Simcfc73 Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 We had a demo of a well known text messaging system this week which plays nicelyt (hopefully) with Sims but he couldn't answer the grroups question... as in, how do you allocate students to groups say if they are in Yr11 Cricket. This popped up again when I got a brochure for sims training courses which says Also included are features of the Extra Curricular software: set up routines for services, programs and sessions; allocation of members, leaders and rooms; links to SIMS Assessment, Cover and Attendance Anyone know where this is in Sims? I found a support article from a while ago but it just said it would be updated when more news came out about it... which hasn't.
LosOjos Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 Can you not just select user defined groups as setup via "Focus > Groups > User Defined Groups"?
vikpaw Posted May 26, 2010 Posted May 26, 2010 Extra Curricular is a separate module, i forget the official title as i think it changed. It's an add-on, not part of the core. I don't recall if it ever got launched. Sivadam no doubt knows all about it, if it went through testing. I would go for using user defined groups for now. Schoolcomms picks them up. I did notice something on the Capita website about SIMS InTouch which i'd not heard of before but allows SMS messaging and emails too.
Sivadam Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 (edited) Alternative Curriculum routine is due for delivery in Spring 2011. So it will be quite a while before you can utilise it! It may not suit your needs anyway - it is described as 'Additional functionality to allow quick & flexible timetable editing in SIMS.' as per quote from the roadmap. The 'extended/extra curriculum' is now off the menu -as per the roadmap! - 'The internal project to deliver Extra Curriclum was put on hold last year. Since then we have been looking at partner products to see if we can find one that we feels meets the needs of schools to timetable schedule activities outside of the constraints of the standard timetable. We will keep you informed as the situation develops.' Edited May 27, 2010 by Sivadam
Stuart_C Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 There was a product demo'd at the independant conference this year that does extra curricular from one of their partners. To be honest it looked Rubbish! The presentation itself was terrible, the software seemed messy and wasn't a two way communication between SIMS and it so you could take registers for activities but then not import them back into SIMS. Having chatted to a couple of other people I didn't find anyone who was blown away. When I asked the guy from Capita who was in that session what had happened to the SIMS module for extra curricular he said prety much what Sivadam has quoted.
Sivadam Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 The 'All time, Anybody, Anywhere' principle proved to be far too complex to be organised. Whether a cut down version just for the school population will emerge, either on it's own or within Alternative Curriculum, remains to be seen. I am not sure what you actually saw but I am told that the product by an external company, that they are now considering, is quite good!
Stuart_C Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 I'll PM you that answer to that question and if you've seen something different please let me know. However I will publically say that the presentation/presenter did not inspire me to buy the product at all. I was also not blown away by the product. We don't really want a product for "anyone anywhere". We would like one for the school population!
Sivadam Posted May 27, 2010 Posted May 27, 2010 The extra curricular for anyone, anywhere, anytime is exactly what we wanted - so that after-school clubs etc that also cater for the non-school population could be included. That is exactly what the 'extended services', or whatever you want to call it now, was supposed to deliver. It would have been a boon for us as a Sports College. However, the complexity involving non-school persons, and their inclusion in the whole database has proved too difficult to deliver right now (if ever!). Whether the provison of functionality for clubs, visits, ete etc can be included in the 'Alternative Curriculum' functionality remains to be seen! PM responded to - but I do not know which company/product Capita are looking at to replace this.
Edu-IT Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 Would this be SIMS InTouch in you're talking about? Just got an email this morning about it.
Sivadam Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 (edited) No. This is different. I will be attending a Workshop at Capita next month to look at the functionality of the Extra Curricular functionality. I will know more after that but the idea is to manage those activities that are not a normal part of the Curriculum. Not to be confused with 'Extended Services' or 'Alternative Curriculum' which is now not on the roadmap (or shouldn't be!). InTouch is Capita's version of Text/Email messaging. We currently use Schoolcomms and I was hoping that Capita would adopt this as their official communication package rather than developing their own. It remains to be see if the new InTouch will have all of Schoolcomms functionality! Edited June 9, 2010 by Sivadam
Edu-IT Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 No. This is different. I will be attending a Workshop at Capita next month to look at the functionality of the Extra Curricular functio9nality. I will know more after that but the idea is to manage those activities that are not a normal part of the Curriculum. Not to be confused with 'Extended Services' or 'Alternative Curriculum' which is now not on the roadmap (or shouldn't be!). InTouch is Capita's version of Text/Email messaging. We currently use Schoolcomms and I was hoping that Capita would adopt this as there official communication package rather than developing their own. It remains to be see if the ew InTouch will have all of Schoolcomms functionality! I watched the video they have on their website about it and it looks quite good. Only downside I can see is it's not web based so unless they can tie it in to SLG somehow. Would be handy to have external access to the communication system for emegerncies.
