You guys won't be happy... this week's BSF letters in Computing

[gshaw]

Dunno who has the 8th May issue of Computing but both letters are pro BSF, criticising school IT teams \ systems, bit of pre-warning for when you guys open the letters page!

[Quackers]

You mean these?

 

 

Letters to the editor - a blog from computing.co.uk

 

That one makes me laugh,

 

"It makes me smile when I hear of IT innovation being stifled in schools. Just talk to the countless teachers who have had their ideas rejected because of endless firewall issues, security risks or apparent incompatibilities"

 

This person will be in for a shock in a BSF School.

[Ravening_Wolf]

Just talk to the countless teachers who have had their ideas

 

Lol - I'd like to talk to just one!

[GlennT]

hmmmm .... seems ironic that most of our plans for innovation have been stifled by our local LA because of the same "problems"!

 

"It makes me smile when I hear of IT innovation being stifled in schools. Just talk to the countless teachers who have had their ideas rejected because of endless firewall issues, security risks or apparent incompatibilities."

 

As for "It is not just old schools that need rebuilding, it is time to build a new, professional IT workforce in schools." Well quite frankly I'm gobsmacked!!

[broc]

An ex IT advisor... says it all really.

 

Them's that can, do; them's that cannot, teach; them's that cannot teach, teach teachers........

 

I will go now.

[browolf]

you'd think it'd be cheaper to make IT a part of the ofsted inspection.

[broc]

That one makes me laugh,

 

"It makes me smile when I hear of IT innovation being stifled in schools. Just talk to the countless teachers who have had their ideas rejected because of endless firewall issues, security risks or apparent incompatibilities"

 

This person will be in for a shock in a BSF School.

 

Firewalls - LA responsibility (at least at my school) took 2 weeks to get a port unblocked.

 

Security risks - teachers who won't lock their screens when leaving their laptops unnattended, or write their passwords down & leave them in their desk drawers, or allow students to use their laptops unsupervised, no wonder Network Managers are paranoid

 

Apparent incompatibilities - software written by ex-teachers & ICT advisors that expect full local admin rights, were never tested on a network, or were written when Windows 3.1 was in vogue.

[gshaw]

Knew it'd cause some debate, seems rather one sided maybe the magazine wants to get responses to fuel the fire

[GrumbleDook]

Colin makes a valid point though ... there are plenty of schools out there that are not up to scratch and hiding our heads in the sand about that is foolhardy ...

 

We may not like the methods, but can we argue with the goals?

 

Those who know Colin will understand that he is not saying this blindly but from bitter experience of trying to help out other schools.

[GrumbleDook]

you'd think it'd be cheaper to make IT a part of the ofsted inspection.

 

This is one of my biggest gripes ... that although there is guidance in the for of the IT infrastructure docs from Becta, FITS, plenty of guidance out there about DPA, FoIA, budgetting, etc ... there is nothing that inspects it.

 

A company that does inspect to a level that the SSAT is happy with will charge to do so and then give feedback, but a number of members have rubbished that idea previously (though some members have also taken up the offer and are happy with it), but it is not an official Govt sanctioned inspection such as FMSiS, Healthy Schools, etc ...

 

*This* is what is missing ... but I think that many of us would not like this either.

[broc]

I am sure most of us can counter the lack of innovation 'myth'.

 

A recent example of innovation at my school, albeit on a small scale.

 

A teacher (HOD) comes to me and says she wants a scanner in every classroom in her dept so staff can (in real-time) scan student work & display it on their IWB so they can highlight & annotate it & discuss it in class. Now most people in IT would realise that flatbed scanners are not the fastest beasts on the planet & the time to scan, save & present the results would do nothing for lesson flow..... so what happened?

 

If I had been the sort of NM described by the letter writers I would have said "no, cannot do it, tooo slow etc etc ..... & rubbished the teachers idea"

 

But no, being the professional I am, I researched a solution (visualiser), obtained a 'loan' device from a supplier, set it up, demonstrated it & the school bought 5.

 

Net result, happy HOD, teachers & the students love it too.

[Joanne]

*This* is what is missing ... but I think that many of us would not like this either.

 

surely people would like it to prove what a good job they do?

[hotwired007]

Firewalls - LA responsibility (at least at my school) took 2 weeks to get a port unblocked.

 

Security risks - teachers who won't lock their screens when leaving their laptops unnattended, or write their passwords down & leave them in their desk drawers, or allow students to use their laptops unsupervised, no wonder Network Managers are paranoid

 

Apparent incompatibilities - software written by ex-teachers & ICT advisors that expect full local admin rights, were never tested on a network, or were written when Windows 3.1 was in vogue.

 

2 weeks? lucky beggar... i have to wait 28 working days........ ;!?@#:

 

everything else is sooo true... then again its also the same in corporate environments... BUT then you get chief execs with little or no computer knowlege wanting DOMAIN ADMIN rights because they think it will help them...

 

i think of IT like a garage... and computers like a car... you'd never leave your car unlocked with the keys in the ignition and the engine running when you go into the shops right?

 

WHY OH WHY DO YOU LEAVE YOUR PC UNLOCKED AND LOGGED IN! Then wonder why the computer is fudged after some young scrote has come along and played havoc with it...

 

the rants i could carry on with... lol...

[GrumbleDook]

I strongly disagree with John Jones though ... my response is below.

 

I find it shameful that a person in this position would apportion blame to technical staff in schools but fail to mention the years of poor leadership and direction from Local Authorities when it comes to strategic leadership of ICT.

 

Surely if Local Authorities were engaging with schools (as some are) and helping schools move forward to sustainable models of IT which has significant impact on T&L, Leadership and Management, and achievement & attainment in schools comments like this would not be able to be made?

