How do I use the computers? It looks like I need a username and password? Every student has a Gateway account, which you need to use to access the computers.

Your username is the first letter of your first name and the first seven letters of your last name (or less if your last name is less than seven letters).

So, for example, James Bond, were he a student at Gateway, would have a username "jbond." Someone with a longer last name, like "Livan Hernandez" would have a username "lhernand" (first initial, first seven letters of the last name).

Your advisor has your password and it was given to you on a form for you and your parents to sign.

OK, I logged in, now what? And how do I save my work?

When you log in with your username and password (see above) you will connect to the students "server." A server is a central computer, which enables you to access your work from any other machines that can connect to the server.

So, when James logs in to the server, he'll either select his username or he may select which grade level he's in and then a remote hard drive will mount on the desktop of the screen that says "jbond" or "2007" (as in class of) this is where you should save all of your work in your folder.

Then, when you log into any other Gateway computer, you will be able to access the same documents.

What if I want to work on a paper both at school and at home?

There are several ways of moving files between home to school.

The most straight forward is way is to use a USB flash drive, a floppy disc or email yourself the file. Gateway owns several disk drives that you may connect to the computers in the TechCenter if you use a floppy disc.

If you have Internet access at home, you can also use something called "SFTP", which stands for "Secure File Transfer Protocol."

Gateway only seems to have Macs and I have a PC at home, what should I do?

Most programs will work fine between Macs and PCs. For example, if you create a Document in Microsoft Word, you should have no problem opening it on the computers at Gateway.  If you have a word processing program other than MS Word, you should save the file in Rich Text Format (.rtf).

Is it ok if I play games on the Internet?

No. As it is mentioned in the "Acceptable Use Agreement" that everyone should have received and signed, the Gateway's computers are reserved for academic work. If you do not follow these guidelines, you risk losing your privileges to use the Gateway computers.

I'm hungry. Can I eat a snack in the TechCenter or when using a computer in another location?

No, only bottled water is allowed in the TechCenter or when using a school-owned computer.

What kinds of software does Gateway have?

Gateway student computers have: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Macromedia Dreamweaver, Freehand and FireWorks, Adobe Photoshop, FinalCut Pro, Inspiration, Interactive Physics, ChemSense, GreenGlobs, Geometer SketchPad, Fathom and LoggerPro.

Are there any computer classes?
Video, Yearbook and Tech Assistant.

When does the TechCenter open? When does it close?
The Library and/or TechCenter is open from 7:30am - 5:30pm.