SST & Edugeek

[russdev]

right since conference there have been some talks (sounds all very secretive but not honest) anyway specialist school trust (SST) want to work with edugeek few ideas have been battered around and one of them is to create a training material for leas/schools to use in training ict support staff.

 

Just to let you know we have made it clear to sst we are independent and not working for sst but working with them..

 

Anyway plan is for me, tony and anybody else who wants to come to have meeting with women from sst at my school at end of this month to discuss ideas etc.

 

Once date is worked out will post it and then anybody who wants to attend can let me know but will takes comments off the board with me .

 

Cheers

 

Russ

[russdev]

here is sst site for peoples info http://www.specialistschools.org.uk/

[Ric_]

How many women

[kingswood]

Sounds a great idea, and if I had the time I would definitely come along (esp. since you mentioned a meeting with women ;-)

 

All the best with the project anyway- if you don't mind keep me informed- I'd like to see the results of this.

 

Paul

[russdev]

will you can get involved this is group effort yes we are meeting with her but we want your input want ideas have you got...

 

once we have basic project/idea its is you lot that will add/suggest etc

 

 

Russ

[Ric_]

We need these large(ish) organisations to advise on staffing levels - Becta won't do it but maybe someone else will.

[russdev]

also nearer time i will post a document with all the comments/ideas etc which can basis of what we talk about at the meeting.

 

Russ

[Ric_]

@russdev: I suggest you may want to email it to your 'lady-friends' too so that they can come prepared.

[GrumbleDook]

Women? erm ... only one, the other two are blokes ... John and Tony (not me ... another one!)

 

One of the ideas for keeping things sort of seperate is that we use schools such as mine, who are linked to the SST via a number of things (we are a Technology College and we are also on the ICT Register), to provide training based around materials based around the expertise of the denizens of Edugeek, and also based around what we actually reckon NMs and Techies truly need.

 

Hands-on workshops ... stripped down versions of things like FITS ... you give us the ideas and we will see what we can do with it.

 

The more ideas we have to put on the table the better and since the SST are one of the stakeholder writing the new route map for ICT in schools (managed by Becta and with SST, QCA, NCSL, KGB ...erm ... maybe not that one but you know what I mean) then it really is a good idea to get in there with this.

 

If anyone has ideas then step forward in this thread or PM Russ or myself.

[russdev]

yes i will of course email it to people attending meeting so that they are prepared...

 

some point today will post on the wiki a page where i will keep all the latest info on it etc..

 

Russ

[alan-d]

One question I would ask would be about funding for training ICT Technicians.

 

We are a Science College and have NAACE accreditation but we still lack any real funding to send people on worthwhile courses to improve the technicians basic knowledge.

 

To find worthwhile courses covering Server admin, Exchange etc for approx £300 is difficult. If SST could assist in this then it would be money well spent.

[russdev]

of course will ask just be ware that stt are not in position to provide funding but we will certainly suggest if sst can help in anyway of getting funding for ict support staff then it would be useful...

 

Russ

[GrumbleDook]

This is the bit that becomes difficult.

 

Remember the bruhaha over the BBC providing materials for free and commercial companies saying "what about us?" ... that led to eLCs (ok ... over simplified but you get the idea)

 

There are many M$ certified training centres that have a stock price for the training. If we offer specific training based around M$ training we will cause problems.

 

The general idea is to offer hands-on workshops based around "This is how we do it, this is how a few other people do it, and here are some alternatives."

 

There is also the matter of trying to work it around the Becta technician competency levels ... always a good one for justifying a pay rise.

 

Certification will be an issue ... but I suppose that means speaking with Becta and NAACE ...

 

erm ... is it too late to back out Russ?

 

Seriously though ... this will take a certain amount of work, and we don't want to double up the work that is already being done by SST/NAACE/Becta ... just use what they have as guidelines / advice and build on it with the huge array of specialist knowledge and experience that we have here in this group.

[alan-d]

I understand what you are both saying -= my point is that SST provide extra funding when granting College Status, which goes towards anything which will enhance teaching and learning. This includes anything from a new book to a new building.

