Education Technology in Schools

Success for Single Sign-on! ... and onwards for EIS guru!

Sophie — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:22:00 GMT

Sometimes we need to take a leap into the unknown. After much deliberation, soft market testing, reading and studying it is possible to still end up being unsure. What was it Donald Rumsfeld said about Known Unknowns and Unkonwn Unknowns .... ? What are...(read more)

RM ... Primary ICT Seminar in Maidstone

Sophie — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:46:00 GMT

RM will be at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel Hollingbourne just outside of Maidstone on Monday 22nd November with their Primary ICT Seminar. The predominant theme is ' Achieving more with less' Full details can be found by clicking HERE : It's rumoured...(read more)

Vital CPD 4 ICT - adding value to teaching

Sophie — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 07:27:00 GMT

This is a shameless plug for Vital , professional development ICT development aimed at teachers. Vital is delivered by the Open University and funded by the DfE (at least for now!). Vital offers flexible courses and case studies, with guides to new technologies...(read more)

Home Access - the numbers for Kent!

Sophie — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:30:00 GMT

We have been keeping track of the number of approved applications for Home Access laptop and Internet packages in Kent. We have figures associated with each school, and have used them to produce a summary report. The report highlights the numbers by District...(read more)

ICT Provision in schools - BESA summary report findings

Sophie — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:53:00 GMT

According to a recent BESA report ! Desktop Computers - 58% of primary schools report being well equipped and 64% of secondary schools report being in the same position as last year. Digital Content - 52% of primary school ICT leaders do not consider...(read more)

What is Federated Access Management (FAM)? In a nutshell!

Sophie — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 08:32:00 GMT

Who? A national body called the UK Access Management Federation looks after things, and requires you sign up to a strict contract that assures you are trustworthy, have your organisations approval at a high level and are a recognised educational institution...(read more)

What is Services Interoperability Framework (SIF)? In a nutshell!

Sophie — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 07:41:00 GMT

Following my last post on interoperability , I received an email asking for a plain english explanation of some of the key concepts, so here goes with the first - SIF. Services Interoperability Framework (SIF) - used to be called School's Interoperability...(read more)

Education, Skills and Children's Services - Interoperability? Ouch!

Sophie — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 04:41:00 GMT

The Department for Education's predecessor, DCSF, commissioned a report (PDF) to review information and data sharing within education, skills and childrens services (ESCS), with the aim of suggesting a way forward. The report makes interesting reading...(read more)

Stuff that's caught my eye - 031010

Sophie — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:30:00 GMT

Internet Maths Tutor & BBC News Item: Indian Call centrer teaches maths in the UK Open Source Virtual Private Network (VPN) OpenVPN - with OpenVPNAS may be useful for schools who want a cheap solution for filtered home access for staff and students...(read more)

Creating newspapers from your RSS feeds?

Sophie — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:12:00 GMT

I must admit I was disappointed at the demise of Bloglines , the RSS feed reader I first cut my teeth on at an Alan November conference. It was something of a revelation and is fundamental to many of the Internets new tools. Rather reluctantly I've...(read more)

Kent e-safety officer - mentioned in dispatches!

Sophie — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 11:03:00 GMT

Broadcasting on Mon 4th October, Radio 4 @ 8pm is a documentary looking at S*x, P*rn and Teenagers . Guardian Online has a trailer article that quotes Rebecca Avery, e-safety officer in my team. Worth a look, and the broadcast sounds well worth listening...(read more)

Primary School Design Guide

Sophie — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:35:00 GMT

We've put together an ICT Design Guide for Primary Schools. It covers key considerations for architects and builders. Click HERE to download a copy ....(read more)

Green ICT in Schools advice

Sophie — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:27:00 GMT

I was asked to consider how schools might adopt greener ICT in order to save energy. Prevailing thought is that low-energy technology saves money ... and it does, but the cost of changing technology early is more than the cost saving!The real savings...(read more)

