Going google after Office 365

[tj2419]

I am looking at trying to reduce costs for our school as we are currently financially struggling.

 

We currently use office 365 but mainly for email and calendars.

 

I have been looking more and more at GAFE as email will work well, google classroom looks like it could be a nice simple VLE for us as Moodle is getting a lot of complaints. There is also the side of being able to use chromebooks and purchase them for £180 each ish rather than paying £300-400 for laptops.

 

Is there anyone that has recently 'gone google'.

 

Any tips you would like to share?

How did you approach it to ensure good uptake?

Do you have any documents of plans, strategy etc you would be willing to share.

How has it gone?

Have you got chromebooks? If so any particular brand?

Do parents have logins?

Have you got it linked to your MIS to create groups, accounts etc?

 

Thanks

[CyberNerd]

Any tips you would like to share?

 

Join GEG UK (on G+)

Visit a Google Reference School

 

How did you approach it to ensure good uptake?

1) Told staff we are doing it.

2) Transfer interim apps to RDP/Citrix

3) Remove MS Office

 

Do you have any documents of plans, strategy etc you would be willing to share.

 

It is *99%* about the people and 1% about the technology

Training is important. Install Synergyse.

Google publish a strategy/plan to "go Google". Use it.

 

How has it gone?

I would say successfully.

Have you got chromebooks? If so any particular brand?

 

1200 Lenovo's. The Acer also looks quite good.

 

Do parents have logins?

Not to Google, but they could conceivably to a linked domain

 

Have you got it linked to your MIS to create groups, accounts etc?

 

Yes. See SalamanderSoft or Wizzkids.

Wizzkids might be better for you as you are starting out because they are a "google" company. Salamander are cheaper but offer less services.

[NotSoFast]

Also GADS and Google school directory sync are free tools you can use for synchronisation.

[asc]

This website has some nice infographics on the stages of 'Going Google' and Google Apps for Education adoption! EITC Downloads - EdintheClouds

It think it's a really valuable resource, personally

[tj2419]

 

How did you approach it to ensure good uptake?

1) Told staff we are doing it.

2) Transfer interim apps to RDP/Citrix

3) Remove MS Office

.

 

When you say you removed office do you mean completely from all computers? What about things like ms access for ICT courses or linking with sims?

 

Do you know is there a way to find Google schools or is it just a case of posting on sites like this?

 

Cheers

[asc]

Ericom AccessNow can be used on Chromebooks to access SIMS and other legacy apps (if it's hosted with a Terminal Server like Scomis do)

If your school already has a terminal server then it's incredibly easy to setup!

[tj2419]

This website has some nice infographics on the stages of 'Going Google' and Google Apps for Education adoption! EITC Downloads - EdintheClouds

It think it's a really valuable resource, personally

 

Loving the infographics! [emoji3] all about the visuals! [emoji23]

[Arthur]

Do you know is there a way to find Google schools

There's some listed here (select UK from the drop-down menu)...

 

https://www.google.com/edu/case-studies

 

Edugeek sponsor @Haptic also held an event at a Google school earlier this year. Perhaps it might be worth getting in touch with them too?

 

www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/165929-google-event-join-us-learn-more-about-gafe-haptic.html

[CyberNerd]

When you say you removed office do you mean completely from all computers? What about things like ms access for ICT courses or linking with sims?

 

Do you know is there a way to find Google schools or is it just a case of posting on sites like this?

 

Cheers

 

We still use it in admin and a handful of computers in the staffroom. The irony is that I spoke to another school who's admin team loved it and couldn't wait to ditch office ( remember it's 99% about the people). We don't need Access because Edexcel sends csv files which can be used with Mysql Tools.

Most SIMS exports will work with csv but some of the assessment stuff is a pain, tools like SISRA and 4Matrix help here.

The biggest problem is transitioning staff and it is really important to get rid of the old tools because they won't change unless they need to.

 

Consider that If you are not paying for Office licenses, and you buy any windows licenses with the PC then, you 're in a great place to move to fewer perpetual licenses and stop paying the annual EES.

 

Here is the link for Google reference schools near you:

 

https://edudirectory.withgoogle.com/en

Edited June 9, 2016 by CyberNerd

[Haptic]

There's some listed here (select UK from the drop-down menu)...

 

https://www.google.com/edu/case-studies

 

Edugeek sponsor @Haptic also held an event at a Google school earlier this year. Perhaps it might be worth getting in touch with them too?

 

www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/165929-google-event-join-us-learn-more-about-gafe-haptic.html

 

 

Thanks @Arthur - we're currently helping lots of Schools in the UK (As well as some in the good ole U.S.A) with migrations to Google and Pilot Chromebook deployments. We'd be more than happy to help anyone that has any questions or would like to speak with other Schools currently undergoing the transformation. Our services are in more detail on our homepage (link in sig)

 

Obviously, as always - our advice is free. We enjoy speaking with Schools due to the fact it's always a learning experience on both sides. We always come away having learned something new, the feedback we receive shows that this is reciprocated.

 

Feel free to PM for more info.

 

Joe

[TechMonkey]

@CyberNerd - Maybe you need to do an AMA or a show and tell? Can I ask what you do about specialist software? I've tried edging towards Chromebooks but we get stumped with some departments and their software. Things like LEGO programming software and other robotics software. Is it a case of RDP or just say no? Or do you keep some PCs for specialist duties?

[CyberNerd]

@CyberNerd - Maybe you need to do an AMA or a show and tell? Can I ask what you do about specialist software? I've tried edging towards Chromebooks but we get stumped with some departments and their software. Things like LEGO programming software and other robotics software. Is it a case of RDP or just say no? Or do you keep some PCs for specialist duties?

 

Yes we do have some specialist (legacy) machines.

For almost every situation there is an alternative. Our Music and Tech departments are fully on board for KS3 but we still have some difficulties with KS4 and KS5 (Autodesk Inventor). Most of the robotics/microcontroller programming stuff can be done on Chromebooks (see picaxe blockly).

 

The teachers tend to prefer to find apps that run in a browser and can be deployed to home machines because it means they and students don't need to work on it in school. This tends to increase student engagement as 'lessons' become hobbies. We use this method to ditch the old legacy "in school, windows only" apps.

[tj2419]

Anyone care to share a list of google apps they use for subjects?

 

Don't suppose there are any google schools in the north west on here? That would be happy to have a visitor?

 

Cheers

[tj2419]

Is there anyone else that has 'gone google' and wants to share?

 

Any tips you would like to share?

How did you approach it to ensure good uptake?

Do you have any documents of plans, strategy etc you would be willing to share.

How has it gone?

Have you got chromebooks? If so any particular brand?

Do parents have logins?

Have you got it linked to your MIS to create groups, accounts etc?