BSF Presentation today

[MK-2]

Just come out of the BSF presentation now that our bidder has been chosen.

Dear god it's hilarious.

 

The IT part consisted of showing us how desktops are not the way forward and then proceeded to show us movies of Microsofts Touch table, saying how they could be used in classrooms, built into desks. Also showing us UMPC's and tablets. Going on about how technology can be changed with things like WIFI throughout the school, whiteboards with builtin projectors and various things. Also mentioned things like using instant messaging for the kids in school, having video on demand network wide

 

The only reason we don't have many all-in-one IWB/projector solutions is because they weren't available or too pricey at the time. We have school wide wifi and given the cash, we could have bough UMPCs or tablets for the kids, but the funding was never there. So apart from cash, what exactly are you bringing to the table?

 

It was laughable, but sadly we were seen as being very negative among our group when we pointed out that our kids would demolish an MS touch surface and that streaming video on demand to 100 laptops via wireless isn't such a great idea to name but two problems.

[russdev]

Microsofts Touch table hey thats good as being that only 2/3 of them exisit in world at moment.

 

To point of reason it was not at bett is due to he fact that mr gates was using it at ces.

 

Russ

[apearce]

BSF is a load of rubbish - like you said - nothing a normal team could do at a school with a bit of money!

[MK-2]

Russ, there may be only 3 in existence, but the best comment was

"These tables with built in cable management and floor plugs mean we could build in to them the Microsoft touch thing you just saw"

 

So maybe only 3 in the world but obviously BSF have a special agreement with MS to get them at a knockdown price and mass produce them by september. maybe BSF isn't so bad!

 

[gaz350]

It was laughable, but sadly we were seen as being very negative among our group when we pointed out that our kids would demolish an MS touch surface and that streaming video on demand to 100 laptops via wireless isn't such a great idea to name but two problems.

 

We were also seen as very negative when we pointed out(sorry laughed) that wireless servers were not a good thing......

 

this was during the consultation stage of our "economy" Pathfinder School.

Edited February 29, 2008 by gaz350

[MK-2]

our one started his presentation with

 

"we are the guys who will do the ITC (kept saying that not ICT) in the school, and i just want to say, we've got it all wrong"

 

i thought that was the end of the show, i should have got up and applauded. he only meant in the way that its wrong that the school hasn't had more of an input etc etc.

 

 

then we had one architect on the stage, pull out a chair that was meant to be superb, sat down side on to us and just said 'look at the back on that' in a peter kay voice (ok he had a manchester accent but it was just like a peter kay standup).

our table nearly died laughing. especially when he showed a picture of a glass building and someone on our table said 'is that a double bed'

[SpuffMonkey]

Did anyone see the BSF section in Tuesday's Guardian - complete puff piece with no serious criticism.

[klawd]

Maybe you need to do what we try and do. That is to keep up with the tech news and latest gadgets and show them to management as soon as you see them, ie videos of CES 2008 show and the like.

 

After a while they lose the wow factor and are more impressed in how this will improve teaching and learning instead of having the latest technology.

 

Which by the time it actually reaches the UK at a decent price is often not the whizziest bangiest thing available any more.

 

Then when a company comes along and tries to sell us fancy kit, the SLT have already seen it, dismissed it and moved onto the next horizon.

 

This does of course create different problems in having to wait for the technology to catch up to where we want to be.

[russdev]

lol

 

Also seriously surface is good but no use until some good education specific software has been written for it. At the moment there isnt any but there are plans but this been held back by the fact there isnt many of the devices worldwide etc

 

Russ

Edited February 29, 2008 by russdev

[webman]

Also seriously surface is good but no use until some good education specific software has been written for it. At the moment there isnt any there are plans but this been held back by the fact there isnt many of the devices worldwide etc

 

So it's not an extreme waste of money for something there are about 16 of in each classroom (oh, sorry, classrooms are being done away with) that will get ruined within nanoseconds?

[srochford]

streaming video on demand to 100 laptops via wireless isn't such a great idea to name but two problems.

 

Has any one tried 802.11n on a biggish scale yet?

 

Just got it at home and I can now watch MPEG2 quite happily (where 802.11g was useless). Not sure how it would cope with multiple users doing video but it is designed for that sort of thing so it ought to cope.

