Remote and Hybrid learning. Don’t worry, you are not alone!

Chatroom Transcript

13:38:19 From wbackman : Example of what has been mentioned to us: “One of the common themes I hear every meeting with WSHS staff has been a
distrust by staff that our internet capabilities will support all teachers
streaming content to remote learners. Several cited issues they
experienced when multiple teachers tried to do things like quizlet, or
other online learning at the same time, if they were in the same part of
the school.

Are there considerations that teachers must be aware of when teaching and
streaming content all at the same time?”
13:44:03 From mengstrom : We’re facing the possibility of having over 1,000 teachers and students streaming Google Meet sessions, while on-premise. At 3 Mbps average streaming rate per device session (like this current Zoom session’s average rate), that’s going to kill our network.
13:44:55 From wbackman : We’ve found that even though Google Meet is capable of High Definition video (720p), almost all of our systems are limited to standard def because they are not quad core. Google requires Quad core to even have the option to choose High def. https://support.google.com/meet/answer/9302964?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
13:45:06 From Sue Woodhams : One of the possibilities we are talking about is that students come to school but say in their rooms all day and stream the classes that they attend, so we are looking at 1000, students streaming classes and 260 teachers stream lesson…

13:45:39 From mengstrom : Watching this current stream’s data rate (to my computer), it is averaging 2.5 – 3 Mbps
13:46:53 From Bruce Johnson : in a closed doors remote learning environment, our teachers will be expected to do remote learning from school, not home, so I would worry of zoom levels district wide from within the building
13:46:55 From Josh Farnola : There are options in google apps settings to limit the video bandwidth…worst case scenario.
13:47:34 From Damien Austin @ RSU1 : That’s true, you can tell Meet to use 360p for all cams instead of 720p
13:49:15 From mengstrom : 360p isn’t going to cut it…that’s worse than even old SD tv signal. I mean even this 720p stream doesn’t look that great.
13:50:51 From mengstrom : One thing we’re considering is to have students turn off their video stream, if it’s not necessary. That will save a ton of bandwidth.
13:51:28 From wbackman : I think a majority of Google Meet users today have already been on 360p all along due to the hardware limitations of their laptops.
13:51:31 From mengstrom : again…specific to on-premise streams
13:51:33 From Josh Farnola : There is a setting for that too.
13:51:37 From Josh Farnola : no video
13:52:06 From mengstrom : Josh…yes, I know that setting, but we would need them to enable on-demand, as a teacher may call on them to do so
13:52:10 From Josh Farnola : Hopefully more setting options to come!
13:54:16 From wbackman : Although we are concerned less with resolution as we are with compression ration of the stream. You can take a 1080p source video and compress it to fit down a 3Mb/s stream, then receive it on the other end and decompress back up to 1080p. Still looks terrible due to the over the wire compression algorithm.
14:00:08 From John Armentrout : i’ve had some luck with similar setup but instead of mini using chrome box and “managed sessions” settings (or teacher login)
14:00:36 From Bruce Johnson : we chose zoom so the households would have an easier time helping their children from home
14:01:41 From Mike Arsenault : We’re looking at using the microphones in the MacBook Airs. In testing they were able to pick up sound from around the classroom.
14:01:47 From annluginbuhl : Is zoom going to continue the free education accounts?
14:01:58 From Bruce Johnson : no on zoom free education
14:02:04 From Tami Call : That’s a good question. If you step away from the laptop, they can’t hear you on the Zoom session. We do not have mics, but maybe that is something that we could look into.
14:02:56 From Casey Murphy : I realized recently that, when masked, the Air microphone did not pick up sound very well. So, if teachers are masked, we need to consider the sound quality as well.
14:03:07 From Angela Cook : Bad audio is very fatiguing.
14:03:28 From Nick Pascarella : I’m worried about virtual students being able to hear me since I will be wearing a mask as well. To me it seems teachers will need to be wearing mics and can’t just use the built-in mic on the computers
14:03:29 From Joel Randazza : Kittery ,do you have a mic frontrunner?
14:04:03 From Josh Farnola : I came across this product that is supposed to allow musicians to practice together remotely. Not tested. https://www.jamkazam.com/
14:04:07 From Eric Damboise : Audio should be a priority over video quality
14:05:23 From Eric Damboise : Teaching with masks will definitely be challenging in terms of audio quality and facial cues
14:07:07 From JANET STEPHENSON : Communicating to some special ed students will be especially difficult with masks on
14:07:31 From cpriest : INternet access
14:15:19 From Nick Pascarella : Eric Damboise- I believe my district is looking at getting clear masks to help with facial cues, but I am wondering if getting a cheap BT headset would be good enough to capture my lecture and would also make it easier for virtual students to get my attention verbally
14:15:21 From John Armentrout : I watch the ones on pfsense firewalls which seem pretty decent
14:17:18 From mengstrom : Exactly…that’s what we’re facing with one of the presented options. Many students and teachers streaming on individual devices at the same time, on-premise.
14:18:03 From mengstrom : …hundreds of users.
14:19:22 From Josh Young : That sounds like a recipe for disaster
14:19:25 From mengstrom : It’s hard to explain the reasoning via a chat session, but I don’t have a mic right now.
14:19:33 From Angela Cook : For the University of Maine System, we are doing the following: Poly Studio cameras with extension microphone on cart with 65” monitor for rooms we couldn’t do a permanent installation in.

