Espresso was mentioned in 3 reports in the September edition of the "Online" supplement within the TES. These are extracts taken from these reports.
Recently, however, the BBC's top bosses visited Education Secretary Estelle Morris. We can safely presume it was part of their rather arrogant lobbying to wrest lead role in the Government's ambitious plans for Curriculum Online - quality curriculum materials for schools online. The politicians and civil servants would be better off visiting people like Lewis Bronze of Espresso, and Dick Fletcher of New Media (see other "Comment" piece) than entertaining players with transparently hidden agendas. The creativity, experience and successful track records of these relatively small firms expose the dangers of the top-down approach. They also know more about schools and learning technologies than those bending the ears of the politicians. A visit to Espresso might also give them some ideas about broadband, and how to achieve it in the short-term. One thing is sure, If people like this are injured by an emerging BBC monopoly, the government will have a lot to answer for.
Brian Thomas, headteacher at Milton Manor school in Crawley says his school's software purchasing practice has radically changed: "We no longer buy CD-Roms. We now get our software delivered online." Milton Manor uses Espresso Productions' service, which delivers content to schools via satellite. It also uses The Living Library Internet resource service from RM. The school heads a new trend in the educational software market, with traditional forms of software like CD-Roms being joined by online media. What makes the online platforms so different are the challenges and possibilities they bring to teachers and students.
Great Expectations is what many people have about the bandwidth (network capacity) that will go into their school... however, Bleak House is probably more appropriate. What most schools will get (2mb) sounds fine, but when it is shared across a network it will soon reduce things to sloth speed. Espresso Productions, which uses satellite, can get the kind of full screen, full-motion video that people dream about into any school in the UK regardless of location. Espresso staff, mostly gifted teachers, repackage contemporary broadcast materials from the BBC and ITN into classroom materials. Briefly, Espresso broadcasts curriculum focused content once every week and that is stored on the school's server and used when appropriate. It is well worth considering if you want the present generation to have top flight technology.
Espresso avoids the frustration of download delays by utilising satellite technology to deliver weekly feeds of 'bandwidth-hungry' information to schools. A satellite dish and Espresso box - costing £1875 - are required to receive and store the information. For the average Primary School a subscription fee starting at £5 per pupil is payable yearly. Espresso for Primary Schools can be ordered through the website, www.espresso.co.uk.
For further press information or paper versions of this release please contact:
Espresso Marketing, Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, Hammersmith, W6 9RL
Tel: +44(0)20 8237 1200
Fax: +44(0)20 8237 1201
Email: info@espresso.co.uk
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