penfold_99

If you save the value of column 6 in a aspect you can then create a report to list the missing data by staff. That would be very handy to for the peron who is responible to data collection.

Hi All, In a working group at the last SIFA UK conference a few people mentioned they are members of edugeek. So i thought i would put a call out to find the SIFA UK member on here so other members would know who are the best people to answer SIF related questions. I also include a poll to see is SIF is on the radar of schools and LAs The 6th item should be Not Yet But Planned - As a Supplier

CMIS SIF Agent will be bulit in to the next version or current version (no sure of there release cycle) all you need to do is call CMIS and ask for the SIF agent and they will quote you a price. Application types avaliable using SIF are: MIS Active Directory Provisioning Agent LP Agents (Fronter, Moodle, Kaleidos,Frog) Identity Management Financial Management (Trips, Dinner Money) Timetabling This above list in not fully complete but what i can remember.

Add me please.

I couldn't remember the link between SIF and Northants, but as you mentioned EMBC, there it is. I have heard there have been issues with MIDAS and several possible incarnations have been rejected so far. There is still hope for it being ready for september but not 100%.

One question to ask in this process, will you be actually engaging parents or just reporting to them online? Enabling access via eportal will allow the school to meet the 2010 requirement, but will it engage parents in their student(s) learning? Allowing parental access to moodle (for example) will allow parents to see the 'soft data' the teacher feedback on quizzes etc. This will give parents a context to the 'hard data' that schools report home.

Windows Share Client can run on any linux distro but i have used it on Centos and Unbuntu. The lastest version is very good but with a slight tweak to allow network shares on all courses is even better. There are a few ways to integrate SIMS.net, as matt40k said by using salamandersoft, they also underpin webanywheres offering. There is also another product that uses SIF to allow integration and parental engagement between SIMS.net and Moodle. Using SIF allows extended integration with other systems, it might be worth looking into AFAIK northampton LA are looking into SIF.

Both Fronter and CMIS are SIF Association UK members, so there will be, if not already a SIF Agent for Fronter. There are currently 2 for CMIS. SIF allows 2 way data transfer (if the agent supports it). I would speak to Fronter about there SIF agent as it might offer you better integration.

If moodle is hosted on linux you could use SMB webclient block, this allows access to home and shared drives via a web inteface. Moodle.org: Modules and plugins

You can get ULN number from the key to success website (same place you can get ks2/3 test results) in CTF format. All you need to do is produce a ctf with all your student in, upload it and then your be able to download a ctf with those student plus the ULN.

so how far will the generous bar tap and a hearty buffet go?

Hi Dave, there is a new version of the component over on the moodle docs website, but still out of date. As the other view check for the course end date.

Hi Dave, Can you expand on the term active classes? That version was design to create a course for every class thats stored in SIMS.net. Also that version is no longer supported by myself. There are other version of SIMS.net and moodle integrations avaliable.

how about an internactive webcast for those who can't make it. All the veiwers can ask question via twitter.

Well i hope to be going and presenting about parental engagement using moodle. I think a lot of people are going to miss out at there are only 250 tickets and there are 450 pre registered people. I am looking to stay in a hotel near the after party, but wont book until i know i have a ticket which is really annoying as it will cost more.

SIF is not designed to used for real time access to MIS data, its design to distribute data to systems that require it. for example a new students enroled, only their new data would be published and then any system connected could then act on it. All the other systems wouldnt need to query sims to get any new students. I have had a look at the costs and they seem very high per schools. Is would be interesting to know how they came to this figure as they contradict themselves in regards to costs to primary schools. The inital cost of £1600 for a MIS SIF Agent in primarys is very high, given i can get one for a few hundred. If there was a cost to access a ZIS then this would be paid to the Secondary for hosting it so would reduce there cost to the secondary as it would generate income. The £4700 on going annual cost is very high for secondary, given that they will be generating income from the primary to support the ZIS. If costs to schools could be reduced by 20% or increase benefits value by 26.6% £33 million will be saved. I have attended the last 2 SIF conferences, at the last conference Capita were proactive in helping us find a solution to a issue we found with the specification regarding timetable

Hi Matt, I will be in a position soon to sell you MIS SIF Agent and a ZIS the can work with SIMS and CMIS. We are just waiting for some additonal ojects to be supported before doing so. This will be a low cost alternative to the SIMS SQL partnership programme.

With the latest version of the SMB Block you can access other shares.

Hi Matt, In short the answer is no. A uncertified agent can talk to either a certified or uncertified ZIS. The main question is do you want to use a uncertified agent or ZIS? All agents will be uncertified agains the lastest version of the spec as the certification is only on 1.1 soon to be 1.3. We are writing our agent to 1.2 an it can test against 1.3 as the objects we use are the same.

It depends of the agreed topology of SIF within the UK. As currently there is no way for ZIS's to talk to each other, so the ZIS has to sit at the top of the tree. This is only helpful if your RBC or LEA are implmenting SIF, if they are not then a ZIS in your schools is the only options. There is a possibility of having one ZIS per RBC, with 100's for schools connected with 10's of agents connecting getting overloaded if large messages are being set. We are currently using SIF to move data from school MIS's to MOODLE, but currently very few LA's are Implementing SIF as implementing Identity Management first, then allowing other applications access. So we are implementing a ZIS within schools.

Will bromcom be at the next SIFA conference? Do you currently have your MIS attached to a ZIS for people to test their SIF agents? As i would like to test our Moodle SIF Agent to make sure it can work with data pulled from your MIS.

By work done what do you mean? Asignments, forums posts, Quizes? Are you wanting to view across all courses?

You can hide the courses, the would also high the courses from the parents. Once the teacher has finished creating the course they can then make it avaliable. There need to be a big push for staff to use or create courses on the vle between now and september.

Have you got the lastest version of the SMB block? It now allows access to network shares just needs a little tweak to show on all courses.

That could be a possiblility. What to you want parental engagment to be?