ICT Matters July 2011

brought to you by

Taking school technology to the next level

july 2011 / ISSUE 11

Shar with e me IT m your anag er

A social media minefield The risks to teachers of using Facebook

Project forward Projection technology as an affordable classroom pick-me-up

Video star School saves thousands through video conferencing

TO PROTECT FRONT LINE SERVICES, CuT yOuR baCk OFFICE PRINT COSTS

Following the Comprehensive Spending Review, balancing the budget is tougher than ever. To protect vital services, you need suppliers who can provide first-class products and service whilst keeping costs low. Kyocera’s uniquely resource-efficient printers and multifunctional copiers reduce both the direct and indirect costs of your printing and copying, without compromising on performance or quality. Savings of around 50% are easily achievable, freeing up funds for the things that really matter.

To find out more, visit www.kyoceramita.co.uk/waronwaste KYOCERA MITA UK Ltd – Phone: 08457 103 104 – www.kyoceramita.co.uk

R

ecent news surrounding the possibility that mobile phones and wireless internet could be bad for your health has sent ICT managers across the land into a spin.

On the one hand, an EU committee has said phones and wifi should be restricted in schools because they pose a health risk to children, but on the other hand, research has shown that pupils who have access to mobile apps for learning do better in school.

What to do?

It’s a tough one. Do you prioritise your pupils’ health based on reports from the World Health Organisation that say mobile phones could cause cancer, or do you go with the statistics that say mobile phones are no bad thing when it comes to learning. Health or learning; learning or health. While this seems like a rather black and white decision to make, it’s not that simple. Say it is true that mobile phones and wireless internet are possible carcinogens. Is that going to stop anyone using mobile phones in their day-today lives? Not likely – at least not for a while. While banning them from your school for health reasons at this point could be jumping the gun a little, it’s no bad thing to keep tabs on what is done to address the issue. For that, watch this space.

In this issue, we bring you the usual updates on ICT in education, with case studies on the importance of video conferencing in the classroom and technology on parental communication. We also bring you a Focus On projectors and print services. Finally, we conclude with a legal-themed Techno Geek on the implications of teachers and schools on social media sites like Facebook. It’s a big world out there, but if anything, technology is making it smaller every day.

CONTENTS UPDATE 47 ICT NEWS The latest updates and developments in school technology

EDITOR

IN PRACTICE 50 CASE STUDY Video star Engayne Primary School saves £4,500 a year using video conferencing

FOCUS ON 56 PROJECTORS Project forward Projection technology as an affordable classroom pick-me-up

CONTACT US

intelligent media solutions suite 223, business design centre 52 upper street, london, N1 0QH tel 020 7288 6833 fax 020 7288 6834 email info@intelligentmedia.co.uk web www.intelligentmedia.co.uk Follow Education Executive on Twitter at Twitter.com/edexec Printed in the UK by Buxton Press www.buxtonpress.co.uk

60 MPS Managed print services Getting the most out of your printing

HELP DESK 64 TECHNO GEEK Teachers and social media – a safeguarding minefield

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

*

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

seen on *as IRIS Connect

TM

Take classroom observations to a new level by…

An innovation in classroom based professional development

• Enabling self observations • Allowing shared best practice within CPD community • Saving both time and money

Imagine removing the obstacles that stand between you and your CPD aspirations.

Imagine having the freedom to schedule classroom observations whenever it suits, to record, play back later or observe remotely in real time – whichever is more convenient.

That’s what we did when we designed IRIS Connect, so that you can deliver the first class CPD that you want.

www.irisconnect.co.uk

47

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

ict NEWS & ANALYSIS Access all areas at Dartmouth Academy

Dartmouth Academy is launching a scheme to allow every one of its pupils to access the computer equipment they need.

The all-through college teamed up with the e-Learning Foundation to give all 511 of its students the opportunity to have their own personal laptop, netbook or tablet computer – depending on their educational needs.

The school will allocate around £40,000 a year to buy the equipment, with parents opting to buy it for their children by giving £18 a month to the school.

The equipment will be insured and maintained by the academy and upgraded as the pupils’ education needs progress, but pupils can still keep the equipment when they leave school.

Principal Nick Hindmarsh said: “This system will back up the investment we have already made in technology and will help our pupils and students achieve their full potential.

“These changes not only give them new learning experiences, but also inspire them to look for information, and guide their own learning.

“We are here to facilitate their learning and help them develop. To do this we are determined to use a variety of tools and techniques, and technology is a big part of that.”

Business manager Simon Rushton put together the bid for e-Learning Foundation funding and said: “This is a scheme which has seen great success elsewhere in the country, and we believe it will make a massive difference to the learning experience of our students – £18 a month is equivalent to a month’s Sky subscription, half a tank of petrol, or just 60p a day. This brings the newest technology within the grasp of all our students.”

