Next Generation Learning in Kent

Bless this computer!

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 a vicar recently reported as adapting a medieval ceremony used to bless plows (and other farm tools). He brought it up to date by placing 2 laptops and 4 smartphones at the altar and getting the congregation to wave their's above their heads, then praying the following words:

"By your blessing, may these phones and computers, symbols of all the technology and communication in our daily lives, be a reminder to us that you are a God who communicates with us and who speaks by your Word."

"May our tongues be gentle, our e-mails be simple, and our websites be accessible."

Thought for the day? ... Dawkins anyone?  Now if God has an email address and phone number we can nail this creationsim thing once and for all.

Tablets, slates and ultrathin ...

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. It is the XO3 from the one-laptop-per-child (OLPC) project, and can be found here. The ring in the corner is a wind-up mechanism which recharges the battery! So cool, so cheap, so where and when can I buy one???

Further pics can be seen by clicking HERE.

Kerboodle! ... the video

Top technology ... BETT 2010

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 to generate problems. There does however appear to be light (.. no, not a projector bulb) at the end of the tunnel with the new Epson interactive projectors in that they appear to be designed specifically for classrooms.

With interesting synchronicity, I was invited to Borden Grammar School in Sittingbourne for a demonstration (Twitter @ictcoverlessons) of the use of Nintendo Wii controllers as a low-cost IWB. Basically, the Wii controllers have bluetooth, and with a little ingenuity and an infra-red LED marker pen, you can create a great little IWB.Indeed @ictcoverlessons demonstrated at the BETT teachmeet on Friday as well. It seems that the Epson projector uses similar technology built in.

So, what you have is an Epson interactive projector that can be used on any light flat surface. Add to this the simple installation, superb colour, wireless, network connectivity, HD, wide-screen, built in sound system etc. It is pretty amazing and sets a new benchmark as a classroom projector, and with the bundled free IWB software (which can be downloaded and used on your other IWB's). This now means that you can install a traditional dry-wipe board that can be used for your multimedia as well ... or just set aside a piece of wall, and away you go!

NComputing showed an interesting product that uses virtual desktop technology to provide very low-cost workgroup computing. basically they take a pretty standard computer and install their software. This connects to their dedicated wall box, either via standard network cables, or USB, into which you plug a keyboard, mouse and monitor ... job done! Keyboards are cheap, monitors readily available etc. NComputing sell the complete set-up, or you can buy your own keyboards and monitors and just get the software and end-points from them.

The Content Grid brings the benefits of 3D worlds (Second Life etc.) safely to schools. Using OpenSIM as the core engine, schools can create 3D interactive worlds, complete with an underlying economy!.Schools are social centres for children and young people, and The Content Grid has amazing potential for extending education beyond physical constraints. A couple of uses immediately sprung to mind such as creating immersive worlds with pre-created 'sets' for those with physical disabilities to interact with, or even 14-19 education where students can keeop in touch with peers from other schools who external courses. The Content Grid have come up with a gem that addresses privacy issues and enables 3D worlds to be used in education.

For me, RM takes the prize for the best part of BETT with their Learning Spaces showcase. I had far too much fun and spent far too long 'playing' and learning; so much so that I had to go to BETT again on Saturday to catch up! Highlights for me (and there were many!) were the interactive underwater (immersive?) experience which is a projection cave. What is more amazing is the potential for this technology to be used to create settings for real-life artefacts, or for backdrops for performing arts. The Graffiti wall was great fun, especially since you can email your graffiti to your friends from the same wall! More practical was the ISIS 'mains-less' laptop power unit for use in open learning spaces. You just trundle it where you need it and charge it at the end of the day. It even fits with their ISIS furntiure! We had great fun treading on the musical stepping stones. saw green screen technology, robots, and most amazing ... MyTobii eye controlled computer!

BROMCOM seem to have grudgingly accepted the dominance of Capita Childrens Services with the creation of an excellent front-end to SIMS. Teacher's WebFolder brings SIMS, including registration, assessment etc. to a wide choice of devices! They have created a user-freindly and intuitive interfacefor SIMS, that can be used on iTouch, iPhone, and other devices (e.g smartphones) with a browser. It's SIMS how it should be, and excellent value. It's also secure, and is integrated with SIMS. This approach of abstracting SIMS data to a new presentation layer is a good one!Imagine being able to give your staff an iTouch each as their mainregister ... and because its consumer technology its comparatively cheap!

