Staff Laptops

[mdrabble]

In a recent staff survey, staff complained about the time taken having to log off and on including having to load programs etc..... and asked if they could have laptops instead of a fixed desktop computer in each classroom.

 

Normally I am against things like this as laptops are more susceptible to damage etc

 

But if I did look at laptops for staff - what model would you opt for?

 

Cheers

[elsiegee40]

In a recent staff survey, staff complained about the time taken having to log off and on including having to load programs etc..... and asked if they could have laptops instead of a fixed desktop computer in each classroom.

 

Normally I am against things like this as laptops are more susceptible to damage etc

 

But if I did look at laptops for staff - what model would you opt for?

 

Cheers

 

In what way would laptops fix the problem they are complaining of?

[hardtailstar]

In a recent staff survey, staff complained about the time taken having to log off and on including having to load programs etc..... and asked if they could have laptops instead of a fixed desktop computer in each classroom.

 

Normally I am against things like this as laptops are more susceptible to damage etc

 

But if I did look at laptops for staff - what model would you opt for?

 

Cheers

 

The problem might be worse over wifi.

 

Personally i'd stick with the computers in the rooms and resolve the issue with logon etc.

 

Are they old computers? SSD?

[Jawloms]

In what way would laptops fix the problem they are complaining of?

 

I assume they're talking about having their own laptop so it would be logged on as them all the time. Fixed desktops in classrooms means that if the room is used by different staff, lots of logging on and off happens.

[DrCheese]

I would hate to switch from desktops to laptops - For starters, there's no way I would still be using laptops as old as the desktop machines we have (2012) which are absolutely fine. They just wouldn't have lasted this long or have been as high spec.

 

It used to be such a faf getting laptops back in from staff for upgrades etc - Admittedly this is much better with intune/MDMs but still.

 

I would look at upgrading the desktops rather than blowing money on laptops.

[mdrabble]

Desktops are i3, 6GB RAM with SSD drives using local profiles - so logon speeds are less then 10 seconds.

 

Laptops would mean they stay logged on and can close the lid move rooms and then open the lid and carry on from where they left off.

 

I can see it from their point of view in terms of time taken loading things etc - but from a technical point of view and as other have mentioned - more things can go wrong with laptops and some staff have tunnel vision and thinking laptops are better!

 

I also think it is them thinking they can have a laptop for home use as well - as I often get mumbles about they not having laptops for home use and how it impacts on their jobs when it comes to reports etc.

 

So I am just looking at options and costings to present to SLT

[DrCheese]

You have the faff of teachers needing to cable up at the start of each lesson to use the projector. This causes headaches at the primary I help out with some rooms have HDMI, others have VGA. The laptops are the same so you have various adaptors around. Then you have teachers lose their laptop chargers also. Not to mention when they damage their laptops and require a replacement. Or someone new shows up and expects a laptop instantly.

 

It's just not worth the headache.

[hardtailstar]

I also think it is them thinking they can have a laptop for home use as well - as I often get mumbles about they not having laptops for home use and how it impacts on their jobs when it comes to reports etc.

 

Remind me how much Teachers get paid again!

 

We only have laptops and I'd much prefer desktops.

[synaesthesia]

You have the faff of teachers needing to cable up at the start of each lesson to use the projector. This causes headaches at the primary I help out with some rooms have HDMI, others have VGA. The laptops are the same so you have various adaptors around. Then you have teachers lose their laptop chargers also. Not to mention when they damage their laptops and require a replacement. Or someone new shows up and expects a laptop instantly.

 

It's just not worth the headache.

 

Modern kit eliminates the worry for that. USB C "docks", one cable to rule them all, one cable to find them, one cable to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

[PotNoodleTech]

Jeepers I wouldn't under any circumstances move from desktops to laptops - big backwards step in terms of speed reliability and usability, not to mention significantly increased total cost of ownership (which is the last thing most schools need).

 

As it is, teacher enters the room, and within ~60 seconds they're on and working. That can't really be improved upon and laptops will only make it worse. (my batteries dead, the interactive board is not working, the display has not picked up my projector, I've left my laptop at home, i dropeed it, blah blah)

[mavhc]

Always had laptops for staff here. Logging on is only the first part of setting up a lesson. Load browser, load tabs, load apps, load documents.

