http://eseminars.adobeconnect.com/edugeek/

Please use Guest access, there may be a delay getting into the room due to an approval process being live.

Due to delays we are running behind but the itinary is listed below.

09:15 – 10:00 Rick Byers - The DPA Myths and Musts

10:00 – 10:45 One Planet Computing – Green Energies in Schools

10:45 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 11:45 SmoothWall

11:45 – 12:30 Adobe

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:15 Amber Williams (AEG) – UPS Talk

14:15 – 15:00 LUNS – School Internet Connectivity

15:00 – 15:15 Break

15:15 – 16:00 Joskos and Dell – The KACE Management System

16:00 – 17:00 Ask the Admins/Raffle

Twitter hash: #egconf11

There are 120 places and you can find out details on how to register and more on the Microsoft UK Schools Blog see:

Register today for one of our Fun, Free days at Microsoft

How to maximise control, compatibility and automation for the perfect rollout

Join this webcast to identify the steps you need to take to deliver a seamless migration to Windows 7. Hear real life case studies of how schools and colleges are maximising internal and external resources to make the transition. In addition, we will examine key issues such as applications migration, data migration issues and how to ensure you are maximising your security solutions.

What you will get from this webcast

Identify the steps you should take to optimise security and control of critical applications.

Understand the role of compatibility software toolkits and license management issues.

Learn how to maximise automation and minimise costs.

Hear real life experiences and key learnings of how other public sector bodies have delivered a seamless migration to Windows 7.

Register Here for free

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Of the 3 ranges, one was the short throw that was launched at BETT 2011 to much interest from members, especially as it was a significant increase in size over its siblings from the A range which people have been fitting since around March 2010, but it fulfilled the missing gap in the market from them.

The other two range's that have been released are the M range and Pro range. The Pro range, as its name implies is aimed for larger areas, such as Halls and large seminar rooms, its 3500 Lumens and aimed specifically at that sector. The M Range is identical in every way to the A series which are the ones launched the previous year at BETT.

However nowhere in the Casio site or Press Release does it say that the A range is to end, however various suppliers I have spoken to have said that the A Range has been discontinued and production ceased in late March for it and back-orders will be fulfilled with the equivalent models from the new M Range.

So what's new in the M Range and why did they change from the A series which has been in most people's eyes a good success?

The A range has suffered from, as a few people on here have found or suggested, an over-heating problem, simply due to the ultra small size of it. Its brilliantly small, you could even say cute, the A Range looks very impressive and the fact it's very lightweight makes it great for carrying around as well as classroom use.

Another issue has been sporadic lead-times on supply. I know I was waiting nearly 5 months for an XJ-A140 and when I ordered my XJ-A130 straight after BETT, it took till late March to arrive. The supply issues have never been completely solved, with some suppliers having more success than others, this has been hinted that it is down to the incredibly small size of components in the projector resulting in delays of raw components, which if this is true, I hope will be gone with the transition to the M range.

So down to the in-depth part of the M Range. I ordered an XJ-M130, which is the direct equivalent of the XJ-A130, so it's a 2000 lumens general purpose projector without USB or Wifi connectivity, it arrived the next day from my local AV Supplier, and instantly I was shocked by the size of the box and weight of it, I nearly dropped it and its shipping handle failed as I picked it up that was the first thing that brought me to thinking this is different, packaging is the same style as the previous model, but inside I found the first major change, this new unit is a beast, with beast being an understatement as its HUGE!

As you can see from these photos, when comparing the unit to a Samsung NC10 Netbook which was a similar thickness to the A range, you begin to get a scale for the new model. Its got the larger fans in it, which has made it silent unlike its previous generation which was noisy in certain modes, so that's a bonus, it's also got a larger number of vents to let the airflow better, it still has no end-user cleanable filters which is a blessing for us.

In-use it's no different to the previous model apart from its silent operation, the menus are identically setup and styled, the on-off works the same as the last generation and the remote looks the same, although its bright white this time, the rear panel now has a more standard range of connections that other brands of projector have:

I personally am thankful for this expanded range as the old 3 way cable for AV connections was a mistake as they got lost and often when replacing old projectors required barrel connectors to join the AV leads together as traditionally you had a female socket on the projector, but the A series presented a set of male ends which was a bit of an annoyance.

Zoom and focus are now easily accessed via wheels on the edge of the projector, again more like a traditional unit

However when I placed it on-top of an A130 which is set for a Smartboard and connected it in-place and set the zoom to maximum I was only filling about 70% of the board compared to the A130 in that room covering about 90% of the board so the brilliant zoom and optics which were a major selling point in the A series have reduced slightly, however they are still very impressive.

Overall, I am still pleased with the new range and will be continuing to recommend and fit them in my own school and our feeder establishments, however its back to the size of a standard lamped projector, in-fact they are identically sized to the HP VP6110 which I bought this to replace, so they have lost the "cuteness" of the first generation, but hopefully they will be more reliable and fingers crossed for a better supply of these models.

