Indestructable mice wanted!!

[markman]

Does anyone know of a brand of mice that can't be dismantled within 30 seconds!!!

 

We had mice with balls and the nicked the balls, we put in opticals and now they just pull off the buttons

[openhgs]

A bit OTT perhaps http://www.devlin.co.uk/keyboards/ksr067.html?gclid=CKGAv7P3i5ACFRbOEAodL1bOGA

[tech_guy]

We superglue the balls in on that type of mouse. Optical mice - we buy the cheapest because we know the little bleeders will wreck them anyway.

[markman]

We do glue them, the either cut it off at the cable or just wreck it anyway.

[stephenleak]

Zero tolerance.

 

If its a classroom PC, which should be supervised, bill the relevant pupil/parent/teacher/department for the replacement at "commercial" rates, ie. the RRP of the mouse + £40 per hour or part thereof. CCTV is worth its weight in gold pressed latinum. Now we have our "on site" policeman back again, if I can identlfy the pupil, I will also refer the matter to him as "criminal damage".

 

If its a "public" PC. like in the library (altho' we are getting an camera and spyware for these too), I remove the rest of the PC: as my users obviously don't want to use it, I have to respect their decision. Whilst EduGeek and I would never condone vigilante justice, the problem soon gets sorted, and the PC can be replaced.

 

We now have all Dell kit, so I stick with their optical mice (badge engineered Logitech Pilots and as close as I've found to being indestructible. With my brand-conscious users, I've noted that it is the non-matching mice that seem to get abused the most.

 

I've also taken to plugging the mice into the front USB ports. Then, if and when they get unplugged, the kids don't have to muck around with the back of the system unit.

[markman]

How many chools use CCTV in ICT suites? Also has there been any resistance? I have mentioned this in the past to stop vandalism but I come accross oppostion.

 

Last person caught got a 'real ear bashing' according to the teacher. We do need to catcha and bring to justice the little £$%?$%, but the teaching staff need to be more vigilant.

[mrbios]

The biggest problem with this is teachers are a useless detereant (SP?) and we've asked time and time again but were constantly told its not aloud to put CCTV in the classrooms, its been aloud in the library due to kids using it during lunch and things have been stolen in the past

 

though admitedly damage has gone down ALOT since we upgraded the network, the primary time for kids to break things seems to be when there bored waiting for the computers to do something, speeding up the network as a whole has fixed at least 50% of our damage problems

 

the only rooms that get damage is when its not an IT teacher using the room, but getting the other brainless fools to check the rooms before and after is like trying to ask a hamster to sit still, its just not going to happen

[stephenleak]

How many chools use CCTV in ICT suites? Also has there been any resistance? I have mentioned this in the past to stop vandalism but I come accross oppostion.

 

Last person caught got a 'real ear bashing' according to the teacher. We do need to catcha and bring to justice the little £$%?$%, but the teaching staff need to be more vigilant.

 

Well we do and we're just a humble LEA city secondary - not Eaton or Harrow, but Bash Street with mobile 'phones. It was here when I arrived, so I cannot comment about resistance. If you don't have cameras to identify the pupil, then all you can do is bill the teacher or department who last used the room - that should soon increase their vigilance and maybe even get them "onside" for the cameras!

 

A PC is an integrated system - I recognise no difference between breaking a mouse and trashing the entire thing.

[markman]

Cover / supply staff are a nightmare I agree. You might as well have a cardboard cutout

[Linfit]

We use CCTV in IT suites and rooms which have more than one or two computers. We have had no resistance to this, mainly I think because the teachers who use the rooms understand the usefulness of being able to capture vandals on camera. Also, we monitor these cameras ourselves in the IT office (they are Axis IP cameras) and they are not part of the main CCTV system which is monitored by SMT and Site Staff. We are also careful to mount the cameras so that they are clearly looking at the computers and not surveiling the whole room as such.

 

In fact we get little vandalism these days, and I think the presence of the cameras has had a deterrent effect. The cameras these days are mainly used for checking if pupils are in rooms when they shouldn't be.

[joe90bass]

the only rooms that get damage is when its not an IT teacher using the room, but getting the other brainless fools to check the rooms before and after is like trying to ask a hamster to sit still, its just not going to happen

 

Exactly! I'm putting policies in place with the Head of IT for our new school, we're going down the route of billing faculties directly for replacing any damaged kit. It'll soon get them taking responsibility for their IT equipment.

 

I do like the thought of those keyboards openhgs listed! Wonder how much they are.........

[stephenleak]

Cover / supply staff are a nightmare I agree. You might as well have a cardboard cutout

 

Don't get me started. One day I will try to bill one of them, as well as the pupil.

 

You have got to come down hard on this sort of thing. How would it be dealt with in a work environment?

[PEO]

It comes down to poor classroom management imo. I've attached a memo that was sent out recently to the staff who use our maths computer suite. so far its be looked after much better.

memo_re_use_of_maths_ict_resource_centre.doc

[openhgs]

We have CCTV in the ICT suites.

[witch]

One school I heard of issued a mouse to each pupil - no mouse, no lesson - detention!!

[mrbios]

One school I heard of issued a mouse to each pupil - no mouse, no lesson - detention!!

 

we do a similar thing in one room, the science dept have there own room with 14pcs, they take the mice away at the end of the lesson and have to give them back at the end of the lesson, as there putting them into the bag'o'mice they get checked