School ICT News Bulletin No. 284 - 11/10/2019 Published by ICT Solutions eBulletin Items IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Norfolk Schools Local Full Fibre Network Update IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Windows 7 - Support ending in January 2020 Transforming Education With VR Techathon - Immerse yourself in a 2-day tech challenge on 22nd/23rd October IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Powering Off Core Network Equipment Over Half Term Period 1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Norfolk Schools Local Full Fibre Network Update Ultrafast broadband will benefit 230 schools within Norfolk within the next two years after Norfolk County Council secured £8m from the UK Government Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) department’s Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN). Norfolk County Council is pleased to confirm that the commercial and contractual phase of our Local Full Fibre Network Project has been completed and the Delivery Project is now underway. An MI sheet has been issued today (158/19) and can be found at the following link - https://csapps.norfolk.gov.uk/csshared/ecourier2/misheet.asp?misheetid=42599 For more information please contact the Service Desk on 0845 303 3003 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk 2. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Windows 7 - Support ending in January 2020 When does support for Windows 7 end? Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020. Why is Microsoft ending support for Windows 7? Windows 7 was introduced back in 2009 and has been superseded by Windows 8 and Windows 10. Older products may not meet today’s more demanding security requirements and Microsoft is unable to provide security updates for these. What does end of support mean? After January 14, 2020, a PC running Windows 7 will still start and run, but it will no longer receive security updates. In addition, Microsoft customer service will no longer be available to provide Windows 7 technical support. With Windows 10, your devices will continue to receive the latest security updates to help keep you and your data safer. What happens if I continue to use Windows 7? You can continue to use Windows 7, but after support has ended, your PC will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Windows will continue to start and run, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft. What should I do if I am still running Windows 7? For Windows 7 users, moving to Windows 10 will be the recommended path forward. You can upgrade compatible Windows 7 PCs based on minimum requirements, but in most cases we recommend moving to a new PC with Windows 10 to take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities. What if I can’t afford to move to Windows 10 in my school? Contact ourselves to get more information on how we can support you and project plan your move to a Windows 10 environment. Our EdTech Enhancement Programme (EEP) can help spread payments over three years. For More Information: Please contact 0845 303 3003 (Option 2) or email ict@norfolk.gov.uk 3. Transforming Education With VR More than 2,000 children visited our Digital Learning Zone at the Royal Norfolk Show in June. They enjoyed trying out Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Minecraft for Education and Spheros Bolts. Even the Countess of Sussex visited and tried out one of our VR headsets. Our VR/AR kit has been hugely popular with schools and academies as demonstrated by the Head Teacher at Bure Valley School: “At Bure Valley School, we believe that Virtual Reality (VR) can be used in classrooms to enhance pupils learning and engagement. VR has the power to transform the delivery of educational content. Through interaction with virtual worlds, pupils immerse themselves in the learning. During our recent themed Global Week we wanted to give all of our pupils a better sense of place. When pupils read or hear about a different country, culture or time they often want to experience it. Hiring the VR Headsets meant that our pupils weren't limited to word descriptions or book illustrations. All pupils got to explore a 3D landscape that helped to bring their learning to life. We would recommend that all schools embrace this technology and make good use of the VR Kit available for hire.” We will be demonstrating the kit at the Science Festival Week – 24th & 25th October at the Forum in Norwich, so please pop along! For more information or to hire the equipment, please contact the Service Desk on 0845 303 3003 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk 4. Techathon - Immerse yourself in a 2-day tech challenge on 22nd/23rd October Bored in the Half term holidays? Why not attend the third annual Techathon, an exciting event where you get to be creative with tech. Prizes to be won too! For more information and to grab a ticket, please visit - http://stepintotechathon.org/ You can also follow the event on Twitter: @YouthTechathon 5. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Powering Off Core Network Equipment Over Half Term Period We would like to ask schools to refrain from turning off the power to the core networking equipment over the forthcoming Half Term holiday period. Core networking equipment includes routers, switches and servers, often in a wall or floor cabinet. These devices are monitored by ourselves and Updata and turning off the power results in false alarms. This could result in your school incurring a charge for an engineer visit. Services Affected: Schools Internet, email and any service accessed via the internet Services Not Affected: All other school systems which do not require access to the internet When: 21st October 2019 - 25th October 2019 What You Need To Do: If there is no alternative to powering off the communications cabinet and core equipment then please contact the Service Desk to advise us in advance For More Information: Please contact the Service Desk on 0845 303 3003 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

