College closure contingency plan

[DaveA]

Hi All,

I have been asked to put together a contingency plan for the event of college closure and the leadership team want to know about how we could still carry out teaching using something like webinars. Has anyone got any suggestions of what would be best to suggest?

Thanks

Dave.

[robyholmes]

Teams or Google Classroom?

[paulkerton]

Microsoft Teams or Google Classroom would be your best bet. Teams might be more mature for video conferencing as it has Skype. Hangouts Meet is missing a few features (students can kick each other for example on Meet) though if you pay for the Enterprise version, you can do view only live streams with it. Edited March 3, 2020 by paulkerton

[TechMonkey]

Does your phone system have a webinar feature? 3CX has one built in that can do click start webinars without the need to have an installer, all web based.

 

But Teams/Hangouts are probably your best bet for simplicity.

[paulkerton]

Microsoft Teams or Google Classroom would be your best bet. Teams might be more mature for video conferencing as it has Skype. Hangouts Meet is missing a few features (students can kick each other for example on Meet) though if you pay for the Enterprise version, you can do view only live streams with it.

Just an update for anyone who finds this thread - the Enterprise class version of Hangouts Meet is being made available to all G Suite tenancies at no additional cost till 1st July (in the current instance, who knows if it'll need to be extended) as part of Google's response to Coronavirus.

 

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/g-suite/helping-businesses-and-schools-stay-connected-in-response-to-coronavirus

[john]

Microsoft are doing something similar due to the Virus - https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/3/21163744/google-microsoft-free-access-coronavirus-google-hangouts-meet-teams

 

Also Cisco giving away WebEx free due to it - https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/cisco-offers-free-webex-licenses-to-deal-with-coronavirus

 

LogMeIn also doing some bundles for free - https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/logmein-offers-free-emergency-remote-work-kits-following-coronavirus

Edited March 4, 2020 by john

[zendenTechy]

I wish my school was forward thinking enough to even ask me!

[paulkerton]

I wish my school was forward thinking enough to even ask me!

They're bound to, and they're going to want answers faster than you can produce them. So get preparing now.

[john]

I wish my school was forward thinking enough to even ask me!

 

It always varies, I work in business and neither Legal or IT were consulted by management initially they made some sweeping thoughts based on what they though was right then enacted an internal data collection exercise which pushes the limits on being acceptable by our privacy policy and even GDPR... the air was quite blue that day and we are still battling some level of stupidity with them so its honestly frustrating but no better in other places!

[TTG_Alice]

3CX has features to host webinars without downloading software for other user

[GrumbleDook]

Where you are making use of a service for free...

Please, please, please make sure you read the T&Cs, that the school is established as the data controller, that you have evaluated their privacy policy/DSA, that you are clear what happens with the data and that closing it all down is easy, including removing any and all data.

[Andycat]

We've trialed using Firefly and Zoom quite successfully here. Already got both, and students have iPads already. Phone system can be set to forward to mobiles etc (ie for me, so not everyone gets my mobile, just uses the office number). Seem to be as ready as we could be for a low chance scenario of forced closure without going over the top or having to trial/but new stuff!

[paulkerton]

We've trialed using Firefly and Zoom quite successfully here. Already got both, and students have iPads already. Phone system can be set to forward to mobiles etc (ie for me, so not everyone gets my mobile, just uses the office number). Seem to be as ready as we could be for a low chance scenario of forced closure without going over the top or having to trial/but new stuff!

 

Whilst I agree the chances of a forced closure (by the Government) is low, because the PM has already indicated we might just have to, in reference to the virus "suck it up", I think parents pulling children out of school based on rumours, and conjectures and someone being infected - therefore schools taking the decision to make a closure because of the effect in regards to attendance figures definitely cannot be ruled out.