grumbledook.org

Category: Uncategorized

  • Important changes to Microsoft Licences

    There have been many folk who have had many a rant about the cost of licences from the various companies out there … whether it is the cost … whether it is the arguments about the suitability of proprietary software (even if it does work and work well too!) … or the complexity about the…

  • Isn’t EduBlogs brilliant?!

    Yes … the EduBlog Awards are here again and once again it is wonderful to see Ray Fleming’s Microsoft UK Schools Blog has been nominated in the Best eLearning / Corporate Education Blog and I would heartily recommend a well deserved vote for him … but I would also say that all of the other…

  • Do *You* Know A Technical Champion?

    Last year, in Northamptonshire, we tried something slightly different. With all the work that goes on nationally through TeachMeets, Unconferences, and other alternative CPD events it was clear that there is so much educational expertise that doesn’t seem to stick its head above water too much. Now, we all know about the success which is…

  • The Open Source Threat

    I commend Gary Clawson from the North West Grid for Learning for his recent report about how, in these stringent times, the use of Open Source and Open Content can saves schools and LAs significant amounts of money. There are a number of good summaries and articles on the report already on the Tinterweb, most…

  • The Perils and Pitfalls of being ‘The Block’ to learning & teaching

    Once again I fall into the role of the fervent defender of the blighted IT Support teams in schools. As much as I enjoyed a good argument (oh no you don’t!) there are times when I feel that the word compromise is missing from the vocabulary of some people. In a short break from the…

  • And The Story Begins

    1st September 2010 And so, the interpid geek sets foot in the hidden undergrowth of looking at how using Windows 7 affects productivity. The startup disk on my MacBookPro is set to my Boot Camp partition, I have made heavy use of my Technet subscription to get pretty much all the MS apps I might…

  • The Calm Before The Storm

    I can’t believe that the summer is drawing to a close already. Exam results have come down and been issued out (congratulations to all who did well and commiserations to those who tried but didn’t quite get what they wanted , needed or deserved), some teachers are off on their second holiday and others are…

  • Usernames – Should they identify a pupil?

    Completely forget about this post over on my blog on EduGeek. Thankfully, this site now this pulls in all my posts from any possible blog I use so I thought I would send this one out anyway … from November 2009. In a discussion about student IDs I got a tad frustrated by the take…

  • Windows 7 month

    You know how it is … you get a reputation for being a fanboi! (ok … I own a few few Apple gadgets) or there are folk who are convinced you are an open source hippy … and then you get those who think you are a Microsoft drone (all descriptions of me from the…

  • The Secrets of Upward Management

    One of the areas of blockage I have come across, and had ranted to me by many readers, is that you just cannot get FITS implemented in your school due to the lack of SLT support … even to the point of where SLT are derogatory about it all and are dismissive of any change…