 

50 staff laptops over 3 years. 2 broken by students, 1 by teacher closing lid with pen.

 

Label PSUs with staff name.

 

Don't need a load of desktops in staff work room either now, just 2 for TAs

[mdrabble]

I know there are pro and cons with all solutions and the chances are this will not happen due to cost.

 

But what laptops would you pick?

[Jawloms]

Pretty much anything for around £400 per unit.

[simpsonj]

From my experience, I would recommend:

 

1, Buying laptops that have docking stations

2, Check that the docking station has the same connections as the classroom (VGA/HDMI etc)

3, Ensure that you have power adapters for each laptop, each docking station and a few spares

4, Buy batteries at the same time, as these are often the first thing to go

5, Buy a few spare laptops as well

5, Ensure that you have a renewal cycle to replace the laptops after 3-5 years

 

We use refurbished Lenovo T450s, coming in at around £250 from BIST plus a docking station (£42, with charger) from Just Laptops, who are excellent at finding the right model docking station for your needs!

 

This is the third round of staff laptops over 9 years, and we wouldn't go back to desktops. Staff find it so useful to be using the same machine at home as they do in school, and can ensure all the prep work is done in advance.

 

Staff do forget power leads, though this is less of an issue if the docking station is in place. Laptops have been damaged over the years, but nothing that can't be mitigated. As long as your leadership team understand the complete cost (I.E it's not just buying laptops for staff once, but every 3 years, and the need for spares) then it can be successful. Finally, I would recommend that IT staff have the same make and model as it helps troubleshoot issues, especially if you run into them first!

Edited January 14, 2020 by simpsonj

[simpsonj]

Oh, and make sure that you have a budget for replacement laptops, laptops for new members of staff that have just joined or interns etc

[simpsonj]

Sorry, one last thing, ensure you include the cost of laptop bags as well (around £10-15 per laptop).

[maark]

Staff like laptops because they want everything setup ready to go as soon as they enter the classroom - multiple powerpoints etc.

We have found HP 440s pretty good - some staff have surfaces - not so good - one usb, chargers die, won't always recognize docking station.

Sometimes have issues with docking stations - toshiba and kensington - we try and have one usb for staff to plug into for board, touch, visualiser, wired connection.

Make sure you but plenty of spare chargers - staff go through them at a rate of knots and leave them at home.

[Garacesh]

I couldn't imagine swapping desktops for laptops here.

 

Intrinsically with laptops you're going to run into a few issues:

• Connector degradation, they'll be getting significantly more wear as users dock/undock their laptops.
  
• Fewer upgrade and replacement possibilities. Can't just quickly swap out a dead monitor on a laptop, or add a GPU if it needs a bit more oomph.
  
• An increased risk of accidental damage or theft (though this risk also exists with tablets, so YMMV)
  
• WiFi being slower than LAN
  
• Edit: Batteries
  

 

I appreciate the appeal of 'close the lid, move to a new room, put your password back in and pick up where you were', but we have file shares, homedrives and GPO's to create a unified user experience for that.

 

And then you've got the Layer 8 issues to consider..

• Forgetting the charger or laptop itself
  
• Leaving it on the roof of your car/resting it behind your car wheel as you put stuff in the back and running it over (yes, we genuinely had that happen...)
  
• Sense of entitled ownership ('No, this is my laptop, you can't use it!) whereas desktops are much more obviously school/shared equipment
  
• Non-work use, letting their sprogs play games and fill the keyboard up with gunk, etc.
  

 

It's a no from me.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Garacesh

[mavhc]

What you really want are laptops that charge via USB-C, but they keep refusing to add that as standard, unless they're Chromebooks when Google forces them to.

 

1 USB docking station for power, smartboard, screen, speakers is great, and a standard so not stuck with any one model.

 

The HP Probook 440 G4s we've used have been good, but lack most USB-C features. When HP did £200 trade in they were £274, now £374

 

Lacking DVD drives may be an issue.

[synaesthesia]

There are plenty enough proper USBC enabled laptops to do that - Lenovo, HP and Dell all do them. Personal preference are the Dells, I just love the latitudes.

