In my fourth and (for now) final post about support for schools I’d like to tout for some ideas on how we can further improve ICT support for schools. If anyone is willing to share their ideas I’d like to hear them. Brian Cunningham, a science technician at Musselburgh Grammar, has already touched on this in his blog.
Here are a few starters for 10 from IT all around the theme of how we can help schools to help themselves more.
- Have a nominated contact for IT communication within schools. From time to time IT need to get messages out to all staff within schools. An example would be when we are going to re-image computers during a school holiday and need to get staff to ensure they have saved all the files on to the server or other devices. Invariably the message doesn’t filter down to all staff or they have forgotten and lose some of their work. If schools had a nominated contact it would be their role to ensure that the message was relayed to all staff. It would also give school staff easy access to someone local to ask any questions of.
- Production of a template for schools to be used when raising helpdesk calls. This would help ensure that the key information is present on each job helping IT to fix the problem sooner.
- Have nominated people in each school responsible for placing helpdesk calls. The quality of helpdesk calls we receive varies greatly and can have a big impact on the service we deliver. Having nominated people in each school would mean that each member of staff does not need to know how to report a call, only who they need to speak to within a school. It would also make it easier for ICT support staff to leave meaningful information about work they have carried out in schools.
- Schools already have a lot of excellent staff at all levels with ICT skills, but who knows who they are and what their skills are? Now that we have a central file store accessible by all schools would a central skills/projects register be useful?
- Formalise the role of ICT coordinator and ensure each school has one. There appeared to be broad support for this when Alistair Campbell and myself tabled the idea during the ICT Strategy day back in December. However I understand there are potential problems around his relating to the McCrone agreement.
- There are staff who are keen to help with ICT matters in the schools – how can we get them involved in at least a semi-structured way without jeopardising their main role – i.e. teaching and learning?
- IT could run short training sessions to show staff how to deal with the common problems that could easily be fixed by staff themselves allowing them to stay operational and avoid having to wait for a week or so until IT can get someone out to fix the problem.
If you have any thoughts on the above or ideas of your own, please share them with us as Karen Robertson and I are actively looking at ways we can improve support for schools.
7 responses so far ↓
1
Malcolm Whatcott
// Sep 27, 2006 at 4:51 pm
Most of the jobs I have to raise - and am likely to raise - usually involve updating or installing software, minor configuration changes, security updates eg Microsoft Office and related house-keeping eg on my iBook. This keeps the computer fully functional and up-to-date.
These tasks involve tech time which is valuable and could be better spent elsewhere because I can do this all myself. I am not alone in this. I started with computers in 1970 and find it frustrating to wait for tasks like this to be done, especially when I carry out precisely those updates at home on my machine.
Having signed up for appropriate and professional use of computers in East Lothian, I feel there is a strong case for allowing me (and quite a few others for their computers) a higher level of access to Windows and Administrator access to my iBook if we have the commensurate experience or knowledge. Tech time is precious and should be directed where there is greatest need.
If necessary IT could organise appropriate training/assessment sessions for those who request it. At need, we could sign a codicil to the existing agreement on use of those computers.
2
Ollie Bray
// Oct 8, 2006 at 10:54 pm
I think you have some interesting ideas here Malcolm. PS: you must have only been 2 years old in 1970?
3
Robert Jones
// Oct 12, 2006 at 5:31 pm
I’m with Malcolm. How about a small trial? Select a number of teachers at a school, and allow them greater rights on machines. Wait 4 weeks. Then analyse whether the IT support required in school was greater or less than in another control school, and whether or not the desktops have been in any way screwed up. Also analyse the extent to which IT has been used in interesting and innovative ways in the two schools. Of course, this trial could only go ahead if IT could have a basic degree of trust in the teachers.
What would we have to lose from such a trial
4
Robert Jones
// Oct 12, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I just read that comment, and as usual I’ve realised that it could be misread. I didn’t mean that the IT team don’t trust us now - I was referring to the fact that a member of staff with admin rights could really screw up a machine if they were not trustworthy
5
Malcolm Whatcott
// Nov 18, 2006 at 7:11 pm
Thanks Ollie,
Actually, I was brought up to be totally truthful. I was actually a couple of years older !!!
Glad to see others agree.
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