School reopenings -current plan WAS McHugh's plan

Postgrad10 · 01-08-2020 7:11pm

Sorry. You have to watch your back with them. Little darlings !

mtoutlemonde · 01-08-2020 7:24pm

If we have to go back to blended learning and we have to do online classes - you can just show a whiteboard and turn off student mice and cameras. I did an online course like this and it was impressive. Students can still communicate with teacher via message.

Bobtheman · 01-08-2020 7:24pm

The government is setting itself up for a fall. It's plan is too late. Schools will open but late plus there will be chaos.
There was fxxx all direction for online teaching. I never came across an online class facility that a kid could not record. Though I know some teachers took the risk with zoom I wasn't prepared to without a legal Gurantee.
Yes I have seen breaches of privacy that made me heistate.
I know some principal's pushed it ours wisely didn't.
Given the delay in this plan(July) you have a better chance of Man utd winning the premiership next year than a viable online plan in place in case we shut again .

Bobtheman · 01-08-2020 7:27pm

mtoutlemonde wrote: »

If we have to go back to blended learning and we have to do online classes - you can just show a whiteboard and turn off student mice and cameras. I did an online course like this and it was impressive. Students can still communicate with teacher via message.

What program was that ? Presume teachers still visible?

shesty · 01-08-2020 7:31pm

There are plenty like that, Zoom can be used that way, Lync/Skype too.You can screen share, or just go into presentation mode.Easily enough done.
And much like college, if you are there and the class is being given in that manner, that is the best you can do.Circulate the notes beforehand for them to cover yourself.Much as lecturers do.
What students are up to, whether they are listening or not, or attending, is out of your control.You can lead a horse to water and all that....

mtoutlemonde · 01-08-2020 7:32pm

Bobtheman wrote: »

What program was that ? Presume teachers still visible?

It was done on zoom. I could definitely have recorded it but I only saw the whiteboard/presentation and listen to the speakers voice. I did not want to do zoom classes for reasons above but this seemed to have a bit if structure and i suppose you can always remove a disruptive student akin to putting them outside the door which you can't do know. A follow up email to parents could explain the breach. I would only be concerned with junior classes.

combat14 · 01-08-2020 8:35pm

we wont need (educational licence) for zoom sure we will all no matter what be back In the classroom ...

teachinggal123 · 01-08-2020 9:11pm

Zoom, Skype, MS Teams or any of those other ‘commercial’ level videoconferencing platforms won’t work in secondary or primary.

The Blackboard learning platform have a virtual classroom called collaborate ultra. This is specifically designed for teaching and is the only platform that will work for us. The problem is that Blackboard is expensive and there is a learning curve for teachers .... both technically and pedagogically ... which will be a hard sell.

The answer might be for the Dept to get a license which can be available to all schools. This needs to be supported by training for teachers. There will also need to be time for teachers to transfer all material to PowerPoint etc.

Finally, this has to be compulsory. No exceptions. No excuses. Teachers have to use this if schools are closed. If students don’t engage that’s their issue. Any student recording the sessions etc will be sanctioned ... zero tolerance for idiocy and messing.

Anything less than that won’t work.

No chance of any of that happening tho.

bren2001 · 01-08-2020 9:43pm

teachinggal123 wrote: »

Zoom, Skype, MS Teams or any of those other ‘commercial’ level videoconferencing platforms won’t work in secondary or primary.

The Blackboard learning platform have a virtual classroom called collaborate ultra. This is specifically designed for teaching and is the only platform that will work for us. The problem is that Blackboard is expensive and there is a learning curve for teachers .... both technically and pedagogically ... which will be a hard sell.

The answer might be for the Dept to get a license which can be available to all schools. This needs to be supported by training for teachers. There will also need to be time for teachers to transfer all material to PowerPoint etc.

Finally, this has to be compulsory. No exceptions. No excuses. Teachers have to use this if schools are closed. If students don’t engage that’s their issue. Any student recording the sessions etc will be sanctioned ... zero tolerance for idiocy and messing.

Anything less than that won’t work.

No chance of any of that happening tho.

Why is blackboard the *only* one that will work?

I've used blackboard extensively in the past and personally found it an absolutely terrible platform. It was a number of years back and may be much better now. Plenty of other people have a different view on it and thought it was brilliant.

