A Guide to Administering and Using Computers and Equipment in ACT Schools 1

SchoolsNET A Guide to Administering and Using Computers and Equipment in ACT Schools 1. Roles and Responsibilities What are the roles and responsibilities for staff that take on an ICT support role in my school? 2. SchoolsNET What is SchoolsNET? How do I manage user accounts and passwords? What is the staff enclave? 3. Asset Management How do I purchase and install hardware and software? How do I maintain equipment at the school? 4. The Digital Backpack What online applications are available for staff and students to use? 5. Reference Commonly used acronyms, key terms, frequently asked questions. 1. Roles and Responsibilities As the use of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) increases in schools, it has become more important for schools to have staff members take on some responsibility for its support. This section outlines the roles and responsibilities that various school-based ICT support staff might take on. While the roles are set out under specific titles, the flexible nature of school staffing means that they may be performed by one or more people. 1.1 ICT Coordinator 1.2 Information Technology Officer - ITO 1.3 School Principal 1.4 Business Manager 1.5 Schools Support Team 1.6 Administrator Accounts 1.7 Communication Roles and Responsibilities and Responsibilities Roles 1.1 ICT Coordinator The ICT Coordinator is delegated by the Principal and takes on an ICT pedagogical leadership role in the school. They are often the first contact for any ICT matter. They coordinate teaching and learning activities based around IT, facilitate access for staff and are often responsible for overseeing the ICT resources in the school. They may do some basic troubleshooting, but are not required to carry out any technical support or maintenance. It is expected that the role of the ICT Coordinator is performed by a member of the teaching staff (usually someone in a School Leader C role). In larger schools, some of the functions outlined below may be delegated to the ITO. Roles and Responsibilities Leading ICT Integration Across the School The ICT Coordinator takes a leadership role when it comes to teaching and learning with ICT. They are responsible for monitoring the increasing pool of digital resources and services available for teaching, and promoting it to teachers within the school. They also support staff in incorporating ICT into their teaching and learning. Staff Support and Training Most ICT training is carried out by external providers, and is coordinated by the Information and Knowledge Services Section and/or the Inclusive Technologies Team. The ICT Coordinator liaises with and supports the training providers, organises bookings, rooms, materials and coordinates any follow up. The ICT Coordinator is also able to promote ICT skills training through Atomic Learning. The ICT Coordinator will be regularly informed of training opportunities and the wide range of online materials available for teacher training and support. Their role is to promote these opportunities to staff and support them as they participate. The ICT Coordinator should regularly check the Professional Learning and Events Calendar for training opportunities. Occasionally, the ICT Coordinator will be expected to provide whole-staff training. During the implementation of SchoolsNET, they will support school staff as they learn how to use the new network and the Teacher Enclave. This manual contains information and support documents to assist the ICT Coordinator with SchoolsNET implementation. User Accounts The ICT Coordinator coordinates account requests for teachers and students at the school, as well as assisting with password administration. This ensures that the ICT Service Desk is not swamped with multiple requests for the same account. For more information, see User Accounts. Roles and Responsibilities and Responsibilities Roles ICT Coordinator Attend ICT Network Meetings ICT Network meetings are an invaluable source of information to enable ICT Coordinators to adequately fulfil their role. ICT Network Meetings are held once per term. This is a good time to catch up on the latest ICT news, ask questions and form networks with ICT Coordinators in other schools. Communication Shared Services ICT regularly sends out information about critical updates, issues and other ICT matters. Information and Knowledge Services regularly sends out information about new technologies, training opportunities and best practice across the system. The ICT Coordinator should be aware of how these communications will affect the school and inform the relevant staff as necessary. Log Support Jobs The ICT Coordinator oversees procedures for logging support jobs in the school and is often the first point of contact for escalation of ICT support issues. If staff are experiencing problems with equipment, they report them to the ICT Coordinator, who checks to confirm the problem, applies any relevant troubleshooting processes, then if necessary, logs the job and monitors its progress. The ICT Coordinator should be aware of Service Level Agreements, which outline the time frames for completion of jobs, so that they can escalate as necessary. Digital Backpack Administration The ICT Coordinator may take on the role of administrator for the tools contained within the digital backpack. This might include the role of Scootle Administrator, Gaggle Administrator or cLc/Life Coordinator. They may also delegate these roles to other members of the teaching staff. Management of School ICT Assets The ICT Coordinator strategically leads the purchase and procurement of ICT for teaching and learning. They work with the Business Manager to ensure procedures are followed and the asset register is maintained. They retain all paperwork and packaging that comes with additional software installed; and assist with the administration of enclave tokens in the school. Software Trials Occasionally, an ICT Coordinator might be asked by a staff member to investigate a specific piece of software that is not already in the Standard Operating Environment (SOE). They can install the software temporarily on a computer and test it before purchasing it in bulk for the school. Roles and Responsibilities and Responsibilities Roles 1.2 ITO - Information Technology Officer ITOs are non-teaching staff employed by the school in a technical support role. They do not have student supervisory responsibilities. ITOs are generally employed only in high schools and colleges; however they can have a presence in primary schools, or across multiple schools. This would be a decision based on the needs and resources of individual schools or groups of schools. ITOs conduct most of the technical support and maintenance of computer equipment in the school. The ITO reports to the Business Manager and Principal, and works in consultation with the ICT Coordinator. In schools that do not employ an ITO, most of these roles are performed by the Schools Support Team. Roles and Responsibilities Maintenance of School ICT Assets The main role of the ITO is to keep the ICT assets in the school running smoothly. This means conducting regular maintenance, cleaning computer equipment, troubleshooting any issues that occur, connecting hardware and installing peripheral devices, according to the guidelines set out in the Administrator Accounts section. Technical Support The ITO provides technical support to staff at the school. This might include installing printers and devices, troubleshooting wireless access or computer and IWB problems, logging support jobs and managing warranty calls. Management of School ICT Assets The ITO assists with all record keeping related to ICT equipment. They maintain the register of computer equipment in the school; retain all paperwork and packaging that comes with additional software installed; and assist with the administration of enclave tokens in the school. Network Plug-ins From time to time, the school may need additional devices connected to the network. This might include storage devices or multimedia equipment. The ITO is responsible for connecting these devices to the network and making sure they work correctly. Roles and Responsibilities and Responsibilities Roles ITO - Information Technology Officer Limited Access Devices Limited access devices are non-networked devices that are not procured through or supported by Shared Services ICT. These might include phones, scanners, printers and tablet devices, such as iPads. If the school decides to use these devices, the ITO is responsible for installing these devices to local computers, and all maintenance. User Accounts The ITO is responsible for requesting and organising accounts for staff and students at the school, as well as assisting with password administration. Software Trials Occasionally, an ITO might be asked by the ICT Coordinator to investigate a specific piece of software that is not already in the Standard Operating Environment (SOE). They can install the software temporarily on a computer and test it before purchasing it in bulk for the school. Attend ICT Network Meetings ICT Network meetings are held every term. This is a good time to catch up on the latest ICT news, ask questions and form networks with ITOs in other schools. Log Support Jobs The ITO logs support jobs as required by/on behalf of the ICT Coordinator. If staff are experiencing problems with equipment, they report them to the ITO and/or ICT Coordinator, who checks to confirm the problem, applies any relevant troubleshooting processes, then if necessary, logs the job and monitors

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