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

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) charges local authorities and broadband consortia a subscription. This means the resources are not freely available on the web.

I want to see these great quality educational resources being fully used by schools, and I can't help but note that its difficult to find out how its done, with information obscurely published across several web locations and without an easy guide. If you go to south east grid website you might be forgiven if you can't actually find the information; (its in the projects tab).

I thought it helpful to provide information on how you can access the resources, especially if your first attempts have drawn a blank because unwittingly you tried from a home broadband connection (assuming you found the British Pathe site!).

Its not obvious but you need to use a broadband connection provided by Kent 'Schools Broadband' to gain free access to the resources. The British Pathe web site automatically detects you are from a subscribing authority because of the source internet address, and Kent schools use a fixed range of addresses. This does mean however that you can't prepare lessons from home without registering and paying for your own account or accessing from within a suitable learning platform.

This also means you can't access Keith Harcourt's excellent 'starters for study' helpsheets. If you click the British Pathe Starters for Study helpsheet links on the South East Grid for Learning (SEGfL) website from outside of a school you will briefly see a 'NEN Connecting' badge flash in the bottom right hand corner before the page reverts to the main SEGfL home page (It has to be said that it unhelpfully doesn't tell you why the link isn't working ... but being excellent practitioners you'll intuitively guess what's happening of course).

A great suggestion is to add a desktop shortcut to teacher and learner network profiles, then you won't need all of the above! Trust me its worth it and these great resources will enrich your curriculum.

Oh, and a reminder that there are other great resources from the British Film Institute.(although the creative archive is no longer available despite the links)

Besa bash the BBC!

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 Online and e-learning credits, they just don't seem able to let it go! BESA's take on the BBC Trust committee's report is a little mis-leading and its worth stating that the BBC Trust Committee found:

" ... no evidence to suggest that Bitesize and Learning Zone Broadband did not go through the correct approvals process at the time they were introduced."

" ... no evidence to suggest that, prior to 2007, the development of Bitesize and Learning Zone Broadband occurred without sufficient regulation."

They do conclude however that an impact assessment should have been carried out, a somewhat technical point.

I profoundly disagree with BESA's assertion that the BBC has no place in providing a free, universal entitlement to accessible high quality resources for all children. In my opinion this is at the heart of the BBC's public interest mandate. As a body that represents an industry that lives on public money, BESA must recognise that the way the public purse is spent is not its business and the tail shouldn't ever wag the dog. Playing shops by giving schools money in the hope they spend it on the right resources is innefficient, (Curriculum Online was not a success as is proved by the number of BESA's members product CD's we still find buried unistalled in drawers in school departments).

There is of course a legitimate debate to be had about the scope of the BBC's wider activities, but the organisation provides services that are highly valued by educators and recognised as cutting edge.

Capita CS v Bromcom? ... fighting talk!

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 made a number of recommendations after concluding that a dominant supplier in any market is not a good idea. It didn't however take up all of the recommendations.

Bromcom's complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (PDF) centres on what it sees as the anti-competitive practices of Capita CS, claiming schools have overpaid by £75m over ten years. The Capita CS practices cited by Bromcom include costs escalating at above inflation and barriers to choice. The first of these is fairly easy to kick into touch as the scope of school MIS systems has increased considerably and (predictably) so has the cost needed to keep pace. Any supplier would have to address the significant changes to reporting requirements. Complaints about anti-competitive practices, including bundling may be more difficult to shrug off in light of the same issues leading Microsoft to being fined in the EU court for similar

SIMS has developed a school MIS ecosystem that has become embedded in school organisation. Its a bit like Apple and its iTunes / IPod where the solution works better when it works together . Like Apple, commentators suggest that interoperable standards are needed to ensure that competition works to keep the dominant supplier on its toes and bring forward fresh approaches. Unlike Apple, where anyone can creat applications, SIMS is arguably fairly closed to developers. Perhaps now is as good a time as any to re-consider the recommendations of the MIS Value for Money report? There is a huge cost to changing a mission critical system across schools, but care must be taken not to block new and innovative products from other suppliers. I think standards such as Services Interoperabilty Framework (SIF) might be considered a serious contender for allowing greater competition. the alternative is for SIMS to have an open Application Programming Interface (API).