 

Somewhere in the middle of that must be the provision for training. However, I'm not sure whether this is specifically targeted or is left for the individual specialist college to decide. It would be nice if a percentage or even a fixed amount be allocated, if it's not already.

 

(I may edit this if I can pin down my College Director long enough to ask him )

[russdev]

ok i see what you mean i thought you meant ot provide training to anybody or any school but what you want is when the school gets sst status that % is fixed for training...

 

Right not a problem

 

Be warned sst might not act on these but your point will be put across

 

Also this meeting is talk projects edugeek and sst we can work on so if you have anyideas training is just one of the many ideas being banted around...

 

so willing to look at any project idea you have remember this is global thing and ongoing thing so we wont have meeting 6 montsh later produce a resource.

 

you the members/ict support community in genereal will be ones making this move forward...

 

also if people want to be invovled in driving this project and cant attend meeting pm or tony...

 

Russ

[alan-d]

Ok - managed to pin down science college director

 

Apparently current funding does allow for training but it has to be fairly specific to the status of the college.

 

Although not impossible it would be difficult to justify it for ICT technicians.

 

I suppose it would all depend on what sort of College status you have and how it impacts on the ICT technicians role as to how you could justify expenditure for training.

 

On a good note - he did say to me that if I could put a strong case up he would consider it for the future

 

But it would be nice if it came from the SST directly as a policy for certain environments or situations

[russdev]

well i think if tech college then can use it but how do you justify trainign for ict tech when you a sports college or science college unless it si subject specific software...

 

Russ

[russdev]

The meeting will be weds 30th November at 3:30 at Limehurst High School

 

Limehurst high School

Bridge Street

Loughborough

Leicestershire

LE11 1NH

 

 

pm if you wish to attend..

 

Cheers

[russdev]

Just to reirate this meeting is brain storming meeting will take comments to sst but maybe in form of an email . But we do want ideas on ways we can work togthier here section of email to give you an idea on what purpose of meeting is..

 

"We are organising this meeting purely to brainstorm ideas about how the

ICT Register can complement the work that you and others are doing with

EduGeek. We had thought about developing a training and support

'toolkit' which can be delivered and cascaded 'by schools for other

schools' in every region ... or some other way in which we can help

school technicians [both primary and secondary] to choose and manage

appropriate technologies that help raise standards of learning and

teaching. For this objective, we shall need the help and expertise of

people like yourself and Tony S ... and therefore, it was our wish to

involve you as early in the proceedings as possible.

 

We'll all be armed with knowledge about the rest of the Trust's work ...

but the role of the ICT Register in complementing the work of EduGeek

will be our main focus for this meeting."

 

Cheers

 

Russell

[sahmeepee]

Remember the bruhaha over the BBC providing materials for free and commercial companies saying "what about us?" ... that led to eLCs (ok ... over simplified but you get the idea)

 

There are many M$ certified training centres that have a stock price for the training. If we offer specific training based around M$ training we will cause problems.

 

That is fair point, but the target market (school techs) is very small compared to the total number of people that go through (say) MCP courses each year. With eLCs, the software manufacturers that complained may well have got all their income from schools.

 

I know of at least one LEA that has got some of its staff trained up as Microsoft Certified Trainers and is trying to sell MCP courses for school techs within the LEA and if possible further afield.

[russdev]

yes ibut idea of toolbox is that this can be given to schools who cant afford ms training course and more importantly give you education specific content...

 

Russ

[sahmeepee]

Fair point Russ - it definitely sounds like a good idea to me.

[kingswood]

Yep- sounds really good to me too.

 

Paul

[russdev]

also i think if it can link into some kind of certifcation scheme either via becta/naace then it wold be useful...

 

Russ

[MkII]

I know of at least one LEA that has got some of its staff trained up as Microsoft Certified Trainers and is trying to sell MCP courses for school techs within the LEA and if possible further afield.

 

Gimme!

 

Though your idea is welcome too Russ of course.