There's a whole host of different platforms available. There are pros and cons to each one. For example, there's no reason why Zoom and Google Classroom won't work. If I was given the choice, it would be what I would lean towards.

teachinggal123 · 01-08-2020 11:14pm

bren2001 wrote: »

Why is blackboard the *only* one that will work?

I've used blackboard extensively in the past and personally found it an absolutely terrible platform. It was a number of years back and may be much better now. Plenty of other people have a different view on it and thought it was brilliant.

There's a whole host of different platforms available. There are pros and cons to each one. For example, there's no reason why Zoom and Google Classroom won't work. If I was given the choice, it would be what I would lean towards.

I’m talking about a Blackboard add on called “collaborate ultra”. This is specifically designed for online/blended teaching ... Zoom and Skype are not.

There are also teaching tools baked in to collaborate ultra which Zoom & Skype don’t have.

There are plenty of YouTube videos for anyone not familiar with the platform.

bren2001 · 01-08-2020 11:53pm

teachinggal123 wrote: »

I’m talking about a Blackboard add on called “collaborate ultra”. This is specifically designed for online/blended teaching ... Zoom and Skype are not.

There are also teaching tools baked in to collaborate ultra which Zoom & Skype don’t have.

There are plenty of YouTube videos for anyone not familiar with the platform.

I'm familiar with collaborate ultra. You've stated it is the *only* suitable platform but provide no justification for this.

From a teaching perspective, I can achieve everything needed with Zoom, Google Classroom and a wacom tablet to deliver a fully interactive class (not that this is what I actually want to deliver).

Blackboard is not the *only* solution, it is *a* solution. There are a whole host of other alternatives which will suit different needs. Each having their own pro's and con's.

Can you justify why this one specific software is the *only* solution?

History Queen · 01-08-2020 11:55pm

teachinggal123 wrote: »

I’m talking about a Blackboard add on called “collaborate ultra”. This is specifically designed for online/blended teaching ... Zoom and Skype are not.

There are also teaching tools baked in to collaborate ultra which Zoom & Skype don’t have.

There are plenty of YouTube videos for anyone not familiar with the platform.

I haven't come across that before. It sounds really interesting. Will definitely look it up. Can I just ask in your opinion why it is better than the likes of Microsoft? Our school (secondary) use office365 and students had office365 emails already set up and were at least partially familiar with the platform so we used Microsoft Teams, personally I found it worked well for my subjects. (Other issues aside such as Teething problems/my own learning curve/IT access for students etc)

teachinggal123 · 02-08-2020 12:27am

Im not an expert and I’m just giving my opinion on BB collaborate. It is designed for teaching whereas the other platforms mentioned are not. It links with the material you put on BB. It links with all the other discussion boards, blogs and other teaching tools available on BB. It has security features for teaching that Zoom etc don’t have. It manages bandwidth effectively for slower connections. It has mobile apps for iPhone and android. It is the primary online collaborative teaching platform used by everyone from the top Ivy League Universities to smaller schools in Africa.

If anyone has other opinions and thinks there are better platforms for teaching that’s fine. As usual, I’m just giving my own opinion.

Edited to say that there is an open source (free) alternative to BB called Moodle. I don’t know if it has a collaborate ultra type option. Some ETBs have this ... I know KWETB definitely have ... so that might be another option.

As long is there is a plan that is consistent, that will work and that comes from the Dept I personally don’t care if we use tin cans and a piece of string. Anything is better than this disorganised disjointed and piecemeal approach that is left to each school to sort out. That is trouble.

History Queen · 02-08-2020 12:34am

teachinggal123 wrote: »

Im not an expert and I’m just giving my opinion on BB collaborate. It is designed for teaching whereas the other platforms mentioned are not. It links with the material you put on BB. It links with all the other discussion boards, blogs and other teaching tools available on BB. It has security features for teaching that Zoom etc don’t have. It manages bandwidth effectively for slower connections. It has mobile apps for iPhone and android. It is the primary online collaborative teaching platform used by everyone from the top Ivy League Universities to smaller schools in Africa.

If anyone has other opinions and thinks there are better platforms for teaching that’s fine. As usual, I’m just giving my own opinion.

Edited to say that there is an open source (free) alternative to BB called Moodle. I don’t know if it has a collaborate ultra type option. Some ETBs have this ... I know KWETB definitely ... have, so that might be another option.