A side-note is that Capita CS has been shortlisted (PDF) as ICT supplier of the year in the 2010 BETT Awards (PDF) for its SIMS product set.

Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) ... more information

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 last weeks e-bulletin for up to date details.

Key Points

• Each April the council has to pay for carbon (estimated £1.4m for KCC)
  
• This may come back to KCC in October dependent on our position in a 'league table' of carbon reduction.
• All Schools except PFI's count as part of the KCC estate.
  
• Schools account for 56% of KCC's carbon emissions.

I am still trying to find out:

• If a school operates Extended Services, has community use or rents out sports pitches with flood-lighting, and this increases energy consumption, is this a successful school or one failing to meet carbon reduction targets?
• Will each school be recharged for its carbon emissions every April and get money back in October or will KCC manage this?

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 works (if you can get YouTube through your school broadband connection!).

OPEN consists of five elements.

• Electronic marketplace
• Purchase-to-Pay transactions.
• Secure access to user information
• Portal for suppliers to upload their catalogues.
• Sales ordering system.

Apparently OPEN allows users to access local contracts and e-catalogues for goods and services as well as opening access to regional and national contracts which might provide better value for money than existing providers.

Anyone who shops online will find the system familiar, with online shopping cart and the ability to make comparisons etc. There is also the feature to directly link with your SIMS FMS. (It does however require you to go looking for your online transactions).

Should schools use OPEN? Well setting aside from the fact that (other than the video demo) its hard to find out what suppliers and products are in it, (and its not immediately obvious how you get an account), its hard to say.

There are a number of niggling questions that I'm sure someone will be able to answer:

• Does Kent Commercial Services support OPEN? - KCS has its own supplies catalogue, but I can't find any information as to whether it has plans to support OPEN. How do local suppliers get on to OPEN?
• The DCSF press release states that schools should contact their Local Authority OPEN contact - do we have one?
• How does this support schools in meeting stringent EU procurement regulations and KCC financial requirements. It seems all too easy for schools to assume they can purchase directly from a web screen comparison.

Too many cooks ... salami-slice anyone?

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 concerned).

Armed with test gear and tools, I was shocked at the impact of the salami-slicing of service responsibilities. It results in a culture of passing the buck and avoiding ownership of the problem, resulting in delay, inefficiency and work avoidance on the part of the firms involved, but more importantly, frustration, confusion and delay for the customer. More effort seems to go into shifting blame, avoiding accepting any responsibility and getting the customer to do all of the work for you.

Scenario

• T*****i provides ADSL.service on existing BT line.
  
• Sy*****x operates helpdesk and is our service provider (who sub the ADSL to Sy*****x.
• To date, there have been numerous changes of router, each requiring one of my team to visit and assist the client, and various guesses as to the problem, yet little in the way of logical fault finding from our service provider. The method of fault finding is to keep changing parts until dizzy rather than accept there may be a root cause!
• BT adamant that the line is OK when tested from India (despite the fact that the pole has an A1024 notice on it that means there is a known fault).
• Having tested all internal systems and tried to access ADSL Internet at the BT master socket on a laptop and failed, its clearly towards the exchange. (Yes changed routers, filters etc.).
• BT line has a problem with noise (although unlikley to affect availability, more likely to cause slow Internet speed).
• I can't detect the ADSL carrier so its probably a fault in the exchange DSLAM or T*****i service.

So, BT are at last visiting this afternoon, S******x on Monday ... just need T*****i to join the party and we might get somewhere. Anyway if they can't solve it Monday, I will insist on a temporary 3G dongle until it's fixed!!

How do you explain all this to the poor client?? When firms agree to use each others services there need to be clear escalation processes and a willingness to work together. This is an example of how it must never be done, but alas I fear that this is the dominant model in a commercial age!

Latest Episode: BT engineer called and agreed line faulty - has replaced corroded terminations and master socket - carrier LED now on - need to check Internet availability. Its taken five weeks of BT avoiding doing anything before we got the line fixed - progress at last? let's hope so!!