The academy recently announced it was handing out £16,000 worth of iPods to GCSE students to help them study for their exams.

NEWS BYTES School receives ICT investment Rushey Mead Secondary School in Leicester, will benefit from major ICT investment.

The school, which is undergoing a £16m rebuild under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, is undertaking a £2.5m five-year contract that will provide a bespoke ICT managed service to support the wide ranging educational needs of Rushey Mead.

Headteacher Carolyn Robson said: “Staff and students at the school are excited at the prospect of moving into their new BSF building in the summer of 2012.

“With the ever-increasing use of new ICT by young people it is critical that the school environment reflects and adapts to the many technologies available.”

They said...

Considering all the budgetary constraints that they are under, schools are determined not to pay a penny more for their ICT equipment than they have to Philip White, CEO of Syscap, suggests the Japanese disaster could have a knock-on effect on school ICT purchases

48

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

Digital resources boost achievement New research has shown that early use of a digital resource, when embedded into the school’s long-term plan, is associated with higher achievement in Key Stage 2 SATs. The independent study, conducted by senior research fellow at Lancaster University Dr Don Passey, found that the use of a high quality digital resource creates a wider and deeper learning experience, which can impact on understanding and achievement when used over a period of time with children.

Although frequency of the use of a digital resource is likely to be important for some learners, it is the pattern of usage over time that is associated with higher end and longer term results.

With the government removing ring-fenced funding for technology in education, this research works to highlight the important role that technology plays in primary schools.

The study consisted of in-depth teacher interviews, questionnaires and usage data from over 330 UK schools using a primary resource.

Passey said: “Resources often support certain areas of learning better than others. The width of learning aspects covered by a resource enables teachers and learners to engage more widely and in different ways with those resources.”

Laptop plans scrapped Plans to provide children in Wales with free laptops has been scrapped after it emerged that every new machine was costing more than £700 to supply.

The Welsh government was accused of “frittering money away” on a policy destined to fail at a time when school funding is scarce.

Wales Online revealed that £662,364 had been spent on free laptops since the scheme’s launch in March last year, but only 943 of the 1,200 computers promised had been bought.

“It was clear when the scheme was introduced that it did not represent value for money from the education budget and could have been better spent improving facilities in schools,” said Shadow Education Minister Angela Burns.

“At a time when the school funding gap is widening, teacher numbers are falling and educational standards are in decline, ministers should be prioritising vital funds at the frontline rather than frittering money away on free laptops.

“Scrapping the scheme before it’s even been evaluated suggests Labour ministers now agree that this was an ill-advised and wasteful scheme made to appease their nationalist coalition partners.”

David Evans, Wales secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the announcement came as little surprise. “The idea of giving a laptop to every child is an example of something that was good in theory but, without the resources to see it through, was always going to fail,” he said.

www. edexeC. Co.uk follow us on twitter @ edexeC UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

future views

finanCe news

Competitions win prizes

interviews

downloads useful information

latest news analysis value, procurement, legal, diary, employment law

forum your thoughts and opinions on issues that effect you

latest teChnology

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

50

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

The video star Engayne Primary School saves thousands of pounds a year using video conferencing technology. Julia Dennison spoke to headteacher Suzanne Ship to find out more School Engayne Primary School Type Mixed community school, ages 5-11 Local authority London Borough of Havering Pupils 592

A

s school budgets are put under the cosh, there are ways to use technology to soften the financial blow.

One such way is by using videoconferencing (VC) technology – both for teaching pupils and training staff. Substituting a more expensive face-to-face meeting in favour of an exchange over a webcam can save a school thousands in travel costs and staff time, and can be well worth the investment.

Engayne Primary School in the London Borough of Havering, for example, has saved over £4,500 a year in continuing professional development (CPD) costs, including travel and supply cover, by videoconferencing.

the schools every year. Engayne’s participation requires it to hold a number of management board and lead mentor meetings, which incur considerable travel and supply cover costs.

A number of years ago, it was decided videoconferencing technology would be installed at the six representative schools in a bid to save this money. Since using video links to hold 11 of these meetings a year for the last three years, the return on the technological investment video conferencing required has been calculated at 30% (see table) – not to mention the carbon footprint avoided from saving over 2,700 travel miles annually and benefit to the pupils from saving 66 hours of teaching time per year.

“It is not only the financial benefits of VC that make this technology value for money; time is very precious to any headteacher and using VC saves me 48 hours a year, or approximately six school days, which I can spend with my pupils and staff” As a London lead school for the National Outstanding Primary Schools’ School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme, Engayne works with Nottingham University and five other regional representative schools from Yorkshire, the Midlands, the northeast, northwest and southwest of England to support the work of SCITT in their regions. As a consortium of around 50 schools, the SCITT programme oversees the training of around 100 staff between

“It is not only the financial benefits of VC that make this technology value for money; time is very precious to any headteacher and using VC saves me 48 hours a year, or approximately six school days, which I can spend with my pupils and staff,” comments Engayne headteacher Suzanne Ship, who sits on the management board of the SCITT programme as the head rep for London and the southeast. “There’s much more impact on the development of teachers

if they’re seeing, for example, an art specialist teach in a different school,” she adds.