For larger rooms, we are using biamp TesiraForte DSP, AVB Switch and AVB microphones, and PTZ optics cameras. We are converting SDI to USB
14:20:01 From Bruce Johnson : teachers will be in class
14:20:03 From Eric Damboise : Nick Pascarella- Clear masks help with cues, I am sorry that I can’t give you an answer on wearing a mask with a BT mic
14:20:07 From wbackman : We are still hammering out all these details
14:20:09 From Tami Call : Teachers in the classrooms
14:20:17 From Mike Arsenault : Does Network Maine have any directions for installing the Cisco Umbrella on iPads using JAMF Pro?
14:20:51 From Mike Arsenault : Roaming client (more specifically)
14:20:54 From Angela Cook : Because we were doing 160 rooms—we could only guarantee 1 camera. Cameras are is extremely high demand. Ordered cameras June 4 and still have not received them.
14:21:08 From Jim Grant : Good question Mike. Does anyone have any advice of extending wifi outside for drive ups and outside classrooms?
14:21:14 From Nick Pascarella : Eric Damboise- No worries, just figured I would ask. Thank you
14:22:10 From Bruce Johnson : 275 teachers hosting zoom all at once
14:22:30 From Andrew Henry : Mike – we can assist with that if needed, although we don’t have direct experience with JAMF so we can only give general guidance on that point. With regard to managing in Umbrella we can be of more help
14:23:00 From Josh Young : Andrew, are you saying that there is now an iOS version of the client?
14:23:02 From Joel Randazza : Jim, Ubiquiti makes some great access points with a huge range. Nanostations are easy to setup and can beam wifi quite a distance
14:23:25 From Mike Arsenault : @Andrew Henry – who should be contacted? Network Maine general help line?
14:24:12 From Eric Damboise : Nick – Angela Cook did report that the room mic’s she is using worked, audio quality-wise, with mask-wearers
14:25:19 From Nick Pascarella : That’s good to hear that room mics will work
14:25:22 From Nick Pascarella : thanks!
14:25:28 From Andrew Henry : Josh – iOS is supported, if you meet certaIn conditions, specifically that they are managed by an MDM system that Umbrella supports
14:25:48 From mengstrom : GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
14:26:06 From Josh Young : I know you said you didn’t have much experience with Jamf but I am assuming it is supported by Umbrella?
14:26:25 From Josh Farnola : https://docs.jamf.com/jamf-school/deploy-guide-docs/Setting_Up_the_Cisco_Security_Connector_App_with_Jamf_School.html
14:26:26 From Michael Richards : +1
14:26:48 From Bruce Johnson : yes, more info sessions would be great
14:28:23 From Joel Randazza : wackiest hybrid related help desk request gets a prize next time!
14:29:09 From wbackman : I promise not to give the MSLN support phone number to all the families at home for help with their internet connections. 😉
14:29:10 From Eric Lawson : We are headed toward a flipped classroom model as well. Great practice for what is to come as well. We use webcams, WeVideo, Screencastify and iPevo doc cams
14:29:41 From John Armentrout : Google Meet can record to the teacher’s drive… (and it’s discoverable in vault)
14:30:08 From cpriest : Thanks Jeff for doing this!
14:30:11 From Michael Richards : Thank you, Jeff and the NetworkMaine team
14:30:16 From Greg Quinlan : You did a great job Jeff!
14:30:20 From Josh Clark – MEAA : We have done flipped classroom and found that that participation on the students end was not there.
14:30:20 From Megan MacDonald : Thank you!