[MLTI-MS] MLTI Technical/Logisitical Update

[Jeff Mao]

Dear MLTI Schools,

The Project Team would like to thank all of the schools for  
submitting their paperwork on time under a tight deadline. Your quick  
responses made our work easier. After reviewing device orders and  
staff needs, the Department is happy to say that we will be able to  
provide MLTI laptop devices to all certified 7th/8th grade teachers  
identified by schools. This means that teachers submitted on the MLTI  
Staff Roster Spreadsheets who were identified as certified and had  
FTE with 7/8 graders less than 50% will receive an MLTI device. Final  
approved staff lists will be mailed to schools soon.

Apple is still on target for a mid- to late-August delivery of iBooks  
to your school. The network installations will begin with an online  
survey, expected to go live at the end of July. Site surveys will  
begin in late August with installations to follow. Please be aware  
that network installations are not expected to be complete state-wide  
until January. We recognize that many schools intended to move their  
old wireless access points to other schools in their districts for  
use with the old iBooks. Apple will work as quickly as possible to  
complete the wireless upgrades, but the driving factor will be to get  
the job done right first, quickly second.

Apple will also work with the Department to prioritize network  
installations to schools that do not have any network (ie new  
construction, new buildings) first. Please make sure to alert the  
MLTI Project office (mlti.project at maine.gov) if you know that your  
7/8 grade academic spaces are different than last year, and therefore  
do not have wireless coverage.

In order to facilitate a quick deployment in your schools, we are  
also seeking a small group of volunteers who are "experts" with  
scripting and PackageMaker to help create package installers for  
common applications to share with all schools. If your school  
technician would like to assist with this process, we are expecting  
to be able to give those technicians an advance copy of the MLTI  
image in early August. Those interested in aiding with this effort  
should contact Jeff Mao directly (jeff.mao at maine.gov), and be able to  
travel to Augusta in early August for at least one day.

MLTI Project Team


*****************************************
Jeff Mao
Coordinator of Educational Technology
Maine Department of Education
23 State House Station • Augusta, ME 04333
(207) 624-6634 (office) • (207) 462-4137 (mobile)
(207) 624-6601 (FAX)
jeff.mao at maine.gov



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