A member of our Content team retired recently, we wish Chris Howles the best for the future.
Consequently, we have advertised and recruited a new Content and Curriculum Adviser on a part-time basis; we welcome Chris Howles who will join us for two days a week. Please contact Chris for your ICT curriculum and content needs.
Find out more about e-safety. Click the graphic to follow the link.
Image Libraries
You may have read the previous item about Pathé online content and have been disappointed that WMNet, our regional broadband consortium, were unable to secure an extension to the previous subscription.
Instead, they have subscribed until July 2009 with Hulton Getty
Education Image Gallery (HG EIG) on a 1 year subscription. WMNet advise that they will be re-negotiating to extend the subscription, but if they are unsuccessful, schools could choose to subscribe individually at that time and that schools would also be permitted to continue to use any HG EIG graphics that they may have embedded into content (e.g. Powerpoint presentations).
Schools have free access to the HG EIG from the schools' broadband network, follow the link below and click through the login window, it will recognise that you have free access. Externally (e.g. at home) a license will be required, this is not covered by the WMNet contract.
For the past three years, WMNet have purchased a subscription from Pathé to allow all schools in the West Midlands to access high quality images from the Pathé website. Unfortunately, this
subscription
is coming to an end and Pathé quoted a renewal price that WMNet considers to be too high, and so they advise us that they will not be renewing the subscription.
The unfortunate consequence of this is that any images that schools may have downloaded will no longer be licensed, and so any continued use may be regarded by Pathé as infringement of copyright. Schools are therefore advised to remove any Pathé images (including any that may have been embedded into worksheets or powerpoint documents) before the end of 2008. There are lower quality images of Pathe content that are available without subscription that schools could use as replacements for the unlicensed images.
Becta, the government's education technology agency, has recently made a complaint to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for alleged anti-competitive practices by Microsoft in the schools software marketplace and in relation to Microsoft's approach to document interoperability.
Becta guidance on biometric technologies in schools
Guidance has now been issued by Becta on the use of biometric technologies in schools. Concerns have recently been highlighted by local newspaper articles. Advice is offered on the advantages of these systems, data protection matters, consultation with pupils and parents and general reassurance on the nature of this technology.
A recent television programme highlighted some potential risks in the use of wireless networks and interactive whiteboards in schools. Click here for our advice.
The Click2Meet Express Web Video conferencing system has been upgraded to Click2Meet version 4 with many improved features. Details of training to follow. - click here!
For assistance in setting up Video conferencing systems and making use of the UKERNA Video Conferencing service - click here!
