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Thursday, September 30, 2010 3:39 PM

ICT benchmarks for Kent Schools

Following a recent query from a Kent school network manager looking for data with which to compare his schools ICT provision, I have decided to publish two reports (Primary and Secondary) that show the data collected from Kent schools in 2009. Not up...
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Wednesday, July 07, 2010 10:50 AM

Times they are a changing!

It can't have escaped notice that my Blog has been 'quiet'. You may be aware that Kent County Council Children, Families and Education Directorate have consulted widely on changes to the way we do business. This process of change is still...
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Sunday, November 29, 2009 8:06 AM

OPEN ... Amazon for schools?

OPEN (Online Procurement for Educational Needs) is a web portal, a 'marketplace for schools' where schools can compare and then purchase educational products from a range of suppliers. There is a useful YouTube demo video that explains how it...
Posted by Sophie
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009 8:20 PM

Free memory sticks for all teachers and support staff!

2Gb memory sticks pre-loaded with lesson plans, worksheets and other useful resources are being given away by Memory4Teachers . Go to the website to get yours!
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Monday, February 23, 2009 7:32 PM

More ... Stuff that's caught my eye! 230209

2009 Horizon Report - the report identifies and describes six areas of emerging technology likely to have a significant impact on teaching, learning, or creative expression in higher education within three adoption horizons: a year or less, two to three...
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Monday, February 23, 2009 7:04 PM

Stuff that's caught my eye! - 230209

It's been awhile! Glastonbury new-agers protest against WiFi - New-age residents of Glastonbury are up in arms about the council's deployment of WiFi, claiming the wireless networks are interfering with their chakras and generally getting them...
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Sunday, September 07, 2008 8:54 PM

Stuff that's caught my eye! - 070908

Database of children delayed Intel cites US education 'crisis' HP's plan to fix ailing planet - Hewlett Packard is up to two years away from starting to build a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE. Tablet and other...
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Tuesday, August 05, 2008 8:23 AM

Northgate acquiring Anite?

Northgate Information Solutions has agreed to acquire Anite Public Sector Holdings Limited , which incorporates Anite ’s local government and secure information systems businesses, for a total cash consideration of £54.3 million payable at completion...
Posted by Sophie
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Monday, August 04, 2008 5:54 PM

Stuff that's caught my eye! - 040808

RM Gets Fingers into school biometrics market - RM's acquisition of Orchard Partners Ltd T/A Easy Trace . MP's report back from Internet's dark side . MPs have called on the government to install a YouTube Czar to oversee user-generated content...
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008 7:22 PM

Stuff that's caught my eye - 220708

OFSTED says tests narrow learning Students bring kit worth £6K School design labelled 'mediocre' e-learning 2.0 -= the need for a real 2.0 VLE Corporate social networks are a waste of money Richard Stallman: Free software and beyond Top 5 platforms...
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Thursday, July 17, 2008 9:31 PM

Harnessing Technology:Next Generation Learning - New Strategy in a nutshell!

I thought that I would try to summarise the key features of the revised and updated e-strategy Harnessing Technology: Next Generation Learning ; a sort of ' Reduced Shakespeare Company ' version for those who don't have time to read the document...
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Sunday, June 15, 2008 9:05 PM

Stuff that's caught my eye! Summary 150608

New Video demos radical Firefox Mobile Four nations appeal against Microsoft OOXML standard Encyclopaedia Britannica dips toe in Wiki waters Gamers not misfits after all Home Affairs Committee Report - Surveillance Society? Secret printer ID codes may...
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Friday, June 13, 2008 6:38 PM

Display Energy Certificates - Go one better?

On reading the recent e-bulletin item on Kent Trust Web (Formerly Clusterweb) I note with interest that from the 1st October schools are meant to display a certificate that shows the energy usage per square metre. This means that every school with more...
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Saturday, June 07, 2008 7:28 PM

Stuff that's caught my eye! Summary 070608

Assessing the Impact of the Commercial World on Children's Wellbeing - A Call for Evidence (Interested parties version) Millions must be on vetting list - More than one in four adults in England will have to register with child protection authorities...
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Saturday, May 24, 2008 3:26 PM

Build Your Playspace

Merlin John pointed me at this kids consultation and my daughter thought it was cool! You get to build a play park whilst giving your views on playspaces. What a great way of getting kids opinions!
Posted by Sophie
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Saturday, May 17, 2008 7:23 AM

Behind the Screen

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has published one of the most informative insights into the online world of children and young people. Take time to read it. Behind the Screen: The hidden life of youth online A headline summary of the report...
Posted by Sophie
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Saturday, May 17, 2008 6:55 AM

Managing ICT - Value for Money

The Dept. for children, schools and families (DCSF) has published guidance for schools on the strategic management of ICT. The information can be found on their Standards website in the Value for Money (VfM) section . Advice includes: I CT Development...
Posted by Sophie
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008 7:25 PM

Freedom of Information ... mechanised?

