Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Burton Pre - trial trial
Richard Booth and Dave Shearan from Shrewsbury College met up with Myself (Mike Parker) today to run through the support portal and run a pre-trial trial with friendly employer Ruth Gill and one of her FD students Kim Padmore. As the support portal is not due to be launched for trial until next Monday (22nd October 07) we expected disappointments...and we were not disappointed. A bug report was sent to Fleur today....plus a repeated request for a "clean system" to be available when the trial starts in earnest. (Clean = all user data cleared for Mon 22nd Oct 07 - except for student info access via staffs logins.) Ruth was impressed with the potential of the support point but not the registration process. Kim was baffled by the process - "couldn't the reason for the access password to enable employer to view student data be explained?"
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Software developments at Burton College
As a consequence of Mark and Fleurs visit to the Burton College ILT Strategic Planning Group, some further explanation of the developments planned for our IT infrastructure is needed. The statement about our IT infrastructure issued on Google Groups WBLWAY gives a succinct description of our plans - noting that we do not have the data to support WBLWAY at the present time.
Tribal Group runs our IT/ILT development and daily operations. Mark and Fleur will have noted that the agenda of the ILT Startegic Planning Group meeting continued after they left the meeting and included the tabling of the College ILT Strategic Plan AND Tribals ILT Operational Plan (which is now to be added as an appendix to the college plan - and details the business agreements and software implementation that Tribal is contracted to deliver).
In respect of our incapability to provide data for the project:
The college runs EBS and is working towards using all available modules.
Click to view http://www.tribalgroup.co.uk/index.php?ob=1&id=115
We are about to launch MAYTAS
http://www.tribalgroup.co.uk/?ob=1&id=118
For all HR functions with our own staff we are going to use "World Service"
http://www.hrsystems.net/distributed.php
Tribal Group runs our IT/ILT development and daily operations. Mark and Fleur will have noted that the agenda of the ILT Startegic Planning Group meeting continued after they left the meeting and included the tabling of the College ILT Strategic Plan AND Tribals ILT Operational Plan (which is now to be added as an appendix to the college plan - and details the business agreements and software implementation that Tribal is contracted to deliver).
In respect of our incapability to provide data for the project:
The college runs EBS and is working towards using all available modules.
Click to view http://www.tribalgroup.co.uk/index.php?ob=1&id=115
We are about to launch MAYTAS
http://www.tribalgroup.co.uk/?ob=1&id=118
For all HR functions with our own staff we are going to use "World Service"
http://www.hrsystems.net/distributed.php
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
September update
Mark Stiles and Fleur Phillips (Corfield) attended the College ILT Strategic Planning Group chaired by our Deputy Principal, Jon Vincent, and several senior post holders. Mark and Fleur presented the project aims to the group and introduced the possibilities surrounding the repository developments (Harvest Road's HIVE) that will impact the project delivery.
The projects developments interested the senior managers present as they could be considered alongside the IT infrastructure developments planned by Ian Ross, the Assistant Principal contracted to Burton College from Tribal. Ian's IT plans are documented on the project Google Groups Pages, as the depth of useful data on college management systems is affecting the project. This is apparent at all project partner colleges.
Recent attendance at ALT C 2007 has proved productive in regards to development of college ILT training. Interesting ideas are being cascaded into teacher training programmes.
The projects developments interested the senior managers present as they could be considered alongside the IT infrastructure developments planned by Ian Ross, the Assistant Principal contracted to Burton College from Tribal. Ian's IT plans are documented on the project Google Groups Pages, as the depth of useful data on college management systems is affecting the project. This is apparent at all project partner colleges.
Recent attendance at ALT C 2007 has proved productive in regards to development of college ILT training. Interesting ideas are being cascaded into teacher training programmes.
Thursday, 23 August 2007
Ready to begin promotion of WBLWAY
Damian Brant, our newly appointed Quality Manager, has began to get involved with the promotion of our ILT services and has included WBLWAY in this. Internally, Damian will ensure that Curriculum Area Leaders, and their Advanced Practitioners responsible for employer engagement, are aware of WBLWAY. Damian is aware of the selected participants (tutors to employers) who we have enlisted for the trial.
I'm beginning to think about how I'm going to introduce WBLWAY (particularly to employers) - and awaiting the leaflets.
On a wider ILT front, I await the roll-out of Hive. Hopefully, all of our ILT efforts will begin to converge....to ensure that end-users avoid confusion.
I'm beginning to think about how I'm going to introduce WBLWAY (particularly to employers) - and awaiting the leaflets.
On a wider ILT front, I await the roll-out of Hive. Hopefully, all of our ILT efforts will begin to converge....to ensure that end-users avoid confusion.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
New Employer for trial added.
