Kitkatninja

Do it, do it now...

However where would you put proxy exceptions?

We're starting this week on setting up Citrix's VDI-in-a-Box at our place, we'll be replacing two suites (so 60 PC's). Initial we were going to run it all off 1 server, so no redunancy until next financial year, however we've merged it in with another project (so we have redunancy now). To be honest, we spec up £500 per PC generally, so the cost of the VDI solution (running on one server) came out cheapers (new wyse terminals, but reusing the current TFT monitors).

What about the FE way to gain the QTLS status, via the DTTLS (see here for an example) and IfL?

Hi All, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on if there are alternatives to Mission Maker? That will work without issues on Windows 7. Thanks

Hi All, Just posting a job advert at our place: SENIOR IT TECHNICIAN NJC Scale Point 22-27 (£19,621 to £22,958 p.a. depending on experience) After enjoying many years as a successful Foundation School with specialist Mathematics & Computing status, Sir Christopher Hatton converted to a high performing academy on 1st March 2012. We are very excited about the new opportunities this will bring to develop the potential of all our students. Sir Christopher Hatton is amongst the Top 100 performing schools in the Country for our “excellent achievement of pupils at KS4, 2008-11”. We are looking to recruit a well-qualified, experienced and dynamic Senior IT Technician to provide specialist ICT support and assistance to internal and external clients. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of working with Microsoft server and client operating systems. Good interpersonal skills, the ability to prioritise workloads and a commitment to work as a positive and constructive team member are essential. We are an Equal Opportunities employer and welcome applications from appropriately qualified persons regardless of gender, race, religion, disability or age. Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful applicants are required to complete a Criminal Records Bureau check and any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references. Further details and an application form are available on our website http://www.hattonschool.org.uk (link to vacancy: Sir Christopher Hatton School - Vacancies) Closing date for receipt of applications: Friday 22nd June 2012

This is really a personal question, I went to Uni and got my degree, so I would say yes. However you're not me, so I can't tell if it'll suit you Ok... There are a whole heap of different option out there: Uni: Full time, part-time (this is what I did) and the work based route (eg BA (Hons) Learning through Technology; An online degree offered through the Ultraversity scheme at Anglia Ruskin University, UK). You also have the option/choice to get the HNC (1/3 of a degree), HND (2/3 of a degree) and the full degree (with or without honours). You also have the option to use professional certs (eg certain Microsoft certs to gain credit for the degree, take a look at MT127 and the TM227) or you can use your degree studies to gain professional certifications (see the TM128 for example). Vocational: I believe vocational education is great, but it is under appreciated. Under normal programs, NVQ 2 and 3 is the norm - but they aren't degree level. However NVQ 4 and 5 are, these are harder to find, but they are out there. It's just a case of looking for them. Further Education: There are degree level qualifications out there but they are mapped to the QCF instead of the FHEQ, for instance the SQA Level 4 Certificate In ICT Support in Education for Managers qualification is comparable to the level of a 1st year HE/degree course or the HNC, breadth wise it's not (the HNC is made up of 10 modules). Professional (Academic): Apart from degree's and NVQ's, you also have the option to do professional diplomas that are directly comparable to the full degree, for instance: Professional Graduate Diploma in IT from the BCS. Professional registrations/Chartered Status: You have the ICTTech professional registration from the ECUK and the CITP status from the BCS. City & Guilds Senior Awards: Depending on your experience (level and length) you can gain the LCGI (comparable to a NVQ 4/Master Craftman) and/or the GCGI (comparable to a degree). And that's not even mentioning all the vendor neutral/vendor specific certifications out there. However there are pro's and con's to them: Pro's work/job specific, Con's most of them will require to renew after 3 years... Certain Comptia certs are like this, as well as Cisco and even Microsoft is starting to follow suit with the new versions of the MCSA and MCSE...

So far it seems ok (however O2's 3g is ok in my area, at work it's a little weaker). Was going to get the £10 goody bag, but they do a £5 goody bag for tablets/ipads for 500mb - so went for that instead.

Just got my sim thru the post this afternoon, will be using it on the iPad. Hopefully it'll be ok

No worries

See here.

I would just like to congratulate the 5 people who took and passed the SQA Level 3 Certificate In ICT Support in Education for Practitioners (QCF) examination in Northants today. Everyone who sat the exam scored well above the passmark, so congratulations to all of you and hopefully see you on the Managers/Advanced course soon

We've got a bit going on (server migrations, PC rebuilds, etc), however the project that we're excited about is VDI. We're in the process of starting it now to two rooms, then expand...

