kaphc

Thanks I'll take a look at that next time I get the chance - annoyingly because it's a bank holiday next Monday I won't be at that school for a fortnight now, but it's good to have something to go on.

Sounds good! We have a similar setup with 32 iPads but they are all linked to one Apple ID and we use Apple Configurator to push out the apps which then doesn't need the Apple ID entering. Some other points to consider - have you set up a profile with wireless settings / proxies / age restrictions / disabling Siri etc. I don't know what type of school you are at, but in primaries, I tend to lock down quite a lot of features and age related settings. We also have the restrictions set up so that apps cannot be deleted.

We've just bought some Airserver licenses as a way of mirroring iPad content onto whiteboards via laptops. All seems to be working well - there was a bit of a lag on the graphics to start with but it caught up. The only glitch we've really found so far is that some apps don't seem to support AirPlay, e.g. Sock Puppets for one. Are there some apps which will AirPlay and some which won't?

We've had similar problems because the National Literacy Trust uses Vimeo for their videos too. It's unblocked at adult level but not at child level. Youtube is the same. I wouldn't be comfortable with either site being unblocked at child level.

No, we have a few separate accounts for putting confidential printing on hold, but the rest is just standard without any separate user codes for job accounting.

Hmmmm ... I've added another printer on the server (had to do it as a local printer and then via TCP/IP as Windows Server didn't allow two copies of the same printer as a message). I've set the printer up so that it prints in colour and has the code to permit colour printing. I've printed a test page from the server and it comes out fine, in colour just as it should. The iPads can see the colour version of the printer when selecting to print, but once I press Print nothing happens - the job doesn't go into the print queue and it's as if nothing happens. I've checked permissions on the new "colour" version of the printer and they are exactly the same as the "black-and-white" one. I must be missing something??

The schools may not have a specialist ICT teacher, but surely they must have someone in the role of ICT Co-ordinator? It would be their responsibility to make sure that they are adapting and adjusting their curriculum to the new Computing subject for September. And to be fair, it's not a completely new subject and many of the elements of what have been taught previously will still be relevant from September onwards - for example, most teachers will have taught Control using things like Beebots, Roamers, Flowol etc. which links into the the coding requirements of the new curriculum. So the teachers really shouldn't be expecting you to do all this. As a technician, I am supporting some of the new areas such as coding and networking, I have started giving tours of the school network, showing primary students what the infrastructure is that makes their netbooks and laptops work, and being in the classroom in some ICT lessons, e.g. on iPads, coding etc. to support. This is all done within my normal hours though. I think your first port of call is to speak to the ICT Co-ordinator in each school and see what their plans (if any) are. There are loads of resources coming out all the time and I'd be happy to signpost some if needed.

Include me too please (tried to think of how to say this in a witty and sparkling way and failed) (but at least I am polite!)

That sounds like a possibility - I've seen in another school where Sharp have set up two separate printer options, one for colour and one for black-and-white to control colour printing. There is also a code to enter to authorise colour printing, so if I can get that working on the print driver on the Airprint server then that would be great.

Yeah, for budget reasons everything starts of in black-and-white and double-sided unless the user changes it. It's the only printer in the school apart from one used by office staff. Whoops - just seen I've put this in the wrong forum? I meant it to be in the tablets / iPads forum - if it needs moving, could a mod please do this for me? TIA

We have a few iPads in a school now and I have set up AirPrint so that they can print to our Sharp MFD. I was quite chuffed with that. Unfortunately, the print options provided by iOS are very basic and only seem to allow changing the number of copies. So we can't change to be able to print in colour. As staff are using the iPads to take photos, printing them off in colour is essential and they don't want to have to connect the iPad to a computer to download and print them. I'm trying to decide which way to go next - whether to contact Sharp and see if they can provide something or whether to look at printing apps which would provide more functionality. I've seen a few apps mentioned in this thread http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-7/134412-print-ipad-network-printer.html but could really do with some recommendations on which ones provide the option to change the printout from black-and-white to colour. Any ideas?

I heard about the details from the headteacher at one of my schools - it was mostly curriculum/teaching based but it was a good day. It also helps when I get a list of requests from teachers saying "Can I have this app installed?" or "Can you install this programme for me?" as I kind of know what they are on about now.