[simpsonj]

 

Lacking DVD drives may be an issue.

 

Ah, yes, the Lenovo T450 doesn't have a DVD drive. We bought in USB DVD Drives for those that needed them and attached them to the dock.

 

At my school, staff love having a laptop. They make meetings, both internal, external and with parents, much easier. Training is easier as everyone can bring their laptop to the training and either make notes, or carry out guided tutorials there and then, rather than waiting until they get to the classroom. It enables staff to work from home, especially for those that don't have their own PC, or where it is impractical (family PC etc).

 

I get why, from an IT standpoint, laptops for staff aren't an attractive prospect. Desktops are a simpler solution to manage, far less likely to be damaged, and cheaper to repair/upgrade. But I would argue that a teacher's IT needs aren't just based in the classroom, and having access to lesson plans, meeting notes, emails etc from anywhere in the school is very useful. Therefore, from a teaching and learning point of view, I think laptops are the better bet.*

 

*As long as they are fully supported financially and the drawbacks are made clear and mitigated, wherever possible, right from the start.

[Garacesh]

But I would argue that a teacher's IT needs aren't just based in the classroom, and having access to lesson plans, meeting notes, emails etc from anywhere in the school is very useful. Therefore, from a teaching and learning point of view, I think laptops are the better bet.

I mean, that's why we have staff rooms..?

But to be fair we're quite lucky that we have 7 staff rooms around the building, each with 3-5 computers each. I appreciate not every school has the capacity for that.

[DrBeaker]

The logoff and logon process is how web filtering works, drives get mapped, policies for users v computers get applied etc.

 

How would having laptops solve this problem? Desktops are quieter, more powerful, cheaper to upgrade, support more external displays etc.

 

Someone mentioned today a computer was "Slow" when it logged on in under 2x mins - on an 8-year old HP 8200 with 8GB RAM and SSD. What do you expect? That's fine compared to the 20x min login time and unusable machines I had when I first started here. The brand new Dells we've got are under 1x min if that. By the time I've started my stopwatch they're already logged on.

 

Surely the cost of laptops versus PCs should be enough of an argument?

 

What about loss of data on a laptop?

What about loss of kit?

What happens if a teacher has their laptop and is off sick? That's then up to IT to solve the problem, which isn't right in my book.

 

The list goes on...

[DrBeaker]

...

It used to be such a faf getting laptops back in from staff for upgrades etc - Admittedly this is much better with intune/MDMs but still.

 

I would look at upgrading the desktops rather than blowing money on laptops.

 

Geofencing through an MDM app would potentially lock them down to work /site only? Don't know of any MDM that can do this?

 

...I can see it from their point of view in terms of time taken loading things etc - but from a technical point of view and as other have mentioned - more things can go wrong with laptops and some staff have tunnel vision and thinking laptops are better!

 

I also think it is them thinking they can have a laptop for home use as well - as I often get mumbles about they not having laptops for home use and how it impacts on their jobs when it comes to reports etc....

 

Factually teachers get paid a LOT more than support staff. So if I can afford a laptop for work/BYOD as support staff, I cannot see why someone on a higher salary cannot. IMHO that point can't really be argued by teachers, despite what people believe.

 

Some teachers do have a sense of entitlement that as part of their job, they get a laptop/mobile device etc. I don't know where this comes from.

 

LOT of good points mentioned here already. - bags, mice, keyboards etc.

AFAIC it's not the responsibility of the school to provide devices for staff to use at home. If the school-owned device works at the school site and within the working hours of the school, that's what we're paid for, not getting it working on your home network.

e.g. I've said here that if a remote control fails through wear and tear, we'll replace it. If it's lost, damaged or stolen that comes out of your faculty budget.

[jhothersall]

We went for Dell Latitude 5500 with WD16 Docks. We have 80 laptops (5 spare) and spare 60 docks (5 spare).

 

We use them with DirectAccess for remote access to Sims.net, it does work. I use this app https://12noon.com/?page_id=641 to setup res and dual monitors (works with a bat file).

 

We did all this in summer, and so far so good. Still a few issues, but overall not that bad. PM me if you want a chat,