Dos_Box Posted January 26, 2011 Author Posted January 26, 2011 Not saying it's false but sez who? Based on what? And has it been formally verified by the Guinness World Records? Actually I said we have the best IT equipped schools in the world, and we, in the UK do. The official ratio of pupils-to-computers is 5-1, ut according to Ray Fleming at Microsoft it is in fact closer to 3-1. The country with the next largest pupil to computer ratio is the US with 12-1. Its jst a shame the education secretary wants to stuff it up. In the UK we are in the best position globally to produce a generation that can not only support, but advance this increasingy IT centric world, but instead we are to regress to the kind of education system my parents had. What's the point of educating kids in the mid 20th century for them to have to live and work in the 21st century? /rant off 1
GrumbleDook Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 The last set of figures I can get to quickly (2009 Harnessing Technology Review) has the ratio as 6.6 in Primary and 4.2 in Secondary but that does not take into account handheld devices or games based devices, so it is closer to Ray's figures (he was talking about Secondary at the time). We are likely to see those figures drop officially as schools will not be able to include student owned devices in there, but in some places, if you include student owned devices, you will start getting 2:1 ... or even better.
PiqueABoo Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 What's the point of educating kids in the mid 20th century for them to have to live and work in the 21st century? Thing is, it was only last year that we had Current ICT and Computer Science in schools - damaging to UK’s future economic prospects (doubtless discussed here somewhere), bemoaning how profligate and usually adept use of IT, gadgets etc.. is not translating into kids studying computing, which is apparently necessary if you have ambitions to advance that IT centric world.
PiqueABoo Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 The last set of figures I'm happy to accept ratios of 5:1 or higher because that's what I see. But there is a serious quantity vs. quality aspect.
GrumbleDook Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 Thing is, it was only last year that we had Current ICT and Computer Science in schools - damaging to UK’s future economic prospects (doubtless discussed here somewhere), bemoaning how profligate and usually adept use of IT, gadgets etc.. is not translating into kids studying computing, which is apparently necessary if you have ambitions to advance that IT centric world. You might find the following video interesting as to why there is this disjointed view about technology is good/bad in education. The paper should be interesting when it is published. Learning Without Frontiers - Our Blog - Keri Facer, MMU, LWF Talk, London 2011 2
shreevie Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Good work guys, really enjoyed it. Some very useful information that's given us food for thought. Any chance of getting a copy of the presentation?
beeswax Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 (edited) You might find the following video interesting as to why there is this disjointed view about technology is good/bad in education. The paper should be interesting when it is published. Learning Without Frontiers - Our Blog - Keri Facer, MMU, LWF Talk, London*2011 Our MSP initially blocked the video feed to the site, now the whole thing's blocked! Would appreciate notification when the webinar becomes available. Edited January 27, 2011 by beeswax
Hecate Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Very frustrated that I didn't get the link - when will it be available for general viewing
RichCowell Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Thanks for doing the Webcast, I watched it and learnt from it... I think it would have been good directed at headteachers & management teams as well as network managers & technicians... I'd heard that there was a new MS Schools solution in the pipeline, and that explained a lot, I was straight on to my MS Reseller for info! Thanks again! Rick
ZeroHour Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Just a heads up all, I will be posting an official link to use to watch the video on demand soon. The links you were emailed should not be posted here please.
elsiegee40 Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Like others I didn't receive the email, spam filter checked Got an email to watch the webinar "On Demand" this morning. Shame I didn' tget the live one yesterday, but at least I can now watch it.
GrumbleDook Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 My link was caught by the council filters but watched it through another route. For those who are interested there is a session at Alan's school which will also cover cost saving amongst other things ... details are on the MS Education blog (available on the EG home page).
elsiegee40 Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Does anyone know who counts in Microsoft's FTE calculations? If we had to include all the cleaners, dinners ladies, school crossing patrol that never get anywhere near the computers, but are still employed directly by us, it would make a large difference to the FTE headcount!
Dos_Box Posted January 27, 2011 Author Posted January 27, 2011 Does anyone know who counts in Microsoft's FTE calculations? If we had to include all the cleaners, dinners ladies, school crossing patrol that never get anywhere near the computers, but are still employed directly by us, it would make a large difference to the FTE headcount! It does not count 'non-computer' using staff IIRC. Just teachers, admin and IT people, and possibly the site supervisor if they have one.
BatchFile Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Well done all - much useful information and I now have a list of bullet points to research We've used much of our specialist college funding to up our PC numbers and are now better than 2:1, but we're a small school with a School Agreement so the news from Microsoft was VERY welcome Am I at liberty to forward my "now available on demand" email to my line manager and SLT? I'd like them to see the webcast too - or is there going to be another link for unrestricted access?
timbo343 Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 I spoke to someone this afternoon about MSs FTE meaning. What MS think of FTE is anyone member of staff that works 200 hours a year or more (or 5 hours a week or more) and has access to a computer. In our case the catering staff and cleaning staff dont have access.
jcs808 Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 Just watched this at home as it's blocked through our LEA connection. I'm not sure it will change the way our management work but it sure has given me a new outlook on how to prepare for what may be coming. Than you to all involved.
PiqueABoo Posted January 27, 2011 Posted January 27, 2011 You might find the following video interesting as to why there is this disjointed view about technology is good/bad in education. Yes it was interesting, but my reaction is a quantum theory-like superposition of states: approve of some honesty, disapprove of some of the truth that delivered.. knowledge economy is tosh was fine.. tech is not a panacea (words I've used here before) was fine... but then the bit that disturbed me.. they were only playing along with that to advance their real agenda. And I don't entirely grok that agenda, the collaborative spaces in which next generation will learn to survive the rest of the century. Perhaps the paper will be more enlightening, but suspect I'll just file it under abstract meta-blather and then get on with something that makes a real, immediate change for the better in some small corner of the edu-tech world.
ZeroHour Posted January 31, 2011 Posted January 31, 2011 For those needing the link to watch again please register on: How to cut your schools IT spend from Microsoft - Webcast - CIO UK Magazine
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