We heavily subsidize our printing and Internet costs.. I think from memory the school pays for about half or two thirds. We do have a 'cap' on usage that can be increased upon request and a firm brake on the student usage speed to share the bandwidth about.
<br><br>Perhaps by analogy ... each day at our school breakfast club, students can buy a heavily discounted cup of hot noodles. Any cheaper and they start having food fights. (it's an ugly sight with 3 min noodles everywhere) "Yes Oliver, you can have some more. No you don't need a bigger bowel, just ask for more when you need it."
<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 15/12/06, <b class="gmail_sendername"><a href="mailto:fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au">fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au</a></b> <<a href="mailto:fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au">
fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">We have never charged for internet access and I would like to not introduce it. I might present your response to the financial people concerned. Our problem has been with the increase in download 128k to 2mb within a week. The bill has more than tripled. I have been pushing to bring in a variety of changes especially when it comes to monitoring what the students are accessing, getting the staff to select in advance, what sites they want the students to go to and setting question relating to the site etc etc. but for a little school, the jump from $2500 per annum to almost $8000 per annum is just too too much for admin to handle
<br>Fiona Bain<br><br><br>Cameron Bell <<a href="mailto:bell.cameron.p@edumail.vic.gov.au">bell.cameron.p@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>> on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:56:35 +1100 wrote:<br>> We have decided to move away from charging for net access and fund open
<br>> access to the internet as it is simply too an important resource to<br>> restrict access to. We decided that the hassle teachers had with<br>> students not being able to access websites was restricting take-up of
<br>> ICT in the classroom. Teachers were fed up with students not being able<br>> access websites without prior submission to the education channel -<br>> especially when it restricted free-form investigation and research.
<br>> The down side is that students won't have "free" access to computers and<br>> will need to be supervised.<br>> You have to convince the admin that it has to fund the internet as a<br>> core component to education. It is used across all KLA's and is an
<br>> essential tool for education. It is not an addon- it is core component.<br>> I'm not sure many admins can see that just yet.<br>> If the electricity bill is over budget they can find the money to pay<br>> that, they don't just turn off all power or tell kids they can only use
<br>> the lights if they pay a power fee.<br>> There are tools like Packateer ($$ :( ) that can enable access to be<br>> tailored to a packet by packet basis. You may want to look at something<br>> like that to help keep costs down. If you artificially slow the link or
<br>> restrict certain traffic you can keep costs down without removing access<br>> completely.<br>> Fight for free access.<br>> Cheers<br>> Cameron<br>><br>><br>> <a href="mailto:fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au">
fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au</a> wrote:<br>> > Do you give the students a starting balance on each account and, if so, how much<br>> ><br>> > thanks<br>> > Fiona (the other kind of Bain)<br>> > Balmoral
<br>> > "Bane, Janet A" <<a href="mailto:bane.janet.a@edumail.vic.gov.au">bane.janet.a@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>> on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:32:09 +1100 wrote:<br>> ><br>> >> Hi Kim<br>> >> there is a very simple solution to this problem - start charging the kids for their internet usage! I think you would find that most schools do. Our system is called Gaia Print and Net charger. Not only do we charge for internet usage, we also charge 10c per print out. Its amazing what "needs" to be accessed and what doesn't when they have to pay for it!
<br>> >><br>> >> regards,<br>> >> Janet Bane<br>> >> Patterson River SC.<br>> >><br>> >> ________________________________<br>> >><br>> >> From: <a href="mailto:ipm-bounces@edulists.com.au">
ipm-bounces@edulists.com.au</a> on behalf of <a href="mailto:kgration@myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au">kgration@myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>> >> Sent: Wed 13-Dec-06 3:31 PM<br>> >> To: <a href="mailto:ipm@edulists.com.au">
ipm@edulists.com.au</a><br>> >> Subject: [Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites and individual user accounts<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> Dear List,<br>> >><br>> >> During the last few months our wonderful students have discovered treasure troves of proxy avoiding web sites (
e.g. vtunnel, kproxy, flyproxy etc. etc. etc.) with multiple variations of each of these and numerous others as the URL. Most of these sites are secure (i.e. https:// <https:///> rather than http:// <http:///> ) so are difficult to block or usually totally unblockable using the SINA front end. The Year 10-12 students are particularly notorious for this kind of behaviour. Blocking the source IP address appears to be the only rather fragmented solution to this problem . . . but this essentially amounts to a game of catch up . . . and without a full time tech. usually means a call to Editure . . . who aren't always 100% successful either.
<br>> >><br>> >> Not surprisingly our Internet budget has basically been blown as a result. I am now considering taking away individual user accounts for student Internet use and having Learning Area, Year Level or some other account structure where teachers enter the password for students in their care.
<br>> >><br>> >> Does anyone out there have any gems of wisdom (bright ideas) or perspectivesto share in this area?<br>> >><br>> >> Cheers,<br>> >><br>> >> Kim<br>> >>
<br>> >> ---<br>> >> Kim Gration<br>> >> ICT Manager<br>> >> Myrtleford Secondary College<br>> >> <a href="http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au
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<br>> >><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > ---<br>> > <a href="mailto:fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au">fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au</a><br>> > <a href="http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/">http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/
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<br>> ><br>> ><br>><br>> Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education.
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<br><br><br>---<br><a href="mailto:fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au">fiona@balmoralhs.vic.edu.au</a><br><a href="http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/">http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/</a><br>_______________________________________________
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- Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and<br><a href="http://www.vitta.org.au">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all">
<br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead