SimpleSi Posted January 17, 2016 Posted January 17, 2016 A primary head of mine has moved to a MUCH bigger school that doesn't have internal class phones and he asked me about using PAYG androids both for this and as class cameras. Anyone done such as thing - I'm thinking just buy one £10 top up to get going and then just use it on WiFi from then onwards. Simon
Wubbalubbadub Posted January 17, 2016 Posted January 17, 2016 So teachers would be taking pictures? Potentially of the kids.. With phones? Is it just me that this doesn't sit right with?
elsiegee40 Posted January 17, 2016 Posted January 17, 2016 So these would have data allowance and thus operate outside school filtering and monitoring? The use of the cameras and what happened to the pictures etc would be untracked. Data and calls could be made to anyone, anywhere ... It's a safeguarding nightmare. Probably a data protection one. The short answer is no
SimpleSi Posted January 18, 2016 Author Posted January 18, 2016 The idea is to use them on school WiFi as school wireless class phones They would stay in the class They are for staff use Simon
elsiegee40 Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) The idea is to use them on school WiFi as school wireless class phones They would stay in the class They are for staff use Simon But they'd still have a SIM in... or a member of staff could put their own PAYG SIM in the phone. It is naive to assume they'd stay in the classroom. Unlike a wired phone, you can't stop someone shoving it in their pocket and taking it somewhere else; in which case it wouldn't be where it was needed to safeguard the classroom. There is also the charging problem. A wired phone is always available for use. I think you can pretty much guarantee that at least half these mobiles would be lost/have no charge at any one time Edited January 18, 2016 by elsiegee40
robk Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 If you left the SIM out and used a sip soft phone you would have a cheap WiFi phone and camera. I can see that working. No SIM so no data, everything stays on the school network 1
Chris_ Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 You could also look at using something like Meraki System Manager and make use of the geofencing function to alert you, and or disable phones if they leave a certain area (ie the school).
SimpleSi Posted January 18, 2016 Author Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) If you left the SIM out and used a sip soft phone What's a sip soft phone? @robk? And don't phones not like having a SIM in them? Simon @elsiegee40 Nice to see that your still the voice of reason and balance Edited January 18, 2016 by elsiegee40
Arthur Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 What's a sip soft phone? A VOIP app like CSipSimple. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.csipsimple 1
gady Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 Everyone and their nan has a mobile phone right in their pocket anyway. Saying it's a safeguarding issue doesn't make any sense.
SimpleSi Posted January 18, 2016 Author Posted January 18, 2016 Everyone and their nan has a mobile phone right in their pocket anyway. Saying it's a safeguarding issue doesn't make any sense. Lets keep to the technicals
SimpleSi Posted January 18, 2016 Author Posted January 18, 2016 So I'm assuming no-ones tried this out? Head says to buy a couple and see if they work out Simon
RichCowell Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 But they'd still have a SIM in... or a member of staff could put their own PAYG SIM in the phone. It's not an option I'd consider, too many potential issues as others have said... but they wouldn't need a SIM in - either just leave the SIM in to activate WhatsApp, then remove it, or stick the Pay & Go sim in another device, then you can enter the number of the Pay & Go sim and wait for a code to be sent to it by SMS, then enter the code on the handset, then you can glue the SIM trays shut... It's a bit of a faff as you have to wait a couple of minutes per-phone, but it removes the issue of people putting their own SIMs in... 1
SimpleSi Posted January 18, 2016 Author Posted January 18, 2016 What about Skype for business or UniFi? Never heard of them - there's a special Skype version for Unifi networks? Just thought of using WhatsApp as its much better quality talking to my daughter in China compared to Skype Simon
Arthur Posted January 18, 2016 Posted January 18, 2016 Never heard of them - there's a special Skype version for Unifi networks? Skype for Business was formerly known as Microsoft Lync.
NB9457 Posted January 19, 2016 Posted January 19, 2016 Never heard of them - there's a special Skype version for Unifi networks? Just thought of using WhatsApp as its much better quality talking to my daughter in China compared to Skype Simon Skype for business is free for schools, all you need is IP handsets, not too sure on which, but then you can call internally and externally, plus they're on a wire. UniFi also do VoIP handsets based on Android, think they're £130 each and they are wireless too, so why the cost is more than a cheap mobile handset, it is more professional, reliable and mainly manageable. Also the control software is free.
sidewinder Posted January 19, 2016 Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) So I'm assuming no-ones tried this out? Head says to buy a couple and see if they work out Simon Probably not, because it's a bizarre idea! Obviously it would technically work, but surely safer to have something internal only? Skype for Business would be my suggestion, that was very easy to get going assuming you have Office 365. Then just use it on the presumably existing class computers. It's what we do in areas where we don't have class phones. Or if you were going for mobile phones, even normal Skype - at least that doesnt require a phone number and thus credit like WhatsApp - the phones wouldn't need to even have SIM cards then. Edited January 19, 2016 by sidewinder
robk Posted January 19, 2016 Posted January 19, 2016 I was thinking Skype for business would do the job with voice calls etc or a sip client and something like freepbx on a raspberry pi. @SimpleSi may have one or two of those about...
SimpleSi Posted January 19, 2016 Author Posted January 19, 2016 Or if you were going for mobile phones, even normal Skype - at least that doesnt require a phone number and thus credit like WhatsApp I'll try that if the phones don't mind not having sim cards in them
robk Posted January 19, 2016 Posted January 19, 2016 I have a couple of android phones at work 30odd quid from cpc which I hope to use SIM less for digipass and was thinking of trying Skype for business on them at some point. They certainly let me power them up and look for WiFi without a SIM card. 1
sidewinder Posted January 19, 2016 Posted January 19, 2016 Yeah Android phones are fine without SIM cards 1
SimpleSi Posted January 22, 2016 Author Posted January 22, 2016 Got 2 cheap Alcatels (£30 from Carphone warehouse in Curry's) but realised I don't want to have to set up 14 different skype/google accounts! So now need an account less system - maybe just an intercom type approach
SimpleSi Posted January 22, 2016 Author Posted January 22, 2016 Has the school already got office 365? Yes - this is for inter-classroom not inter-person as such though
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