Software licensing on conversion to Academy

Sophie — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:53:00 GMT

Don't assume your software transfers automatically from your School to your new Academy! I've been investigating the pitfalls of software licensing, and the following is based on a telephone conversation with a Kent contracted software supplier...(read more)

ICT benchmarks for Kent Schools

Sophie — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:39:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Student's reminded of their rights to know more about their exam marks

Sophie — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 12:10:00 GMT

The Infomation Commissioners Office (ICO) has sent out a reminder that student's have the right to request examiners' comments. Apparently the ICO received complaints about how Subject Access Requests (SAR's) are dealt with by schools and...(read more)

Funding for shared primary School Business Managers.

Sophie — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:06:00 GMT

Not particularly ICT related, but schools may be interested in knowing that DfE is providing grants of up to £20K per project to fund a School Business Manager to be shared across a cluster of Primary Schools, with the aim of at least one cluster funded...(read more)

Online applications. More than just trust?

Sophie — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:56:00 GMT

I came across what seems to be a remarkably useful online application being promoted to schools, PlannerLive . As with all online services there is a need for schools to consider questions about privacy and the transparency of the service providers business...(read more)

Times they are a changing!

Sophie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:50:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Technology: rights of the child v fears of the school

Sophie — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:37:00 GMT

Interested to read a paper by Miles Berry , incoming vice-chair of NAACE the schools ICT association and evangelist for Open Source Schools . Miles was invited to share a topic of interest to them. Rather surprisingly, instead of a polemic on Open Source...(read more)

Bless this computer!

Sophie — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:35:00 GMT

Since watching Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy, I've often mused that gargantuan data-centres may be cathedrals where we get ever nearer to the meaning of (virtual) life (42 wasn't it?). The church of the blessed motherboard seems nearer with...(read more)

Tablets, slates and ultrathin ...

Sophie — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:10:00 GMT

It seems that the impending Apple iSlate is re-igniting interest in Tablet's, (now called slates to disassociate them), but the best version I've seen isn't available yet, but is coming in 2012 and may only be available in developing countries...(read more)

Kerboodle! ... the video

Sophie — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 16:00:00 GMT

No comment on the Kerboodle product, but the YouTube video is a hoot!...(read more)

Top technology ... BETT 2010

Sophie — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 10:37:00 GMT

I don't often get excited by classroom projectors and interactive whiteboards (IWB's), with new health and safety guidance that means they must be short-throw, the problems of height adjustment (especially with boom types) etc. they often seem...(read more)

British Pathé? Great ... but can you get it to work?

Sophie — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:35:00 GMT

After reading the ' Pathe Returns ' blog post by a colleague, you may have tried to find out more whilst sat at your home computer and wondered why it doesn't seem to work. Well, British Pathe is a commercial organisation that (quite rightly...(read more)

Besa bash the BBC!

Sophie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:49:00 GMT

I find it hard to reconcile the recent press release from trade association the British Education Suppliers Association (BESA) with the BBC Trust Decision it refers to. Parking the fact that BESA members benefitted from £500m per year through Curriculum...(read more)

Capita CS v Bromcom? ... fighting talk!

Sophie — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:40:00 GMT

I picked up a report in the Guardian last week that Bromcom PLC are crying foul at what it sees as Capita CS' domination of the schools Management Information System (MIS) market. I remember that the Becta MIS and value for money report (PDF) in 2005...(read more)

Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) ... more information

Sophie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:36:00 GMT

My colleague Andy Morgan has put together a useful briefing on the new statutory duties contained in the Carbon Reduction Commitment and what it means for schools. I have blogged about this before , but recommend you view the document that went out with...(read more)

OPEN ... Amazon for schools?

Sophie — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:06:00 GMT

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...(read more)

Too many cooks ... salami-slice anyone?

Sophie — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:15:00 GMT

Following weeks of colleagues trying to get a single Home Access for Targeted Groups ADSL Internet connection working in the home of a needy family, I decided to go to the house and see what could be done (if only to apologise in person to the family...(read more)