Closing comment: BT line was the fault. If they had agreed to come out five weeks ago when asked, we would all have been saved a lot of work and grief. How can it be that the first call to BT five weeks ago was met by threats of £200 call-out charges that effectively meant no-one would take the risk? The BT engieer was great, but the BT process that got him there is pretty awful.

Hat's off also to Sy+++++x who sent a dedicated engineer who went beyond the call of duty today!

Becta publish draft functional and technical principles ...

Stuff that's caught my eye 071109

Youth cannot live without the web - YouthNet charity report based on a survey of young 16-24 year olds

Tech addiction 'harms learning - report concludes that modern gadgets worsen pupils' spelling and concentration, encourage plagiarism and disrupt lessons.

Whitehall plans phone network collapse simulation

Besa predicts £9.8m drop in schools' ICT spending

Schools should be more like Tesco

Open Plan school hearing issue

Schools waste millions - report

Digital Learning Spaces - report

Social Media: youth participation in local democracy

Interactive games v real games ... Northfleet Tech' proves why it's got an ICT Mark!

Interesting way to get kids engaged with fitness ... see the BBC take on it by clicking HERE.

When you work in schools and discover the number of kids sat out of games with notes or without games kit, you can only applaud this innovative approach. ... and you know what? ... at the price of the kit this is a no-brainer. Hats-Off to Northfleet Tech!

Is it not a little unbalanced for the BBC article to give so much creedence to the voice of the Campaign for Real Education ...  who?? .. exactly! Is the quality of the Campaigns website an indication of their knowledge of technology (and in education?).

Technology doesn't turn a PE department into Second Life, it just adds another entry point for people who find physical activities a little scary.

Home Access! ... do you know what's going on?

On my travels it amazes me how little is known about a scheme that about to impact schools in a big way. Home Access is part of Becta's Next Generation Learning campaign and aims to address the perceived digital divide. An estimated one million children do not have a computer at home and 35 per cent of families have no home access to the internet. The aim is for every child to have equal access to the internet at home to assist with their learning.

The Home Access campaign targets families who:

• have home internet access but do not use the technology to benefit their children;
• can afford access but do not think technology has educational value;
• cannot afford home access or need support in obtaining it.

Three models of Operation

• Consumer – parent applies directly to the Home Access Grant Management Service (HAGMS).
• Aggregated – where schools offer to buy the computers for all of the eligible parents, rather than parents applying to the scheme direct (parent have the right to go direct. This model is promoted by the e-learning foundation.
• Targeted Groups – Decisions made by Local Authority as to who should benefit.

In pilot areas, low-income families applied to the scheme through a contact centre and completed a form. Once entitlement was established, the family received a Home Access Grant Card; a payment card loaded with an amount that covered the cost of an approved supplier’s package of computer, internet and technical support. This was then used in participating retail outlets (O2 shops etc.) Parents wanting a higher-specification could ‘top-up’ the grant to cover additional costs. This is the consumer model that will be the predominant method.

Under the consumer model, high profile marketing campaigns will communicate the benefits and educational advantages of home access – supported by dedicated advisers and a helpline. All packages must carry the @HOME logo to assure the educational and technical quality. The Home Access Grant Management Service will be run by Capita.

Impacts for schools

• Home Access is an opportunity for step-change in availability of the technology needed to raise attainment and increase participation through family learning. If successful, the majority of families with children aged between eight and eighteen will have a computer and Internet and will expect access to online resources and information.
• Parents are likely to increasingly evaluate a school by the quality of its online presence and its ability to accept mobile devices. Becta's Next Generation Learning campaign is targeting parent power ...!
  
• It's too late for schools to adopt the aggregated model, but there is still an opportunity to recommend one of the packages to their parents.
• Demand for the scheme is likely to be high. Pressure will increase for schools to provide online reporting, support online Assessment for learning and offer recommended resources / deals with content providers. Content providers are already gearing up to offer content such as revision and other resources directly to parents through online payment schemes or through schools. Schools will need a strategy for developing online services. This may include buying in content or teachers across schools collaborating in its production. The need for a payment card to buy resources may be the new digital divide!
• There is an opportunity to engage families through attractive sessions such as setting up your Facebook, e-bay, image manipulation etc. This could also impact on school network filtering policies which will need to be more adaptive and flexible.
  
