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January 2000
Mirandalink is edited and sent out by Ben Franklin.
New on the web | MirandaRoses | Computer Giveaway | Lurkers
Hey ho and away we go into the last year of the 20th Century or the first of the 21st - depending on your view point.
Many of us were at BETT and either watched or took part in the opening Keynote Address. As a partaker I can assure everyone it was mega bowel churning but I would not have missed it for the world!
Jane's Bit
New on the MirandaNet Site
January saw a major site update so the text parallels what is in the new brochure with its new logo and branding. Many pages have changed, but the ones that will interest Fellows and Scholars are:
- The new listing with links to your profiles and case study work. Is yours there and has it got your latest case studies and information linked. Check your entry at www.mirandanet.org.uk/fellowship/listing.php and email the editor at MirandaNet if not.
- The BETT Keynote Address - transcripts online at mirandanet.org.uk/publications/bett_innovat.htm and there are more reports on Scoop (see the stickies on the MirandaNet community page).
- If you didn't come to BETT, you will not have the new press pack. Despair not, it's all at www.mirandanet.org.uk/publications/presspack.htm though not as beautfully laid out as the real thing
- The Compaq Expert Mentoring Service which is in development at the moment, but you can see the thinking at www.mirandanet.org.uk/feedback.htm
- Notes on online copyright - an article written for the Scoop Early Adopters mirandanet.org.uk/Scoop/copyright.htm
- January's new links - including the nominations at BETT for learning resources. www.mirandanet.org.uk/links/newlinks.htm
- Diary 2000 - seminars for the year www.mirandanet.org.uk/news/diary.php
- And there's a new area called Industry Partners which replaces what used to be the Discussion Zone (now taking place within Scoop). www.mirandanet.org.uk/partners.htm
- And as for new publications: Christina's list is onsite
with an order form to her book Teachers as Innovators www.mirandanet.org.uk/publications/preston.htm
and then there's mine (which you all need to order for your libraries don't
you):
The Internet: A Writer's Guide
ISBN 0 7136 5192 X
A & C Black, £9.99 208pp
Published 28 JanuaryOrdering information and sample chapters are at www.internetwriter.co.uk And also in the Publications section of MirandaNet
- January MirandaRose Awards. The Educational-site-of-the-Month has been awarded to Lee Manor Primary School - maintained by a keen parent. Newly added sections include teacher topic letters informing parents about the work their children are doing. It has a nice look and feel. www.leemanor.f9.co.uk The Help-for-Educational-site-of-the-Month MirandaRose Award goes to The 21st Century Learning Initiative - well-designed site exploring research and development into the nature of human learning, and its implications for education and the development of communities worldwide. www.21learn.org/
The Great Computer Giveaway
In a moment of sublime madness I told Tina I would summarise the Mirandalink thread on the subject of the £500 subsidy for teachers who buy their own machines. Well after some perusal of Mirandalink (and other sources) here are my thoughts.
First of all; it is not really £500. It is up to half the cost of the machine or £500 - whichever is lower. In addition this includes the VAT you will have to pay and finally the nice man from the Inland Revenue will tax you on it as extra income. So, you buy a machine for £750 plus VAT - this brings you up to around £1000. You receive £500 in a cheque from the nice man at the DfEE (don't expect return of post) and then the inland revenue hit you for an extra £110 of tax. So of your £500 the Government has reclaimed £250 in VAT and £110 in tax. Aren't they generous!
Let us not be cavilling however as the project seems to have had the desired effect - I know several teachers who have gone out to see if they can get a computer who would never have done that in a million years in other circumstances.
Secondly, the specification; I was extremely miffed to see the Riscos and Linux were not offered as operating systems. Okay, people might not have chosen them but the suspicion is that Uncle Bill has won again by default. The actual hardware specification seems reasonable to me - it should last a complete beginner about eighteen months before they feel the urge to upgrade! What I am not happy about is the list of approved suppliers. It seems to me that the Government may have a right to specify a technical standard but it is a bit off when it restricts those who can take part in the bonanza. Those who know me will know that I will have no truck with PC shops or companies and get my computers built bespoke so to speak. I can guarantee quality and service that way. My chap would have produced a fine machine to the specification had I been able to ask him - and it would have had Linux on it as well! In fact I asked him what he would charge for a specification the same as the Viglen Contender. His reply was interesting. The 450 processor is no longer made so he might have difficulty getting one and the smallest hard drive he could source was 8.4gb (as against 6gb for the Viglen) however his machine would meet the spec at £850 inc Vat (compared to £923.55). I can vouch for the service and quality of this man's kit and also to his disbelief when I quoted some of the suppliers to him. One in particular is universally reviled for its dire service record. He queried how on Earth they could get into what he described as a government sponsored cartel.
So, there are some questions to be answered about how the scheme was set up but if I say Sue Heightman and I know the depth of feeling evinced by Toshiba executives about at least one of the participants then maybe it becomes clearer...
If you do decide to buy a machine using the scheme there seems to be a clear consensus that you avoid Time computers. I would also query the wisdom of a BT machine since they do not make computers (erhh some mistake surely? No, honest) and I would have reservations about RM but that is just sheer prejudice based on experience. Otherwise, my vote goes as follows and for the following reasons.
Buy a Mac if you do not have to worry about PC compatibility and you are rich.
Buy a Tiny if you like the spec (good) and they might not mind delivering it direct to your friend. (Based on a conversation)
Buy a Fujitsu if you want a computer built like a panzer.
Otherwise buy the best monitor (ie biggest) you can get.
Do not consider any of the laptops as the prices are stupid - wait till the Government caves into the TES campaign and they give you one anyway.
cft.ngfl.gov.uk is where you can find all the details.
Lurkers
Another interesting run of messages on Mirandalink has been the Lurkers debate. There seems to be an opinion emerging that lurking is a useful activity in itself and as a long time lurker on the senco forum I would agree with this. The point is also made that lurkers often talk meat to meat about their communities resulting in new members appearing. I think Tina should delegate the task of analysing and writing up this topic to some one with plenty of time on their hands so that it gets published more widely (THES?) Just so long as she doesn't delegate it to me!
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