This is a re-posting from the debate on managed services from the Xchange conference (http://xchangeblogs.com/communities/xchange2006/archive/category/1034.aspx)
What are your views? Strategies for Managing ICT Jimmy Stewart, Director of C2k PRESENTAION LINK Filed Under: 1. Keynotes 2006 Comments # re: Strategies for Managing ICT Friday, June 09, 2006 5:35 AM by Ed O'Connor The C2K managed service is very unpopular with secondary teachers here. We have had little or no new software in three years and what we have is old and useless. It is time we put to bed the whole idea of managed services. C2K is over expensive, poor performing and bureaucratic. What's more it restricts the freedon of teachers to choose the resources they want to use. # re: Strategies for Managing ICT Friday, June 09, 2006 5:50 AM by Miles Berry Given the rapid pace of change in technological affordances, and the range of educational opportunities that these open up, I'm not convinced that you can seperate educational and technological innovation. By relying on the industry to lead technological innovation, the expertise of educators is marginalised, and there's a real danger that the system provided be one that doesn't meet the needs or expectations of teachers and learners. The real experts in here aren't working in industry, they're working in schools. http://elgg.net/mberry/weblog # re: Strategies for Managing ICT Friday, June 09, 2006 12:56 PM by D Wilson "Ed", change the Podcast - the lack of members & posts from the wider community on your site demonstrate that it doesn't reflect the consensus. Is the system perfect - of course not, but a lot if it is good and it is getting better over time. Why not put forward some constructive ideas rather than your efforts at trying to drum up negativity under silly pseudonyms. # re: Strategies for Managing ICT Friday, June 09, 2006 4:14 PM by just a teacher D Wilson, I don't think "ed" is a pseudonym, maybe I am naive. If you are unsure about the feeling towards c2k in Northern Ireland schools, then I challenge you. Take 10 ordinary class room teachers in schools (secondary schools) using c2k and ask them how they feel about c2k? You should get a feel for things then. I honestly believe there is a large difference between the public perception of c2k and the teachers who actually use it. I know of teachers who have been making suggestions to c2k. However, there seems to be a massive time delay between suggestion and actual action (a time scale of several years). Then again, things take time, I realise that. The real problem is a lack of communication between c2k and the teachers in classrooms. The sense of working together for a common goal is not there yet. Also, through the c2k system; access to new software and some media resources is restricted. How does this encourage teachers to be innovative? On a positive not, it seems that c2k have got the security side of things sorted. Most teachers in Northern Ireland will now never have to worry viruses on their machines. They also will be able to place one phone call to ensure a quick response and fix (for most problems). We now have a stable system in place which can give learning in Northern Ireland a major push forward. Most of the teachers and students are using the same interface and software (maybe making teacher training easier). All the students and teachers will eventually have access to learning NI. This opens up opportunities for whole province debate, collaboration and sharing. Do not dismiss Ed's blog. You are right to say that things are never perfect. The feeling of most of the teachers I know believe that c2k gives the impression that it is perfect. This can be just as dangerous as being constantly negative. Let us publicly acknowledge the issues with c2k. Then solve them. Then look for more. Then solve them. Then........it's called progress. What do you think? -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Barr Sent: 09 June 2006 17:18 To: [email protected] Subject: Xchange Conference Belfast Xchange is a three day conference held in the Europa Hotel in Belfast over 7,8, and 9th June 2006. Using wirelss connectivity and public use computers it hope to have a high degree of interactivity with its audience of educators as outlined below: "The conference blog has been structured to allow everyone to comment online on the conference presentations and discussions, on the questions raised in debate and on the themes of the event. The blogs have been designed to complement the conference and will provide part of the interactivity taking place. However we intend to capture as much of the dialogue and interactions of the conference online as possible in order to extend the debates begun here and help build a community out of the conference." You can view the programme, take part in the blog and listen to the podcasts here: Xchange http://xchangeblogs.com/communities/xchange2006/default.aspx Although most of the keynote speaker did not draw comment a few did. On Strategies for Managing ICT comments were here http://xchangeblogs.com/communities/xchange2006/archive/2006/06/09/187.aspx#comments by Ed O'Connor (netman member) and Miles Berry and here http://xchangeblogs.com/communities/xchange2006/archive/2006/06/09/186.aspx by Kathleen Gormley On The Next Curve Panel Debate comments were here http://xchangeblogs.com/communities/xchange2006/archive/2006/06/08/165.aspx#comments by Jóna Pálsdóttir, Bob Harrison,Toshiba UK, Peter Karlberg, Conor Galvin and Alan McCluskey ------------------------------- o O o --------------------------------------- Further resources in support of BELB schools using C2K and L2K (Legacy) networks are available from the board's website at www.belb.org.uk/teachers/c2k If you wish to receive weekly digest versions of the messages, send the following command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe digest netman To unsubscribe visit the following address: http://www.belb.org.uk/teachers/Unsubscribe or send the following command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] unsubscribe netman
