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Section 2: Planning and Implications for Managers

Hardware facilities must be reliable if teachers are to have confidence in implementing their use in learning and teaching. Technician support solutions vary, but should include consideration of a number of options. These include:
  • commissioned technical support from an outside provider
  • maintenance agreements as part of PPP arrangements with agreed contractual
  • requirements on uplift, repair and return of equipment
  • offline or remote help service from a helpdesk for both hardware and software
  • problems. (This is now becoming very sophisticated with the helpdesk able
  • to upload solutions to schools through telephone lines.)

    • The importance of an adequate technical back-up must be stressed strongly if ICT users - both staff and pupils - are to proceed confidently.

    Further advice on technical specifications and guidance can be found in parts 5 and 6 of Using the Superhighways - ICT and Development Planning (SOEID, 1998) and local information will be readily available from the local authority.

    Applying ICT to management

    Over time, ICT will have an increasing impact on all aspects of the professional life of teaching staff. The confidence of staff and their understanding of ICT increases as it is used as part of the everyday business of school management and operation. For example, in a number of schools the development of devolved financial management responsibilities has led to the use of financial management programmes to administer the school's budget allocation.

    Applying ICT to management includes:
  • use of ICT by management and staff of a commercial software package for recording absence, pupil          records and financial management, report generation, file storage and other administrative tasks
  • using ICT to manage and track pupils' progress and attainment and possibly suggest courses of          teaching action to tackle problems
  • using the school network or intranet to post messages, establish bulletin boards and generally improve          communication between staff and pupils, and for management purposes
  • using a local area network or the internet to share ideas and to communicate between schools,          particularly in the transfer of files that might include teaching material, assessment strategies and other          professional areas of concern
  • accessing the internet for resources to enhance teaching and for pupils and staff to engage in research          including the Scottish Virtual Teachers' Centre (SVTC) and links to training providers at both local and          national levels
  • exploring ways in which ICT might improve links and communication with parents and with local          business and community organisations.
    OHT master

    • The following extract introducing the national MIS project report indicates the potential of this area of work now and in the future.

     

    The National Management Information Systems (NMIS) project worked collaboratively with representatives of staff in schools and education authorities to promote and support electronic data exchanges. The project team saw some good uses of management information and became aware of many of the strategic and operational difficulties schools face in using their computer systems to the best effect. This report offers a vision for the future of MIS in schools, the benefits for users of MIS and the issues to be addressed in moving forward. Potential benefits include making more use of the information schools hold or can hold to:

  • monitor pupils' progress
  • evaluate curricular provision
  • manage the use of resources
  • perform day-to-day administration more efficiently.

    The benefits are not just in improved administrative services. Analyses of the data can give teachers, administrators and managers a more informed overview of current practices in a school to help them plan and improve the quality of provision and raise pupils' attainments. SEED is committed to providing benchmark data electronically to schools for use in their analyses.
    Managing with Information - Making More Effective use of ICT in Management and
    Administration    , LT Scotland, 2000
    		•

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