The VC technology also comes in handy for pupil lessons, facilitating the children’s access to celebrated authors and other VIPs, as well as fellow schoolchildren in Australia and even scientists at NASA, all of which would hardly have seemed possible in person.

Indeed, Engayne’s passion for using videoconferencing for training and pupil lessons has gained the school recognition throughout the web as a leader in videoconferencing on blogs like Video Conferencing for Learning (vc4learning.blogspot.com/) and even earned it a national award at the 2010 Schools Videoconference Awards where judges cited an “excellent variety of examples of how you use videoconferencing across their school and the future planning of the use of the technology with both staff and pupils” as the reason for the win.

VC technology need not be too pricy, says Ship; even just a web cam and computer can be a good start to putting schools in touch over the web.

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

“It doesn’t have to be very expensive, and certainly it negates the costs of trips and teacher time out of school,” she says. “If you think about the cost of an author trip – videoconferencing is certainly cheaper.”

Ship’s advice to other schools thinking about investing in videoconferencing is to consider mobile technology that can be moved

FOCUS ON

throughout the school. “Then it will be used,” she says. A robust internet connection and IT system are also essential.

The more schools that use videoconferencing, the easier it will be for schools to connect. “[Connecting through videoconferencing] has already grown,” says Ship. “It’s so much easier than when we first started – what with all

VC’s ROI for Engayne Primary School

HELP DESK

the firewalls there used to be – now when I videoconference with all my colleagues throughout the country we go through the Janet network, the call is booked and my colleagues appear on the screen, whereas before we spent ages trying to get all the schools through. I’m sure in the future it will be much easier still as there are more and more resources becoming available for videoconferencing.”

(Sept 2010 – July 2011)

Meeting

252 miles return travel to Nottingham

Return rail fare at £161 (peak travel)

Hotel cost (average £60 per night)

Time for return travel at six hours

Cover fee at average £180 per day

x3 a year

Head reps

756

£483

£180

18 hours

£540

x3 a year

Lead mentor

756

£483

£180

18 hours

£540

x5 a year

Headteacher project meeting

1260

£805

£300

30 hours

£1,000

2,772 miles

£1,771

£660

66 hours

£2,080

x11 a year

Total savings (travel, hotel and supply cover) = £4,511 Total investment (average cost of VC hardware) = £3,500 Annual cost saving ROI = 30%

With thanks to vc4learning.blogspot.com

51

52

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

VENDOR CASE STUDY

Joining forces The best way to promote literacy at secondary school level is to get pupils engaged with reading. For Charlie Parsons, ELE manager at the Corsham School, the key to this engagement was joining his school’s library system with its virtual learning environment. ICT Matters finds out more

C

harlie Parsons is a great ambassador for and MLS stand. He was particularly impressed by the way it could advocate of virtual learning environments. When be incorporated into a school’s learning platform. he started working at the Corsham School in “The decision was made to purchase the software in 2010 September 2007 as electronic learning and it couldn’t have come soon enough,” he comments. MLS environment (ELE) manager, his first task was to also allowed him to spread the cost of the new software over implement a new learning platform across the three years, which also helped the school budget. school, upgrade the school’s website and improve how the whole Thankfully, the system was also easy to set up, something school used electronic learning facilities in general. that made school librarian Michelle Burn’s life easier. “The A virtual learning platform like conversion of our data was the one at Corsham is crucial to straightforward,” she says of the getting the 1,400 pupils at this process. “We uploaded the file at “It makes using the library so much mixed 11-18 comprehensive in the end of the school day, as per more fun and engaging inside the Wiltshire on the road to success, Micro Librarian instructions on school and at home” helping to secure the school an their web pages, and emailed it to outstanding Ofsted report in 2009 them. We received the converted and last year’s highest A-level file back by lunchtime the next student progress indicator in any school day, which we uploaded to state-funded, mixed comprehensive in Britain (1059.6). “It has the server and were ready to go, with all students, loans, been a massive success improving communication across the reservations etc. working within minutes.” school, engaging students in new technology and enabling us to Burn has since added to the system even further. “Since achieve a 24/7 learning reality,” Parsons says of Corsham’s having successfully used the software for several months, we ELE, which fits well alongside its creative ethos and two then proceeded to add all the set texts from the English specialisms in the visual arts and maths and computing. department and are looking into loading media and photography Once the ELE was up and running, Parsons decided to equipment, so that all items a student borrows from the school investigate what other opportunities there were for integrating are on one database.” services into the learning platform. At the time, his existing library software was out-of-date and uninspiring, so he had the A good look plan to upgrade it to something more engaging.