 

Of course, the sort of people that seem to getting involved with BSF would probably end up going off at some weird tangent so we'll never find out :-(

[russdev]

sorry maybe wasn't as clear in last post as could of been.

 

At moment it waste of money and even when price came down you would have one to start of with.

 

Don't get me wrong they are good but they need to: -

 

1) Come down in price

2) Have some education specific software written for it (then they become useful).

[broc]

What you have to bear in mind is that most of these 'visionary' people designing the BSF ICT solutions for us have never worked in a school & spend all their time reading the latest PC mags.....

 

Ok, so maybe I am being a bit harsh....

 

You may even find it in yourself to feel a bit sorry for them; many of them have really good experience of the 'commercial ' sector, but have not yet come up against the most destructive force known to ICT equipment : Bored school children.

[beeswax]

Did anyone see the BSF section in Tuesday's Guardian - complete puff piece with no serious criticism.

 

Yes, I read it with some amazement, especially the school which had reached BSF standards before BSF had even been implemented. To read the article you would think that IT technicians had never been involved in this. Looked everywhere for the word technician but couldn't see it anywhere. We're being removed from the history books...

[Ruthierhyme]

Maybe you need to do what we try and do. That is to keep up with the tech news and latest gadgets and show them to management as soon as you see them, ie videos of CES 2008 show and the like.

 

After a while they lose the wow factor and are more impressed in how this will improve teaching and learning instead of having the latest technology.

 

Which by the time it actually reaches the UK at a decent price is often not the whizziest bangiest thing available any more.

 

Then when a company comes along and tries to sell us fancy kit, the SLT have already seen it, dismissed it and moved onto the next horizon.

 

This does of course create different problems in having to wait for the technology to catch up to where we want to be.

 

lol

[linuxgirlie]

We have 20 802.11n points to go out 5 have gone out so far just waiting on the electricians to put the rest out. The ones we have seem pretty good, we decided to do away with all our old ones (we only had about 3 before anyway) and have a school wide solution.

 

Jo

[apearce]

i went to see an academy school to see what they were going to do with the their IT as they had loads of money and then tried to convince them not to go out and get a third party in like RM and to get a decent team in and have them install it. BSF still won't work without a decent IT Support team.

 

If the team build the network all themselves they can support it better than anyone else.

[apearce]

could anyone scan the article for me and email me it - i would be interested in reading it.

 

Thanks

[Grommit]

i

 

If the team build the network all themselves they can support it better than anyone else.

 

Yes and if RM, Redstone, Northgate.. etc build thier own network then they support it better than anyone

;-)

[MK-2]

bonus!

just found out from people who were in the afternoon session that they showed plans of the new school and

a) we dont have an office anymore (not surprisingly, we expected that)

b) the server room will now be an external ex cleaners cupboard that faces a field. so expect break ins a plenty!

[webman]

a) Where are you supposed to work then? Oh, that's right, there is no in-house support!

 

b) Wonderful idea! I often wondered why so many schools do it wrong and have a server room actually in the school building

[Pottsey]

Always confused about this IT techs don’t have an office. Where does software, spare parts, ink all get stored? Among everything else.

[MK-2]

Always confused about this IT techs don’t have an office. Where does software, spare parts, ink all get stored? Among everything else.

 

Why would we need an actual office? Software will all probably be dealt with remotely and pushed out to clients here. Spare parts aren't needed as all machines are on 3yr warranty so will be fixed by manufacturer. Ink and toner can probably sit in same room as the servers.

You wont need a PC to work on as you probably won't have network admin access. All you'll really need is a phone to be contactable by the remote helpdesk and that's about it.

[broc]

I would imagine they will want technicians to record every microsecond spent so that they can bill the school for any 'extras'. I suppose they could issue everyone with a 'personal communicator' of some flavour (Blackberry?) so you can log & receive requests on the move, that way you would never need to sit down

[Grommit]

Why would we need an actual office? Software will all probably be dealt with remotely and pushed out to clients here. Spare parts aren't needed as all machines are on 3yr warranty so will be fixed by manufacturer. Ink and toner can probably sit in same room as the servers.

You wont need a PC to work on as you probably won't have network admin access. All you'll really need is a phone to be contactable by the remote helpdesk and that's about it.

 

But this is not Future Proofing as one of the main BSF conditions is "Future Proofing".. what happens in 5 years if the ICT comes back in-hiuse ?