OllieBray.com

Summer ICT Work @ MGS Part3

I met with one of the East Lothian ICT Security Advisors first thing this morning. We are looking to expand our school wireless network for the start of next session and we had to go around the rooms to look at how many wireless base stations we would need.

From the start of next session we will have a new wireless network in Science (part of the tablet PC project), English (to support our new classroom in a box) and SfL. We already have a wireless network in CDT and Social Subjects. With the increased network speed, new resources and wireless network I hope to see creative use of ICT starting to have a real impact on teaching and learning. Over then next session I will seek funding to expand the wireless network into Modern Foreign Languages and the school library. Once we have covered these two areas I will be happy with the school wireless coverage and access to computers.

Elsewhere in the school the rest of the desktop computers that are being re-freshed were taken away and the new machines will start to arrive on Monday. Computing, Business Education, SfL and English all now have ceiling mounted data projectors (although some of them still need power). I have a huge amount of praise for Interactiv Solutions, the company who has been fitting the projectors. They have worked really hard to get everything up and running, they really take pride in their work and all have an excellent sense of humour.

Finally, we also managed to get the eBeams installed in the Modern Studies Department today. I have to say I am very impressed initially with the versatility and ease of use of the eBeam technology. Our Modern Studies department will be keeping a blog on how they get on with the new technology over the next few months. But I feel we may have just found a reasonably robust and a lot cheaper solution to an interactive whiteboard. I will be interested to see how it stands up to the test of time.

MGS Ebeam Trial

Over the last couple of months I have become increasing interested in the ebeam. I did try out one of the earlier version (or at least something similar) about three years ago – and was quite impressed. The new version looks a lot more robust but also a bit more expensive.

The ebeam comes in at about £350 (excluding the projector) and is therefore a lot cheaper than an interactive whiteboard. As part of a pilot to see how this technology could be used as an alternative within schools we are about to receive two ebeam’s to test out. The project has been jointly funded by the authority and Musselburgh Grammar, and is a great example of collaborative partnership working. One of the conditions of the pilot is that the people doing the tests will keep a blog of their experience of using the technology.

I’ll post more on this and the new blog URL when we are up and running, which should be by Easter. In the meantime if anyone has any experience of using the ebeam in schools I would be really interested to here from you. I know that there has been some successful trails up at Hermitage Academy.