Common ICT problems/issues in Schools (1st/2nd line)

[nab]

So I'm taking my first steps into the working world of IT soon, moving from Sound/Lighting tech to ICT tech.

 

I'm interested to know the common problems that are reported to 1st/2nd line support within schools, anyone care to list a few?

I've just become A+ certified so I have an idea from that, but would like to know from real world experienced tech's!

 

Cheers all, have a good day!

 

nab

[TechSupp]

Suppose I will do it before someone else does, first problem, Teachers, second problem, pupils...depending on the school you may reverse those two. Schools are great to work in and tech support a dream....when its the school holidays and no one else is in! Welcome to the IT Crowd of EduGeek!

[sippo]

Just have a lot of patience and you'll be fine.

[FN-GM]

Website blocks and unblocks seems to be a big one.

[JJonas]

Password resets

[FN-GM]

Password resets

 

Hardly get any here, teachers do it for students not us

[nab]

Just have a lot of patience and you'll be fine.

 

I work in a school at the moment for my current job... I've had to overclock my patience ever since!

[eddyc]

Website blocks and unblocks

 

Password resets

 

Changing on toners \ projector bulbs \ other consumables

 

Burning off of coursework to CD\DVD

 

Increasing printer credits \ disk quota if you have these in place.

[Sunnyknight]

1,

 

I can't log on. 'why?' I don't know. 'You don't know?' No. 'Okay what room are you in?' I don't know. 'Right, what's your name' Erm.. *says name* 'You're logged on... so what's the issue?' I need to change my password. 'For fudge sake couldn't you say that first?'

 

2,

 

I deleted my work by accident. 'It's no accident if it asks you twice if your sure you want to delete' Yeah i know, but i click it by accident 'twice?' Yeah. '......................'

[JamesDonkin]

Whiteboards and projectors. Learn about how the ones in your place work straight away. Also, pre-empt as much mischief as you can by making sure everything is as secure as can be including making all boot orders HDD first then password it. Never agree to PAT testing. Disk quotas for all. Mandatory profiles for at least the students will save you a lot of ball-ache. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

 

And a warm welcome to school tech support. Your next few weeks will be some of the most exciting, disturbing, astounding and dumbfounding ones of your life.

[Grey-gear]

Users "losing work", make sure that the network has backups running. Computers network cables unplugged, missing mice (moved around the room because one student did not like that one on the computer they were at. Password resets, filling printers with paper and replacing toner, e-mail sent out to students by mistake.

 

There are many more.

[unixman_again]

So far today I've had :

• the projector won't show whats on the laptop screen (Fn/F5 to fix)
  
• the projector is showing just a Windows media player screen, not my powerpoint. (The media player screen was the windows flag - extended desktop rather than duplicated display)
  
• printer out of toner (only we have the combi to the toner cupboard)
  
• I'm generating qr codes and they don't work (bad urls)
  
• extract a sound file from my digital recorder
  
• netbook falls off the wireless in one room but is OK next door (still pondering that one)
  
• my account is locked (sausage fingers)
  
• put up a poster on the digital signage board
  
• can't open the door with my swipe card (replace battery in lock)
  

 

A pretty average morning...

[Danp]

It's holidays for us so my day has been like this

 

Eat 4 slices of Dominos left from yesterday

Drink coffee

Build a couple of machines that had failed

Update RM call log

Package up failed motherboard after fitting replacement yesterday

Got 18 points on Pop Master....

 

Later on I need to go through the pile of used toners and bill them out to the relevant departments. (I order all toners and they get billed to a stock location, then I invoice them out once used)

[hardtailstar]

Get ready to learn how to interperet all users!!

 

most will just say the computer/laptop dosent work.

[Sunnyknight]

Get ready to learn how to interperet all users!!

 

most will just say the computer/laptop dosent work.

 

A lot of students here keep using the words 'like, you know, init, yeah' all in the same chuffing sentence.