Cheers will look into BB sounds good especially what you said about managing bandwidth.

Also agreed re Department led approach. Coordination is needed.

am_zarathustra · 02-08-2020 12:41am

I've used Moodle. It's not that great. I've used blackboard at University level. It's fine, not any better than 365 though. The Microsoft full suite has my vote due to the level of integration and the somewhat intuitive nature of the Microsoft platform. Integrated email, file storage, file sorting, Teams and my beloved assignments. Especially for junior classes I found the forms setup with the ease of tracking assessment of and for learning across time to be excellent. For LC the OneNote ended up being the star with the added benefit of smooth, fast compiling with Microsoft stream for demonstration videos. Phone apps are excellent too

The other thing that swayed the principal eventually to my pitch was the fact we are preparing kids for the real world ......Microsoft is the prevalent platform and operating system......makes sense for them to be comfortable with it in general.

am_zarathustra · 02-08-2020 12:44am

Oh and office 365 is free for educational institutions......look at the eyewatering prices businesses pay, gives you an idea of the quality

bren2001 · 02-08-2020 12:47am

teachinggal123 wrote: »

Im not an expert and I’m just giving my opinion on BB collaborate. It is designed for teaching whereas the other platforms mentioned are not. It links with the material you put on BB. It links with all the other discussion boards, blogs and other teaching tools available on BB. It has security features for teaching that Zoom etc don’t have. It manages bandwidth effectively for slower connections. It has mobile apps for iPhone and android. It is the primary online collaborative teaching platform used by everyone from the top Ivy League Universities to smaller schools in Africa.

If anyone has other opinions and thinks there are better platforms for teaching that’s fine. As usual, I’m just giving my own opinion.

Edited to say that there is an open source (free) alternative to BB called Moodle. I don’t know if it has a collaborate ultra type option. Some ETBs have this ... I know KWETB definitely have ... so that might be another option.

As long is there is a plan that is consistent, that will work and that comes from the Dept I personally don’t care if we use tin cans and a piece of string. Anything is better than this disorganised disjointed and piecemeal approach that is left to each school to sort out. That is trouble.

There's nothing you've stated there that cannot be achieved by Zoom linked with Google Classroom. BB doesn't handle slower connections efficiently, it's not optimized for that at all. It's strengths lie with it's interface and the management system behind it. Zoom or Skype which is specifically designed for conference calls are far better at handling poor connectivity.

My single point was with your use of the word only, nothing else. BB is an option, one I think that is quite poor. You've used the word *only* yet it appears you've just discovered Moodle, one of the most popular Learning Management Systems out there. The most popular world wide I believe. That tells me everything I need to know.

teachinggal123 · 02-08-2020 12:57am

How do you know BB doesn’t handle slower connections more effectively than Zoom etc?

If BB is “quite poor” as an option why do the best Universities and schools all around the world use it in preference to the platforms you claim are better?

am_zarathustra · 02-08-2020 1:09am

Blackboard uses Microsoft Teams to allow interactive classes through their courses. I don't know how much you know about these programs. 365 is a different beast to use in University because you have to pay. Secondary schools don't. Licensing issues but also the level of in house support required to run effectively play into this massively. I've never heard any ICT expert suggest blackboard to secondary. They are just quite different fundamentally

mirrorwall14 · 02-08-2020 4:16am

God not blackboard for secondary.... I use it and hate it. We’re on google education and it’s streets ahead for second level in my opinion.

Students add class with code. From within that class they can access all resources by date on the main feed or sort by tags/assignments on the class work page. Live classes can be joined by tapping the link. From the teacher side I can create collaborative documents, post individual documents and create assignments easily that integrate with the platform. Students can upload homework by completely their own versions of the documents (automatically created for them) or by uploading pictures.

Is there little things I would change? Yes.

Is it better than bb for my students? Yes

bren2001 · 02-08-2020 9:03am

teachinggal123 wrote: »

How do you know BB doesn’t handle slower connections more effectively than Zoom etc?

If BB is “quite poor” as an option why do the best Universities and schools all around the world use it in preference to the platforms you claim are better?

Because I was asked to look into such applications as part of a committee last year for my University. I spoke to one of the reps and the conclusions drawn was Collaborate Ultra is a relatively poor piece of kit. We went with Zoom.