Parsons initially installed a non-Silverlight version of Eclipse.net, which worked well but didn’t quite have the modern By the books look and feel he was after. After contacting the MLS helpdesk, he This solution came from a visit to the BETT show in 2009, where was upgraded to the latest version and is very happy he was impressed with the versatility of a library software with the results. system called Eclipse.net, which he saw demonstrated at the On the system, each student gets their own library profile

53

Using engaging technologies to develop independent motivated readers and learners for life

Fast facts

School: The Corsham School Type: Mixed 11-18 comprehensive LA: Wiltshire Specialisms: Visual arts and maths and computing Pupils: 1,400, 270 of which are in the sixth form ELE manager: Charlie Parsons Background: Before working at Corsham, Parsons worked for Avon and Somerset Constabulary as an ICT trainer specialising in intelligence analysis

pages, which integrate with the school’s website and ELE and helps them engage with Corsham’s library in a dynamic manner. “The student page has a much more modern, widget-driven feel on a super glossy black background,” Parsons describes. For the first time students are able to manage their books online, write reviews, watch authors talking about their books through a ‘meet the author’ function and teachers can set homework using the library software.

Other impressive features include a reviewing function; new arrivals displayed using Silverlight animation; a sliding puzzle game that lets the children play around with the cover of the book of the week.

All in all, Parsons is delighted with the results: “It makes using the library so much more fun and engaging inside the school and at home.” And he’s not the only one. “I have used this software with my Year 7 class and they absolutely loved it,” says a teacher. “They were very keen to show me the reviews they’d written for homework and were also keen to read one another’s reviews. I think this is an excellent tool that encourages independent reading and enhances learning.” With Parsons’s enthusiasm for pupil engagement through ICT and a library system with the school’s ELE, Corsham is in a good position to gain even greater momentum in the future.

for more information: MLS Tel: 0161 449 9357 Email: info@microlib.co.uk Website: www.microlib.co.uk

13,000

schools and counting...

Our systems offer integration with your MIS and VLE, link with Active Directory for single sign-on and are designed to help you raise the profile of your library and resources.

Telephone: +44 (0) 161 449 9357 Email: info@microlib.co.uk www.microlib.co.uk

Order your free pupil librarian badges Go to www.microlib.co.uk/badges Available for a limited period only

54

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

VENDOR CASE STUDY

A Flatrate for efficient printing Sir William Stanier Community School in Crewe has benefited from improving print facilities thanks to the OKI Flatrate printing programme. We find out how they did it

With the current squeeze on public sector spending, education budgets are coming under intense pressure and expenditure on technology is inevitably subject to intense scrutiny. Schools have increasingly limited resources, so they are constantly finding new ways of making the most of them.

One method for driving cost savings, operational efficiencies and enhanced creativity is through smart printing. A recent report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that education could benefit more than other UK sectors from more efficient printing, with potential annual savings of up to £245m – equivalent to 9,800 new graduate teachers.

Sir William Stanier Community School, a secondary school in Crewe, has historically used a mix of printers from different vendors together with a complex blend of different consumable types. At the same time, it had little control over colour printing and little visibility of costs or output volumes.

Reliability was often an issue and ensuring high quality service and supply was difficult. Managing the printing resource efficiently was a constant challenge not least because of the requirement to use multiple sources for billing, consumables and IT support.

The school realised it needed to exert tighter control over its printing and decided to standardise on one brand and turned to OKI and its Flatrate for Education printing package.

The school was impressed with the quality of the OKI printers, the professionalism of the OKI team and the potential benefits of the Flatrate scheme.

OKI has now set the school up on the programme, which is customised to focus on aggregate printing across all printers rather than working out amounts set for each individual device.

The vendor has also since supplied the school with 60 C500 range

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

“The new approach is enabling it to save 25% of its annual printing costs, with the additional benefit that the school no longer has to worry about running out of consumables”

A4 LED printers, which are installed in classrooms and offices across the site, together with five C800 A3 LED printers, which are being used principally in design and technology lessons.

Saving money and reducing waste “Migrating to this new approach has allowed us to gain tighter control over our print budget and achieve more convenient, hasslefree management of our whole printing plan,” says Phil Hall, network manager at the school.

With OKI Flatrate for Education, the school’s payments are based on an estimated monthly output for a set monthly charge over 36 months, inclusive of a fixed number of both colour and mono pages. OKI has provided clear prices for additional pages, giving the school predictable budgeting and cost control – and complete peace of mind.

As a scheme member, the school also qualifies for two months printing (July and August) completely payment free. In total, it estimates the new approach is enabling Sir William Stanier Community School to save 25% of its annual printing costs, with the additional benefit that the school no longer has to worry about running out of consumables.