Details of Burton's three employers who will participate in the WBLWAY trial have been put onto the WBL-WAY Google groups.
The final addition is The Burton Brewhouse. This Arts Centre, fairly recently opened by the Queen, has began to work with the college on a range of initiatives. Amanda Skevington (Curriculum Area Leader for Performing Arts) has recently launched the Foundation Degree in Dance and Theatre Arts (DATA). Amanda works closely with Rachel Walker (Brewhouse Principal Arts Manager) who has agreed to help us with the WBL-WAY pilot phase. http://www.brewhouse.co.uk/brewhouse/index.htm
Rachel joins Sue Cormes (East Midlands Children's Centre) and Ruth Gill (Burton College Nursery) as our "trialists".
With the devolvement of WBL responsibility down to Curriculum Area Leader level at Burton College, we have a range of new FD initiatives (including Hair and Beauty).
When choosing "trialists" I have found it difficult to tap into long term employer contacts (ie. Engineering, Construction) as staff a worried about harming relations (with some employers still looking back to HND's etc). Our chosen "trialists" include a new initiative and two options with students at all levels.
The final addition is The Burton Brewhouse. This Arts Centre, fairly recently opened by the Queen, has began to work with the college on a range of initiatives. Amanda Skevington (Curriculum Area Leader for Performing Arts) has recently launched the Foundation Degree in Dance and Theatre Arts (DATA). Amanda works closely with Rachel Walker (Brewhouse Principal Arts Manager) who has agreed to help us with the WBL-WAY pilot phase. http://www.brewhouse.co.uk/brewhouse/index.htm
Rachel joins Sue Cormes (East Midlands Children's Centre) and Ruth Gill (Burton College Nursery) as our "trialists".
With the devolvement of WBL responsibility down to Curriculum Area Leader level at Burton College, we have a range of new FD initiatives (including Hair and Beauty).
When choosing "trialists" I have found it difficult to tap into long term employer contacts (ie. Engineering, Construction) as staff a worried about harming relations (with some employers still looking back to HND's etc). Our chosen "trialists" include a new initiative and two options with students at all levels.
Checking on Data held
After meeting with Ian Ross (Assistant Principal MIS and IT Services), Muhalb Alsaffar (Network Manager), and Tim Davies (IT Database Support), our statement on information held electronically has been updated and added to Google groups.
Ian and Garry Phillips (Assistant Principal Standards and Development) have concerns about allowing access to information. Having said that, based on discussions with Howard Brierley (Assistant Principal Collaboration and Learner Services), it is apparent that information of use to the project is limited at the moment. The new college structure (with key posts only recently appointed and roles and responsibilities still "bedding in") has devolved responsibility for employer engagement down to Curriculum Area Leader level, with each Faculty having an Advanced Practitioner with some responsibility for Employer Engagement. Devolvement results in local expertise being used but also a little confused administration - particularly on the systems front.
Ian and Garry Phillips (Assistant Principal Standards and Development) have concerns about allowing access to information. Having said that, based on discussions with Howard Brierley (Assistant Principal Collaboration and Learner Services), it is apparent that information of use to the project is limited at the moment. The new college structure (with key posts only recently appointed and roles and responsibilities still "bedding in") has devolved responsibility for employer engagement down to Curriculum Area Leader level, with each Faculty having an Advanced Practitioner with some responsibility for Employer Engagement. Devolvement results in local expertise being used but also a little confused administration - particularly on the systems front.
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
Involvement in pilot phase
The new mangement structure at Burton College (Faculties/Curriculum Areas/with supporting cross college roles for 4 Assistant Principals/Dircctors) has now been embedded with all key pot-holders in place. Employer engagement at HE level, and particularly FD's, is achieved at Curriculum Area level . My blog already discusses the need for cross college data (which is not easily obtainable) and data collection developments underway to address this.
Taking this into account, I intend to trial WBL-WAY with the Curriculum Area of Early Years and Care. Reasons: they have good administrative support, they have a strong FD programme, staff and students have experience of SURF Information Services support. The trial can be controlled because we can offer Burton College Nursery and East Staffordshire Childrens Centre as users who will trial WBL-WAY in a proactive way, without being over-critical. Caroline Burnham (Administrative support for Early years and Care) will assist with the monitoring of the trial.
Taking this into account, I intend to trial WBL-WAY with the Curriculum Area of Early Years and Care. Reasons: they have good administrative support, they have a strong FD programme, staff and students have experience of SURF Information Services support. The trial can be controlled because we can offer Burton College Nursery and East Staffordshire Childrens Centre as users who will trial WBL-WAY in a proactive way, without being over-critical. Caroline Burnham (Administrative support for Early years and Care) will assist with the monitoring of the trial.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)