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About LinkBacksIt's a shame we have moved from sims to wcbs pass.
It's a shame we have moved from sims to wcbs pass.
I'm doing it next week.
I know where it isOriginally Posted by Rawns
The upgrade is now live.
Queue the obligatory questions about where to download Discover from as no one can find the news post!, but you're not gonna like the installation guidelines :
1. Insert the SIMS Discover Spring 2013 Release CD into the CD
ROM/DVD drive.
We've put this onto our training server\database with no issues - but the training database is only used by a handful of users on a daily basis.
We are putting off doing our live system, until our data team have made some guides for staff around the new layout of the homescreen.
To save a few from struggling to find the links they are part way down in the News Story with Resource ID: 20730.
I missed them the first time.
TheScarfedOne (2nd April 2013), zag (25th March 2013)
Did it this morning, we are on half term so used to CD as Solus 3 is not showing it up yet. Went on fine the second time after running out of space on my C: Drive and crashing the first time. Hopefully the Solus release wont get pulled as I have just manually updated the clients for the staff that I know are in school.
I put it on my test server today. Excited and disappointed all at teh same time.
It's looking really good. The timeline is especially good, and works with my week, but the cycles for reporting data still think the week starts on a monday, so they are a bit pants. Plus it needs to be configured per user, which though is simple enough means we have to check and make sure it's done right!
It does however look really good, and the right click feature to quickly access info for that class is cool.
The start and end times on the configuration seem to have no effect whatsoever on the display, and the 10 min morning reg period is a tiny strip of a few pixels! I'm not even sure where the bottom strip which is PM reg has come from as school ends at 14.30 be interested to know where that time was set.
One caveat which hopefully won't affect most, was that we have custom permissions groups, and the timeline wont show unless the user has edit (own) permission on the homepage config options section, which isn't immediately obvious. You'll know if you get an error message displayed in the title bar for teh panel.
It is part of basic class teacher so if you use that or have a permission group derived from that you'll be fine.
If like me you've customised from the old days, it's here:
Core System | Core | Home Page | Home Page Options | Timeline Configuration | Edit (Own)
The initials in square brackets are the head of faculty but it can hold more than that if applicable. I like the ability to see Cover in advance for the week, if it's planned. :O)
The way the panels wrap around is nice depending on window size, and the timeline is large and first.
It won't show another week, or i haven't worked it out yet, so not sure how to deal with two week timetables. On an admin login there are little bars on the left and right for next appointment which don't do anything, but for a teacher it's just the blocks and no way to move that i can see, it does reflect the week in the block though.
The print option does take you to a nice preview screen, but still no week 2. However you do have email and export options.
The behaviour and achievement panels are now just called conduct. So you can have either types included or a combo, then your graph is positive or negative depending on the net points. I can see staff wanting 3 now, behaviour, achievement and a combo.
The config screen looks a little different with just a vertical strip to represent the panels which could be confusing. Just tell staff it's the order of preference for them and they can drag and drop the order and they should get the drift.
Last point, which i don't recall being mentioned but is a very pleasant surprise is that in Edit Marks, it now reflects the actual period names that you have set up. So if you timetable registration, your period numbering isn't offset by 1 for the morning and possible more in the afternoon. :O) It's great. the column heading actually now makes sense. This will save so many confusions.
BISJ homepage.png
I`ve found the second week: right click in a blank area in the timeline panel and you can change views, it's not great, but a start. Go to date, takes me to the other week if requested so that will do the trick.
Also right click on the times on the left and can change the zoom factor.
TheScarfedOne (2nd April 2013)
Just done the live system upgrade today. No problemo. The quickest one ever i think, even the backup didn't take long! :O)
Now to make a video explaining how to change the timeline settings...
Thought i'd check SupportNet in case there are any gotchas.
Nothing major but this was put up a few days ago:
**** SIMS 2013 Spring AMPARK Update Release
SIMS 2013 Spring AMPARK Update Release
We will be producing an updated version of the SIMS 2013 Spring release which will include the latest AMPARK resources. This includes the removal of the Overall English Test column in the English Key Stage 2 Wizard which will be relevant to all English Primary schools.
Unfortunately the specification for this was distributed to us to late by the DfE for the changes to make it into the SIMS 2013 Spring release but we are aware that many English primary schools will want the report corrected so we have taken the decision to update the release in order to minimise the effort needed to get onto the latest version of AMPARK files.
Please note that there are no other changes planned for this new SIMS Spring AMPARK update (it will have the same SQL Database version) and if you have already taken the SIMS 2013 release there will be no need to upgrade to the AMPARK update release as you can import the new AMPARK files yourself into SIMS.
The planned date for the SIMS 2013 Spring AMPARK update is Friday 5th April.
In the meantime the current SIMS 2013 Spring release will stay available in SOLUS for schools wanting to upgrade as schools of the following type/region do not require the updated AMPARK resource.
- Schools in Northern Ireland
- Schools in Wales
- English Secondary Schools
- Independent Schools
You will be able to upgrade from either SIMS 2013 Spring release to the SIMS 2013 Summer release.
If you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Jonathan Wood
SIMS Product Manager (Technical and Releases)
OK, so I am an idiot, or something was changed at the last minute. I'm sure when i saw this at BETT i complained to the product manager about having to set the timeline config manually on a per user basis. I must have remembered it wrong and it was one of the things he showed me that i didn't realise you could do.
Based on my own previous post above, i failed to notice the timeline config : Edit : 'ALL' option.
This when set, gives access to editing the default config, so no need for the guidance video or users to get annoyed. YAY! :O)
I've just set the timeline for all to start on a Saturday, hurray.
They still need the edit (own) permission so they can view the panel but they get that by default.
Phew.
@eddyc you're probably already aware but we produce a QRS (Quick Reference Sheet) which is a single page with instructions.
@PhilNeal Yes we use those already but our data team like to have a play ahead of the update going onto the live system.
@vikpaw - just wondered how you managed to get your timeline to show all the information it does? Ours shows the period and length of lesson - nothing more and its driving the teachers bonkers. They can see it if they hover over the top but thats not very good in honesty.I put it on my test server today. Excited and disappointed all at teh same time.
It's looking really good. The timeline is especially good, and works with my week, but the cycles for reporting data still think the week starts on a monday, so they are a bit pants. Plus it needs to be configured per user, which though is simple enough means we have to check and make sure it's done right!
It does however look really good, and the right click feature to quickly access info for that class is cool.
The start and end times on the configuration seem to have no effect whatsoever on the display, and the 10 min morning reg period is a tiny strip of a few pixels! I'm not even sure where the bottom strip which is PM reg has come from as school ends at 14.30 be interested to know where that time was set.
One caveat which hopefully won't affect most, was that we have custom permissions groups, and the timeline wont show unless the user has edit (own) permission on the homepage config options section, which isn't immediately obvious. You'll know if you get an error message displayed in the title bar for teh panel.
It is part of basic class teacher so if you use that or have a permission group derived from that you'll be fine.
If like me you've customised from the old days, it's here:
Core System | Core | Home Page | Home Page Options | Timeline Configuration | Edit (Own)
The initials in square brackets are the head of faculty but it can hold more than that if applicable. I like the ability to see Cover in advance for the week, if it's planned. :O)
The way the panels wrap around is nice depending on window size, and the timeline is large and first.
It won't show another week, or i haven't worked it out yet, so not sure how to deal with two week timetables. On an admin login there are little bars on the left and right for next appointment which don't do anything, but for a teacher it's just the blocks and no way to move that i can see, it does reflect the week in the block though.
The print option does take you to a nice preview screen, but still no week 2. However you do have email and export options.
The behaviour and achievement panels are now just called conduct. So you can have either types included or a combo, then your graph is positive or negative depending on the net points. I can see staff wanting 3 now, behaviour, achievement and a combo.
The config screen looks a little different with just a vertical strip to represent the panels which could be confusing. Just tell staff it's the order of preference for them and they can drag and drop the order and they should get the drift.
Last point, which i don't recall being mentioned but is a very pleasant surprise is that in Edit Marks, it now reflects the actual period names that you have set up. So if you timetable registration, your period numbering isn't offset by 1 for the morning and possible more in the afternoon. :O) It's great. the column heading actually now makes sense. This will save so many confusions.
BISJ homepage.png
Do you have to configure it per user or can it be for whole group class teacher?
Hi, i didn't configure anything for the display, that is the default coming through from Nova-T6. Do you use that?
The data shown is dependent on the size of the period blocks on screen, so could depend on the screen size / resolution. Also the display setting. If you right click on the times on the left and change the number lower it will broaden the blocks and maybe show the extra info you want. It depends on how long your periods are, ours are 80 mins, so they are large by default.
I have come across a minor issue whereby the Current Week is still based on teh concept of the week commencing date which i think is hard coded as monday. This means by default i'm looking at last week if i start my week on a saturday, so we're having to manually change to the correct week.
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