“With Flatrate, we can order these on next day delivery,” adds Hall. “It is a really quick process. We simply visit the OKI Flatrate website and select the printer serial number and the consumables required. We can also log calls for support there and have total confidence that we will get a priority call back from OKI’s UK-based technical support team.

“The Flatrate scheme has also given us much greater visibility into our printing,” he continues. “For the first time, we can now review the overall number of A3 and A4 pages printed and the

departmental split. This allows us to pinpoint areas where volumes are high and address them proactively.”

OKI has delivered further benefits to Sir William Stanier Community School by assisting in the configuration of the printers to drive additional savings. Devices are set to print in mono as standard, allowing the school to reduce unnecessary colour printing but enabling it to use colour when required. The printers are also set to duplex as a default option, allowing the school to make further cost savings while cutting paper wastage by up to 50% at a stroke.

OKI further helps the school to minimise the environmental impact of its printing by providing it with two free collection boxes and liners and then arranging for the collection of used consumables on next day pickup. The installation of the OKI printers also drives enhanced productivity at the school. The fast print speeds available with the OKI devices help teachers to overcome the end-of-class printing rush and ensure that pupils no longer need to delay the start of the next lesson, waiting for work to appear.

A New Perspective Using OKI printers and signing up for the Flatrate for Education scheme has changed the school’s entire outlook on printing.

Previously it considered it as an expensive necessity that was difficult to manage and control.

Thanks to the efforts of OKI itself, it regards printing more as a cost-effective enabler, inspiring pupils to produce high-quality work and driving the productivity of teachers though rapid print-outs tailored to their needs while delivering value for money and a significant reduction in costs.

55

56

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

to hers g c a e t n help d engagi rs n a c n tors citing a conside r c e j o o e Pr er ex ew Jan project n v i l e n d ca tth si . Ma opment schools nts s n o l less st deve nd how vestme ya r in ate the l chnolog t of thei s te e mo h t e mak

G

one are the days of acetate sheets, hand scrawled annotations and eye-straining illumination – modern projectors can provide interactive, three-dimensional presentations and displays and have the power to transform the learning experience and deliver an engaging and exciting learning experience.

One of the hottest topics around projectors in schools at the moment is 3D technology, with manufacturers rushing to bring the latest innovations to market.

While this technology has proved hugely popular in the world of entertainment, it is still in its infancy in the education environment. “It is widely accepted that it will contribute in some way to the classroom of the future,” suggests Neil Hartigan of NEC Display Solutions.

The application of 3D projection may have the potential to be a major asset in education, but Richard Griffin from Canon believes the technology available at present is not yet suited to the classroom. “3D televisions, for example, are often too small for every day classrooms and require expensive active shutter glasses,” he explains. “While the projectors themselves can be relatively affordable, the glasses can cost as much as £100 each. If the glasses are lost or damaged, this can turn into a sizeable cost.”

Another feature that schools are increasingly looking for is short-throw capability.

Recent innovations in projectors enable them to be mounted ever closer to the

HELP DESK

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

5 ayrEraantry w

HELP DESK

57

The Ideal Classroom Assistant

* cation

for EdU

The unique lamp-free light source in Casio’s new Signature projectors delivers up to 20,000 hours of superb performance at up to 3,000 ANSI lumens for bright, engaging lessons. Light output remains consistently bright for the lifetime of the projector, and with no lamp to replace your school will save considerable sums in comparison to conventional projectors.

To discover more about the full range of Casio lamp-free projectors, including the NEW Signature series and our Short Throw models coming soon, please visit casio-projectors.eu/uk or contact us at projectors@casio.co.uk.

1.5

MOBI SHOW

INTELLIGENT BRIGHTNESS CONTROL

INTERACTIVE

POINTING

FUNCTION

MOBI SHOW

INTELLIGENT BRIGHTNESS CONTROL

INTERACTIVE

POINTER

MOBI SHOW

INTELLIGENT BRIGHTNESS CONTROL

INTERACTIVE

POINTING

FUNCTION

*5 year / 10,000 hour light source warranty, whichever comes first.

Extended light source warranty applies to UK education establishments only.

58

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

screen, resulting in ‘ultra-short-throw’, the fastest growing sector in the education market, which can project an image from less than half a metre away, resulting in excellent flexibility of usage. “An ultra-short-throw projector can accommodate different sized classrooms and even differing ceiling heights so no longer is a classroom too small for a projector,” says Graeme Davidson from Epson.

The close proximity to the screen means that presentations can be delivered without teachers or learners being disturbed by people walking in front of the image. There are also significant health and safety implications too. “The class or teacher won’t be ‘blinded’ by the light of a standard projector,” explains Griffin. “For this reason there was a recommendation from Becta several years ago that projectors should not exceed a certain level of brightness – 1,500 lumens – which was totally inappropriate for most classroom environments. Short-throw projection technology means you can now get the brightness a classroom demands in an easy-to-use and compact solution.”

