Cleaning

[tscnmuk]

Hi guys, didn't really know where to post this so I hope I'm right. Probabaly should have been in FFS. I am a network manager at a secondary school in Lincolnshire and get two or three e-mails a week from memebers of staff along the lines of "My mouse/keyboard/screen needs cleaning". Is it just me or is this a little out of order - I do not consider this to be any part of my job nor the job of my technician.

Am I the only one?

Tom

[plexer]

Who do you think should be cleaning the IT equipment then? I wouldn't like to have the cleaners dripping dirty water over everything.

As much as I hat it as well and don't believe I should do I do to keep the piece allthough I restrict what we do to the main IT rooms mainly and do some mice for people if they moan but as most are opticals it's not soo much of a problem.

Ben

[tscnmuk]

We have actually done the IT Suites before but only once a year or so and as you say, just to keep the peace. It just annoys me when its a member of staff complaining about their PC in the classroom. By the time I have sorted out getting it done would it not be as easy to do it themselves. Teachers keyboards are also disgusting and whenever I have had to get my technician to clean one I always make sure he tells them that the keboard will work much better if they stop using it as a coaster/plate. :twisted:

Tom

[GrumbleDook]

We have one of the cleaners do it for us ... we have trained them up and provide them with the cleaning kit. The time it saves is worth it but you could always consider getting kids to do it as community service.

[Geoff]

I suppose it depends what 'level' you are. If there's some one more junior to you around, it's probably best to send them out doing cleaning jobs while you get on with more urgent work.

Also consider swapping out your old ball mice for optical ones. They are fairly cheap now and are a lot easier to maintain.

[tom_newton]

Fairly cheap? Only MS product I use is a microsoft optical maus - about 3 notes last I looked, theres no point buying anything else

[Pottsey]

I clean everything my self sometimes with a child to help. I don’t like the idea of teachers cleaning a computer and the cleaners don’t dare go near the things. Even the Interactivewhite boards are my job but its not much of a problem being a small school.

[ChrisH]

Keyboards generally get broken here before they can be classed to be too dirty. I generally give eveything a clean if I move equipment around etc and Ideally I will give everything a quick clean at least once a term if possible but nothing too labour intensive. I certainly wouldnt be responding to emails asking me to clean specific items though.

[kingswood]

I suppose it depends what 'level' you are. If there's some one more junior to you around, it's probably best to send them out doing cleaning jobs while you get on with more urgent work.

Also consider swapping out your old ball mice for optical ones. They are fairly cheap now and are a lot easier to maintain.

If only that worked!

Problem is junior technicians have a habit of thinking they are above it and don't do it till *you* are seen doing it. At least that's been my experience.

Swapping out to optical mice has actually improved things for me- as well as changing to nice black keyboards that hide the dirt longer

In any case, I think it's more of a whole ICT thing. So from the NM down if there's cleaning to do and you can all do it, it will get done faster and better than if only one of you were to do it.

[GrumbleDook]

No one is above doing the day to day jobs that keep a school running, whether it is picking up a piece of paper left on the floor in the corridor or cleaning fingermarks off a screen.

Is is a good use of time for teachers? No ... is it a good use of technician time? Rather them than the teachers ... at least you know it will be done properly.

I hate going up to a computer to help a student only to find that they are getting frustrated because the mouse isn't working properly (not cleaned in 6 months) and just a minute or two to strip it down, clean the rollers and put it back together again, or to clean the crud off the low-friction pads or move the gunk out of the way of the lens ... it actually makes the students happy to see you do something jst for them ... but it is another minute or two of my time ...

Just imagine how frustrating it is for teachers and students.

For teachers and their laptops ... we give them screen wipes and other cleaning kits when they request it ... and we tell them how to clean properly ... this is the one time we ask them to clean things.

[kingswood]

I agree Tony.

I thought it was just me that got angry when mice don't behave like they should!

Good points.

[SteveT]

That's my attitude as well Tony. I see myself as supporting teaching and learning rather than just a techie. As an ex-teacher (ducks ops: ) I am also happy to take over a class on occasion if a teacher is struggling to explain something....... as long as I'm asked nicely!!!

Apart from anything else, It's good fun!! :P