Release dates for the ranges:

May 2011 for the M Series

July 2011 for the ST Series (Short Throw)

July 2011 for the Pro Series

The first link is to the orgional report and the one's beneath are media reactions:

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/c/capital%20review%20final%20report%20april%202011.pdf

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-13012596

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1374926/Labours-cherished-schools-building-programme-attacked-wasting-30-cent-cash.html

http://construction-manager.co.uk/news/james-review-school-building-published/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-10682980

Education software specialist NetSupport has once again responded to the challenges of the modern classroom with the release of NetSupport Assist; the new cost-effective and efficient way for teachers to manage and engage with their students in a Mac and Linux environment.

 

Twenty-first century education is providing students with inspiring learning opportunities and giving them unparalleled access to a diverse range of computing assets. However, providing the latest ICT infrastructure is only half the equation. Ensuring it is used in the most effective way represents the other half.

 

With 22 years of development expertise to call upon, NetSupport Assist brings together NetSupport’s core classroom management technology to deliver a focused feature set that ensures teachers can give their time and attention to their students, without having to worry about learning and maintaining the software.

 

Crystal clear student thumbnails enable teachers to monitor the entire class in a single real-time view, each thumbnail displaying visual indicators to show when applications and websites are in use. To ensure the resources being accessed by each student are appropriate, with a single click you can switch to a view that details exactly which files and websites are open and, if needed, take remedial action to block the internet.

 

A powerful range of remote control tools enables teachers to interact with students individually or as a class. Teachers can discreetly view an individual desktop to confirm the student is on task and, for example, conduct a two-way chat session without disrupting the rest of the room.

 

With NetSupport Assist there’s also no need for expensive front-of-class display equipment: real-time presentation tools enable the teacher to ‘show’ their screen to students.

 

To gauge topic understanding, teachers can, on the fly, poll students for their feedback. A question can be sent to each machine with a pre-defined list of responses and, once the students have responded, the results are instantly reported on the teacher’s screen.

 

NetSupport Assist is fully optimised for use with wired or wireless networks, laptops, netbooks and desktop computers and can be configured to maximise performance without compromising the network or the devices servicing it.

 

Speaking at the product launch, NetSupport’s Managing Director, Al Kingsley, acknowledged the rapidly changing face of classroom technology and the need for support software to keep pace: “NetSupport is delighted to be able to bring its skills in the classroom management arena to a Mac and Linux audience. Across our product range we recognise the need to develop our technology to ensure it remains relevant for today’s modern learning environments and, with a growing number of educational establishments extending their IT infrastructure to include Mac and Linux computers and netbooks, we are certain that NetSupport Assist will be welcomed by customers whether they are familiar with the NetSupport brand or not.”

 

NetSupport Assist is also compatible with NetSupport School, NetSupport’s market- leading classroom management solution for Windows-based classrooms. With over nine million licences already deployed globally, NetSupport becomes the first classroom management software vendor to offer compatible solutions across Windows, Mac and Linux environments.

Visit www.netsupportassist.com for further details and to download a free 30-day trial.

Russ has been with us since the early days, in fact his member number of 35 and the fact he joined a mere 10 days after we went live always made me wonder how he found us in the first place. He was a leading figure in introducing EduGeek to the bosses of most of the UK's leading ICT suppliers and companies and provided us with access to people that we, as provincial hicks from Lancashire, would have never got to meet. He was also instrumental, along with Tony Sheppard in getting our BETT presence established, and I'll always remember seeing him for the first time with Tony handing out EduGeek leaflets they had produced from the SSAT stand at BETT 2006. From there he had helped organise our early conferences in the Midlands and has been tireless in the promotion of EduGeek to all and sundry, and for this we can't think him enough.

So all that remains id for us remaining admins to say 'thank you Russ', and we wish you all the best for the future.

To be fair, it is probably not just RM feeling the pinch since the Harnessing Technology grant was redistributed to fund 'free' schools, but many UK based educational IT suppliers will also be affected by this, especially as many of the free schools are still in the planning stages I doubt wether they have yet budgeted or planned for ICT spending yet. It will be interesting however to see if free school staff and governors will be at BETT 2012 in any numbers looking to purchase equipment and software.

According to Netcraft, users of the ad-supported free client were vulnerable to the attack which included Java-based drive-by downloads of malicious software on to user's computers.

Those who have used the free version of Spotify in the past few days should run virus scans. Schools who allow access to Spotify may want to check their computer labs for signs of infection.

With servers and server operating systems accounting for the largest part of most organisations’ IT hardware budgets and the business demand for new apps and market initiatives growing, there is unprecedented demand for virtualisation.

 

This webcast showcases how Dell, Microsoft and Intel have the technologies and tools to ensure cost effective, efficient flexible and secure virtualisation from your Windows Server deployments that gives the business the technology platform it needs to flourish

You can register here - the webcast has happened. I link to watch it on demand will be coming soon.

