WHITE BOX e260i  Multi-media, e-learning   -  for humans.              This is a geek free zone.

INTRODUCTION

  Take a computer and add a schools' timetabling information  ....       (a simple web based upload from your existing data
                                                                                                                                   deep down most computer things are very shallow)

  include any missing individuals, departments and groups ......             (you have complete user and group control)

FACILITIES

Every user is provided instantly with:-

	Secure web based log in
	Personalized desktop
	Individual timetable
	e-mail account
	personal website
	an e-learning account		(the powerful Moodle integrated into desktop)
	secure storage
	additional functions		(varies site to site)
	simply 'drag and drop' functionality    (little geeky - sorry but necessary in the 21st Century)

DRAG AND DROP

Some icons on the desktop will open new windows.  Left click your mouse and hold any file on your PC and move it into one of three possible windows.  (See a video here).

In this way a teacher could:-

1. copy a document from any machine onto his/her private area for use on any other machine
   (no more copying onto floppy, disc or memory stick) 
2. send a file to his/her website (which can be seen by anybody on the Internet) (instant web publishing)  OR
3. send a copy of a document to share with just his/her colleagues (a copy to all staff - one drag movement)                                                                                                                                               (See a demo video here).

  and there is much, much more  .....

SCHOOL COMMUNITY WEB SITE & GALLERY
for the whole school	interactive web site (Web sites are not just for reading - they should allow interaction.  These web sites allows registered users to offer news, comments and articles - that the school can choose to include in its pages These pages do not need to involved full web design expertise - just fill in the forms and the site formats the details so that they appear in the correct colour, font and position. These pages need no special software to control them - just a web browser.  Simple changes can be made in literally seconds.  Log in, change a form and the page is modified. "Many hands make light work" - and many contributors will keep a site relevant, up-to-date and interesting). The site includes:- News announcements Calendar Forum Gallery Document manager Polling system
GALLERY	slideshow gallery Quickly and simply add your still images and even short movie clips into multiple albums. Images can be added by any registered user from any standard web browser and the slideshow converts images into an attractive scrolling presentation. Parents can get live feedback from field trips!! Click here for a live example.

  Intelligent e-mail

INTELLIGENT e - MAIL

Statement:- A school is probably the most dynamic and hostile place to run a communications system.  Dynamic as pupils are constantly changing their position - not just year but class, registration and subject groups, stream - even school!  Hostile in so far as pupils, with 'user right' privileges and with access to every crack the Internet can invade and overload your system.  Given these warnings lets now discuss e-mail.

Anybody who has tried to maintain an e-mail list will be aware of the effort involved in keeping group details up-to-date. Inside a school this task could be overwhelming. So imaging how powerful a system could be if you turned the standard e-mail conventions on their head and be able to send emails to, say,

all_in_year8@yourschoolname.county.sch.uk   geog6a@yourschoolname.county.sch.uk
all_in_school@yourschoolname.county.sch.uk

Addressing the group will ensure that all students, teachers or other concerned individuals in the school  will receive a copy of the e-mail (even if the student has just join the school that morning!!).  The system keeps the contact list up to date for everybody.

Our search facility allows you to select these groups and send mass emails simply.  (It also allows you to email individuals, see their website and timetable).  Teachers need only press a single button to select a student and send an email to "all other tutors of this student".  This is direct contact with all other tutors of a particular student - whether, as a sender, you are aware of the full group or not!

The down side.  Opening a communications system in this manner is very powerful but is open to abuse. Any student could send an e-mail to, say, all_in_school@his/herschool.county.sch.uk.  Peer pressure and removal of access rights are always an option but we have developed another level of protection.  In an ideal world the system could remove inappropriate e-mails but however good a system is it can not be perfect.  Human intervention provides a good 'catch all' ability. 

When a tutor or teacher receives an email, our system provides a button    which, when pressed, removes any offending emails from ALL mailboxes in the school!  In the spirit of distrust engendered by the Internet we even record each removal - just incase some disaffected staff remember removes a sacred missive from the Head.  Where will this end?

  Note: e-mail is web-based - providing simple access from remote machines (e.g. Cyber Cafes).  
                       Mail can be collected by any standard client - e.g. 'Outlook'
 

features for teachers 

FEATURES FOR TEACHERS

The search feature provides a simple method of locating groups or individuals within the school.

Each result shows the individual (s) with direct links to his/her/their i)  email address ii)  web page and iii)  timetable.

Timetable information is shown on each desktop.  In the teachers' version each period is 'clickable'.  

Clicking on the link displays a list of every register student in that period, along with links to email, web page, timetable, password and a special button that sets up an email to be sent to "all_other_tutors_of_(selected_student)".  This is a powerful tool included at the request of large schools.

    There is a delight in producing ones first web page.  Complete the form behind this link to start designing.. 

It is also possible for a tutor to immediately revoke individual students e-mail, instant messaging, forum and search functions.

real web design and databases   (for ICT tutors)                 

FEATURES FOR ICT STUDENTS

PHP and MySQL may be used on every account.  This is not only an opportunity to experiment with database driven web sites but an educational route that does not involve the unnecessary cost of proprietary software such as 'Access'.  

  features for local education authorities (LEAs)

FEATURES FOR LEAs

BRANDING  

White Box, as its name may suggest, may be supplied branded with LEA logos as a complete county-wide system.  In this way the LEA can run the 'community web server' web front end as a publicly accessible site and use the desktop and Moodle interfaces as part of the centralized demonstration and training site.

VIRTUAL / DEDICATED SERVERS  White Box can be supplied as a stand alone or virtual server.   'Stand-Alone' is the preferred method of operation for secondary schools where the full power of a dedicated server will be appreciated.  'Virtual Mode' is for lower performance, more cost sensitive applications.  Many less intensive sites can be run from a single machine.  An advantage of virtual mode is the ability to migrate virtual servers between physical servers with no loss of service. A second is the ability to migrate virtual servers to more physical servers to cope with increased demand, without the pain of reinstallation.

SCALABLE SOLUTION

The scalable nature of White Box allows the system to grow with demand.  An LEA wishing to evaluate the technology can supply each school with just the community web server.  Once this is understood it can be augmented with the personal desktop to provide communications and web publishing functions and then full e-learning capability of Moodle.

Each school has an  interactive web site.

Add e-mail communications and web site publishing

Then add Moodle

A county could run a server of its own.  The Web server is used as a pointer to the county's education service.  The desktop and Moodle services are used as a central training resource.  There can be no better method of introducing a system than actual use.

Each school then has a devolved power to develop at their own pace.                                                More on the LEA option.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS  

White Box has also been configured to include a range of other functions domain name server, web proxy, video streaming, instant messaging and list servers. 

ADMINISTRATORS VIEW

Some of the functions controlled by the schools' administrator can be seen here.  

ONLINE TRIAL

Register for an account on our online demonstration here.