Blackboard and Moodle are used among Universities worldwide because there is relatively few options available. Google Classrooms and Teams work on a class or module level but do not work for very large institutions. Linking Moodle to a student information system so modules can be centrally created/destroyed and populated with new students as they register is relatively simple to do in Moodle/Blackboard. It can be done in Teams and Classrooms but they are not designed for this and, for this reason, don't do it very well. Hence why Moodle/Blackboard are heavily used.

For primary/secondary schools, Teams or Google Classrooms would seem to me to be by far the best fit. A lot of my peers run their lectures through Google Classrooms. That's my opinion. I questioned your use of the word *only* and nothing else.

khalessi · 02-08-2020 9:08am

bren2001 wrote: »

Because I was asked to look into such applications as part of a committee last year for my University. I spoke to one of the reps and the conclusions drawn was Collaborate Ultra is a relatively poor piece of kit. We went with Zoom.

Blackboard and Moodle are used among Universities worldwide because there is relatively few options available. Google Classrooms and Teams work on a class or module level but do not work for very large institutions. Linking Moodle to a student information system so modules can be centrally created/destroyed and populated with new students as they register is relatively simple to do in Moodle/Blackboard. It can be done in Teams and Classrooms but they are not designed for this and, for this reason, don't do it very well. Hence why Moodle/Blackboard are heavily used.

For primary/secondary schools, Teams or Google Classrooms would seem to me to be by far the best fit. A lot of my peers run their lectures through Google Classrooms. That's my opinion. I questioned your use of the word *only* and nothing else.

We use Google classroom and as a teacher I founf it great for communication with the students, uploading work, correctiions and returns, and for pareents to use. On the otherhand as a parent of primary children I had to suffer with Seesaw which I found dreadful for communication, uploading work etc.

mirrorwall14 · 02-08-2020 9:16am

khalessi wrote: »

We use Google classroom and as a teacher I founf it great for communication with the students, uploading work, correctiions and returns, and for pareents to use. On the otherhand as a parent of primary children I had to suffer with Seesaw which I found dreadful for communication, uploading work etc.

I had class dojo for my child and didn’t particularly like it. Impossible to find stuff if you miss a day. Seriously missing a tag option. And just attaching a load of things to the same post

FishOnABike · 02-08-2020 11:10am

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Beginning to see announcements from secondary schools that they are implementing mask wearing for everyone.

I thought this was inevitable. I was more than surprised that mandatory mask wearing (with documented medical exceptions where necessary) wasn't in the government guidelines.

FishOnABike · 02-08-2020 11:34am

lulublue22 wrote: »

I’ve no doubt things can and probably will change however it is still clear that the gov’s back to school plan hinges on the belief that students don’t transmit the disease to the same extent as adults nor are as adversely affected as adults otherwise they would not have countenanced a full return. Time will tell if it is the correct decision or not.

This naïve belief was neverore than wishful thinking.

Recent extensive studies of over 60,000 contacts in South Korea have shown over 10s are as likely to catch and transmit CoViD-19 as adults, if not more likely.¹

The outbreak in a Georgia,US camp² which infected 260 children and teens shows younger children to actually be at more likely to catch CoViD-19 than older children.

"The overall attack rate was 44% (260 of 597), 51% among those aged 6–10 years, 44% among those aged 11–17 years, and 33% among those aged 18–21 years"

If the government do not reassess their plans for reopening schools in the light of increasing evidence that children equally need to take similar public health measures as adults, then they are being negligent. If they don't they are either incompetent or dishonest.

The least they could do is be honest if they are making a conscious decision to place reopening schools (and hence the economy by allowing more parents back to work) above the public health risk.

At the moment their decisions don't appear to be based on sound science. I think it's only a question of how long before their plans come unstuck unless they rethink and incorporate greater public health measures.

¹ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/18/health/coronavirus-children-schools.html

² https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6931e1.htm

Postgrad10 · 02-08-2020 11:36am

Even ucd is moving from blackboard. It’s bright space now.

Bobtheman · 02-08-2020 11:41am

The government needs to issue clear guidelines on online teaching. Guidelines that protect teachers legally. Not waffle.
But unfortunately the poor little children brigade will stop that happening.
The age of criminal intent is what 10? But seems like the law is either not applied to kids in school or there is no law stopping kids putting your video online.

khalessi · 02-08-2020 12:57pm

in regards to hiring

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40025909.html

interesting reading

bren2001 · 02-08-2020 1:38pm

Bobtheman wrote: »

The government needs to issue clear guidelines on online teaching. Guidelines that protect teachers legally. Not waffle.
But unfortunately the poor little children brigade will stop that happening.
The age of criminal intent is what 10? But seems like the law is either not applied to kids in school or there is no law stopping kids putting your video online.

