Daily Tech Tasks

Being a List of Tasks to Do Every Day

Be Dependable and Come to Work with Positive Attitude! You are expected to be at work when scheduled and you are expected to WORK at WORK!

1st thing each day:

• Log into IM
• Note on written calendar – when to open rooms
• Double check written calendar with online calendar (http://db.coe.tamu.edu/cs/scheduler/vc_schedule.php)
• Double check TTVN schedule for the day and confirm with TTVN calendar (http://ttvn2.tamu.edu/home/)
• Check ALL rooms at beginning and end of each day, to make sure room is clean, furniture in correct order, equipment off, and doors locked. At end of day, if you don’t have time to rearrange, put a note into the blog.
• Transfer phone to Student Cell phone whenever you leave the office (unless Fran is available to answer phone).
• Check Work Orders and Blog to make sure all work requests are completed.
• Check Gmail account – CEHD tech.

Call TTVN Operations (862-2241) for help with problems.

Before Each Videoconference Class

• **Open rooms 30 minutes prior to scheduled videoconference.**
• Turn on Polycom and/or Tandberg
• Turn on Monitors
• Turn on Computer and Log In
• Turn Projector (if professor requires it)
• Make sure that connection to TTVN or IP address is working. 
• Make sure that camera pre-sets and tables and chairs are set to standards or to the instructor's preference.
• Place the system on mute.
• Stop by about 5 minutes before the start time and check with participants that all is well. If no one there, check the audio by saying hello to distance site and make sure they can hear you.
• If class is STREAMED (through TTVN web site) – make sure that stream audio and video are working correctly. (http://ttvn2.tamu.edu/home/)

After Videoconference Each Class

• Hit Green Call-Hang-Up Key two times rather quickly and turn off Polycom/Tandberg.
• Turn off TV monitors. Manually turn off side monitors and computer and monitor.
• Make sure furniture in "normal" placement and tables are clean. 

Before Each Room Only Class

• **Open rooms 30 minutes prior to scheduled class.**
• Turn on Computer and Log In
• Turn Projector (if professor requires it)
• Set up class (tables and chairs) as per instructions of professor.

After Each Room Only class

• Turn off computer and monitor.
• Check if tables are clean and use Windex if necessary. 
• Make sure furniture in "normal" placement.

Other Responsibilities for Student Techs

Phone and Walk-In Help Requests

• Answer phone: Technology services this is “your first name”
• Take phone messages if they want to speak to a particular person and tape the message on that person’s door or desk.
• Scheduling Rooms/Videoconferences/Requesting Equipment: Ask them to complete the online form at http://technology.cehd.tamu.edu/distance/roomrequest.htm

Work Order Requests – Complete a form on credenza

• Equipment Reservations – Must be approved by Fran – ask them to complete the form at http://www.coe.tamu.edu/distance/EqptSignOut.html
• Every call or walk in request for help goes into Help request system. If possible, walk them through problem over the phone (have you tried…) Click on the form and complete the form for them and include their phone number. http://www.coe.tamu.edu/cgi-bin/ttx/ttx.cgi
• The online form is the FASTEST way for them to get help because it goes directly to the tech’s Blackberry.
• If custormer islocked out or not able to get into computer
• Solution: Accounts are automatically unlocked a maximum of every 15 minutes. Ask user to go back to their computer and try again after waiting 15 minutes without touching the computer.
• Fogotten password. Tony can talk to faculty over phone and reset passwords. 
• Renewal/expiration of passwords – GAs have this problem each semester when their accounts expire. They can log onto to request a new password: http://db.coe.tamu.edu/cs/accounts.epl

Check Phone on Fran’s desk for blinking red indicator light for messages: Dial 7-0005

• Important Phone Numbers:
• TTVN Ops (button on phone) or dial 2-2241
• TTVN Scheduling: 2-2240
• Ben Smith: 8-2279
• Fran’s cell: 676-1057

Update Laptops – Once a month, update laptops virus protection and Microsoft updates.

Other Classrooms and Help:

• 2nd and 3rd floor and I-folios – call Verizon Lab for help (458-1181)
• 5th floor – Bill Ashworth or 845-2764 or receptionist 845-2716
• 6th floor – 616 and 617 – Bill; Rm 621A –Computer support.
• 7th floor – Teresa Roberts 845-9270
• 8th floor – Computer Support takes care of their conference rooms
• Media Center – 845-7720 (loans out and sets up laptops and projectors for classes) Located in “short” Harrington.