Interactivity is another area for evolution in projectors. “Interactivity allows teachers and students to interact with content on nearly any flat surface, which means no additional expensive equipment,” explains Paola Ferri from Dell.

PLANNING AHEAD

It is important to plan for the future developments in the projector market and how the demands of their use will develop within individual schools. “As schools are under increasing pressure from budget cuts, they need to choose a projector that will be worth the investment long-term. In addition to looking at the initial cost price of the projector, schools should consider ease of installation and use, environmental impact and product warranty,” suggests Davidson.

By considering the installation and application of projectors, schools can ensure they deliver flexible and effective working environments. “With class sizes higher than ever, it is necessary to maximise the space available in often

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

“By mounting a projector close to the wall, you not only free up space in the classroom but remove the danger of bright light damaging sensitive young eyes” cramped classrooms for children to freely move about to gain access to the whiteboard,” says Hartigan. “By mounting a projector close to the wall, you not only free up space in the classroom but remove the danger of bright light damaging sensitive young eyes. Furthermore, by mounting the projector on a height adjustable whiteboard stand, you will ensure inclusion of all students without limitation due to size or wheelchair use.”

Another key consideration is the total cost of ownership of these devices. The initial cost of a projector is obviously important, but that is only part of the overall picture. “More often than not, the lifetime maintenance cost of a projector exceeds the purchase cost, as the price of replacement lamps is so high,” explains Nieve Cavanagh from Casio Projectors.

“Almost all projectors use a light source with a maximum life expectancy of just a few thousand hours. If your projector is in constant use, and perhaps being moved from classroom to classroom and left on for hours at a time, replacing lamps every three to six months eventually puts a strain on tight ICT budgets.”

The latest laser and LED technology give projectors a much longer life span, with around 20,000 hours of constant use. “This totally removes the need to buy replacement lamps, and also lightens maintenance and administration workloads,” adds Cavanagh.

As far as possible, schools should look to future-proof their investments, and

DID YOU KNOW… Becta used to advise schools to avoid projectors that exceeded 1,500 lumens. Modern short-throw and ultra-short-throw devices mean this is no longer necessary

Griffin suggests choosing the best resolution that can be afforded with the latest connector types, such as dvi or hdmi, as this will support the other technology that will be purchased in the coming years. “If HD capability is important or going to become important for a particular school, then a full HD projector rather than a HD capable projector may be a better solution for the longer term,” he says.

GOING FURTHER

Projectors do not just have to be considered as standalone devices within the classroom; there are much wider applications they can be used for. A fully networkable projector including wireless will allow connectivity with mobile devices such as tablet PCs and PDAs,” says Hartigan. “The projector should be able to select and view data from each of the computers in the classroom allowing work from pupils to be shared with the class, enhancing the teaching and learning process.” The network can also be used to control the projector such as turning it off at certain times of day and performing diagnostic tasks for lamps or filters.

There is also a demand for projectors in other areas of the school, outside of the classroom. “Projectors can be used nearly anywhere you want to share information,” says Ferri. “Projectors can be used in a main lobby to project digital content for informational purposes or as part of the décor; libraries can use projectors to project content in study rooms; cafeterias can project multimedia for entertainment or announcements.”

They could also be installed in the gym to allow the space to be used in a multifunctional way. With such versatile and useful applications for projectors, it is well worth considering how your school can make the most of this technology.

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

59

COPY RIGHT

100% recycled, high quality office papers, available from the

For further information or samples please email marketing@paper.co.uk

60

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

LEAVE IT TO THE EXPERTS Printers provide a vital resource in schools, but they are often overlooked, with staff frequently lacking knowledge or skills to get the most out of these machines. Matthew Jane considers how managed print services could help schools get more from their machines

M

ost schools are blessed with staff who have a wide range of skills and are experts in their chosen fields. However, one area where there can often be a lack of knowledge is in printing, an essential function in the smooth running of a school, but often overlooked, which could lead to inefficiencies and increased running costs. Increasingly, schools are employing a managed print service (MPS) in a bid to achieve a more effective printing fleet by outsourcing their print management to experts and

employing a bespoke package of printers and consumables.

There are considerable savings to be made through employing an MPS. Peter Silcock from Epson suggests it could save schools up to 35% across hardware, consumables and service. “In addition, it can reduce initial outlay costs as the cost of the hardware, toner and service and support can be spread across the life of contract,” he adds.

Schools are well-placed to utilise an MPS to achieve lower running costs, reduced total cost of ownership and better fleet efficiency through a

centralised budget. “Ultimately, this will result in cost efficiency through consistent financial budgeting and reduced downtime,” explains Jamie Mackenzie from Samsung.