What legal protections and guidelines are you looking for? I'm genuinely curious as opposed to criticising that view. At third level, I've zero issue with online teaching but I have much more control and the average age in my class is 21+. I can see it is very different at second level but what are the actual concerns?

DubLad69 · 02-08-2020 1:57pm

Has anyone used schoology? Its a much better version of blackboard, is linked to an office 365 account (so students with accounts can be automatically set up) and has video conference options.

combat14 · 02-08-2020 7:31pm

khalessi wrote: »

in regards to hiring

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40025909.html

interesting reading

if they are looking at public recruitment ban and another moratorium on promotions this will hit staff morale very badly

pay cuts, increment freezes, below inflation pay agreements and tax rises must also be in the offing shortly for public services staff too...

wirelessdude01 · 02-08-2020 7:40pm

combat14 wrote: »

if they are looking at public recruitment ban and another moratorium on promotions this will hit staff morale very badly

pay cuts, increment freezes, below inflation pay agreements and tax rises must also be in the offing shortly for public services staff too...

They'll pay the 2% in October but will take multiples of it a few weeks later in the budget. Be another rush of teachers abroad in 2021.

am_zarathustra · 02-08-2020 8:10pm

Hitting front line staff will be unpopular, it might be more politically palatable to go after civil servants. Touching nurses will be career suicide for the minister, possibly even guards now. If the schools stay open I'm not even sure touching teachers would be smart politically, and lets be clear, that's what will stop them not any sense of right or wrong. The Unions (garda reps obv) would be well to agree front line staff in the Public Service stick together. There are softer targets in the current climate.

If they do, the staffing crisis will be chronic. I'm expecting flash closure due to lack of s and s after October anyway. Nurses wont stay either

Bobtheman · 02-08-2020 9:24pm

bren2001 wrote: »

What legal protections and guidelines are you looking for? I'm genuinely curious as opposed to criticising that view. At third level, I've zero issue with online teaching but I have much more control and the average age in my class is 21+. I can see it is very different at second level but what are the actual concerns?

Manipulation of videos. You are dealing with teenagers. I could give countless examples but might lead others to guess who im talking about

Bobtheman · 02-08-2020 9:28pm

combat14 wrote: »

if they are looking at public recruitment ban and another moratorium on promotions this will hit staff morale very badly

pay cuts, increment freezes, below inflation pay agreements and tax rises must also be in the offing shortly for public services staff too...

Ah jaysus. Some people can't wait to start the public vs private war. Get those torches lite. Check your gunpowder. A recruitment ban is one thing if it happens. The last I heard the 2% in October is still going ahead .

Bobtheman · 02-08-2020 9:34pm

FF/FG ain't about to start down the road of austerity. Depends on the EU. If they do then it's SF time .
Let's not go for the panic bottoms yet;

Leftwaffe · 02-08-2020 11:09pm

O365 coupled with Teams and OneNote Class Notebook is the best for blended learning IMO. Couple that with an iPad and Apple Pencil and its all you’ll need.

Individual folders for each student. Differentiated work can be given easily. Marking up of copies, etc. All easily done.

Plus live classes can be recorded and banked for later use or if a student mosses a lesson.

Bobtheman · 03-08-2020 9:21am

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

O365 coupled with Teams and OneNote Class Notebook is the best for blended learning IMO. Couple that with an iPad and Apple Pencil and its all you’ll need.

Individual folders for each student. Differentiated work can be given easily. Marking up of copies, etc. All easily done.

Plus live classes can be recorded and banked for later use or if a student mosses a lesson.

I applaud your work ethic. But who will buy me the iPad and apple pencil?? Differentiated learning often means lowering the bar. With 33 classes a week it can nearly be impossible to differentiate most material. Plus ,it would help if parents of weaker kids made them do homework. Often a clear link between the two.
I do realize there are very hard workers on here but not everyone is of that disposition or energy levels.
I always felt the department could provide more actual class plans. A seasoned teacher knows if a plan will work or not. The TES site ain't replicated here . Instead we get waffle and key terms.

boardise · 03-08-2020 9:38am

Rosita wrote: »

You are assuming that there's a specific amount of material that must be covered. And that this must be done at all costs. Not so I'm afraid. The DES may have to revise many of the old assumptions about examinations and syllabi.

