Have a look at Omniquad Surfwall: http://www.omniquad.com/surfwallenterprise.htm -----Original Message----- From: David Bowles [mailto:dbowles@educationsupport.fsnet.co.uk] Sent: Fri 6/4/2004 12:26 AM To: suse-linux-uk-schools@suse.com Cc: Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] School PC config tips and a feature wish lists... Nearly all OS's and commercial software applications are written with the business sector firmly in mind. Consequently their configuration and functionality is usually less than optimal for a school environment. So what tips / wish-list features can you recommend? For starters here's two of mine... My #1 Configuration tip; If your school runs an office suite (OpenOffice or MS-Office), then it makes sense to slightly modify the standard document templates (normal.doc?) to automatically include a student's Login name in the footer, so this gets printed on each sheet by default. Why? Because this helps avoid the inevitable scrum around the printer whenever a class of 20+ students attempts to print out their work all at the same time. Why not include page numbers in the standard template as well? I've lost count of the number of times I've witnessed a ream's worth of useless printout end up strewn across the floor, with most of the next lesson completely unnecessarily dedicated to reprinting everything over again ...and again. My #1 Wish-list item; Vast amounts of PC time gets wasted by students (in secondary schools at least) logging on to chat rooms, surfing banal on-line games and aimlessly Googling for no educational whatsoever. As one teacher put it "So much learning time is simply wasted by just 'mousing around'". This is a bit like holding a WeightWatchers meeting inside a sweet factory, with piles of 'free samples' to hand! It seems the standard solution in most schools is to block access to the offending student's network account. But of course this is usually completely counter-productive, given the bored student is left with nothing better to do but disrupt everyone else's work (why are some ICT coordinators devoid of any common sense?)! I've known many desperate subject teachers let said disruptive pupil use their own staff account out of pure desperation, which of course allows them read / write access to all sorts of confidential information!!! Now why hasn't someone come up with a simple way of disabling Internet access to an individual student's PC or group of student PCs for a fixed period of say the rest of the lesson? ...with access to a specified (approved) web-site easily enabled by the teacher. So how might this work in practice? Well in most schools the only person in the ICT suite who doesn't have exclusive access to a PC logged onto their own account is the teacher. So what's needed is a facility whereby a teacher can commandeer a student's PC for a few seconds for the purpose of setting up or releasing an Internet block. Now when a student needs access to the Internet maybe a 'Password' prompt could pop up when they enter a URL or click on a site that's not been pre-approved. Perhaps this prompt might include a unique access number the busy teacher can cross-check against a printed table of pin-codes they keep in their pocket. Furthermore, different pin codes might allow the student or a groups of students different levels or time lengths of access to the Internet. Well I'm sure this would be a doddle for someone with better programming skills than me to set up, perhaps by patching a pre-existing web- or proxy-server. Any volunteers? I know loads of teachers who would be eternally grateful. And if you've got any real mean config tips or wish-list items then do please share them... David Bowles -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands, e-mail: suse-linux-uk-schools-help@suse.com This message may contain information and/or data that is confidential and legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee(s) only. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that any use, publication, reproduction or dissemination is strictly prohibited and may violate certain laws. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by return e-mail and destroy this and all copies of this message and/or data. The content of this message has been scanned by MailPatrol for unacceptable language and inappropriate content. European Electronique limited thanks you in anticipation of your co-operation. MailPatrol is a fully managed service that offers your organisation the ability to monitor and enforce your Acceptable Usage Policy. For further information regarding the MailPatrol services contact the European Electronique Sales Enquiry line on 0845 345 8340 (local rate) or email sales@euroele.com