beeswax

Dave Gilmour night

I'm in the planning stages of this myself. Certainly all the sorts of induction material new staff would normally pick up over a period of time in school. Internal phone numbers, school maps/plans (in pdf format) how to use the VLE (if it applies) what the classroom has to offer, projectors/audio that sort of thing, possibly photos of staff with names, the school day, i.e. registration is at 08:30, First Period 08:45, how to take electronic registration, email accounts etc. Similarly with pupils but at their level. I'm hoping to use Sharepoint but I've a struggle getting this idea (not the intranet) off the drawing board.

You'd better check this thread - Geddit?

...and his network manager and techies!

Back to the OP, this section from yesterday's Guardian letters page should help clear up a few things.

We had two teachers reverse over their laptops in the space of one week, neither of them looked as bad as that. However, they were closed and in their laptop bags so I suppose that made all the difference.

...tomorrow the world!

There's also a legal aspect to this; have the council provided the training? Yes, they're in the clear; No, and they can have the pants sued off them. Then there's the personal aspect. As someone who suffers from a prolapsed disc and who can "seize" up quite painfully from time to time, knowing how to lift a dead weight is important. Discs don't just "go", you have to work on them over time, and lifting things incorrectly is one way to wear them down.

This doesn't quite answer your question, but it may provide some pointers for a way forward - http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/23634-do-you-ever-evaluate-your-department.html

Information and Communication Systems Development Manager Calder High School A Specialist Technology College, Leading Edge and Training School. Brier Hey Lane, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge HX7 5QN “Developing Exceptional People” ‘This is a school where every child matters’ - Ofsted, October 2005 PO1, £26,835 (pay award pending) 37 hpw (consideration would be also be given to part-time working) Post Ref: ED382 Required as soon as possible a highly skilled and experienced person who will play an important role in managing ICT Systems across all areas of the school and further securing our status as a Specialist Technology College.The person appointed will play a leading role in the development of ICT within the School. Why Calder High School? It is Specialist Technology College (technological developments have impacted positively in all areas). It is a Training School. It has a strong commitment to Continuing Professional Development at all levels. Ideally you will be a self-motivated, highly organised and energetic individual who has excellent inter-personal skills and the ability to communicate at all levels effectively. The ability to work independently and still be a team player, show initiative and be a pro-active solution provider is crucial to the post. We look forward to your application. Please contact Sandra Bell,PA to Headteacher for an application pack or email [email protected] or visitHigh Schools Calder High School, Brier Hey Lane, Mytholmroyd,Hebden Bridge HX7 5QN Telephone 01422 883213. Closing date: 12 noon Friday, 19 September 2008.

When our lead science technician became pregnant last year, there were a couple of options if she wanted to work at a computer, 1. buy her an apron which would shield her and her embryo from any harmful rays given out by the crt monitor, 2. get her an lcd monitor.

Good idea

I almost had to come up with something similar (time restrictions meant I couldn't deliver the talk) http://www.edugeek.net/forums/general-chat/17577-what-do-technicians-do.html You might find some ideas here. I'm still planning to do this, if only to get straight in my own head what we do.

There should be a lot of stuff in the VLE forums to keep you busy.

Just a general query for those schools which have an intranet. What software do you use, and what's the most useful thing you've accomplished with it?

When we introduced Webman's Online Room Booking system last October to replace the much abused paper-based version. I created an animated walkthrough in Wink showing staff how simple it was to use, placed this in a network share and sent out a staff bulletin with details and a link to the share. Then I removed the paper-based version (which was in our office) from public access. Two teachers came looking for the book, they "were too busy" to read the bulletin and got an ear bashing from a couple of other teachers. Peer pressure is a wonderful thing. You do all that is possible to explain and inform, however, if a teacher refuses to read the bulletin (which is a briefing for the coming week) then that's their problem, and the chances are that they'll miss out on booking rooms. It's interesting to note how quickly the online system has been assimilated into the school system. This year because of a mistake with timetabling there's nothing available online, or on paper, and the number of phone calls I've had asking about it is testament to Webman's design (simplicity of use) and the fact that it's so much easier to go online and book a room rather than traipse all the way across school to check the paper version (it was the fact that so much time was being wasted which created a general mood for change and allowed me to bring in the system much earlier than planned-and with a lot less planning than would normally have gone into it*). Sad to say, but two teachers were booking rooms on Boxing Day for the coming January. *An Improvisational Model of Change Management

Must be something in the air; we're planning something very similar.

Exactly!

We're currently looking at introducing Office 2007 to the school either later this year, or more likely early next year. In view of the drastic overhaul of the interface for Word, which, let's face it, will be the most commonly used piece of the Office kit, a change management strategy needs to be thought out for the diffusion (the process by which a technology spreads through an organisation) and assimilation (the formal adoption of this software by the 'workforce') of this software. In your case, Exchange 2007 is just part of such a strategy, and you have to accept that for the most part, while your efforts will be appreciated on this forum, the staff at your school may well have dragged themselves in reluctantly after a six week break to be faced with an unheralded and unexpected change. They don't like this, especially when they're getting their backsides into gear. I do wonder if the start of the Autumn term really is the best time to introduce something new. You may well find that staff just starting out at your school this term, those expecting change won't moan as much. I appreciate that in your case there were extenuating circumstances and you seized the opportunity of a six week break to upgrade things, but innovation in an organization has to be carefully planned and introduced. Otherwise I suggest you put your feet up for the six week break then stand in the entrance hall on the first day back for the staff and ask them to slap you about the face with a wet kipper. You'll feel just as under appreciated, but at least you'll have had six weeks of doing what you want beforehand.

Without wishing to add further to your woes, did staff know you were going to do this, or did they come in after the holidays to be faced with something unexpected? If this is the case, then I'm afraid that the reaction you found is probably normal. “A new system is a hard thing to put into place, it is opposed by those that would be disadvantaged by the new system and it receives no support from those that would benefit.” Niccolo Machiavelli

You might want to check out this Course creator role - MoodleDocs

Yes they do use the same profile

This problem has arisen this week. We have 4 IT suites on this floor and before the holidays all pupils were accessing Adobe Reader without any problems. Today in 2 of the suites pupils could no longer open it. All pupils belong to the same OU. Staff can access it no problem. It's left us scratching our heads (where's the Nit Nurse when you need her?)

Shirky: A Group Is Its Own Worst Enemy Came across this doing some research yesterday. Probably a bit lengthy and at five years old maybe a little out of date, but it does set out group dynamics on forums very well.

Top Gear? Is that something to do with clothes?