Replacing Classroom desktops with Teacher laptops

[witch]

I spoke to the trainees on placement at our school and also my son's girlfriend who is currently training, and they all said that they knew they couldnt do the job without a decent computer.

[irsprint84]

I spoke to the trainees on placement at our school and also my son's girlfriend who is currently training, and they all said that they knew they couldnt do the job without a decent computer.

 

Tell them to look on ebay!

[irsprint84]

Though as I remember being at uni money is infinite! recession, what recession!

[Chockster]

Sorry All, I've been away due to a family bereavement. Just wanted to thank you all for your input - it's been really helpful.

 

One thing I should have mentioned is that all our teachers already have laptops, so really it's just case of the cultural change moving away from desktop machines. It would initially be a cost saving, but of course that could be made up for by possible increases in costs supporting laptops.

 

We're going to have a think about it and a pilot first before we wade in with any change.

 

Thanks again for all the replies.

[irsprint84]

Also when you get laptops make sure they have accidental waranty on them, you wont regret it!

[SW-ICT]

Hi,

 

The only advice I can give its DONT RUSH IT

 

It sounds silly me saying this, but we have teacher laptops, and no desktops for the teachers to use in their classrooms

 

The teacher take home the laptops play around install stuff there self play on facebook and completely brake them.. its maybe worth keeping the desktops there as this is what I have experienced

 

If you do go ahead with it keep the hard drives!!! Just in case the teacher turns around and says “but I had it in my C drive”

 

Make sure (if its xp) you install SP3 BEFORE IE8 or 9 (If you ever uninstall you IE to an earlier one you will not be able to use the search engine)

 

And install as much as you can... (again sounds silly) you don’t want the teacher coming to you after 3 weeks and saying that they have this list of things that need to be on there.

 

I have only been a Technician for about 3 years all in all... and I know that teacher laptops are the future, all im trying to say is don’t rush it

[dhicks]

Why on earth would you need to give staff money like that?

 

Sorry, missed this reply originally. You give the staff an allowance because then you can make it part of their terms & conditions of employment that they will have a computer and broadband access at home, but it's owned by them so it's not the school's repsonsibility to maintain / fix / filter.

[SYNACK]

Sorry, missed this reply originally. You give the staff an allowance because then you can make it part of their terms & conditions of employment that they will have a computer and broadband access at home, but it's owned by them so it's not the school's repsonsibility to maintain / fix / filter.

 

Awesome, invited and school paid for virus farms mandated to be connected to your network each day. What could go wrong

[bossman]

Laptops for teachers is slowly dying out here as we are not replacing teacher laptops as they are far too costly to maintain and bring too many end user problems with them.

 

Desktop in every classroom connected to IWB for them to work from so no excuse, these get upgraded every 3 years (Combo units with 3 year warranty), remote desktop so they can work from home if they care too using their own computer, laptop etc, no need for them to pester school for software to be installed and no need to use USB pen drives or external HDDs as they access every app they use at school.

 

This has led to better security all round and the data stays firmly on the schools virtual network.

 

Staff are over the moon and really have accepted this new way of working as it is a benefit to them and not a hindrance, plus it means we have more time to produce better services for them to expand on their teaching and learning framework.

 

We will expand on this for the students to use remotely but until then they will use our Moodle VLE for the moment as all they require is on there.

 

My advice is not to go with the laptops and wireless throughout as it will only lead to headaches and frustration for both the staff and the IT team.

[dhicks]

Awesome, invited and school paid for virus farms mandated to be connected to your network each day.

 

No, exactly the opposite - the teacher's computer stays at home, it's for them to use to connect remotely to the school's system via VPN/Remote Desktop or, for preference, simply via web access. There's no need for them to lug a laptop back and forward every day, computer equipment is provided in school.

 

Ideally, you'd give each teacher, say, £400 every 3 years (via a national scheme so you don't get a new laptop every time you move schools) to update their computer equipment, £10 a month broadband allowence, and provide a dedicated desktop-with-front-of-class-display and a separate mobile (tablet / laptop) device in school. Cost of IT equipment should be considered trivial compared to teachers wages. However, realisticly, say £200 every 5 years to update your home PC (should manage a second-hand desktop, anyway), £5 a month towards home broadband and whatever computer equipment can be scraped together in your classroom.

 

If the school charged £50 a time for home PC virus removal you'd probably wind up making a profit after a couple of years :-)

[witch]

Or, they could stay at school and work there. Or go home and use their own resources like the rest of us do. I still maintain that computers are ubiquitous now and it is not unreasonable to expect teachers to have access to computers and broadband outside of school. Edited June 14, 2011 by witch

[Michael]

In my experience, I would always have a desktop connected to a whiteboard acting as the 'teacher PC'. Using laptops or netbooks just doesn't work well in practice. Ports will get damaged, sometimes not all cables will be plugged in and using Windows' own dual screen setup is problematic. A hardware splitter works first time, everytime.