Sivadam Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 Exactly! Schoolcomms can be installed on External Machines and there is a web version which also now has Ecard functionality! Capita are trying to recreate something that one of their main Partners already has in place. It will be interesting how this develops!
Sarconia Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 I bet SchoolComms aren't too happy about that! It sounds like Capita are trying to hog the market if you ask me, why attempt to fix what isn't broken?
Sivadam Posted June 9, 2010 Posted June 9, 2010 (edited) As EDU-IT says, if InTouch could be integrated into SLG AND if they manage to develop the same functionality as Schoolcomms (especially the Read/Write to first day absence routine) then maybe I would be interested. They have a lot a of catching up to do though. I also wonder what will happen to the relationship that Schoolcomms and Capita have (if they in fact do have one!). After all, the Schoolcomms link is on the HomePage of every SIMS User! Edited June 9, 2010 by Sivadam
vikpaw Posted June 10, 2010 Posted June 10, 2010 It is a shame that they have chosen to do their own thing rather than develop a partner's already well established product. you'd think those developers would be best placed helping out with the existing modules that need fixing, improving or otherwise sorting out. nonetheless, the type of offering that schoolcomms gives is to be honest, on it's way out, certainly the emailing side, as we move towards web based solutions like SLG, and the tie in to AD, as it's easy to just use the groups and exchange to send any kind of mailing out. so the only part that it has going for it is the texting facility, and the write back into SIMS which is pretty awesome. i guess we just wait and see
marshharrier Posted June 26, 2010 Posted June 26, 2010 (edited) I bet SchoolComms aren't too happy about that! It sounds like Capita are trying to hog the market if you ask me, why attempt to fix what isn't broken? Dead right Sarconia! Capita have several 'partners' in this space (all of whom have to pay Capita for the privilege) who will now ALL be terribly upset by this. All I can say is why on earth would ANYONE partner with Capita, as all that happens is that they eventually copy the partner's ideas possibly putting several small companies out of business! This isn't the first time they've done this nor will it be the last. The education sector is best served by 'choice' and Capita do their best to make sure that Capita is the only choice! The only way it will stop is if schools 'see' what is going on and don't buy. Edited June 26, 2010 by marshharrier
vikpaw Posted June 27, 2010 Posted June 27, 2010 Dead right Sarconia! Capita have several 'partners' in this space (all of whom have to pay Capita for the privilege) who will now ALL be terribly upset by this. All I can say is why on earth would ANYONE partner with Capita, as all that happens is that they eventually copy the partner's ideas possibly putting several small companies out of business! This isn't the first time they've done this nor will it be the last. The education sector is best served by 'choice' and Capita do their best to make sure that Capita is the only choice! The only way it will stop is if schools 'see' what is going on and don't buy. Strong views. Care to declare an interest at this stage?
marshharrier Posted June 28, 2010 Posted June 28, 2010 No I'm afraid not! I am just passionate that small providers get a chance, especially as that's where most of the 'original thinking' comes from! I hate to see them being simply trampled underfoot by a company that already has far too much control of the education software market as it is! Total and utter 'greed' is the only word for it. If WE don't stick up for small companies we'll only have ourselves to blame when there is no choice other than Capita, at which point we'll also have no choice but to pay the prices they want. H.
vikpaw Posted June 28, 2010 Posted June 28, 2010 (edited) No I'm afraid not! I am just passionate that small providers get a chance, especially as that's where most of the 'original thinking' comes from! I hate to see them being simply trampled underfoot by a company that already has far too much control of the education software market as it is! Total and utter 'greed' is the only word for it. If WE don't stick up for small companies we'll only have ourselves to blame when there is no choice other than Capita, at which point we'll also have no choice but to pay the prices they want. H. I agree with you entirely. However, with my hat on, most if not all of your posts are about ParentPay, so i'm just wondering if you have any vested interests. hat off now: I'm all for taking down the big companies, well at least keeping them inline, but would rather it done fairly and openly. Apologies if i've got the wrong end of the stick, but i do have to ask. EDIT: sorry, i meant ParentMail not ParentPay Edited June 29, 2010 by vikpaw sorry meant ParentMail, not ParentPay
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