ICT Services 4 Education

School ICT News Bulletin No. 176 - 18/02/2011

Published by Children’s Services

ICT in Schools 2011 Conference Website is Now Live and Accepting Bookings

ICT in Schools 2011 Conference Website is Now Live and Accepting Bookings

Aspiration – Collaboration – Inspiration

Making the Most of Technologies for Learning

Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th March 2011

at the John Innes Conference Centre

This year’s ICT conference will inspire schools to collaborate and build high aspirations for their learners. It will demonstrate how to make the most of the technologies already in place in schools and also look at inspiring future technologies and services.

Norfolk Learners and organisations will showcase content, projects and other fabulous learning, supported by ICT.

National keynote speakers including Ewan McIntosh, a leading educator on e–Learning and Dawn Hallybone, an expert primary teacher on Games Based learning, will set the scene for the days three main themes;

  • Aspiration
  • Collaboration
  • Inspiration

Delegates attending will also be able to:

  • Participate in breakout sessions on a range of ICT related topics, exploring the themes in greater depth, some of which will involve Norfolk schools
  • Attend surgeries offering schools one to one advice on key aspects of ICT services, including:
    • Capita SIMS Management Information System (MIS)
    • Broadband and Single Sign–On
    • Google and Virtual Learning Environments
    • Home Access Project
    • Visit the suppliers exhibition
    • Network with Norfolk colleagues

Free places are open to Norfolk Head Teachers, Teachers, ICT Co–ordinators, Governors and Network Managers.

If you have not already pre–booked your free place to attend this year’s event visit the conference website at http://www.ictsolutions.norfolk.gov.uk/conferences/conference2011/ to find out more and secure a place.

Author: Judy Houghton

Powering core networking equipment over the half term holiday

We would like to ask schools to refrain from turning off the power to the core networking equipment over the Half term holiday. Core networking equipment includes routers, switches and cache servers, often in a wall or floor cabinet. These devices are monitored by ICT Solutions and BT and turning off the power results in false alarms. This could result in your school incurring a charge for an engineer visit.

If there is no alternative to powering off the communications cabinet and core equipment then please contact ICT solutions to advise us in advance.

Author: Richard Cornelius

Norfolk SIMS Implementation Project Update January 2011

The implementation of the SIMS Management Information System in Norfolk commenced at the start of the New Year with the Technical Pilot phase of 10 schools. After the time spent planning and preparing, the purpose of the pilot phase was to test the process from end to end with data extracted by NCC from the current system for each of the ten schools being transferred to SIMS, for migration to the new SIMS databases. It was then deployed to the hosted environment.

In parallel with the data migration 4 days of core SIMS training was delivered to enable the 10 schools to get up and running with SIMS.

The Pilot schools were visited immediately after the implementation to check the technical access arrangements to the hosted environment. A further visit to the schools took place following the training to review their use of SIMS and the data that has been migrated.

After feedback from schools on the training programme and the data migration process the pilot has been reviewed and some adjustments made.

Following this review, the programme of implementation will resume with Early Adopter phases and PRUs and will build to 20 schools per week.

A Primary school Headteacher will be talking about her experience and use of SIMS at the Norfolk schools ICT Conference on 23rd and 24th March. A SIMS surgery will also be available throughout both days.

A SIMS User Group will also be held for Norfolk SIMS users later this term – details will follow shortly.

Author: Capita

Record It E-Safety Poster

Everyone needs to know that they should always make a record of upsetting messages they get on the phone or computer. Please photocopy and widely distribute this poster in your school.

Save It Poster

Author: Pip Cartwright

Quick Links

Close