Local IT admin groups?

[FishCustard]

Not sure where this should go - feel free to move if there's somewhere better.

 

Having looked around for a local "IT technician/manager/dogsbody" group and not finding one, I was wondering whether such things still exist. I recall going to some years ago, and know they still exist for Data Managers and similar positions.

 

There's the ANME, of course, which I'm a member of, but I'm talking local meetings for sharing best-practices, "here's how I solved this", trialling technologies that other schools have, etc.

 

If not, I'm very tempted to start one. No idea how I'd go about promoting it though other than emailing other local schools (which I wouldn't actually do - schools get far too much promo-mail as it is!!).

[DrBeaker]

THIS seems to be the problem with IT in schools. You seem to either:

 

* be a member of a big MAT with a big IT team

* a tech with Network manager

* a tech who has RM support

* or simply by yourself.

 

I've found though that means:

 

* No-one to bounce ideas off

* No-one to double-check anything

* No second opinons etc.

 

 

Then again, I've worked with some people who are that useless or unfriendly you might as well work by yourself!

[hardtailstar]

I thought about doing that for my local area years ago and didn't. There still isn't anything.

[stevejp]

Not sure where this should go - feel free to move if there's somewhere better.

 

Having looked around for a local "IT technician/manager/dogsbody" group and not finding one, I was wondering whether such things still exist. I recall going to some years ago, and know they still exist for Data Managers and similar positions.

 

There's the ANME, of course, which I'm a member of, but I'm talking local meetings for sharing best-practices, "here's how I solved this", trialling technologies that other schools have, etc.

 

If not, I'm very tempted to start one. No idea how I'd go about promoting it though other than emailing other local schools (which I wouldn't actually do - schools get far too much promo-mail as it is!!).

 

I'd start small and let it grow over time - phone the nearest school, ask for the IT manager/NM/ senior tech and suggest a chat (adding the phrase 'after work over a pint' often has the desired effect...!). Then, using the same technique, a group of two becomes a group of four and so on. You'll never get everyone on board, but starting it off as a semi-social group might be the best way forward. That's how we got all the local music teachers together when I first started teaching ( years ago!) - many of us are still close friends now, and often help each other out.

Would your head be amenable to hosting meetings at your school, occasionally? These things sometimes founder for lack of a regular base.

Edited May 30, 2019 by stevejp

[FishCustard]

I'd start small and let it grow over time - phone the nearest school, ask for the IT manager/NM/ senior tech and suggest a chat (adding the phrase 'after work over a pint' often has the desired effect...!). Then, using the same technique, a group of two becomes a group of four and so on. You'll never get everyone on board, but starting it off as a semi-social group might be the best way forward. That's how we got all the local music teachers together when I first started teaching ( years ago!) - many of us are still close friends now, and often help each other out.

Would your head be amenable to hosting meetings at your school, occasionally? These things sometimes founder for lack of a regular base.

 

Yeah, this is the kind of thing I was thinking of doing.

 

We hire out rooms commercially, so I'm sure the HT wouldn't mind us hosting (I'd be happy to pay the commercial rates, which are pretty good, but she'd probably just let us use a meeting room after school anyway).

[howartp]

EduGeek.net - Forums has local groups in North Yorkshire and Cornwall.

 

I'm a mod in North Yorkshire; as a county we hold "Network Manager" meetings (open to all IT leaders/techs in whatever job title they use at their school) approximately half-termly. We vary between moving around schools, to meeting centrally in Ripon/Northallerton.

 

Attendance varies between 6 and 25 depending on date/time, location, and who we have speaking. Smoothwall and NyNET are regulars, as our county providers, plus we've had Sophos in recently as we're migrating to Central.

 

Also broadcast the meeting on Skype for those in the extremes of the county who don't fancy a 3 hour journey to the meeting!

[mikes]

Technicians Anonymous

"Hello everybody, My name is Michael and I'm a school technician. I carry this burden on me wherever I go"

[Sylv3r]

Our LA used to host NM meetings but they weren't particuarly well attended and there was a reqirement that you must have signed up to X, Y and Z, SLA's in order to attend - as and when schools got more autonomy to move away from the LA the meetings just stopped.

 

I started a new group and at times we had 20+ members coming along, but due to time commitments and planning venue's, agenda's etc. I decided to give it up and agreed with the LA that they would once again start to host the meeting. It started back up again and numbers were healthy although it's now been a year or so since the last meeting - not sure what has happened.

 

We now have a slack group, with various channels for the local NM's / Technicians and although it has 42 members there's probably a core 6 - 8 people who post reguarly (daily). It's been a great sounding board and has given people the opportunity to share ideas, best practice as well as have a moan !

 

It might be worth looking at setting up something similar in your area, then your not having to arrange something formal but still a place for the local NM's to hang out.

[FishCustard]

Now you're thinking with portals - I like that idea and will look into it.