District Administration - January 2007 - (Page 46)

Warning : session_start : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : session_start : Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 TECHNOLOGY: COMPUTERS Where They Originate Districts sometimes refurbish computers in-house, but more likely they secure them from outside agencies that sell or donate the units to schools. Refurbished computers may have negative connotations because people confuse them with privately donated units which may be outdated and therefore unuseable, explains Willie Cade, CEO of the Chicagobased non-profit Computers for Schools. The group receives relatively new models from businesses and other sources that replace machines often, reinstalls operating systems, and performs tests to ensure proper functionality. “Reinstalling an operating system is not a trivial task,” Cade cautions, which is why most districts do not refurbish computers themselves. Si m i la rly, at the San Franciscoba sed Computer Recycling Corp., CEO Steve Wyatt says that most computers pass through a nine-step process before they are distributed, which includes wiping and reformatt i ng the disk drives, attaching labels with speed and hard drive informat ion, and adding network cards if necessary. And to make sure that everything works, the fi nal step is to successfully boot each computer from code three times. Wyatt’s compa ny receives units from businesses, schools and colleges, and addresses security concerns by routinely wipi ng each hard drive three times to render previous data unrecoverable. W h i le both fi rms encounter the common belief among educators that refurbished computers will be difficult to maintain, Cade says that it’s just the opposite. Most systems that fail do so during the fi rst year, and refurbished computers have already been in use longer than that. “If it runs for a year, it can run for ten,” he says. Similarly, Wyatt estimates that his replacement rate of refurbished computers is around two percent, and says that usually a movi ng part such as a keyboard or hard drive is what goes bad. CompuMentor’s Recycled Computer Equipment Check List for Schools By Jim Lynch, Computer Recycling & Reuse program manager the full version is available at www.techsoup.org/ learningcenter/hardware ■ Before you accept donated computers, understand what kind of equipment you need. ■ If you are unsure if a machine will be useful, refer the donor to a recycling and reuse organization. ■ Whenever possible, seek donations from a reputable refurbisher. ■ If you accept a donation, try to get software that goes with the donated computer. A Huge Market Jim Lynch, senior manager for computer recycling and reuse at CompuMentor says that between 50 and 60 million computers a year are discarded, many of which are no more than three years old, which makes them very useable for schools. He points out that the hardware life expectancy on a computer is seven years, but “kids are incredibly hard on computers,” he says. His organization therefore tries to educate users on the importance of cleaning systems regularly to extend each computer’s life, and maintains the TechSoup online repository of related technology resources targeted to nonprofit groups. Compu Mentor also makes people aware of the environmental benefits in donating computers. “Computers have toxins all through them,” Lynch says, “ranging from mercury and lead, to the nonbiodegradable plastic in the housing.” If a refurbisher can’t return a computer to working order, they can break it down to component parts that can be reused, recycled or disposed of responsibly, he says. Total Cost of Ownership Softwa re needs also put a large dent in technology budgets, but the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher MAR program “has revolutionized the ballgame,” says Lynch. The prog ra m allows qualified refurbishers ■ Remember the accessories—hardware and software. ■ Delete personal information. ■ Dispose of obsolete computers responsibly. “If it runs for a year, it can run for ten.” —Willie Cade, CEO, Computers for Schools 46 January 2007 District Administration computersJP.indd 46 12/13/06 3:13:14 PM Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning : Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in Unknown on line 0 http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/hardware

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2007

Contents
Editor's Letter
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Overheard on the Pulse...
Teaching Techniques for Supervisors
Why Buy New When Used Might Do?
Past Becomes Future
Financial Rescue
Speaking Out
The Online Edge
Research Corner
Problem/Solution
Computer Literature
New Products
Calendar of Events
Understanding the Times

District Administration - January 2007

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