We could be in a scenario where there's not a vaccine for a few years if at all. Maybe school as we know it is finished for the foreseeable future. So I would be wary of talking about "half an education" as if that's a definable amount and the only possible "education" is the one that is regarded as that at the moment.

Let's get real. Kids send half their time in school bored senseless learning stuff they don't need to know and struggling with basics at the end of it, while teachers pile on homework because it's expected, and the DES devises mindless classroom strategies which inappropriately conflate activity and productivity. There might be worse things than a total recalibration of how education is delivered.

Absolutely brilliant post -bang on the money.
The current scene is one of immense challenge to people's mental fortitude and creative capacity. There's a need now for people who'll roll up their sleeves ,set targets and make things happen -in defiance of the army of moaners and obstructionists we hear every day on the media.

Leftwaffe · 03-08-2020 9:56am

Bobtheman wrote: »

I applaud your work ethic. But who will buy me the iPad and apple pencil?? Differentiated learning often means lowering the bar. With 33 classes a week it can nearly be impossible to differentiate most material. Plus ,it would help if parents of weaker kids made them do homework. Often a clear link between the two.
I do realize there are very hard workers on here but not everyone is of that disposition or energy levels.
I always felt the department could provide more actual class plans. A seasoned teacher knows if a plan will work or not. The TES site ain't replicated here . Instead we get waffle and key terms.

The school I work in is an iPad school so all staff are fortunate enough to have an iPad and the vast majority of students have them too. The pencil is a personal investment to be honest, however there are cheaper alternatives on Amazon than the original.

It does require some work and extra hours and it's not for everyone but I feel its really effective platform to use, one that can be used both in class and out of class, transitioning from one to another easily.

Look, every teacher will have their own way of doing things and my way is definitely not for everyone. Just thought I'd share it. Teachers who are less comfortable with technology will struggle with it but I'm sure they have their own good methods too. Each or their own.

I agree re differentiation. You're correct there.

Bobtheman · 03-08-2020 11:07am

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

The school I work in is an iPad school so all staff are fortunate enough to have an iPad and the vast majority of students have them too. The pencil is a personal investment to be honest, however there are cheaper alternatives on Amazon than the original.

It does require some work and extra hours and it's not for everyone but I feel its really effective platform to use, one that can be used both in class and out of class, transitioning from one to another easily.

Look, every teacher will have their own way of doing things and my way is definitely not for everyone. Just thought I'd share it. Teachers who are less comfortable with technology will struggle with it but I'm sure they have their own good methods too. Each or their own.

I agree re differentiation. You're correct there.

To be a teacher is to feel perpetually guilty. Unfortunately this year a lot of us will lose our rooms. Thus making the use of technology practically impossible.. I expect rubbish strewn rooms and inoperable computers. When one person mainly using a room you can maintain a computer. Not with multiple users. Plus kids unsupervised during classes like to tinker with the technology.

Bobtheman · 03-08-2020 11:14am

I think Rosita is right to Question that we don't have to cover all the material. That some of it is pointless. Wellbeing?!
Some teachers do pile on the homework as kids and parents expect it.
As to what's relevant and irrelevant in terms of curriculum you will always get about 100 valid opinions.
But the one thing in utterly convinced of is that the traditional LC is not for those going into a Trade and is a waste of my time and there's.
Also gob****es who want to wreck others education should be in special classes or FAS.
Anyway adieu for the rest of the summer.
Take my advice tune off the media. Not as relevant as you think and they will never love you. An abusive spouse is a good analogy.

Leftwaffe · 03-08-2020 11:25am

Bobtheman wrote: »

To be a teacher is to feel perpetually guilty. Unfortunately this year a lot of us will lose our rooms. Thus making the use of technology practically impossible.. I expect rubbish strewn rooms and inoperable computers. When one person mainly using a room you can maintain a computer. Not with multiple users. Plus kids unsupervised during classes like to tinker with the technology.

