Doing Something Useful

[EternalOptimist]

If you let kids play with stuff and have fun they will learn all by themselves and they won't even realise they are doing it. We need a toy that is to programming what lego is to spatial reasoning, something that gets them doing it without even knowing about it.

The closest thing I can think of is probably bigtrak.

IT is a beach. I am an absolute world class kick-ass expert on one grain of sand. What use am I to anyone or anything else IT-wise?

[TheFaQQer]

Yes but Faqqer already hit one problem. The technician wanted a new server, he didnt.

thats a conflict.

you want to send squads of benched contractors into the education system to create conflicts ?

It wasn't a case of me not wanting one - I wanted someone to explain what it did before I recommended that we spend the money.

No conflict at all - the money got spent on other things.

[TheFaQQer]

Part of what I'm trying to do is what Faqqeralready does, deliver impartial IT common sense for teachers who have been landed with a suvject they have no experience in.

As for programming, my idea is that we don't make that decision, though we might inform some teachers that Delphi has a lot more yesterdays than tomorrows. My view is that its like contracting, the client decides he wants to use VB or PHP and I as an agent find him some people who can help with that. The contractor would help tutor the kids and/or maybe run Saturday sessions.

If you get something set up, then I'd be interested. The problem that no can see is that even if you are running this as a not for profit, there needs to be some money somewhere to cover your costs - where is that going to come from?

[EternalOptimist]

It wasn't a case of me not wanting one - I wanted someone to explain what it did before I recommended that we spend the money.

No conflict at all - the money got spent on other things.

apologies. I do not want to put words in yer gob.

but asking people to explain what they are doing and why. thats not good imho, from an outsider

[Dominic Connor]

This is not a bad idea for some of the youth:

https://youngrewiredstate.org/festival-of-code

As it happens I'm on the council of the Real Time Club who bunged YRS money when they needed it most.
Welcome to the Real Time Club

[Dominic Connor]

If you get something set up, then I'd be interested. The problem that no can see is that even if you are running this as a not for profit, there needs to be some money somewhere to cover your costs - where is that going to come from?

I'm not expecting this to cost a lot to run and can put in a bit myself, also I know some outfits that might sponsor. Frankly if it gets to the stage where enough ITpros are volunteering that the cost of CRB checks and a little database are enough to care about, then I rather expect that the noise it makes will attract sponsorship.

[vetran]

I must admit I think the schools might be hard to crack at first, growing a solution outside then moving to the schools might be easier?

Maybe other organisations such as Scouts / St Johns may be open to sessions?

oh count me in

[eek]

I'm not expecting this to cost a lot to run and can put in a bit myself, also I know some outfits that might sponsor. Frankly if it gets to the stage where enough ITpros are volunteering that the cost of CRB checks and a little database are enough to care about, then I rather expect that the noise it makes will attract sponsorship.

have you investigated any of this plan?

crb checks for volunteers within schools are free see page 10 of http://trustnet.learningtrust.co.uk/...%20Schools.pdf

[NickFitz]

At least the decision to ban VBA macros is grounded in experience of what can happen when they get into the wrong hands.

The day after ILOVEYOU hit, I had to travel to Cwmbran on behalf of then-ClientCo to talk to a company that provided a datastream of late-availability holiday deals. The chap I was dealing with there asked me if I'd received an email with it yet. When I admitted that I wasn't sufficiently popular among people who were dumb about opening emails, he enthusiastically said "Oh, hang on, I'll give you a copy!", rushed out, and returned a few moments later with a floppy onto which he'd copied it in a form that was harmless

[cojak]

Oh, go on then.

I'm in contract at the mo so I don't know if I can and since I'm a BA you might not need me, but I'll put my hand up too...