Cablers_JonPaul

The Smart lightraise 60wi is a great projector which fills the gap between a IWB and a projector. We have installed lots of these and i have not yet had to deal with any warranty claims yet. In my opinion they are robust units that suit a classroom environment perfectly. I would not recommend a DIY installation, although you can buy these projectors from some box shifters to fit yourself Smart recommend installation by trained installers and that way you will not have any trouble should you want to make a warranty claim. I wouldnt project straight onto a wall or uneven surface, treat yourselves to a matt white backing board with the thinnest bezzle you can find. If you are projecting onto a whiteboard, the bezel must be 3mm or less and there should be no map rails at the top or above to obstruct the light curtain of the projector. The image quality is pretty sharp if your projection surface is good quality, the multi user interactivity has been impressive and its clever enough to detect the difference between a pen and a finger. The fact that they run Notebook software makes them very attractive to many of the schools where teachers have been trained to use Notebook and many of their lessons were designed and saved within it. No retraining required! They seem to be a lot more popular among the high schools we work with, the primary's tend to replace IWBs with like for like or make the jump to a large format touch screens. If you have a number of these its no problem to network them and by doing so you will no doubt extend the life of the units. We all know how good teachers are at turning them off once they finish with them. DM me if you want to know more.

The results are in! We reckon you're 25% northern That's somewhere around London. They are not wrong. Spooky in its accuracy.

Your quite right Synack. My wording was not particularly clear as i am far more geek than writer. We are a great advocate for desktops and dedicated IT suites. The suite pictured is one we built from scratch, including the bespoke benching for a primary school and we installed another during the last school holidays and filled it with Mac's for a high school in Essex. I think we have two more ICT suite projects just waiting for governor approval in the pipe line as well. If schools have the room for them they can be a fantastic resource and when used in conjunction with wireless and some mobile computing solutions it can provide the perfect balance to enhance ICT teaching throughout a school. Unfortunately many of the schools we have worked with are squeezed for space and are having to find ways of increasing class sizes. This often means that a computer suite installed a few years ago that accommodated 28/30 students now has to cope with class sizes of 31/34 students and they are not really built for sharing. I was just trying to say that wireless offers the flexibility to use school buildings in new ways. Cablers were around when every computer needed its own cable. We now install far more wireless. Its a constant battle for us to get school leadership to think about the importance of infrastructure that will serve them for many years and not just the flash tablets they see everywhere.

“Wireless networking works well in all schools and can help deliver major educational benefits.” Now that may be a sweeping statement but i believe it is a powerful truth. A carefully planned wireless network will allow more children to benefit from ICT learning. It also gives teachers the freedom to incorporate ICT into more subjects and the flexibility to use more areas of the school for a wider range of purposes. Which is no bad thing considering the pressure many primary schools are under as they are squeezed for space with another baby boom generation filtering into the education system. With classroom space in short supply and pupil numbers increasing it is now being recognized that reliable wireless solutions are giving schools the power to start utilising those nooks, crannies and corridors which were previously dead space. Dedicated ICT suites filled with bulky PC’s and monitors are being converted back into classrooms. Schools now have the opportunity to replace outdated equipment with tablets and laptops which can be strategically deployed on trolleys where they are needed most, creating one to one learning opportunities that traditional methods of placing hardwired computers throughout a school do not provide. http://www.cablers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/kids-using-ipads.png http://www.cablers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ict-suite.jpg As a flexible resource mobile devices give better value for money than desktop computers. Schools using wireless networks report that when combined with their mobile devices which allow easy access to classes across the school, both the amount and the quality of ICT use surge ahead dramatically. These shared resources are giving more children better access to school networks and the internet on a daily basis. Wireless networks are also making it possible for teachers to blend other technology within the classroom seamlessly into lessons too. For instance your interactive white board & projector, large format touch screen and audio equipment can often be connected to your favorite mobile devices and to the schools network wirelessly. And let’s not forget your mobile devices can also connect to each other as well. This of course leaves the door wide open for you to explore new ways to engage with students and colleagues across multiple devices and platforms. Current wireless technology coupled with up to date mobile devices in schools are giving 21st Century teachers and students a fantastic chance to explore new ways to present, share and collaborate with each other. Why not give us a call if you would like to know more about the benefits of a managed wireless solution on 01621 859384 alternatively contact us through facebook , Twitter or PM me on edugeek.

I wasn't aware of that. I will be watching this one as it develops even closer now. Cool bit of tech though and cheap as chips, i would love to put it to work with some mechano and build my own mars rover type machine had i any time. I had high hopes for my son to do some coding and got him a Pi that has just sat doing nothing because I cant get him off his xbox for long enough! (I can get him down if i switch off the wifi router.) I am looking forward to seeing how the schools we work with plan to use them.

