Fed up of juggling bookings and support tickets? Get Kahu.
Are you still struggling with Excel to manage your school resources? Do you run into issues with double booking? Do you have a separate system for tracking issues with resources?
As the size and complexity of our schools’ resource provisions continues to increase we need to create appropriate tools to manage them.
RTS developed Kahu (www.getkahu.com), an integrated online resource booking and helpdesk system that allows users to quickly and simply create, remove and edit resource bookings as well as track issues against them. Kahu helps free up valuable resources and allows staff more time to spend on things that really count.
It’s the first application available that presents users with information about potential issues with equipment or rooms before booking them; an important tool when trying to find the correct resources with which to teach expectant students.
Kahu is online, which means teachers are no longer held back by having to use one particular computer; it is accessible at any time, from anywhere with an internet connection. The tool is always up-to-date as there is no software to install, removing the need for IT staff to install and configure lots of computers, saving time and money.
Last month’s BETT show provided a great opportunity to gather some great pre-release feedback from teachers and administration staff. Their suggestions were taken back to the office, polished up and incorporated into the latest version (you can see all of the recent updates on the blog – blog.getkahu.com). A huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who participated in the trial.
Check out www.getkahu.com to see how Kahu can make your school more efficient. Use the simple online ‘Kahuculator’ to discover how cheaply you can cover the whole school.
Wondering what Kahu actually means? Head over to getkahu.com to find out!
EduGeek.net and RTS Technology Solutions launch new partnership at BETT 2010
Edugeek.net is the prominent online destination for school technical staff to discuss the unique issues faced in education environments. Since June 2005 the site has been serving the IT community, offering a forum for those in the sector to share knowledge and experience.
In November of last year EduGeek reached the 20,000 user milestone, which according to the site’s creator Chris Byers means they should have “pretty much have every single UK secondary on board, and a large chunk of the primarys”. The site is fast “becoming one of the most popular tech sites in the world” with many US schools and districts joining up.
In recognition of EduGeek’s important role in the education sector RTS have begun sponsoring the service. We hope that sponsorship such as ours will help many others benefit from the advice and support of the EduGeek community.
We are launching our partnership at this week’s BETT show, where both companies will be engaging with the community face-to-face. Although this is our first year exhibiting at the show it will be the fourth time Chris has operated EduGeek’s Technical Help Point. “In addition to helping visitors match their technical needs with exhibitors at BETT and answering their technical questions, we will also have a wide range of information and best practices for technical support staff, such as Green IT and Virtualisation”.
Find out how the partnership between EduGeek and RTS can help solve technical issues within your school. Visit the Technical Help Point (stand G89) and RTS Technology Solutions (stand W45).
Ofcom – 60 per cent of British children use the net unsupervised
Research published this month by Ofcom reveals that 60 per cent of 12-15 year olds use the internet mostly unsupervised, as do 35 per cent of 8-11 year olds. The report also suggests that children are starting to use the internet at a younger age, with numbers of internet users in the 5-7 age group increasing.
Growing numbers of children have internet access in their own bedrooms. One-third of those between 12 and 15 years of age, one in six in the 8-11 age group and 3 per cent of 5-7 years olds have such access.
Many children play video games. Three quarters of 12-15 year olds have a games console in their rooms. When asked who they normally play with, one in seven 12-15 year olds reported that they play with people over the internet.
Such findings highlight the importance of educating our children about the dangers of internet use.
Read more
Should my school upgrade to Windows 7?
Yesterday Microsoft launched the eagerly-awaited Windows 7. After the disappointment of Vista, people were keen to see whether Microsoft could redeem themselves and make an operating system that improved noticeably on XP.
In the preceding months the Microsoft marketing machine generated an exceptional amount of buzz, with Windows 7 remaining a popular trending topic on Twitter http://is.gd/4vYbR. Such was the hype before launch that Amazon posted that Windows 7 was the biggest pre-order product of all time, even beating the indomitable Harry Potter http://is.gd/4vYp0
From the sounds of things the wait was worth it, with internet reviews finding the system cleaner, faster, stronger and more usable.
So, what does this all mean for schools? We understand that rolling out a school-wide operating system upgrade is no small task, so you need to be sure that the new system will bring strong enough benefits.
Gerald Haigh, education writer and journalist interviewed six UK schools who were early adopters of Windows 7. He writes about their experiences of upgrading to the new operating system in a paper entitled Windows 7 in schools: The early experiences.
UK’s young digital Britons want more technology in the classroom
Four out of five students in England and Wales would like to see more technology in the classroom according to fresh research by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The research suggests that the nation’s young believe that technology can help them learn, with around 40% saying they would be interested in a greater use of interactive whiteboards. A similar number would welcome an increase in AV equipment such as DVD players.
The Ipsos MORI research questioned 2,447 11 to 16 year olds about their feelings towards technology in the classroom. Of the students questioned, over half wanted their teachers to use computers and the internet to help advance learning techniques.
NETSA’s Chief Executive Jonathan Kestenbaum was excited by the findings. “Young people will be at the heart of the digital economy so it’s promising to see school children embracing digital technologies not just as a form of entertainment, but as a way to learn. This doesn’t mean we have to rip up text books ‘California-style’, but rather look at innovative ways of learning which will best prepare children for the future.”
The research found that many students would indeed support Governor Schwarzenegger’s ‘California-style’ call to replace traditional text books with new technologies.
Young people are traditionally strong adopters of new technology. A recent study by Ofcom (The Communications Market, 2008) indicates that 81% of boys and 77% of girls aged between 12 and 15 have access to the internet. The large majority (70%) use it every day.
Popularity of Interactive Whiteboards Rising
Worldwide sales of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are rocketing. The market enjoyed a 32% rise from 2007 to 2008, with some 557,000 being shipped globally.
The data was released recently by Futuresource Consulting, an independent research company who were conducting a study on behalf of a leading interactive whiteboard manufacturer. Futuresource estimates that over 2 million interactive whiteboards are now installed in schools and businesses.
It is predicted that in the next 5 years this installed base will reach over 7 million, meaning that one in every five classrooms worldwide will have an IWB.
So, what is all the fuss about?
Interactive whiteboards can be used to deliver a wide variety of benefits to the classroom. They offer exciting new possibilities to display and edit work, conduct classes and engage children in ways that simply weren’t possible before.
The Governor to Terminate Textbooks
California’s is suffering from a severe budget deficit. Currently the state is desperately trying to meet its $24.3bn shortfall and is fielding ever more original money-saving suggestions.
In addition to the sweeping budget cuts already announced, Governor Schwarzenegger has been asking his Twitter followers for their suggestions. He has already approved a plan to sign his name on state cars in order to increase their sale value.
The cuts are affecting every corner of state spending, not least of all the education sector, which is expected to lose around $3bn.
In a bold move to save money, Governor Schwarzenegger has voiced his support for removing hard-copy textbooks from all schools and introducing eBooks.
“It’s nonsensical and expensive to look to traditional hard-bound books when information today is so readily available in electronic form” Schwarzenegger wrote.
“Especially now, when our school districts are strapped for cash and our state budget deficit is forcing further cuts to classrooms, we must do everything we can to untie educators’ hands and free up dollars so that schools can do more with fewer resources.”