Is anyone using the combination of kcom and Capita and using Yorkshire Bank online banking? One of my primaries used to be able to access the online banking website (Yorkshire Bank | We Care About Here | Personal Banking, Business Banking, Private Banking | Yorkshire Bank) fine, until the embc/emPSN changeover. For while, the secretary did the online banking at home where she could access the site fine, but at school she is now unable to log on. We've checked all browser settings with Yorkshire Bank, we've checked all the filtering options with Capita and we've now been getting nowhere for about the last 6months. So if anyone is managing to use it successfully, it would be helpful to know so we can isolate it down to a site issue or know it's a wider issue. Thanks in advance.

We've just got 6 Kindle Fire HDs in an Infants School to encourage reading amongst reluctant readers. These can work with a proxy, just press and hold the wireless connection and then go into something like "Advanced Settings" or "Modify config". Not that it'll be an issue for the OP, but I thought I'd mention in for anyone else who reads the thread and might find this useful. - - - Updated - - - We've just got 6 Kindle Fire HDs in an Infants School to encourage reading amongst reluctant readers. These can work with a proxy, just press and hold the wireless connection and then go into something like "Advanced Settings" or "Modify config". Not that it'll be an issue for the OP, but I thought I'd mention in for anyone else who reads the thread and might find this useful.

It might have been the calling from a school thing. It might have been cos I have a fairly good telephone manner (thought why should that be deemed unusual in techs? - surely that's something we should be able to do reasonably well?) I did open the call by explaining that the callibration seemed off because it was over to the left and not always responsive. All the support person needed to say was "What is your role in the school?" and I would have happily explained I was the ICT tech, and we could have got on with the job without any embarrassment. Incidentally I seem to have scared the support person off as they couldn't fix the issue remotely and were supposed to call me back and arrange a site visit :-) - - - Updated - - - It might have been the calling from a school thing. It might have been cos I have a fairly good telephone manner (thought why should that be deemed unusual in techs? - surely that's something we should be able to do reasonably well?) I did open the call by explaining that the callibration seemed off because it was over to the left and not always responsive. All the support person needed to say was "What is your role in the school?" and I would have happily explained I was the ICT tech, and we could have got on with the job without any embarrassment. Incidentally I seem to have scared the support person off as they couldn't fix the issue remotely and were supposed to call me back and arrange a site visit :-)

Anyone going to the Derbyshire ICT Conference at Swanwick on 31st March? Am going as a "tech" but am interested in the curriculum side as well, how to support the changes and to be on the lookout for new ideas. I'm hoping to go on a couple of the seminars on cloud computing as a starting point for implementing this in schools. Just wondering if there'll be any other technicians there? I might put my Edugeek lanyard on!

Only this morning, I phoned a company up to log a support call and I got asked "I don't mean to sound condescending but if I gave you a set of IT instructions, would you be able to follow them?" My reply that I think I might cos I have a degree in IT & Computing and 20 years' experience working in IT so I think I might manage that elicited a nervous chuckle! I am so not a "stereotypical" geek either, although my friends probably think I am!

Mangahigh has a page with a lot of technical information on Mangahigh IT Administrator guide which goes into more detail about the requirements.

Ah it was the FLIP cams that I was thinking of when I asked about the file formats, I came across these a few years ago and they were outputting as MP4 files which weren't compatible with anything! I've had a look at the image quality on a Hudl as well, just to see if a cheap tablet would do the job and that doesn't seem that good either. I will look at those Panasonic cameras that you mention @dhicks

Not so much a case of me RTFM as RTFM properly! Back to elephant juggling for me.

Yep, that's the one. thanks :-)

Is there anyone out there who uses at TTS HD Video and Digital Camera who can tell me what file format the video is created / outputted in? I need to check that we can upload the video clips onto our school website without me having to convert them all before the school goes and buys some. Being sensible, I thought I'd look on the website and the user guide would tell me ... but apparently not!

Thanks for my @edugeek mug - it is my fave thing from BETT (along with my bright orange Education City hoodie!) Great to see you @elsiegee40 @robk @Dos_Box and everyone else too! I like to think I win the prize for the person least likely to look like an Edugeeker turning up at the stand - hahaha :-)

Shame, I was hoping for an A or a 1010!

If I see anyone standing up holding signs with numbers on afterwards in the style of Strictly, then I shall know how the Edugeekers are!