[Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]

Wed Apr 6 15:30:41 EST 2005

We factored in a 3 year lifetime for the PDA’s and got one for every staff
member. Purchase was through Mat at Commander http://www.commander.com.au
and lease organised through IBM finance. Plan to cycle an upgrade in 3 years
time. Of course there are other suppliers and it always pays to shop about.

We are using the FirstClass A+ software for our daily org/timetabling.
There is an online demo where you have a bit of a play at this website.
http://www.humanedge.biz/firstclass

I am happy to organise a workshop in the next few weeks if there is
sufficient interest. (reply directly to me please, not this list) I still
have over 25 PDA's to hand out so we could take them for a test walk about
the school, marking each other absent or present.

Regards Roland

--
Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

________________________________________
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Nalin Naidoo
Sent: Wednesday, 6 April 2005 11:43 AM
To: Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]

Hi There

PDA’s are definitely the way to go. Do any of you know whether the software
is compatible with TASS (this is the admin package we are currently using.)

Many Thanks 
Nalin Naidoo 
Senior IT Teacher /  A+ Certification Co-ordinator 
nnaidoo at sec.qld.edu.au 
St Edmund's College 
Ph : (07) 3281 1677 
Fax: (07) 3812 2701 
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________________________________________
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Wednesday, 6 April 2005 11:31 AM
To: 'Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]

Come on down for a hands on play. If there is enough interest, can work this
in as part of a PCEDUG workshop or special afterschool session.

WiFi is used althought they also have Bluetooth.
Regards Roland

--
Roland Gesthuizen - eLearning Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

________________________________________
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Stephen Digby DEET
Sent: Wednesday, 6 April 2005 7:36 AM
To: 'Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]

Roland, 
are you PDA's WiFi or bluetooth ??
Do you have any manual/ guide/ log ?  (Press Release sounds so superficial).
We want to get into this !!!

==================================
Stephen Digby, Learning Technology Manager
digby.stephen.p at edumail.vic.gov.au
Cheltenham Secondary College
www.cheltsec.vic.edu.au
Ph: 613 955 55 955  Fx: 9555 8617
==================================

________________________________________
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Roland Gesthuizen
Sent: Sunday, 3 April 2005 2:12 PM
To: Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]
Giving each staff member a wireless PDA works out at 25 cents per class with
the added benefit of knowing who the missing students are or where they are,
5 min after the start of each class, not when the PDA’s are returned at the
end of a route and not by using the free labours and distracting efforts of
duty students walking about. You could mark rolls with a wireless laptop but
the PDA’s are instantly powered on, robust and very easy to use. In
addition, doing away with Form Assembly gave us an extra 20 periods of time
release for coordination staff. Notices are instead read out during period 1
from a Moodle rss feed (or web page). I have been asked to help prepare a
media release and launch during term 2.

Regards Roland

________________________________________
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of VanZetten, Teresa
Sent: Sunday, 3 April 2005 12:06 PM
To: Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List
Subject: RE: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]

Roland,
I love that idea of PDAs!  When I was in Singapore recently, McDonalds was
using them with the girls walking down the queues taking orders.

Tom,
When I worked at Katherine High School a few years back they had quite a
good system where you recorded the absentees with a 2b pencil and a scanning
sheet, the receptionist then scanned all sheets through the special
scanner.  I believe they upgraded after I left and I am sure they wouldn't
mind it if called them to ask what they had.

Regards, Terri.
ICT Teacher
St Mary's College, Brooome.
-----Original Message----- 
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of Roland Gesthuizen 
Sent: Fri 4/1/2005 6:50 AM 
To: 'Information Technology Teachers' Offtopic Mailing List' 
Cc: 
Subject: RE: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance) [Scanned]
Rob, we have huge plans at a wireless rollout with PDA devices/laptops using
FirstClass A+ at Westall, just around the corner from you! Additional
software only costed us about $600. Drop over one day for a chat or give me
a call this afternoon. Contact details on the website.

Regards Roland

--
--
Roland Gesthuizen - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au
________________________________________
From: offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au
[mailto:offtopic-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Tom Wursthorn
Sent: Wednesday, 30 March 2005 7:14 PM
To: offtopic at edulists.com.au
Subject: [Offtopic] electronic Roll (Attendance)

Hi There

Just wanting to find out of the schools using an electronic solution for
student attendance, what are the various products\software available?

I am investigating on behalf of a primary school with about 600 students.

Suggestions and thoughts appreciated.

Thanks in advance

regards
Tom Wursthorn
St Andrews School, Clayton South
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