Found this as i was browsing and thought i would share with you Pi fans. Many of you may already know but it was news to me. New Raspberry Pi on the way which is twice as powerful and called Banana. Here's what the latest fruit promises to offer? More performance, for a start, with a faster processor and double the memory of the Raspberry Pi. That means the Banana Pi gets a zippy 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor and the 1GB of RAM. The Gadget Show | Banana Pi: The £35 mini PC twice as powerful as a Raspberry Pi revealed by The Gadget Show

We have installed dozen upon dozens of these screens and i can say for sure that you will not be able to use a USB longer than 4 meters and it has to be top quality. Their is not enough power from the USB touch module for more than this. We only use Lindy Cromo USB cables. A active USB extender will not work and you will notice pulsing on the screens image, unless you want to spend lots of money on one (£150+). This can also be an issue on the RP range that BenQ have. Firmware updates and whatever else which was suggested never worked for us. Despite this they are still a great screen and cheaper than many alternatives but you get what you pay for. We have just finished some testing on the Smart E70 where we had 5 USB cables joined together as an extension and it didn't miss a beat. PM me if you want to know more.

That saved me some comparison testing. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Norphy, I think you have just saved me some work. I will read your blog now. Cheers

Found this online: 5 Great Alternatives To Apple TV | Know Your Mobile I will be giving Chromecast a test in our offices soon and can let you know how it compares to the Apple TV we are currently running.

If you want i can pm you the details of of a high school using Lightspeed. I am sure the network manager wont mind sharing their thoughts on it with you.

Great Vid, thanks for the share.

Why do we carry out wireless surveys? Cabler’s provide a complete range of services to organisations planning to implement wireless and mobile network solutions. The best piece of advice i can give you before you embark on your wireless adventure is to do some homework on the company or consultant you plan to work with. Ask for testimonials and case studies, these will always be provided by businesses with a proven track record. Unfortunately we visit too many organizations that have had wireless networks installed which have never worked properly or were not fit for purpose. Cabler’s have consequently improved these networks beyond measure for the end users but problems are easily avoided in the first place if you choose the right installation partner and you take advantage of a comprehensive wireless survey. What is a Wireless site survey? A wireless survey is the necessary first step in the deployment of any wireless network. It is the most essential element for providing the wireless coverage you are expecting and it will ultimately help you avoid any disappointment with its desired operation. All wireless signals are broadcast as radio frequencies (RF). A wireless survey is a process by which a surveyor studies your building to understand the behavior of the radio frequencies. (RF) The purpose of a wireless survey is to make sure that the wireless you have in place or the wireless you will order is fit for purpose. Through the process of RF testing we are able to build a detailed picture of your site. Signal information is collated onto a map which shows the behavior of the RF signals. The testing will have taken into account the fabric of your building, routes for additional cabling (if required) and signal strength in detail. It will pinpoint any areas prone to interference and will help determine the appropriate placement of wireless access points to provide the best coverage. Signal Strength is most commonly known as ’coverage’ and it is the basic requirement for a wireless network. As a general guideline, low signal strength means unreliable connections and low data throughput. This will have a direct bearing on the way any device connected to the wireless network performs. Therefore a survey such as this is a great way to check the health of your existing network and asses any negative interference and/or Access Point connectivity. The results of a proper site survey provide the detailed information that addresses coverage, interference sources, equipment placement, power considerations and cabling requirements. The site survey documentation will also serve as a guide for the network design and for the installation of your wireless infrastructure. Be careful not to underestimate the effort and resources required to properly survey, design and deploy a wireless network. We have seen experienced IT professionals make the same mistake. You cannot just throw a few access points where you think they are most needed, or that the managed wireless controller that is sitting in your communications cabinet will take care of everything. Your wireless signal is impacted by many elements including neighboring wireless networks, cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, microwaves, alarm systems and even plumbing. Not all wireless surveys are equal and it can be quite difficult to tell if that person walking around your site knows what they are doing. Here are a few things to look out for: 1- Make sure they want to attend site to carry out the survey. If your offered a remote survey without the vendor ever visiting site be aware that a remote survey will not answer any of the questions needed to design a robust wireless network. 2- Hopefully you are asked pertinent questions relating to you current number of devices and usage patterns and your aspirations for the future use of your network. This shows that the company you are dealing with is consultative and your not just going to get a prescriptive solution. One size does not fit all! 3- You have been asked for a plan of your building so that it can be incorporated into the software package that tests you RF coverage. 4- Make sure they take their time and check your whole building, they should also check the communications cabinet to make sure you have space for the supporting infrastructure requirements such as available switch ports, power over ethernet (POE), electrical power, and rack space needed to support the installation. They may also want to test existing cables that you plan to utilise or look at potential routes for new cabling and containment. These are just a few things to look out for when choosing who provides your wireless solution. You will pay for a properly designed network with your time or your money when you have to redo the work. Our customers save time and money by avoiding poorly designed and deployed wireless networks. They have Cabler's experts on hand providing radio frequency & interference analysis, cabling, coverage and all the capacity information needed to deploy a high performing, secure and reliable wireless network. The moral of this story is to "Get a Survey, before you go wireless." We are easily contacted if you wish to discuss a wireless solution or BYOD deployment. Why not take advantage of some good advice.

