VidFlow - Video learning is just a click away
Video on demand via a School’s Intranet is a particularly valuable facility, as it can be used for both individual study and classroom learning. Almost instant access to video content minimises the scope for disruption. Vidflow, Akhter’s comprehensive video facility, runs on SharePoint offering video production/editing, video for class teaching, video via the school’s intranet for individual study, and broadcast TV across the network.
For teaching staff, the new approach can transform the preparation and delivery of curriculum material. Teachers can edit recorded material and remove commercials to tailor content to a particular lesson. With teaching resources online, lessons can be run from any networked classroom.
Automated assessment
A Virtual Learning Environment can incorporate automated assessment. Multiple choice questions can be run via SharePointTM on the class material delivered, with results instantly available as tables and graphs that enable teachers to identify areas needing further teaching time.
The extension of ICT across the curriculum places added demands on overstretched network technicians to manage the system. Thankfully intelligent ways exist to recover time and resources, by adding tools such as Akhter’s InterJigsaw to the network. This enables teachers to take control of the basic day-to-day administration via a user-friendly interface.
Control class ICT activity - with Teacher Console software
While IT management tools tend to focus on overall control of the entire school network. Use of computers can become a source of student distraction and frustration for the teacher. A new software tool from Akhter called Teacher Console puts teachers in control, enabling them to monitor and manage class activity. Consider the following example: The Teacher Console application is resident only on the teacher’s computer.
The teacher’s screen displays a view of all computers as thumbnails that can be dragged and dropped to match the room layout.
If a student appears to be off-task, the teacher can zoom in on their computer thumbnail to display an enlarged image of the student’s computer screen. When any unwanted applications are being run, the teacher can issue a block command to all or just selected computers.
Getting students to listen is often an issue. Using the main toolbar, teachers can instantly lock the keyboard and mouse of all or selected computers in the room, so that the teacher regains the attention of students. When students need to view a particular website, the teacher can direct the classroom computers to navigate to the desired URL without requiring the students to type in a complex website address individually.
When students forget to “shut down” before they leave, the teacher can issue the “shut down” command to all computers in the classroom. If any student can’t remember their password the teacher can quickly find and reset it minimising disruption. These are only a few of the many features that demonstrate how keep a lesson focused on the learning content.
Desk8 - secure IT desking
In creating the learning environment the physical room layout brings its own challenges. Creating sufficient student places is often a trade-off with the need to accommodate computers and provide useful desk space. Older classrooms were not designed for this. Purpose-built desks that keep monitors off the desk increase the useable desk surface. Desks ideally need to have flexibility to accommodate future change, security for IT equipment and safe management of cabling. Akhter’s Desk8 answers such needs offering secure IT Desks from £179+VAT and standard desks from £149+VAT. See www.Desk8.co.uk for more details or visit the Akhter stand.
Computers for every school environment
New at BETT 2008 are slim “all-in-one” PCs that build the PC system unit into the back of the monitor. By effectively losing the separate PC system units, the under desk space is released, so higher density seating is now possible, for example two students on a double desk becomes more feasible. Also on show are computers for schools that include:
Akhter’s energy efficient “Green PC”.
A long-life notebook PC that runs for 8-10 hours on battery power.
A small form factor case PC that saves workspace.
And a range of semi-ruggedised notebooks.
Solutions that support schools
ICT suppliers need to offer answers that fit a school’s specific requirements, Akhter offers a full consultancy service bringing together new technologies with existing ICT infrastructures.
Akhter Computers plc
www.akhter.co.uk
01279 821200
Akhter at BETT 2008 – Stand E46