• Most purchases in pilot areas Oldham and Suffolk have been for mobile devices with web and walk dongle connectivity. This doesn’t allow video or rich content and monthly bandwidth is easily consumed by software updates. This will affect what you make available through learning platforms and web sites.
• An opportunity exists for schools to reduce the cost of providing mobile computers with short product life-cycles and moving school provision from personal devices towards ‘appliance’ technologies such as thin client.
• Pressure will increase for schools to support externally provided mobile devices on their networks. Wireless will need to be substantially improved to cope.
• Teachers will need to may need to adapt their practice if children and young people bring devices to school. Banning them may not be an option! Charging and storage of pupil devices will be an issue.
• Children and Young People who have opted for mobile connectivity (eveidence shows this will be the predominant connectivity) need to download software updates at a wi-fi hot-spot. Most now block Microsoft updates as they affect service to other users. There may be a role for schools and libraries providing public access wi-fi to enable children and young people to access rich content.
  
• Schools will need to respond to e-safety concerns and have robust policies and procedures for detecting and dealing with inappropriate content brought in on uncontrolled devices.

So when does this all kick off? Launch in late December 2009 with a ministerial announcement at the BETT show is the word on the street, followed by a mass advertising campaign!

Becta held supplier presentations, so if f you want to know the details with good illustrations you can see how industry is being steered HERE.

CCTV in schools ... statement from Information Commissioners Office (ICO)

Jonathan Bamford, Assistant Information Commisioner today issued the following statement after an incident where CCTV captured pictures of school children changing.

“CCTV should only be used for a pressing need. It is perfectly reasonable for a school to use CCTV to help secure its premises, but it shouldn’t be left switched on capturing images of school children changing during the day. When a school is staffed and children are on the premises, cameras will not generally be required for security purposes. Organisations that do capture images using CCTV are required by law to adhere to the Principles of the Data Protection Act"

Guidance for organisations using CCTV

Kent ICT Mark schools ... numbers up!

Just seen my NAACE newsletter, and two more Kent schools have recently achieved the coveted ICT Mark. They are Hugh Christie Technology College and Swalecliffe Community Primary School. Knowing how difficult it is to achieve the coveted ICT Mark (judging by the number of schools in the UK that have it!) this is a great achievement for both schools and worth a 'bit of a do'.

Hugh Christie's managed ICT service is provided by Northgate Education and its pretty clear this has had a positive impact.

These bring Kent's total up to:

• 6 Secondary Schools (+ 1 Academy)
• 15 Primary Schools

ICT Targets ... now that's an interesting subject!

I had an enquiry from a Kent secondary school asking about current targets for ICT. It set me on a bit of a quest as 'deadlines' are often quoted and mentioned. I started by looking at data the government collects through the school census, as this is the only stuff they can actually check on. The answer is that through the school census they count computers and whiteboards ... and that's it!

Anyway, ... what are (were) the targets(?)!

• 2006 - 10Mb broadband for secondary and 2Mb for primary.
• 2008 - every child wirth a personal learning space (learning platform(?).
• 2010 (Sep) - Online reporting for secondary schools (although no-one seems clear as to what this will look like in practice), and no-one seems to know how they will measure school compliance.
• 2010 - compliance with the 'keeping data safe and secure' guidance (information management strategy framework).
• 2012 (Sep) - Online reporting for primary schools.

We asked Becta for clarification and have been told there are no 'hard targets'. Instead the emphasis is on achieving e-confidence through the Becta Self Review Framework which sets school appropriate targets for each element. A school's participation is of course reported to government through registration on the Becta self review framework online tool, and the success measure is therefore the ICT Mark! Simplez!

That being the case, they must be worried that the number of ICT Mark schools is so low!

ICT Suites ... an update!

As an update to my recent post on ICT suites, I've been checking out figures (Feb 2009) for computer locations in Kent Primary schools:

• 36% of desktops located in classrooms / teaching areas (not suites).
• 35% of desktops located in suites.
• 26% laptops / notebooks.
• 2% Tablets
  

Comparisons are odious ...

Just been reading the recently published Harnessing Technology Schools Survey 2009 and comparing with Kent's most recent figures for learning platforms:

• 61% of Kent Primary schools have a learning platform compared with 52% nationally.
• 83% of Kent Secondary schools have a learning platform compared with 75% nationally.

Of course, neither set of figures gives an indication of whether they are used effectively!

