DrBeaker

Wow Didn't know that myself. I've always used either digital or analogue (Non-smart, Casio or others) watch with countdown timer for exams, that was a very long time ago however. That DOES seem a tad discriminatory to me surely? What about kids with vision problems?

As SOON as this doesn't work - you'll be blamed for it. This doesn't need a technical solution to a non-technical issue - this is a USER problem. Get them/your exams department to buy a simple digital clock big enough for them to see/site team to mount it. Bet you saving them any money doesn't come your way in your salary or dept budget https://www.london-electronics.com/product/exam-clock/ https://www.examclocks.uk/catalogue/digital-exam-clocks/exam-clocks-for-halls-or-classrooms---50m-hh-mm-ss

1) Screen - commercial TV 2) Platform - Whatever your budget and skillset is. Used Xibo for well over 13x years in several places (self-hosted and cloud). Can count on one hand the issues we had (mostly self-caused). It DOES still have a high learning curve and some functionality e.g. Facebook lacking compared to the 'prettier' solutions like BrightSign etc. But it's UK-based and cheap. We had cloud-hosting, no issues with it at all. For a glorified PowerPoint presentation, it works fine. If you want to delve deeper into it's power, it also has that option. 3) Getting someone to update the content - This has ALWAYS ALWAYS been the issue. The logical person is the office manager/admin/receptionist etc. But always for whatever godly reason is beyond my earthly understanding, it always ALWAYS comes to IT to do this... somehow. So make it simpler and dumb it down for the person doing the updates.... I think that's why YoDeck and Google Slides work well.

What do your users have - desktops or laptops?

Does this work with Windows 11?

Hi All, We might have some spares of these found during a clearout. Does anybody still have these E70 boards and need the remote control for it?

"...downloaded on their mobile device from the Apple or Android app stores. Issuing takes around 5 minutes per pupil and education records are already populated by the DfE. Each pupil must be sat with you so that you can:..." Both of those are contrary to most schools Student Mobile Phone policies 😂

DFe Tech standards / Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/servers-and-storage-standards-for-schools-and-colleges So your servers fail, parts can't be replaced due no parts availability?

The other side of this is in the UK, we've had bad snow in some areas and some schools despite investment and purchase of such parental communication systems.... simply haven't bothered to use them to communicate to parents about closures. Mass text messages not sent because it costs a few pence/comes out of the allowance. Wasted time, money and effort for all involved. Especially IT teams. Something to consider.

I was being a tad facetious but ... just imagine how much kit we could all buy for our schools, if we cut maybe.... I dunno... The CEO's roles? £150K-500K a year then for IT improvements. THAT ... would make a SUBSTANTIAL difference to IT standards in schools, could pay for most of these upgrades and for my 2 cents would deliver far better value for money.

Isn't that what most staff, teachers and SLT think we do anyway? 😕 Unlike the caretaker/site team caught napping in the boiler room more than once.

500 - 1500x angry, hungry kids (+ staff) at lunchtime, because the cloud cashless system has gone down and can't process payments etc.

Interesting.. I didn't know that and this will be a VERY VERY useful tip. At some point you have to set boundaries, standards and minimum standards/acceptance. I'd support that's one of them.

Interesting... got a video at all of it you can share/post? I'd suggest like you say, it's HDCP - doing it's job really thpugh? I bet that "content" isn't licenced for any kind of commercial/business use. The teachers should know better.

But how long until THEY do the same as others and raise prices in saying 3-5x years?

Using 3x different badge printers over the many years...never ONCE had an issue with printing on cards/chips that wasn't user error by the admin/IT or other issue.

D'oh! I see what you mean now 😂 But that's erring in the side of nanny-state sort of thing. If they can't cope with rewind etc they'll have to learn

Thing is padded boxes like this do exist, they could have brought one, put them all in there, nice, safe and secure. Bit like calculator boxes. Just because again it 'has a plug on it' doesn't automatically mean it becomes an IT problem. They had an "issue" We identified a solution to said "issue", reliable, cheap etc. Recommended it They rejected it.

At one point in the past 5x-10x years, (before Covid) I've noticed a lot of companies started to reduce the basic service offerings for their products/solutions/services. They pulled phone support for example, only offered Chat Support (£) > Email Support > Phone Support > Remote support > Onsite support (££££££) One company said we didn't pay (them) for phone support/phone-level support as an org, only email! Gone are the days of good customer service it seems - yet again linking in with the devaluing of IT thread - schools/SLT don't know how good they've got it with their IT support actually caring a damm about the school whereas their external companies/providers etc generally take the money and run!

Rinse and repeat - with schools, companies, organisations. What org these days can function without IT, they can try... e.g. Inventry did exactly the same - market leader > bottom market in 3-5x years

We had an MFL teacher the once needed to play CD's - advised to go buy some personal CD players from a local well-known catalogue company at £10 each. No, no NO.... apparently wasn't good enough. It HAD to be laptops, with a CD-drive. Despite our advice there was far less to go wrong with a CD player, some AA batteries and enough money to have spares....it absolutely...had to be laptops. 🙄

Didn't they try this a few android versions ago? And it was bit of a failure?

Reading a lot of that I can see a massive gap / dichotomy between the salary for the role (near minimum wage in some roles seen advertised) and the skillset they want. e.g. Most IT teams get naff all training from schools. See the thread about devaluing of IT jobs and IT staff already feel put upon and stretched enough as it is. I can see a massive exodus of IT staff from education if they try half of this.

"Setting clear expectations for IT support’s responsiveness" This is concerning especially how IT support is generally the most underpaid, understaffed and under-resourced team within most schools. I'm sure 99% of IT folk in school already do and want stuff 1) working as much as possible 2) fixed as quickly as possible Yet 1) is often 'no budget' response from SLT etc.

VGA was 'old' ... yet it simply worked, every time. DP/HDMI especially - finding it very fussy with connections. Even worse with USB-C docks on laptops. Then staff can't figure out how to use them duplicated/extended etc. Similar problems. No-one has had the thought on any replacements / what to do etc. A lot are now coming to the end of their limited 'support' lifespan as is.