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Tag: tech support

  • How to be nice to staff who leave your school.

    And so the plans for the summer holidays are beginning, if not already in place, costed (with the little funds available) and with full project plan published to all staff so they know exactly what will be done when and why … and yes, that is the Red Pigs display team flying overhead! One of…

  • The Perils & Pitfalls of Mobile Tech in Schools

    I do have the occasional rant about things. Most of the time it is down to having passion about things I believe in or it is intend to grab the attention of others to make them think. Last night at TeachMeet Midlands 2011 it was a bit of both. I recently spent a good 30…

  • I’m sure I had some budget left?

    Let’s face it … we have all had this thought in our heads at some point in the school year. We may have even said it out loud in front of the Bursar / Business Manager as we try to sneak an order in for something. We may be at the point of having to…

  • 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 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…

  • Innovation Management

    After my last blog post I have a few emails and messages pointing out that Change Management was often the blocker in teachers and techies trying new things out, that BSF used Change Management and contracts to stifle innovation, that red tape is the bane of education as it is and that we have to…

  • Technical Champions

    I have a reputation now for being a bit of an independently minded person … having worked in independently minded schools has helped this view. Some might call me bloody awkward, even troll-like at times, but I do think that it pays off to think slightly differently and to try something different too. Take the…

  • Open Source Schools Seminar on Innoviation for LA Staff

    On 15th October 2009 Open Source Schools held a seminar on Innovation for LA Staff. A fantastic day with many wonderful sessions but I thought I would point out my own one first. Tasked with talking about how IT Support teams are making a difference with Open Source I chose to talk about a number…

  • Standing in the shoulders of giants

    There are times when you just know that a day is going to be a wonderful one, that no matter how nervous you are about presenting, no matter how tired you may or how much work you have to do for the next day… You just get a tingle. And that is what I had…

  • The Promised Post – how to annoy teachers, techies, LAs and RBCs in one go!

    I’ll be honest and say that there will be something in this post for everyone … something positive and something that will knock you down so that it makes you re-examine a few of your preconceptions and practices! I make no apologies for this and have done it purely to get people to think all…