[DrCheese]

Or, they could stay at school and work there

Yeah this :X I don't see why the state should subside anyone's home computer, given how hilariously cheap they are nowadays. If I can afford it and I do a lot of work over remote access from home then so can teachers, who earn more.

If not, then they can work late at school, nowhere does it say that teachers have to take work/marking home, they just prefer it that way

Edited June 14, 2011 by DrCheese

[Achandler]

We are taking teachers laptops off them and ensuring working desktops everywhere to save money. Approved of by SLT and the Head, so its done and done!

[JonWPS]

Our teaching staff have laptops, so no fixed PCs in the classrooms. Truth be told I can see the benefits of going down the fixed route; no constant plugging and unplugging of VGA, IWB, audio connections, a fixed network connection etc. Having said that me and the AV tech don't have that many problems as it is; our wireless system is thankfully very reliable, and most staff are able to have personal use of the equipment without trashing the things.

 

Use is backed up by a laptop agreement on top of the regular AUP.

[SYNACK]

Or, they could stay at school and work there. Or go home and use their own resources like the rest of us do. I still maintain that computers are ubuquitous now and it is not unreasonable to expect teachers to have access to computers and broadband outside of school.

 

I agree, since when was it the schools responcibility to pay for everything to be able to access stuff from home. They are not contractually obligated too, if they want to they can use their own computer or be happy with the school locked down laptop. If they want a personal computer they can buy one themselves out of their own substantive wages.

[Sheridan]

We have the desktop option here. Every room has a decent PC in it. Some of the staff have laptops as well but they're generally being phased out unless they have a specific need for one (SMT etc)

 

The last few batches of laptops seemed to a) spend their entire life on a desktop in a staffroom or b) stayed at the teachers house permanently. Both of which negates the point of having them.

 

With classroom PCs and Staff having remote access it seems to work OK. As a non teacher I would prefer a desktop PC so as not to have the carry on of bringing a laptop in every time and setting it up/dismantling it every class change. Plus a desktop can be locked away in a cabinet, unless a laptop is securely attached to something it might go walkies!

[dhicks]

I still maintain that computers are ubuquitous now and it is not unreasonable to expect teachers to have access to computers and broadband outside of school.

 

But I figure there's a difference between "expect" and "will, as part of your contract of employment". If the school is paying for home computer and broadband access then the school can reasonably require that the teacher use it. A large part of the ineffciencies within information systems is the people who find ways to work around the system and require special treatment. This way, a school can require, by contract, that everyone uses the same system in the same way (or, at least, in less ways than with a paper-based alternative).

[SYNACK]

But I figure there's a difference between "expect" and "will, as part of your contract of employment". If the school is paying for home computer and broadband access then the school can reasonably require that the teacher use it. A large part of the ineffciencies within information systems is the people who find ways to work around the system and require special treatment. This way, a school can require, by contract, that everyone uses the same system in the same way (or, at least, in less ways than with a paper-based alternative).

 

They can require it by simply not supporting any other method. They don't have to work from home and if they want too they play by the rules using the avalible system. If they want to use their own stuff it must comply simply as an incidental of what systems you offer.

 

All this handholding, extra funding and special treatment just makes them feel entitled and demand more and more liberties until someone puts their foot down. What next, buying them all cars so that they can be expected to show up.

Edited June 14, 2011 by SYNACK

[Mr.Ben]

Ideally, you'd give each teacher, say, £400 every 3 years (via a national scheme so you don't get a new laptop every time you move schools) to update their computer equipment, £10 a month broadband allowence, and provide a dedicated desktop-with-front-of-class-display and a separate mobile (tablet / laptop) device in school. Cost of IT equipment should be considered trivial compared to teachers wages. However, realisticly, say £200 every 5 years to update your home PC (should manage a second-hand desktop, anyway), £5 a month towards home broadband and whatever computer equipment can be scraped together in your classroom.

 

Would this not be a taxable benefit for the staff?

 

HRMC

 

"No exemption if employer reimburses costs or pays provider direct

 

Where an employee contracts for supplies or services and the employer either reimburses the cost to the employer, or pays the service provider directly on the employee’s behalf, the exemption in Section 316 does not apply."

Edited June 14, 2011 by Mr.Ben

[dhicks]

All this handholding, extra funding and special treatment

 

But this is the opposite of hand-holding - you hand them the cash and leave them to get on with it.

[SYNACK]

But this is the opposite of hand-holding - you hand them the cash and leave them to get on with it.

 

Thats the bit I have the issue with, why is the school handing them the cash, where does it say that they need to work at home and that, that needs to be fully funded by the school. Just go with the leave them to it option.

[DrCheese]

Thats the bit I have the issue with, why is the school handing them the cash

Pretty much. Again as above no where does it say that teachers are required to take work home with them to mark or plan lessons at home, hell they even have PPA time now for that. They simply prefer to do some work at home. As do I and have sometimes gone home early only to login via remote access and do what I wanted in peace. I pay for my own equipment for that luxury.