School ICT News Bulletin No. 284 - 11/10/2019

Published by ICT Solutions

eBulletin Items

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Norfolk Schools Local Full Fibre Network Update
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Windows 7 - Support ending in January 2020
Transforming Education With VR
Techathon - Immerse yourself in a 2-day tech challenge on 22nd/23rd October
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Powering Off Core Network Equipment Over Half Term Period

1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Norfolk Schools Local Full Fibre Network Update

Ultrafast broadband will benefit 230 schools within Norfolk within the next two years after Norfolk County Council secured £8m from the UK Government Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) department’s Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN).

Norfolk County Council is pleased to confirm that the commercial and contractual phase of our Local Full Fibre Network Project has been completed and the Delivery Project is now underway.

An MI sheet has been issued today (158/19) and can be found at the following link - https://csapps.norfolk.gov.uk/csshared/ecourier2/misheet.asp?misheetid=42599

For more information please contact the Service Desk on 0845 303 3003 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

2. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Windows 7 - Support ending in January 2020

When does support for Windows 7 end?

Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 7 on January 14, 2020.

Why is Microsoft ending support for Windows 7?

Windows 7 was introduced back in 2009 and has been superseded by Windows 8 and Windows 10.

Older products may not meet today’s more demanding security requirements and Microsoft is unable to provide security updates for these.

What does end of support mean?

After January 14, 2020, a PC running Windows 7 will still start and run, but it will no longer receive security updates. In addition, Microsoft customer service will no longer be available to provide Windows 7 technical support. With Windows 10, your devices will continue to receive the latest security updates to help keep you and your data safer.

What happens if I continue to use Windows 7?

You can continue to use Windows 7, but after support has ended, your PC will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Windows will continue to start and run, but you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft.

What should I do if I am still running Windows 7?

For Windows 7 users, moving to Windows 10 will be the recommended path forward. You can upgrade compatible Windows 7 PCs based on minimum requirements, but in most cases we recommend moving to a new PC with Windows 10 to take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities.

What if I can’t afford to move to Windows 10 in my school?

Contact ourselves to get more information on how we can support you and project plan your move to a Windows 10 environment. Our EdTech Enhancement Programme (EEP) can help spread payments over three years.

For More Information:

Please contact 0845 303 3003 (Option 2) or email ict@norfolk.gov.uk

3. Transforming Education With VR

More than 2,000 children visited our Digital Learning Zone at the Royal Norfolk Show in June. They enjoyed trying out Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Minecraft for Education and Spheros Bolts. Even the Countess of Sussex visited and tried out one of our VR headsets.

Our VR/AR kit has been hugely popular with schools and academies as demonstrated by the Head Teacher at Bure Valley School:

“At Bure Valley School, we believe that Virtual Reality (VR) can be used in classrooms to enhance pupils learning and engagement.

VR has the power to transform the delivery of educational content. Through interaction with virtual worlds, pupils immerse themselves in the learning.

During our recent themed Global Week we wanted to give all of our pupils a better sense of place. When pupils read or hear about a different country, culture or time they often want to experience it. Hiring the VR Headsets meant that our pupils weren't limited to word descriptions or book illustrations. All pupils got to explore a 3D landscape that helped to bring their learning to life. We would recommend that all schools embrace this technology and make good use of the VR Kit available for hire.”

We will be demonstrating the kit at the Science Festival Week – 24th & 25th October at the Forum in Norwich, so please pop along!

For more information or to hire the equipment, please contact the Service Desk on 0845 303 3003 or ict@norfolk.gov.uk

4. Techathon - Immerse yourself in a 2-day tech challenge on 22nd/23rd October

Bored in the Half term holidays?

Why not attend the third annual Techathon, an exciting event where you get to be creative with tech. Prizes to be won too!

For more information and to grab a ticket, please visit - http://stepintotechathon.org/

You can also follow the event on Twitter: @YouthTechathon

5. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Powering Off Core Network Equipment Over Half Term Period

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

Services Affected: Schools Internet, email and any service accessed via the internet

Services Not Affected: All other school systems which do not require access to the internet

When: 21st October 2019 - 25th October 2019

What You Need To Do:

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