 

We should try supporting our technical staff in schools, after all, these are likely to be the same people providing the support in the schools anyway, just under a different company name and having to respond based on company and contractual protocol rather than the directives of the senior leaders in the school.

[CyberNerd]

This is one of my biggest gripes ... that although there is guidance in the for of the IT infrastructure docs from Becta, FITS, plenty of guidance out there about DPA, FoIA, budgetting, etc ... there is nothing that inspects it.

 

A company that does inspect to a level that the SSAT is happy with will charge to do so and then give feedback, but a number of members have rubbished that idea previously (though some members have also taken up the offer and are happy with it), but it is not an official Govt sanctioned inspection such as FMSiS, Healthy Schools, etc ...

 

*This* is what is missing ... but I think that many of us would not like this either.

 

I predict the downsides will be opposition from teaching unions (more targets, KPI's, etc).

As long as the inspection was based upon the functional/technical specification boxes rather than how the inspector was feeling that day then this is the way forward in my opinion.

[GrumbleDook]

As a ex-LA IT consultant then he would know that Council IT Teams are far more demanding of security than we are ... they can be veritable jobsworths ... and I don't begrudge them that when I think about some of the systems they have to work with and integrate ... most of us would come across as bleeding heart liberals to that lot! Give staff laptops that can be used off-site? You want software to do what?

[broc]

It has been mentioned before, but I suspect a more cost-effective alternative to the BSF managed services juggernaut would be some form of 'inspectorate' given responsibility to ensure schools were

 

a) adequately funded & resourced in ICT

b) had an agreed ICT strategy with measurable goals & targets

c) able to ensure the funding was spent effectively in following the school ICT strategy

d) kept the SLT/SMT on 'course' to avoid ICT money & resources being deflected elsewhere

 

The trouble is the closest we have been to this in the past has been when the LAs have been involved & for many schools that has not been a happy experience either.

[GrumbleDook]

I predict the downsides will be opposition from teaching unions (more targets, KPI's, etc).

As long as the inspection was based upon the functional/technical specification boxes rather than how the inspector was feeling that day then this is the way forward in my opinion.

 

So ... if I was to form a qango that inspected your school based on the Functional and Technical specifications for IT Infrastructure, measured you on your closeness to the adoption of FITS, examined your schools short and long term plans for sustainability, cross-examined your policies and procedures, and then check that there was a minimum of no negative impact on T&L, Leadership and Management, or Achievement and Attainment, cross-referencing it against your development plan, SEF, and OFSTED inspections you would be happy?

[CyberNerd]

So ... if I was to form a qango that inspected your school based on the Functional and Technical specifications for IT Infrastructure, measured you on your closeness to the adoption of FITS, examined your schools short and long term plans for sustainability, cross-examined your policies and procedures, and then check that there was a minimum of no negative impact on T&L, Leadership and Management, or Achievement and Attainment, cross-referencing it against your development plan, SEF, and OFSTED inspections you would be happy?

 

Yes. Very happy. 99% of our problems are caused by poor planning and lack of leadership. Any form of accountability would be most welcome.

[GrumbleDook]

Yes. Very happy. 99% of our problems are caused by poor planning and lack of leadership. Any form of accountability would be most welcome.

 

Would your school leadership be happy with this though, even if it finds fault with their leadership?

[Grommit]

You mean these?

 

Letters to the editor - a blog from computing.co.uk

 

 

Dear Colin you are a schmuck..... you rattle on about the 24/7 school as if we ICT Managers know nothing about it....

 

Yes Colin... most of us are on the ball and are leading with the new diploma's with the 24/7 access required by students and are installing or subscribing to County controlled VLE's..

 

So Colin please go away and not prattle on about what you know nothing about...

[broc]

So ... if I was to form a qango that inspected your school based on the Functional and Technical specifications for IT Infrastructure, measured you on your closeness to the adoption of FITS, examined your schools short and long term plans for sustainability, cross-examined your policies and procedures, and then check that there was a minimum of no negative impact on T&L, Leadership and Management, or Achievement and Attainment, cross-referencing it against your development plan, SEF, and OFSTED inspections you would be happy?

 

I think any self-respecting IT professional who cared about the job they were doing would have to go along with this;

 

I would add lack/inconsistency of funding to the "poor planning & lack of leadership" identified by cybernerd as prime causes of ICT related problems in schools too.

 

In my opinion, Ofsted does not pay enough attention to ICT, I suspect most inspectors are not adequately trained/experienced to scrutinise ICT very closely.

[CyberNerd]

Would your school leadership be happy with this though, even if it finds fault with their leadership?

 

No. they are accountable to no-one and want to keep it that way.

[Diello]

Would your school leadership be happy with this though, even if it finds fault with their leadership?

 

They don't like OFSTED either... neither do teachers... it's a necessary evil of the job. Doubt many of us like paying Council Tax either...

 

I'd much prefer a team of people who understand schools' IT come in and make sure I'm providing the necessary services to an acceptable standard to the school - with a large eye on FITS & the institutional infrastructures - then the BSF vision of "You want to get paid less by working in the Public Sector? O, you must be c**p then".

 

Seriously, straw-poll here: Either - a) Tony, Russ, A N "Headteacher that understand IT" (they do exist, mine's one) come into your school to make sure you're doing a good job ala OFSTED, or BSF - which do we think is going to be the best for the school? I should hope the answer is obvious!

[GrumbleDook]

No. they are accountable to no-one and want to keep it that way.

 

And there lies the problem.

 

Some might view BSF as a way of taking the issue away from leaders in schools who know bugger all about IT ... the problem lies with the fact that many are not happy about who it is going to instead (LA / commercial company)