An A-Level exams enquiry tool allowed access to more then just a student's results, with E-Mail addresses, telephone numbers and even personal details about emergency contacts being exposed through the site. It is estimated that 148 student records were accessed through the enquiry tool but no figures have been revealed detailing how many of those access attempts breached privacy rules.

It comes as a stark reminder to educational institutions of the importance of securing online reporting systems, no matter who the target audience is.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-12756951

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/education/8912345.University_of_York_launches_personal_data_leak_probe/

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsintune/pc-management.aspx

Windows InTune is a Cloud Based PC Managment solution from Microsoft. From what i saw and have read about this product it seems like it will be a very good product and soution for Small/Medium Businesses.

I would also think it could be used quite well within schools whome maybe cant get System Centre. So Primary Schools?

EduTech

This conference has been designed by school leaders and others in the Open Source Schools’ community to showcase to school leadership teams the best of educational free and open source software, whether used alone or blended with proprietary software.

Why you should come

Using open source software in your school will allow you to:

• save money
  
• use technology in a way that is aligned to your vision of teaching and learning
  
• have greater flexibility in the way ICT is used.
  

Speakers will include

Paul Haigh, Assistant Head for Innovation at Notre Dame High School, Sheffield, an ICT consultant and writer of The New Technologies Handbook for Schools

Miles Berry, senior lecturer in ICT at Roehampton University and Community Manager of Open Source Schools

Mark Taylor, CEO of Sirius Corporation plc the UK's first Office of Government Commerce Open Source Company http://www.siriusit.co.uk

Tony Parkin, Independent consultant (formerly head of ICT Development, SSAT)

Brian Lockwood, Director of IT, Egglescliffe School, Stockton-on-Tees

Ian Usher, e-Learning Co-ordinator for Buckinghamshire County Council's Children & Young People's Service

To book, please go to

http://openingopportunities.eventbrite.com/

For more information and an outline programme, please see http://opensourceschools.org.uk/

For snap shots of open source in practice see their YouTube channel. www.youtube.com/user/OpenSourceSchools

For venue details, please go to

http://www.ciarb.org/

All the above details are on a handy flyer which you can give to Senior Leaders at your school.

OSSApr11.pdf

Any incidents specific to CC3 and CC4 will still be supported, but Vista specific issues may not be resolved. Testing of future CC3 and CC4 updates on Vista workstations will also be stopped. This comes as another blow to the troubled incarnation of the Windows family, caught in the unfortunate position of being sandwiched between the highly popular Windows XP and the newest member of the product line, Windows 7.

Check Sparkeh's blog post about the news here.

I'm pretty sure that geek was chic, now they've changed their minds, again!

Should we be worried?

Nottingham, Luton, Waltham Forest, Kent, Newham and Sandwell councils challenged the department of education claiming the scrapping of the scheme was unfair and unlawful. As a result of the hearing the judge, Mr Justice Holman, equated the decision by Michael Gove as an "abuse of power" due to failure to carry out a proper consultation on the scrapping of the controversial scheme.

However, whilst the councils may be urging Michael Gove to reconsider his decision, the Department of Education also declared the hearing a success due to the BSF scheme remaining scrapped, resulting in confusion as to who has actually won the hearing with both sides claiming victory.

More details can be found on the CYPNow website here.

I'll soon have an MP3 of the show and will upload it as soon as I can after the event.

Viva community radio!

Click here to register

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You can view them on YouTube here: YouTube - Kanal von lwf

Blip.TV here: Learning Without Frontiers on blip.tv

An download via iTunes here: Learning Without Frontiers - Download free podcast episodes by Learning Without Frontiers on iTunes.

I for one will now be able to see what I missed

Joking aside, if you haven't yet signed up I would suggest you do if you have an interest in this subject. You can do this on the URL below and we'll (virtually) see you there.

URL Removed as it is now redundant.

The skin is a beta and a stop gap before our mobile apps are released in the future.

A quick look around and a look at using Lego in the classroom.

Edward Woolard, 18 from New Forest, took part in demonstrations by student protesters at 30 Millbank in late 2010 against University fee rises. He is reported to have thrown a metal fire extinguisher from the roof of the building, narrowly missing Police officers guarding the Tory HQ below.

Mr Woolard's defence claimed the actions were prompted by a "moment of madness" and attempted to argue that the extinguisher was not aimed directly at Police standing below. However, the judge stated "Had that fire extinguisher struck a police officer or anyone, it would almost certainly have caused serious harm or death."

"The courts have a duty to provide the community with such protection from violence as they can and this means sending out a very clear message to anyone minded to behave in this way that an offence of this seriousness will not be tolerated."

Footage of the attack is available on the BBC Website. Additional details can be found at the Cannock Post website and The Independent.