Welcome to edugeek RespectIT You will have quite a few good companies to choose from at this rate. I look after customer services for Cablers and we specialise in providing Network and AV solutions including infrastructure to schools and colleges. We would like to help you with this too.

Hi everyone, I just want to let you know that we are here to help answer any questions you may have about Ed Tech. We are located in the heart of the South East and work with many network managers and schools in the region. I hope we can be a valuable resource for you. We sponsor How do you do.....it? here on edugeek and look forward to engaging with you. Please get posting or pm me if your shy. http://staticc2.cdngeek.net/images/smilies/smile.png

Hi everyone, I just want to let you know that we are here to help answer any questions you may have about Ed Tech. We are located very close to Hertfordshire and work with quite a few network managers and schools in your area where we have been recommended to schools by the team at SITSS. We sponsor How do you do.....it? here on edugeek and look forward to engaging with you. Please get posting or pm me if your shy. http://staticc2.cdngeek.net/images/smilies/smile.png

Hi everyone, I just want to let you know that we are here to help answer any questions you may have about Ed Tech. We are located very close to Hertfordshire and work with quite a few network managers and schools in your area where we have been recommended to schools by the team at SITSS. We sponsor How do you do.....it? here on edugeek and look forward to engaging with you. Please get posting or pm me if your shy.

Hi Essex techs, I am now a sponsor for How do you do....it? here on Edugeek. I am keen to engage with you lot and we are effectively on your doorstep. Let us know if we can help you with anything. Cheers jp

It will certainly make your head spin and that's before you take your proposal to the SLT for approval. Every school we have worked with has had different requirements and needs. There is no such thing as a best MDM, all you can do is find the best fit for your schools needs. Is your school part of a cluster, if so what are the other schools using or are you leading the way? Most of the MDM manufactures will be able to provide you with contact details for their reference sites. You cant beat talking to the other network managers who use these solutions on a daily basis.

Lightspeed is a great MDM but this may also be a great excuse to get a Mac to manage them.

Hello RobD, Welcome back to education. Lightspeed is a great MDM and My Big Campus is a valuable addition to have with it. As you know from a quick Google search its not the only one. With some tablets like the Learnpad you have access to a web based management system. We have lots of experience with tablets in the classroom and the various ways you can manage them efficiently and are happy to spend some time answering your questions if you want to get in contact.

Hi all, You are quite welcome to pose any BYOD questions on How do you do......it? I work for the company that now sponsor this forum and have a team of network, wireless and even AV specialists who i can go to in order to answer any of your questions about most subjects relating to IT within the education sector. I look forward to engaging with as many of you as possible and seeing if we can help.

I did read the article and i still think its unfair to lay the blame at the door of technology. From my own experience some children will display these types of behaviors whether they have been using tablets or not. I have seen the same behaviors demonstrated by children after they have finished other types of activity which engaged them completely and which wasn't technology based. Its always difficult getting a class back on a new topic after a particually good lesson.

I cant agree that the use of mobile devices in the classroom is dumbing down our children. Schools are doing their best to equip our children with the skills to succeed in the modern world despite the prescriptive curriculum they have had to follow. My children use Google on a daily basis and they do remember what they read, they also have learned how to cross reference facts and make up their own opinions on subjects as opposed to being told what to think. They are then quite capable of being able to convey that knowledge and their thoughts in a written context. Alright i must admit they have scruffy handwriting but so does my doctor and he hasn't done too bad. Tablets, laptops, interactive whiteboards, LED touchscreens, visulisers and their like are enhancing our schools and helping to improve learning outcomes.

The proliferation of tablets and the tsunami of mobile devices that are clever classroom companions will not be stopped. The best you will do is learn how to manage them all safely, securely and with the least amount of work and effort on the person responsible for the network.