Have you tried the "What can I apply for" tool on the BCS website? Did you know a BCS member (either one that holds the MBCS or CITP) who can verify your work/experience? As you can fast track them with their support. You only list your experience in the above post, not your qualifications, so I can't assist you more. However the BCS does have a enquires line that are helpful. Besides, I wouldn't worry about being rejected as they will offer the membership category that you meet the criteria of, if you do apply... There are a variety of different levels: Ordinary Grades Student Membership Associate (AMBCS) Professional Grades Professional Member (MBCS) Fellow (FBCS) Other Affiliate I'm a bit partial to the BCS, as I've been a member with them for years now - even gained the CITP within 4 years of it being launched. However there is also the IET, another organisation that I'm interested in, as they offer the ICTTech professional registration. The IET also offers a fast track scheme for holders of MS certifications, see here. Microsoft to IET membership mapping Microsoft to professional registration assistance (holding the professional certification does not automatically gain you professional registration status) The differences of the IET compared to the BCS is that: 1. The IET does not offer the CITP, but do offer the IEng adn CEng - the BCS offer all 3. 2. The IET fees are higher than the BCS 3. The IET offer the ICTTech professional registration, the BCS doesn't 4. The IET is not IT/Computing specific, the BCS is.

There is a broader issue here: The fact the the IT Profession is a non-united non-profession profession. However IT is not regulated, there is no entry requirements, no requirements for continuing CPD, no requirement for IT Pro's to be a member of a professional body, etc... I did a poll on another forums and less than 60% thought that it would be a good idea to have some sort of mandatory qualification or certification for the IT Professional, on another thread about 50% of IT Professionals either see no value in joining a professional IT association or are against professional IT Associations. How can "we" (IT Professionals) expect other professions to take us seriously when (basing on other threads and polls) we don't stand united? Don't get me wrong, there's great stuff out there, eg SFIA & SFIAPlus, as well as different methodologies: FITS, MOF, ITIL, Prince2, etc... Then there's the CITP (from the BCS), ICTTech (from the ECUK), LCGI (from C&G's). But all of these are again voluntary, either down to the individual organisation or individual to gain/implement. I'm not against the professionalism of IT; however unless we push up the professionalism of IT as well as the assistance of the Government (a push from top down), it going to be a very long ride for our profession...

It would be like the Head of DT (which incoporates Food Technology) being in charge of the canteen, the Head of the Business or the Head of the Maths department being in charge of the bursar/finance department or the Head of Vocational Studies being in charge of the Admin and Exam departments (just because they run/oversee/deliver the NVQ Business Admin). The IT/ICT Support services is not an academic department. However that's not to say that there aren't close links as well as some cross over when it comes to responsibilities

It's a good position for an ICT and/or a Computing teacher, especially for progression. And the academy is a good place to work (I've been there for about 8 years). Unless things change, this position will not be incharge of IT Services (as this falls under the Business Manager).

Wasn't it by just pressing "esc"

I didn't concentrate on professional certification until I finished my degree. Now a days, most certifications are valid for either 3 years or the support life of the product, whereas the degree (or any academic qualification, eg HNC/HND/CertHE/DipHE and any postgrad qualification PGCert/PGDip/Masters) is for life.

I got the old track: MCP - MCDST - MCSA - MCSA: S - MCSA: E - MCSE , etc... The newer track: MCTS (Multiple) - MCITP (Multiple) As well as the newest track: MCSA:2008 Not sure if I want to gain the new MCSE:2008 or just wait until Server 2012 or just complete my PGCert (will take 4 years, as I've just started, plus doing 1 module a year).

Hi All, Was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of any sort of print management software where if a student prints, it has to be authorised by a staff member first? Thanks -Ken

YES... The amount of problems with printing/allocating printers that we've had to sort out at different places because new printers were install with only their 32bit drivers by another person/organisation has been a bit of a headache (especially trying to find some of the drivers)...

Done, booked and answered survey

Not sure if this is the same issue, however we've found that on some PC's/laptops Outlook (with Exchange 2010) will ask for the users password. To get round this we've configure the users Outlook profile to use NLTM authentication instead of negotiate (or auto-negotiate, can't remember which one it is).

Apart from what Witch has already offered... Just keep on applying. It took me 5 years to get my break in IT and that was before the recession...