All teachers using laptops during parents evenings

[Meldrew]

Hi,

 

It's been decided here that teachers need their laptops accessible (so they can access SIMS, SISRA, etc) during parents evenings. The event is to be held in 2 halls in rows of tables and as their laptop batteries won't last, they all need a power socket available to plug into. All 70 staff. Each laptop is rated at a maximum of 1.5A each, so a maximum of 105A, but likely less - I need to do some testing of nominal current draw.

 

We've worked out a system of 14 extension reels and 28 4 ways where we can connect to the few power sockets on the walls in the hall (and I've asked the electrician to check that we won't overload the ring mains). We'll need about a mile of sticky tape I think to safely tape down all the necessary cabling.

 

We can install some extra wireless access points to (hopefully) provide network to all these laptops.

 

It'll take us quite a while to setup and take down we reckon, not that is a problem, but I wondered how does everyone else manage with laptops or parents evenings or does everyone stick with paper copies of data?

 

Many thanks for thoughts/ideas.

 

Meldrew

[elsiegee40]

I assume you have plenty of rubber strips available to stop the wiring from being a trip hazard? It sounds like an H&S nightmare that definitely needs a comprehensive risk assessment to me.

[pete]

The ones who use their laptops ensure they're sufficiently charged / report dodgy batteries for replacement.

 

How long does your evening go on for?

[localzuk]

We had this brought up when I was in Bristol. I pointed out that the 80 or so teachers would all either need new batteries, as they all got a maximum of an hour by then, or power would be needed for every person. In that hall area, there were about 6 double sockets. Not to mention, there were 2 cisco APs covering the area.

 

In the end, the idea was scrapped as unrealistic. The risks of people tripping over cables is too high, the time to put it all out and take it all away is too long and the cost of new batteries would be too high. Not to mention adding APs.

 

At the school I'm in now, parents evenings are split into upper and lower school, and there are only about 30 teachers anyway. The hall has already got loads of power sockets (they were put in to power the Xmas lights!) so every person can easily plug in to a socket.

 

I'm afraid that in some cases its just unrealistic, unless you buy laptops with decent batteries and maintain them.

[plexer]

ipads

 

Ben

[localzuk]

ipads

 

Ben

 

I was thinking this before, but I hate them too much to suggest it. Maybe Windows 8 tablets... They'd do the job!

[Meldrew]

I was thinking this before, but I hate them too much to suggest it. Maybe Windows 8 tablets... They'd do the job!

 

Likewise regarding iPads and they wouldn't have SIMS access of course.

[Meldrew]

The ones who use their laptops ensure they're sufficiently charged / report dodgy batteries for replacement.

 

How long does your evening go on for?

 

Theoretically 3.30pm till 6pm apparently, but usually overruns.

[LukeC]

Likewise regarding iPads and they wouldn't have SIMS access of course.

 

You could use RDP, to get access to sims.

[pete]

Theoretically 3.30pm till 6pm apparently, but usually overruns.

 

Ah, ours is from 7pm-9pm (or 6-8 or whatever), so everyone's had enough time to get food and no excuse to not have charged their laptop while doing so.