 

Pray you don't have to deal with it. lol

[cneilson6]

If it's got a plug or battery be expected to; a-know how it works b-be able to fix it!

[casey]

1. Make sure the item is plugged into the mains and switched on.

2. If you've got SmartBoards, "The red/blue/black etc. pen/board rubber doesn't work" Just blow the dust from the light sensors under the pens/board rubber, magically works.

 

Best problem I ever had: Teacher sends a child to me, "The computer at the back of the room won't stop beeping" I go to the class, take the pile of books off the keyboard, all is quiet!

[jlucas]

Kids slightly unplugging network leads/power leads so there is no network/computer won't power on.

Kids swapping monitor cables/mice/keyboards to other machines.

Kids chewing cables... yeah seriously. And we are secondary to sixth form, primary I can kind of understand but not years 7-13.

[elsiegee40]

1. Power switch operation.

"My whiteboard/PC/monitor/device doesn't work"

Check item plugged into mains. Check mains switch and device switch in the ON position. Fixed

 

2. Failing that check both ends of every cable that could be a problem and make sure they're plugged in... to the right thing if you suspect the little darlings have being having a laugh.

 

3. Paper jams and toner changes

 

4. Password resets.

 

5. Develop a patient short response to why single license software can't be installed on the network and why school software can't be installed on the home laptop

 

6. Decide early on that, despite what everybody else thinks, you are not responsible for everything that has a plug on it. Nor was your predecessor. That includes sinks.

[Mako]

I've just become A+ certified so I have an idea from that, but would like to know from real world experienced tech's!

 

First thing you'll learn is that IT and education isn't in the real world, nor will your colleagues operate within the boundaries we know as the "real world". You'll have to shed that veil quite quickly or you'll learn the hard way.

 

1. Power switch operation.

"My whiteboard/PC/monitor/device doesn't work"

Check item plugged into mains. Check mains switch and device switch in the ON position. Fixed

 

Further to this, know your devices (because other staff don't)!

A device with electricity = IT

Whiteboard = Projector

Monitor (also screen, display) = Computer

= The whole internet (see: the internet is down! I can't access $website!)

 

 

Good luck and welcome to our world!

[clareq]

I have just had to remote into a teacher's computer because the school e-mail system wasn't working. That translates to "I don't know how to expand the today tab in Outlook" I clicked that little triangle and all was well. In between doing jobs like that I'm planning a new domain, with fully virtualised servers, migrating exchange and everything associated with that.

[Earthling]

Seeing as how most of the technical stuff has been covered already.....

 

Never, ever, run out of Valium.

 

Find a favourite mantra and recite it. Frequently. Mine is 'In with anger, out with love', but you may prefer a more classical one.

 

Find somewhere to secret yourself away when you need to get on with stuff, a workshop or some such.

 

Learn to say 'No' and to be rude about it, when necessary. I know it's not pleasant to be rude, but, believe me, you will have to be sooner or later.

 

[unixman_again]

Kids slightly unplugging network leads/power leads so there is no network/computer won't power on.

Kids swapping monitor cables/mice/keyboards to other machines.

Kids chewing cables... yeah seriously. And we are secondary to sixth form, primary I can kind of understand but not years 7-13.

Kids swapping keys around, usually to spell rude words on the top line

Kids stealing space bars - a regular occurrence at my last school, and it renders the keyboard useless

Kids switching the voltage selector switch to 110V

[Meldrew]

I have just had to remote into a teacher's computer because the school e-mail system wasn't working. That translates to "I don't know how to expand the today tab in Outlook" I clicked that little triangle and all was well. In between doing jobs like that I'm planning a new domain, with fully virtualised servers, migrating exchange and everything associated with that.

 

I've had 'emails take a day to arrive, but everyone else gets them immediately' = 'today' tab closed so email only appear when its in yesterday. Had to tell the same teacher this twice in a few months.

 

Meldrew

[Sunnyknight]

Kids switching the voltage selector switch to 110V

 

Nice explosions!