Science - Keep taking the tablets May 17, 2007
Posted by Brian in : Uncategorized , 5comments
Earlier this week the science department took delivery of 24 tablet PC’s as part of a project to evaluate their use within a school science department.
Our most excellent IT staff loaded them with the required software and they were then split up into groups of eight and distributed around the department enabling each of our science subjects to access them when they wish.
The tablets come with a wireless connection, voice recognition software and screens which after being rotated can be placed flush to the keyboard to enable them to be written on with a special “pen”.
I was pretty skeptical that it could decode my scrawl but it had no problem converting what I had written on the screen in to a fully formatted word document.
The opportunities for their use in Science seem endless.
Finding out how to use them to maximum effect and therefore enhancing the learning and teaching experience of our pupils will hopefully prove a fruitful, worthwhile and fun experience for all concerned.
Technorati Tags: tablet, PC, elcouncil, science
Equal Pay - How Ironic May 16, 2007
Posted by Brian in : Single Status , add a comment
Along with approximately 3500 other East Lothian employees I received a letter at the weekend detailing the anticipated new grade for my job, based on the predicted outcome of my job evaluation.
My salary is predicted to rise by 19p an hour in the first instance and then gradually increase over the next two years by another 65p.
Armed with this information I attended a single status briefing being carried out by East Lothian Council. These briefings are taking place across East Lothian and are intended to keep the workforce up to date on how single status is progressing.
The meeting in Musselburgh Sports centre was well attended with around 100 employees turning up to take part in the briefing.
Zoe Thomson,from personnel, talked us through the latest news with regard to single status and outlined some of the options the council is considering in its bid to implement changes to the pay and conditions of its employees.
The presentation explained that one of the prime motives of single status / job evaluation was to do away with inequalities in pay between the genders.
For example, blue collar jobs, which attracted bonus payments of up to 40% were traditionally carried out by males, similar jobs of equal value carried out by females were not entitled to any bonus payments. In effect males were earning more than their female counterparts.
Nearly forty years ago, in 1970, the Equal Pay Act was passed and made it unlawful for employers to discriminate between men and women in terms of their pay and conditions when they do the same or similar work; work rated as equivalent; or work of equal value.
Looking round the room I estimated that women made up over 95% per cent of the assembled staff and it became apparent during the question and answer session, and upon chatting to them later, that the majority
- worked in education.
- were being “red circled”, therefore expected to have their pay frozen for a period of up to three years.(This particularly applies to administrative and clerical staff in schools)
- were all on the lowest 4 grades in the councils new 13 point pay scale.
It was then I was struck by how ironic it all was.
It may very well be the case that the group of employees single status was introduced to protect- low paid, female workers- may be the very same ones that lose out if it is implemented in its current form.
Jings.
Technorati Tags: single status, equal pay, irony
Single Status - The Final Frontier May 4, 2007
Posted by Brian in : Uncategorized , 4comments
On return to Musselburgh Grammar this afternoon I found a copy of the new pay and grading model on my desk. It had apparently been slid under the door of my office this morning and it made very interesting reading.
As the figures have not been officially announced I guess they have to be taken with a pinch of salt and cant be replied upon.
If they do indeed turn out to be true then technical support staff in East Lothian will be placed on a scale that will give then a rise of less than £1 an hour. Other support staff in the school will lose money.
Technical support staff haven’t had a pay review for 20 years now (not for want of trying) and it was hoped that job evaluation would take into account the radical change in working practices experienced by technicians over the past twenty years. It quite obviously has not.
If these pay scales are implemented then East Lothian support staff will continue to be amongst the lowest paid in all of the 32 local authorities.
Being bottom of the pile is not something that sits easy with me, certainly not something I envisaged whilst studying for my ONC and HNC at Stevenson and Napier.
The title of a clash song comes to mind. Any suggestions ??
Technorati Tags: elcouncil, single status, east lothian council
Support Staff Conference May 4, 2007
Posted by Brian in : Uncategorized , add a comment
I attended a meeting this morning in Haddington.
Various members of Education support staff had gathered to discuss improving links and communication between the differing professions that support the learning and teaching process within East Lothian.
The primary idea is to hold a conference for support staff in order for them to get to know each other, find out about what each job fully entails, network and generally help raise the profile of an important and essential part of the education process thats often forgotten about.
The head of education, Don Ledingham, is passionate about all staff being fully involved in the education process and is working to try to break down the traditional hierarchical structures that can exist within schools to enable this to happen.
We talked about how our varying roles as support staff were generally treated by members of management teams in educational establishments, and it became obvious that recognition of staff’s contributions and value by management, were, to put it mildly, patchy.
The need for teamwork within schools was identified as crucial to enhancing the experience of the pupils at our schools and no doubt this will be one of the topics that will take centre stage when the education support workers conference takes place later on in the year.
Technorati Tags: elcouncil, support staff
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