By allowing the management of printing to be a more proactive process, schools can ensure they get the most out of their equipment, not just from a cost efficiency perspective, but by expanding the services they offer. “An MPS strategy can help a school improve functions such as scanning, printing and copying facilities, which continue to support both staff and students,” says Nikki Richardson from Canon. “By looking beyond this to the workflow within the school, MPS can also help to identify improvements that can be made to streamline processes and offer an improved service to students and staff.

This could include improving student record and enrolment management processes to creating improved facilities to produce lesson plans, worksheets, assignments or coursework.”

MANAGING COSTS

With so many uncertainties in school budgeting at the moment, schools will be eager for any project that offers relatively stable figures. “With an MPS, schools will have predictable capital costs through periodic lease payments; this enables consistent budgeting and removes the need for standalone ad-hoc purchases, which can have a significant impact on a budget it required suddenly,” says Mackenzie. “Managed print services also take care of running costs such as toner and maintenance; therefore schools will save money that otherwise might have been wasted on over-purchasing of consumables.”

Depending on the level of service a school chooses, there could even be a protective element to a deal. “You need

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

61

62

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

to have an idea of what you are printing FULLY SUPPORTED for the collection of used consumable on to make sure that agreement, which could Another advantage of an MPS is that next-day pickup,” says Brown. be long-term, is cost-effective,” explains schools have a good support network and Providers can also help ensure the Russell Dyas from Impero Software are able to access technical assistance in machines are set up correctly to achieve Solutions. “However, the long-term nature the event of a problem. Rob Brown from the best environmental and financial of agreements could work for the school OKI Printing Solutions says this will allow returns. Devices can be set to print in as consumables prices continue to rise.” school staff to focus on their core duties mono as standard, allowing a school to It is important that suppliers conduct rather than trying to fix a faulty printer. reduce unnecessary colour printing, but a thorough print audit before a school “This will be either on the phone or via a enabling it to use colour when required,” signs up to an agreement in order to website, where a school can log its issues explains Brown. “The printers can also be ascertain the level of set up to print service required. double-sided as a “Many suppliers offer default option, “Managed print services also take care of running costs flexible pricing allowing the school to such as toner and maintenance, therefore schools will models to be able to make further cost save money that otherwise might have been wasted on offer each customer savings while cutting over-purchasing of consumables” the model that best paper wastage by up fits its immediate as to 50%.” well as longer-term It is also worth requirements,” says considering the Richardson. “For successful MPS and someone will either call back or be additional system that can run alongside strategy, continual improvement and sent out to fix the problem,” he explains. an MPS, such as a print management optimisation of service is necessary at There is support for administrative solution. “This allows you to manage the all levels, and with this in place staff as well, given that managed systems actual prints using systems such as long-term reduction can be made in six can ensure toner is delivered and printer credits,” suggests Dyas. “If your key areas: print per page costs, paper processed in a more structured and staff and students are still printing a large wastage, electricity consumption, consolidated manner, meaning staff do not amount of printouts each month then you carbon emissions, noise levels and have to worry about sending multiple will continue to use large amounts of support calls.” orders. “This just-in-time delivery of toner consumables, even with a managed There is even scope for schools to means a school does not have money tied print service.” market their printing solutions to local up in additional unused toner stock and While a managed print service business as a way of raising funds. does not have to find the space to store may not be required by all schools, for “Going beyond just print and providing this extra stock either,” says Silcock. those with an extensive fleet of machines a complete printing solution and There are green benefits that can be it could prove a sensible move. By reprographics suite can also give a school derived from MPS too. “Environmentally removing the administrative, technical and a competitive edge and can -conscious MPS providers can further help financial demands that print ownership even provide a service to local business to schools to minimise the environmental brings with it, schools could be free to generate additional revenue,” impact of their printing by providing them enjoy their printing without worrying about explains Richardson. with boxes and liners and then arranging the equipment or costs.

Have you got unwanted monitors?

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

4,000 monitors needed for schools in Africa and Latin America ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

WEEE compliance guaranteed 0% to landfill policy All legal liabilities covered Data wiped to UK military standards on all PCs

www.computeraid.org www.computeraid.org/donate 020 8361 5540 enquiries@computeraid.org or find us on...

Registered Charity No. 1069256 Registered Company No. 3442679

63

64

UPDATE

IN PRACTICE

FOCUS ON

HELP DESK

G follow edexec on Blogging www.edexec.co.uk/ technogeek Tweeting twitter.com/edexec Podcasting and news www.edexec.co.uk

Follow us on twitter.com/ edExec (@EdExec) for the latest news updates and insight into the issues that affect the role of the business manager

SEND US YOUR TWEETS technogeek@edexec.co.uk www.edexec.co.uk/ technogeek/

Teachers and the social media minefield Techno Geek stands aside to let legal expert Chris Cook guide you through how teachers should use social media The arrival of social media has greatly increased our ability to communicate with others, although there are particular issues facing schools that must be considered from a teacher/pupils perspective. There is now a much greater scope of opportunity for teachers and children to engage outside of the traditional working day.