Practically impossible? I haven't had a room for a few years and solely rely on the iPad for teaching. Cast it through a projector and or through the computer. Every room in our school has a computer, 99% of which are operating very well. Multiple users log on through their own accounts. IT maintenance this year will increased I'd imagine but really ours were just fine last year.

I understand losing your room is a disaster for you and others but this is something we will have to adapt to. It is far, far from impossible to teach without a classroom. Many teachers don't enjoy that luxury for a long time.

cwboy · 03-08-2020 11:54am

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

Practically impossible? I haven't had a room for a few years and solely rely on the iPad for teaching. Cast it through a projector and or through the computer. Every room in our school has a computer, 99% of which are operating very well. Multiple users log on through their own accounts. IT maintenance this year will increased I'd imagine but really ours were just fine last year.

I understand losing your room is a disaster for you and others but this is something we will have to adapt to. It is far, far from impossible to teach without a classroom. Many teachers don't enjoy that luxury for a long time.

Can I ask what you use to cast the ipad screen?

Bobtheman · 03-08-2020 12:07pm

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

Practically impossible? I haven't had a room for a few years and solely rely on the iPad for teaching. Cast it through a projector and or through the computer. Every room in our school has a computer, 99% of which are operating very well. Multiple users log on through their own accounts. IT maintenance this year will increased I'd imagine but really ours were just fine last year.

I understand losing your room is a disaster for you and others but this is something we will have to adapt to. It is far, far from impossible to teach without a classroom. Many teachers don't enjoy that luxury for a long time.

Maintenance in our school is ****. We also don't have iPads . Of course it's not impossible but a retrograde step. As soon as kids leave the room social distancing will be a joke .Even colm o Rourke agrees with that and he is no friend of the Asti having carried a grudge for decades. I think there was a personal element to his attacks. Asti didn't back him on an issue.
I think you should keep in mind not all schools are equal when it comes to IT.
I'm looking forward to the smashed oranges and stolen leads next year.

Leftwaffe · 03-08-2020 1:57pm

cwboy wrote: »

Can I ask what you use to cast the ipad screen?

You can use a few different apps. Reflektor is good, Airserver is another good one. There are more. Generally it's a one time license payment of around 10 euro and then you install. They can be found elsewhere though, if you know what I mean.

Extremely handy tool and easy switch between desktop and iPad if needed.

purplecow1977 · 04-08-2020 2:20pm

Reading this thread has made me realise I'm virtually clueless when it comes to technology - despite having done several CPD technology related courses - am I thick?!

Mardy Bum · 04-08-2020 3:16pm

purplecow1977 wrote: »

Reading this thread has made me realise I'm virtually clueless when it comes to technology - despite having done several CPD technology related courses - am I thick?!

95% of CPD is useless for technology. It changes very quickly and there are lots of faddish waves. Knowing the principles of good teaching and learning is a lot more useful.

Leftwaffe · 04-08-2020 3:29pm

purplecow1977 wrote: »

Reading this thread has made me realise I'm virtually clueless when it comes to technology - despite having done several CPD technology related courses - am I thick?!

Absolutely not. From my experience a large percentage of our staff don't rely on technology at all and of course there are great teachers amongst them. Being profient in educational technology certainly helps in these times but it still won't make much of a difference if a teacher isn't able to teach.

Personally, I'm just fascinated by the benefits of it and it has made my work a lot easier. I'm not an expert by any means but would gladly help anyone on here that needs it.

mtoutlemonde · 04-08-2020 5:50pm

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

Absolutely not. From my experience a large percentage of our staff don't rely on technology at all and of course there are great teachers amongst them. Being profient in educational technology certainly helps in these times but it still won't make much of a difference if a teacher isn't able to teach.

Personally, I'm just fascinated by the benefits of it and it has made my work a lot easier. I'm not an expert by any means but would gladly help anyone on here that needs it.

Yes definitely. I have pulled back on technology - I have found students getting fed up/bored but will pay more attention if they are following my explanation on the board and taking that down. I often think the students say to themselves that Sir knows what he's talking about. Taking notes from PowerPoint is pointless I think. I do however use the books for correcting and a language teacher the audio saves me time messing with a CD player.

If we are not provided with laptops/computers in the classrooms, students will be completing listening activities at home and definitely chalk and talk.

As you have said, I will also be willing to answer IT related questions. I've been asked plenty over the years.

School reopenings -current plan WAS McHugh's plan

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