paulkerton

I'm a layman when it comes to Visual Studio, but isn't Visual Studio Code enough? Just throwing it out there, I wouldn't know

Just had confirmation that our 2.75% payrise is going to be in our September paypacket, backdated to April. So that's the X coming home with me I think!

It seems Lenovo have purchased almost every Celeron processor in the world too. Very hard to get Chromebooks in general at the moment, other than through a few providers!

You configure them via Google Admin Console. What you actually do is configure the OU, and then place the devices in that OU. Set Chrome Policies documents are here Enterprise enrolment is very easy. Then once they're enrolled, move them into the OU and they'll pick up all the settings etc you've applied to that OU. Need to add another device? Enrol it, stick it in the OU and you're good. You'll really enjoy it

No extra cost!

Being able to bring data out of your existing MIS platforms and consolidate it is a really neat feature. Many MATs are still in the process of consolidating their MIS tools across their Trusts, so any tool that can help you consolidate the data you are holding in the mean time can only be of benefit. And free for the next few years! Schools do love free! I guess we should be treating it like a long trial. Taking that data and being able to visualise it with a tool like Power BI without having to be expert at it is never going to hurt a school is it? More impressive work in the cloud from Bromcom. They're really shaping up as a leader in the MIS market.

Ultimately, whichever union every one else is in. Strength in numbers and all that.

Is Advanced MDM applied to the correct OU?

SIMS 8 has been in development, to my knowledge for 8 or 9 years. To put that into some context, around the same time as Lyft, Wish.com. VoxMedia, SnapChat, Slack, Spotify and Uber. Amazing really isn't it?

Several schools in my area are already starting to report cases and having to close again. Absolute mess.

It's jumped out of the water, hit the bank and is now flailing around in the mud and slowly suffocating. They announced SIMS Primary on November 15th 2017 and it's still not generally available. 2 years, 9 months and 24 days.

Yup. And RAC. And used to own Merlin Entertainment. Pretty sure they own Avast too.

CVC interested in Capita. Doesn't make it overly clear if that would include Education Software, or whether the other party would purchase that division and CVC would pick up Capita after the fact. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-8691425/Private-equity-giant-CVC-plots-bid-TV-licence-collector-Capita.html

Google Classroom/G Suite for Education. It's simplicity is it's brilliance. Unfortunately I do see pressure from educators, especially in the US to try and make it far more complicated, but I hope they don't. Bromcom. For me, the cloud MIS king at the moment. Wonde. Especially with their cloud MIS integrations and the SSO/QR code/Emoji login (particularly in primary) Book Creator. Wonderful creative tool for students to make their own eBooks. Quizziz/Kahoot. Seriously great assessment tools. I use it with staff as a warm-up tool when doing training, and the engagement with adults is through the roof, let alone with kids. I've not used the current software, but their older on-site install offerings made me very fond of Busy Things and their general aesthetic. Reminds me of things like Stoppit and Tidyup and The Trap Door from my youth.

I've used my home address as I'm only in once a week (if that) on-site currently due to the wonders of the Rona

I usually do audiobooks for the commute to and from work, so I will shortly be starting on Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Had been listening to Dune. I enjoy the storyline, but I do find it quite a dull audiobook.

Why purchase SIMS and then add plugins and add-ons for it to go to the cloud, when you could go for a cloud native MIS like Bromcom? (others are available) Genuinely curious.

Whichever you get, I really recommend getting a Chromebook with a 360 hinge if they have a touch screen. I once walked into a class filled using 1:1 Chromebooks, and out of the 30 devices, 10 of them were using them in tent, 10 of them using them as a tablet, and 10 of them were using them as a traditional clamshell. It just showed me how different learning styles can be accomodated with a device with a 360 hinge. Also, don't rule out the Lenovo Chromebook 10e. I have the Duet (consumer version, basically) and I really adore it. Not super powerful, but really useful.

Yes. We currently have it switched off to avoid any teething troubles before we move to automate it. @HuseyinGuryel should be able to sort this for you

In that case, make sure all your staff have their G Suite email address in their Bromcom staff record before you do any syncing. That way, they'll just match up the existing accounts created by GCDS, rather than attempt to create new ones. There is a Simulate Sync button, so you can see what it plans to do in advance. Do you also use GCDS for the student accounts? If so, the same applies. Make sure their G Suite account email address is in their student record. Then Bromcom Sync will work it's magic matching the existing users in G Suite to their Bromcom profile, so it can sync the classroom permissions etc.

We've got lots of guidelines, but as my office is too small for more than one person, and I'm significantly further away than the person I share it with, I've been allowed to continue working from home for the foreseeable future. I guess being the Google guy works there, as it means I can continue to do my job remotely without any effects.

I wouldn't use both Bromcom and GCDS sync personally. I guess you're using GCDS to create your users from AD at the moment?

Google have added their own Standard Contractual Clauses to G Suite also.

I think it might be. We don't have the OneStopShop

Hi Timbo... I have it now, so it should be available to you. There is an extra cost involved, but it is definitely available, and working well for us!