with no passwords. So, if yours is set up that way, you should just be able to go to the little Wi-Fi icon in the lower right corner (notification area) and click on it and then select your Wi-Fi.
- If you have a password or user id, you'll be prompted to enter it. As long as you are still in the first two re-boots of the computer, Deep Freeze should still be thawed, and it will save.
- You can tell if it is thawed or not by looking at the little snowman in the notification tray, if it has a little red "x" in it, it is still thawed. If not, then we'll have to thaw it and try again.
- You may also have to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and find out if there are any special settings that you need from them. Before you contact your ISP, make sure that Deep Freeze is in a thawed state and your learner account has administrative privileges. Your RC can do this for you.
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Can I hire your technician to work on a personal computer that I own?
- No, we can't. This is considered a conflict of interest and it is not allowed.
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