Where are all the ICT Mark schools?

I've been preparing reports today and comparing Kent's ICT Mark schools with neighbouring Local Authorities. Interesting observation, the number of schools with the ICT Mark is not increasing (In Kent, currently 5 secondary schools if you exclude one Academy and 14 primary schools) ... but other LA's are much worse!

• Essex - 2 Secondary, 3 Primary
  
• Suffolk - No secondary schools, 2 Primary
• Norfolk - No secondary schools, 5 Primary

This is meant to be the flagship delivery mechanism for improvement of ICT in schools. Why are schools not going for the ICT Mark? Is it too hard to achieve e-confidence? ... more urgent priorities take precedence?

Source: Next Generation Learning website.

Does this mean that schools are not bothering with the ICT Self Review Framework?

ICT Suites ... dead or alive?

“Schools have successfully created a demand from teachers to be able to use ICT to improve learning in other subjects but are rarely able to meet it. Most primary and secondary schools have chosen to centralise the bulk of their ICT resources in networked computer room…but the result is that resources are often extremely limited elsewhere for work in other subjects. It is still common to see students taking work from other subjects to the computer room where they are using ICT, in effect, only to present their ideas well. When ICT is unavailable to students in their classrooms when they are studying other subjects, it is unable to contribute to improving learning."

Quote from The Importance of ICT (OFSTED 2009)

Thought provoking critique of the ICT suite HERE.

Re: Don't let your mind die

This creased me up and I can't resist a comment!

I hope the article is meant to be tongue-in-cheek as I have this horrible vision of elderly drivers swerving across motorway lanes as they do brain training on long journeys. I also love the thought that designing buildings that are difficult to get around provides challenges that delay death; ah, but would one get through the school design DQI's or CABE Review ... Who'd a thought it!

OFCOM report - young people's web access has doubled

An interesting read is the recent OFCOM UK Children's Media Literacy report.

Here are a couple of the key findings:

• 16% of 11 year olds and 35% of 12 -15 year olds go online in their rooms.
• A fifth of 12 - 15 year oldsdon't know how search engine results are ordered.
• One third of 12-15 year oldsthink search engine results are in order of truthfullness.
• Most children don't have filtering or controls in place.

The report is a good starting point for schools engaging with families on e-safety. It's interesting that the forthcoming Home Access scheme provides default filtering as standard, but allows parents to alter the settings ... On the basis that in many cases children probably know more about computers and the Internet than their parents, it won't be long before the settings are changed. Interestingly with LA funded computers distributed through Home Access for Targetted Groups funding, filtering remains the responsibility of the LA.

It is a sobering thought that a major study into tthe influences on young peoples sex lives reveals more than 83%of 13-25 year olds have viewed pornography! A further report, Life Support: 'Young People's Needs in a Digital Age' confirms young peoples reliance on the Internet, with a reported 45% happiest when they are online and a thirdthat feel it is better to find information online than talk to a real person

The divergence between the restricted school ICT experience (e.g. no social networking etc.) is becoming more stark, as schools continue to filter and block sites that are available to children out of school.

Twitter Ye Not?

Well, the light bulb moment happened and I'm micro-blogging with Twitter (trailing way behind the prolific Ms Barrow).

I opened an account in 2007, and well ... didn't get it. Now I'm a convert and my account is flourishing. My problem is that I like to spell correctly and construct sentences like what I was taught. Now I have to resort to short txt mssgng whr u tke out da vowls. I was taught that it is the consonants that give the facts and the vowels that convey accent and emotion ... so we'll see where it goes. If you're interested, I'm @asynchro.

Will schools jump on the bandwagon or be left behind?

The title of this post is the opening of a web 2.0 in education report based on research responses from school administrators in the US. Some of the report's statements and findings raise interesting questions.

"... digital media - and particularly web 2.0 applications - are a standard feature in the lives of young people ... it mnakes sense for schools to avail thmeselvesof the opportunities these applications provide to enrich the learning environment of classrooms. But is this happening? Are schools welcoming web 2.0 or shutting the door on it?"

The report identifies three school responses to the opportunities and challenges of implementing web 2.0:

• Trying to protect students and instructional time by banning Web 2.0 or setting policies to keep it “safe.”
• Preserving existing programs and practices by using technology in a way that “fits” into what is already in place.
• Taking a progressive approach based on the idea of discontinuous change that allows technology to transform the organization rather
  than moving it faster and further on its existing path.
  