MySociety , the charity that runs the TheyWorkForYou.com website has come up an interesting idea. They have already set up a site called foi.mysociety.org to initiate and track freedom of information (FOI) requests to Government from members of the public...
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Saturday, February 02, 2008 8:13 AM

Microsoft reveals how to avoid forced IE7 upgrade

Microsoft has released instructions for network administrators who want to avoid a forced upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer, version 7, due to occur on February 12. How considerate ... for those who know its coming!
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Monday, November 19, 2007 5:39 PM

Global Village? ... meet your neighbours!

Sometimes an online experience can be so poignant that I am lost for words. One of these was when the US Holocaust Museum used Google Earth to show the destruction of villages in Darfur.The latest is by French Photographer Yann Arthus Bertrand who aims...
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Friday, October 26, 2007 11:42 AM

"Piggybacking" school wi-fi theft - pair cautioned in Maidstone!

In this weeks Kent Messenger (Maidstone Edition) there is a story about wi-fi bandwidth theft from a school ... "Piggy Backing", more formally known as 'dishonestly obtaining an electronic communication service" is an increasing problem, especially as...
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Thursday, October 25, 2007 8:24 PM

i-whiteboards - the benefits are clear?

Following outstanding claims for the effectiveness of interactive whiteboards in a recent Becta research report and highlighted by my colleagues on their Blog , I read the full report . Its very thorough, and offers some interesting conclusions if you...
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Wednesday, October 24, 2007 3:03 PM

Microsoft referred to Office of Fair Trading

Hot on the heels of the EU fine , It would appear Microsoft are now facing pressure in the UK from Becta. The issues of the EU decision were complex, and arguably the act of forcing Microsoft to hand over its Intellectual property to competitors is highly...
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Friday, October 12, 2007 11:40 AM

Politics similar to education? Surely Not?

David Cameron’s speech at the Google Zeitgeist Conference in San Francisco offered interesting parallels with education. In it he suggests that the impact of technology is that politicians need to “... let go of power”, and speaks of a people taking more...
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Saturday, October 06, 2007 11:06 PM

Digital Inclusion Report

A recent report by UK Online Centres , " Understanding digital inclusion " on digital inclusion makes the following observations. • Despite developments in technology the uptake of ICT has largely plateaued. • Access to ICT is not enough – a proportion...
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Saturday, October 06, 2007 10:44 PM

Family Learning Week? Get Online Day?

I have the feeling that I'm not the only one that hasn't heard about Get Online Day on 12th October aimed at attracting families who do not use the web. So, how is this opportunity being promoted if I have a child and haven't heard about it through anything...
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Saturday, October 06, 2007 9:51 PM

Broadband Report - Stats and stuff!

The Office of National Statistics have redeemed themselves after my recent post on their education productivity calculation. The recent Internet 2007 Report summarises some fascinating trends, and shows an explosion of Internet use against a back-drop...
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Saturday, October 06, 2007 9:38 PM

Kent ... to get the fastest broadband in the UK!

Virgin Media cable customers in Folkestone have been trialing 50Mb home broadband ... the fastest in the UK! Ashford have started a trial that will last until the end of December, with Dover dates to be confirmed. The eventual cost of the service will...
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Sunday, September 23, 2007 6:35 PM

End of Terms

I was just musing about anacronous terms after the previous post, and here's an open question: We all know the differences between the following? ... right? Learning Platform (LP) e-learning platform Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Managed Learning...
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Sunday, September 23, 2007 5:17 PM

The Mark of e-Maturity (say what?!!)

Those who manage to keep up with the ebb and flow of excruciating terminology and policy will know that the Self Review Framework (which from a branding point of view doesn't really say whats in the tin!) is based on a concept called e-maturity, itself...
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