Free and open source software is the catalyst for Penn Manor School District’s award-winning student learning programs. For one, they save the school district more than a million dollars on its technology budget. Besides fiscal savings are the open leadership principles that foster innovation among teachers and students, help to better engage the community, and create a more vibrant and inclusive learning community. Read… Read more →
Technology Talent Wanted
The Penn Manor Technology Team is seeking a building technology support specialist. Could it be you? Staff and students will rely on you for friendly help and assistance. You will install, maintain and troubleshoot hardware and software in a complex, multi-platform, mixed-vendor academic setting. Penn Manor’s learning technology mix is 5% Mac, 70% Linux and 25% Windows. Automation is crucial to… Read more →
2016 Technology Rewind
With 2016 slipping into the history books it is time to reflect on an exciting year of technology projects at Penn Manor School District. Here are a few highlights: The year started with a ring. In January, we unveiled a new automated attendance call notification system. When a student is marked absent, their parent or guardian automatically receives an alert… Read more →
Building Technology Aide Position
The Penn Manor Technology Team is seeking a building technology aide to provide students with friendly help and assistance. In this role you will answer day-to-day laptop questions, conduct student orientation and training sessions, repair laptops, troubleshoot minor issues, prepare laptops for distribution, and manage inventory. Excellent customer service abilities, superior communication skills, and a self-driven work ethic are essential. This part-time… Read more →
Mattermost – An Open Source Slack Alternative
The Penn Manor IT Team relied on a self-hosted IRC messaging server for many years. IRC is great for a technical crowd, but the old-school feel and cryptic conventions never resonated with students and teachers. We’ve experimented with IRC alternatives, but an affordable, school-friendly platform has been elusive. Slack was a promising option–and a few schools have tried it for… Read more →
District of Distinction Award – Open Source Laptop Program
Penn Manor School District’s open source 1:1 student laptop learning program has earned a District of Distinction award from District Administration Magazine. Every student in grades 7 through 12 receives a laptop computer running the Linux operating system, as well as dozens of open source learning programs. With 2,500 1:1 laptops in grades 7 through 12, and 1,500 Linux laptops in its elementary schools, Penn Manor supports the… Read more →