Anyone here work at an "outstanding" school and uses FROG as their vle?

[Sam_Brown]

Even better if you were a "good" school and then were promoted to "outstanding" after you implemented frog.

[elsiegee40]

Governor at an outstanding (3 times in succession) school with Moodle

[Sam_Brown]

Any chance of a look at one of the moodle implementations to see what it looks like?

 

Sam

[elsiegee40]

Will see what I can do

[Irazmus]

You could always have a look at the Open University's OpenLearn site [http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/] which is based on Moodle.

[Sam_Brown]

elsiegee40: Thank you that would be really helpful. Just send me a PM is you have any success.

 

Irazmus: Thanks for the heads up I'll take a look at that now.

 

Thanks guys

 

Sam

[Dom_]

I used to: The Mirfield Free Grammar and Sixth Form

[timzim]

There's a nice PowerPoint demo of OpenLearn at: Introduction to OpenLearn.

[alan-d]

Outstanding plus 2 Specialisms but with Moodle.

[Hawkeyez]

Outstanding here, again with Moodle

Currently 1 specialism

[Sam_Brown]

I see a pattern emerging here.

 

With the peple who have had sucess with moodle what Parent Portal are you looking to implement?

[Hawkeyez]

We are (slowly) going down the route of Sims Learning Gateway. The system "works" as it should, but find the consolidation of the Sims/AD accounts the only really "inset" issue.

 

Had a few members of staff use from home to do reports, which they seemed to like, as they previously couldn't since moving from Bromcom to Sims.net

 

The is more of a push this year (Year 2) to get parents connected to have the abilty (if the want to!) to get attendance and report data.

 

Gary

[alan-d]

I see a pattern emerging here.

 

With the peple who have had sucess with moodle what Parent Portal are you looking to implement?

 

SIMs Learning Gateway Using a hosted solution for now and just about to get a select few parents to trial it.

[robins]

Aspiring to be both outstanding and a Frog school. More prospect of the later as it can be purchased for £20k, though inconveniently will also rely on everyone getting on board to be successful.

[Sam_Brown]

Where are people finding FROG for only 20k?

 

We've been quoted 25k for the VLE and 30k for FROG with the parent portal.

[jumpinjamez]

I dont think the choice of VLE is the issue its the drive from SMT and the implentation of them that is the key to success.

[timzim]

I dont think the choice of VLE is the issue its the drive from SMT and the implentation of them that is the key to success.

 

Try using Fronter then see if you still feel the same...

[danIT]

I think Frog charge 5k for there custom design, so 20k without it.

[Quackers]

Where are people finding FROG for only 20k?

 

We've been quoted 25k for the VLE and 30k for FROG with the parent portal.

 

I've just spat my coffee out. People are spending these kinds of money on VLE's and Parent Portals

[timzim]

Fronter is 20k a year! We can't even afford coffee anymore

[robins]

Where are people finding FROG for only 20k?

 

We've been quoted 25k for the VLE and 30k for FROG with the parent portal.

 

That sounds right. Yes - its the custom design and options like parent portal and secure gateway that hype the cost. Running costs are fair though and unlike other VLEs, if you stop paying them then the box that you've bought and host locally and all the software/content are your in perpetuity. Nice to know when the ICT .com spending spree bubble finally bursts.

[Devontechie]

I agree with Jumpinjamez, if you haven't got the drive from SMT, the teachers wont do anything. I've found it hard to get staff to use any VLE.

 

Steve

 

I dont think the choice of VLE is the issue its the drive from SMT and the implentation of them that is the key to success.

[Jamo]

Fronter is 20k a year! We can't even afford coffee anymore

 

20K a year?!? Blimey, out of interest, how are you finding using Fronter? Is it slow? We have issues left right and centre with the fact that its slow, laggy and keeps making our Smartcache error

[moriartythemundane]

I dont think the choice of VLE is the issue its the drive from SMT and the implentation of them that is the key to success.

 

Spot on!

Had this conversation not an hour ago with a deputy...GIGO...garbage in.... garbage out...

 

You need a strong leader to implement it. Staff that will follow it, training for those who need it and the hardest part in my opinion...the P45's for those that fight against it!

Only then will it succeed at our school...sadly!

[timzim]

20K a year?!? Blimey, out of interest, how are you finding using Fronter? Is it slow? We have issues left right and centre with the fact that its slow, laggy and keeps making our Smartcache error

 

It's terminally slow:rip: (apparently the content is hosted in Norway) and the support has also been fairly diabolical for us. Didn't help that the support engineer I've been dealing with is based in Australia so there's little chance of him getting back the same day.

 

Because of the slowness, editing pages is unbelievably rubbish - it can take up to 30 seconds to refresh a page and some page edits require six or seven page refreshes to complete (e.g. click 'Edit', refresh, choose from drop down box, refresh, etc, etc). I was getting so mad with the waiting that I got the school to employ someone else to do all Fronter editing before I broke something or went completely barmy.

 

While I'm having a moan I might as well add: every Fronter webpage looks like it was designed in 1992 (ooh, green ComicSans on a red background), you cannot get Fronter to change anything (despite all the promises), and there is no way I, as Administrator, can view the contents of any user's webfolder, so the kids can use Fronter as a great contraband store unless you disable their webfolder, which kind of defeats the object of a VLE, IMHO.

 

Value for money!