It is interesting to tie this in with OFSTED's increased focus on safeguarding in inspections. Instead of promoting tighter filtering and blocking, it does exactly the opposite. Schools that assess and manage risk by educating children and young people of the risks can achieve higher ratings than those with a risk-averse approach that accept boiler-plate policies. There is clearly a role for LA's in assessing common risk factors but the message is that schools must be allowed to consider and assess risk independently and apply policies locally. 

Economic and efficient ICT in schools ...

The Audit Commission recently published a report highlighting ways schools can improve economy and efficiency.

ICT, (a major cost for most schools) gets scant mention with a bland statement " ... regular reviews of high cost services, such as administration and ICT, will reveal whether they are meeting the school's aims and objectives". The only ICT specific advice it gives is an example of selling your (overworked!) technician to other schools. Collaboration between schools to gain economies and efficiencies is mentioned, but is not applied directly to ICT where it can have a huge impact.

Interesting read though, and worth a look.

Carbon Reduction! ... ready for the commitment?

A colleague took me through the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) in the context of building energy efficient schools and the ICT used in intelligent buildings. CRC is a new mandatory emissions trading scheme that will affect large organisations (including schools) who qualify based on their electricity consumption during 2008. An organisation has to purchase allowances sold by Government for each tonne of CO2 they emit. The more an organisation emits, the more allowances it has to purchase ... a direct incentive to reduce emmissions.

CRC assumes energy use will fall year on year from a baseline calculated on 2008 energy use. Government will publish annual league tables based on this assumption. The problem for the LA and schools is that Extended services promote increased use of schools before and after school and during school breaks for a range of community uses. Energy consumption by that school will increase, not decrease, and this could be a disincentive for schools considering further opening their doors to the community.

In fairness the cost of carbon looks to be set at £12 per tonne from 2010, and won't be a biggie in money terms. More interesting is whether the press use the information to start school by school local league tables. Schools that are more active in extending to the community may find a sting in the tail, especially if they also wish to highlight green credentials.

The Inst Mech Engineers are promoting a Carbon Meter, Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is continuing to develop intelligent building approaches. As this is imminent, it will be interesting to see the response from schools.

The Right Staff! ... with the Right Stuff?

Videoconferencing - Visit to Tandberg.

Around two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Tandberg executive briefing centre in Staines with colleagues from EIS. The purpose of the visit was to look at the future roadmap for videoconferencing from the perspective of one its market leaders.

Interesting developments in videoconferencing include the increasingly smart use of directories such as Microsoft Active Directory (AD) to manage user access to resources and services; unified communications around Internet Protocols (IP), e.g. IP telephony (VOIP); High Definition (HD) video, and the linking of high quality videoconferencing to desktop applications such as Outlook and network products such as MS Office Communicator. These have the potential to bring higher quality and greater ease of use.

Other firms have developed portfolios of products around similar approaches, including Cisco, Aethra, Polycom and Radvision.

Videoconferencing is of course an inaccurate term. I go to meetings and conferences, and they are not the same thing! It seems to me there are at least four distinct markets for 'interactive live video' converged around Internet Protocol (IP) communications.

• Webcasting - streamed live video.
• Instant messaging - communication between individuals or within social networks.
• Video-meetings - managed meetings between dispersed particpants.
• Telepresence - High end, high cost.

Kent Community Network (KCN), (now Kent Public Service Network (KPSN)) has operated IP videoconferencing for schools for a number of years, and is exploring how this is best developed to add value to education and reduce carbon emissions.

Interesting Links

• Cisco TelePresence
  
• Cisco TelePresence - On stage holographic videoconferencing.
• Tandberg
• Polycom
• Aethra
• Radvision
  

Graham Badman - Chair of Becta!

Graham Badman CBE, ex-managing director of Kent County Council's 'Childen Familes and Education' Directorate was appopinted Chair of Becta on 1st May 2009, replacing Andrew Pinder who stepped down in January 2009. Graham has been interim Chair since Andrew's departure and board member for some time before.

It will be interesting to see if Graham's passion for effective use of technology across children's services results in Becta shifting emphasis.