Schools must recognise that social media may also expose teachers and children to significant risks. Children are more vulnerable to abuse, which in a social media environment is much harder to prevent bearing in mind the people responsible for protecting a child may not be aware of it, even though it is occurring within the home.

Social interfacing provides a medium for children to be groomed in an environment where the perpetrator is essentially invisible. The risks could include strangers masquerading as minors, but also the more common occurrence of abusive behaviour from fellow pupils. Exploitation of children might worsen, as children tend to explore their curiosities more than adults would, leading to the possibility of an unsuspecting student disseminating information about themselves including phone numbers and addresses.

There are not just risks from third parties.

Schools and teachers need to be mindful of maintaining professional boundaries with pupils. The generally informal nature of social media as a method of communication could result in a degree of familiarity that could distort the student-teacher relationship. In turn, pupils could start regarding their teachers as friends as opposed to role models, increasing the chance of inappropriate dialogue and, in extreme situations, careerthreatening allegations.

It is apperent that schools need to have in place clear and comprehensive policies for dealing with usage of social media. It unfortunately remains common for schools to have outdated policies that are too vague to be of any assistance to the school in managing problems that arise from issues such as

professional boundaries breaches and abusive behaviour in a social media environment.

It is particularly important to ensure that such policies make it clear that teachers are required to maintain standards both inside and outside of the school environment and that they adhere to their duties of confidentiality and the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998. While teachers themselves are at risk, schools are also open to legal proceedings from parents and pupils alike under the principle of vicarious liability.

Training of staff is also crucial – a policy can only be effective if staff understand its implications. Once the policy has been introduced and staff adequately trained, it must be properly policed. Teachers should be encouraged to report any concerns regarding the use of social media to afford the school the opportunity for the school to do something about it.

Parents have an active role to play in the policing of the policy and should also be encouraged to liaise with the school to report any concerns they have regarding their children’s safety. This is particularly important owing to the fact that the majority of a child’s social media usage takes place outside of school hours.

Chris Cook is a lawyer with SA Law

Safeguarding steps for social media use: • Separate personal and professional profiles • Avoid making students/relatives contacts • Place contacts into different groups and set permissions accordingly • Set appropriate privacy settings (if in doubt ensure that privacy settings are maximised) • Always maintain professional standards • Avoid posting any information that breaches principles of confidentiality • Obtain permission from pupils and parents before posting information or photos • Ensure that contacts do not post any offensive information/photographs.

EDUCATION EXECUTIVE

r a e y e n o e Fre ! n o i t p i r c s sub READING! R O F S K N A H T Y OF SAYING A W R U O T S U NO CATCH, J

We know times are really tough for schools right now, and while we report on it month after month, there’s not a lot else we can do to show our support and empathy. Well that was until some bright spark in the EdExec office suggested a free subs offer for the summer..! EdExec’s way of giving something back and helping schools count the pennys…

How could we say no?

So, here it is, our best offer yet – 12 months subscription, absolutely free of charge, no catch, no obligation, no automatic resubscribe, just 11 issues of our leading business management magazine absolutely free of charge. You just have to meet the school leader criteria and be prepared to register your interest for our audit purposes.

To take us up this fabulous offer couldn’t be easier.

Either fill out your details here and it fax back to us or pop it in an envelope and post it to us Alternatively email your interest or register via our website

IMS, SUITE 223, BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, 52 UPPER STREET, ISLINGTON, N1 0QH F: 020 7288 6834 | E: subscriptions@intelligentmedia.co.uk | W: www.edexec.co.uk/subscribe/

NAME JOB TITLE ADDRESS PHONE EMAIL *Terms & Conditions *Subscription is free for 6 months to those who qualify: Bursars, school business managers, ICT managers, finance managers, head teachers, assistants, or other purchasing decision makers with the authority to spend. For those who do not qualify: usual annual fee is £68 for each subscription.

Year Subscription 2011.indd 1

01/07/2011 10:04

EDUCATION EXECUTIVE

r a e y e n o e e Fr ! n o i t p i r c s sub EADING! R R O F S K N A OF SAYING TH Y A W R U O T S NO CATCH, JU

To take up this fabulous offer couldn’t be easier. Fill out your details overleaf and fax or post it back to us.

Alternatively, email us or register on our website.

IMS, SUITE 223, BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, 52 UPPER STREET, ISLINGTON, N1 0QH F: 020 7288 6834 | E: subscriptions@intelligentmedia.co.uk | W: www.edexec.co.uk/subscribe/

Year Subscription 2011.indd 2

01/07/2011 10:04