Skills Distance Techs are REQUIRED to Know: If you do not know, ASK!

Responsible for Web Site – Each tech is responsible for information contained on the Distance Tech web site: http://technology.cehd.tamu.edu/distance

REVIEW Classroom Web Page: http://www.coe.tamu.edu/distance/users/index.htm

RULE OF AUDIO: If our site does NOT hear the echo – then we are causing it, so turn down the mics. If we do hear an echo – then it is caused by FAR site

Polycom Rooms (reference web page for a review) – Remote Log in “555”

1. Remote –

• Know how to adjust camera, volume, make a call, zoom, NEAR/FAR, and Menu buttons.
• Know how to set presets
• Know how to display computer, videotape, DVD and elmo.
• AverKey -what to check if all you see is a blue screen – 2 power lights.
• Know how to work projectors.
• Know how to connect a laptop in every room

Polycom Room 108 – (not like other rooms) To show the computer

• Press NEAR – VCR
• Make sure VCR is on and AverKey is on
• To switch to Video Input for TV Monitor – must use Remote.

Tandberg Room (reference web page for a review)

• Know touch pad - Log in...
• How to Make a Call to another site.
• How to Display Instructor, students, computer, VCR/DVD to FAR Site
• How to Display Instructor, students, computer, VCR/DVD to NEAR site
• How to have front projector display computer and back projector displaying FAR SITE
• Layout button (displays both NEAR and FAR sites on back projector screen and TV)
• Volume - Mute volume when playing a VCR (otherwise volume is lowered when someone speaks or makes noise)
• Wireless microphone - turned on/off by holding the button down for a few seconds. A quick tap will mute mic. Mute the student mics while using the wireless mic if the class is exceptionally noisy or the professors has a quiet voice. 

REBOOT Videoconferencing Systems:

Polycom: Flip the switch wait 20 seconds and turn it back on.

Tandberg System:

1. Press Ok/Menu on touch screen to bring up the onscreen menu.
2. Move selector over Control Panel button (it has a wrench on it) and press ok.
3. At the bottom of the screen highlight and select Restart (it is next to the Back/Cancel button).
4. The system will ask "Do you want to restart?" press the menu button when "OK" is highlighted.
5. The system will restart.

VCR – Recording a class: When recording a class, do a test recording to make sure the video is working properly. Do not start recording until the class start time.

Polycom: 

1. Make sure that the video input (or channel) is on L1 (or "L" for Line).
2. Make sure the VCR is set on EP (not SP).
3. Press Record.

Tandberg System:

1. Put the tape into the player and Double check "L1" as channel. 
2. Go to "Advance Controls" on touch pad - Log in “503”
3. Choose DVD/VCR on left panel and Press "record" on touch pad.

REVIEW Sympodium in rooms 408, 503, 632. Practice using the Sympodium and view tutorials

Know how to Schedule a Videoconference –
http://technology.cehd.tamu.edu/distance/videoconferencing

Room 632

• Log on information is located on the bottom left corner of the monitor. 
• Username: har636
• Password: har636
• Domain: THIS COMPUTER
• · Computer, Laptop, Elmo can be chosen from the inputs on desktop.
• · VCR/DVD is displayed on the "Video" input of the projector remote. 
• · Audio/Sound: The sound is transmitted to JBL speakers in the room by a Peavey preamp audio mixer, which has 1 XLR input, 3 audio inputs, controls for Highs and Lows, and a master volume.

Other Software to Know Enough about to help someone:

• Blackboard Vista – Ask Customer to log into Vista and Use Handouts to assist them: http://itsinfo.tamu.edu/workshops/vista-4-handouts.htm
• Centra - http://webconference.tamus.edu/main/CEHD
• CPR - http://cpr.tamu.edu/
• Camtasia and Audacity

VIDEO EDITING – You should know how to:

• Burn CDs
• Record Video using Digital Camcorders
• Take pictures with Digital Photo-Camera and download them.
• Capture Video using Pinnacle Studio
• Edit Video using Pinnacle Studio
• Add Text to Video using Pinnacle Studio
• Add Transitions to video using Pinnacle Studio
• Create Movies – AVIs, Real Video, MPEG, DVDs