KarlGoddard

Sharepoint is an excellent choice for an intranet app. I rolled one out here about 4 years ago and its been great - definitely improved comms teacher > student. Integrates well with AD, relatively easy to set up - its overall a good tool to use. I have to agree with localzuk - moodle *should* be kept as part of your learning platform portfolio and sharepoint *should* be kept as the intranet side. You can, of course, use both for each task but there is some degree of compromise on each app. You've also got to think of if you ever went with another learning platform and ditched moodle, you'd (probably) have to roll out another intranet app too. My opinion is keep 'em separate, but use SharePoint if you can - it's excellent.

+1 on that (do we ever disagree on anything, Russ?) lots of schools are pre-empting any potential neg effects of BSF by re-writing job descs and roles to include more curriculum specs for their techies, so they become exempt from BSF

I do have to say having owned an N95 and played with a G1 I prefer my new iPhone - it's nowhere near perfect but IMHO is the best all rounder. You just can't beat them I only have very small hands (think Jeremy Beadles withered hand on a cold day) and I struggled with the G1's keyboard. Never had any issues with the iPhone screen keyboard... And more importantly the iPhone is fit (and how did I ever cope without the spirit level app:) )

That's the (minor) trade off really. If you currently don't use a helpdesk app or have *any* form of call logging, whether thats anything from an access DB to a bit of paper, you will naturally think that you'll waste time having to log a call. Having a good IT Helpdesk app will actually save you time in the long run - if it's searchable you've got an instant in house KB, you could report from it and see trends that may identify a more serious long term problem or identify an issue that could be avoided in future through staff training or better induction procedures etc. If your school is currently or in the future going through any formal accreditation having a call logging system is essential and indicative of a pro level support facility. It's easy for me to say you should 'make time' but honestly you really need to. It may sound like a big step but that step is very much worth it! Cheers!

in fact to save you a phone call dm me your address details and I'll get one in the post to you tomorrow

phone 01204 333343 and ask for an application pack

Thanks! I'm happy with both of them but the Head naturally has the final say. I could dm you the urls to the temp installs on my own hosting if you want a look ??

I've already done it - not the edugeek package though. Two joomla based sites are just waiting for the Head to choose the one he wants.

and another one for the fail pile

i am intensive, but i think you mean incentive Zak

added bonus is that you get to work with me, assuming I don't get the job myself.

I can't remember if it was you or Dai or Belshaw who mentioned in the EdTechRoundup podcast something about Learning Platforms being a portfolio of tools - Moodle=VLE, Mahara=e-Portfolios SIMS=MIS etc Tools like Uniservity added wikis and blogs I think, IMHO, to cater for the web 2.0 brigade. The implementation, again IMHO, is poor and doesn't really give an insight into what blogs and wikis are in the real world. Uniservity is an OK platform. Definitely not the worst and definitely not the best, but trying to be a one stop shop for e-learning within an establishment isn't going to work. thats why I use Uniservity for the VLE and I'll use PB Wiki for my wiki stuff and Wordpress for the blog stuff. Foundation of successful e-learning is all about creating a flexible tool kit, IMHO

'the internet is supposed to be a standard' I assume you mean the web. FYI the internet is a big collection of computers and switches and routers and gateways connected with long bits of copper and glass and a smattering of radio signal. There is no 'internet' standard except for comms protocols. Thank God you don't teach my girls what the 'internet' is. and how the hell can the way the front end of an app (the vle) is rendered to the screen 'teach' the kids how to write standards compliant html or xhtml (and having valid mark up is no guarantee of having good mark up), Answer: it doesn't. i couldnt care less if the code behind a vle was a saved to web word doc as long as it worked, was viewable in a browser and both the staff and pupils could and would use it I'm more interested in how it affects learning and how its delivery can improve educational standards, facilitate better assessment, promote parental engagement and increase digital inclusion in my school - I dont give a flying toss if its html compliant or not. You're missing the point completely if all you can focus on is 'its not html compliant' - you really are.

I personally couldn't give a toss if any of the code is valid... Uniservity isn't there to teach good practice in web design. Now, your comments regarding tools in one place or several different tools... The implementation of blogs and wikis in Uniservity is poor. Therefore I'll, when taking training sessions for staff on the usage of 'Web 2.0' apps for education, will be showing them how to use wordpress, blogger, edublogs and pbwiki. I'll use the *best* tool for the job and the implementation of the above isn't adequate in Uniservity. Convenience of having things 'in one place' is secondary to the quality of the software. btw, I look after Uniservity for 1800 pupils and 200 staff. Overall I have mixed feelings about it. There's parts I like, parts I don't like and parts leave me utterly bewildered but I'm sure I could say that about Frog, Moodle or Blackboard.

my solution to getting action from Virgin Media is to shout my head off and threaten to move to Sky if they don't resolve the issue or give me an idea when the issue will be resolved. Last time I did it got £25 off my month bill and an upgrade from 2mb > 10mb broadband To paraphrase BT: "It's good to shout"

crikey... I've just found myself agreeing with someone from Sophos... whatever next I wonder?

did you have any issues with the install picking up settings from the xml.override file? I tried doing the ent deployment but it never picked up any of the suppress settings when we deployed CS4 using that method even though we followed to the letter the steps in the pdf

I'm looking into deploying CS4 and it isn't good news I'm afraid... as far as I can see unless you're using SMS or a packaging app it theres now easy way to silently install it. Then again at a 3.1 gig install I'd feel dizzy deploying that through an msi at logon on Here, it's going on the client image and any odd ball machines that need it will have it installed via psexec

as time goes on, and BSF will be (probably anyway) imposed on us, I'm actually beginning to look at as an opportunity for me / my career. I'm on my top pay scale now, can do the job blindfolded and I'm beginning to get itchy feet, well actually beginning to feel frustrated with the lack of opportunity within the school. I really do think that my school will suffer as me and the boss (sahmeepee on here) do an amazing job as its only us two looking after 1800 kids and almost 700 desktops. But if the school can't refuse the potential offer of a significant refurb - I totally understand. New school vs (potentially) inferior IT infrastructure / support. If I was the Head it would be a no brainer. So perhaps, in 15 months time, I'll be out of a job or that my role has changed so much it's effectively put me out of a job, or conversely RM may provide me with the training / career development I'm yearning for. It's bit of a risk but this may be the opportunity / kick up the arse an old fart (even though I do look younger than Tony ) needs. Even the thought of having to possibly compete for my job next year has given me a renewed impetus to get my PRINCE2 and Itil certs - so that's at least one positive. Every man for himself!

if someone downloaded 22000 images of child porn just to prove how easy it was to get hold of, would they get away with it? I somehow doubt it

exactly! There is no legitimate justification for what they did. It was just reckless, sensationalist 'journalism'.

I bet Rory Cellan Jones doesn't tweet about it though:D

Small world indeed.... the address on the website is actually 100 yards down the road from my school Never knew there was an IT company on that block - just a dry cleaners and a kebab shop

say what you will, edit as you see fit... but this is a carve up 'nuff said

lol