[Year 12 IT Apps] OT - Ultranet functionality - true integration ?

[Kevork Krozian]

Hi Robert,

  I am with you here. I don't see the need for a revolution to achieve these 
goals either.

Take Care
Kevork

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Timmer-Arends" <timmer at melbpc.org.au>
To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List" 
<itapps at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 5:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] OT - Ultranet functionality - true 
integration ?


> Hello Kevork
>
> these are all good things and yes we do want to work toward them, but I 
> don't see that we need a revolution to achieve them. Why can't we evolve 
> toward them by building on what we have, adding components that are 
> missing and gluing the lot together by a common data transfer language.
> In another context, Penny Wong recently said that we might not be able to 
> get a Ferrari but we'd settle for a Holden (or something like that) - my 
> fear (and I think fairly founded given Govenrment track record not just on 
> the Ultrnet so far but on any big project involving computers) is that 
> while aiming to give us a Ferrari we will actually get a Collins Class 
> submarine (am I mixing metaphors or what) - works but can't actually do 
> the job it was designed for, needs retrofitting as soon as it is released, 
> and will be scheduled for replacement inside of a couple of years. In the 
> meantime huge amounts of money will have been spent, us schools will have 
> been put through the wringer trying to make it work, and many of us will 
> possibly have been moved backward for our efforts. (Cynical...nah, not 
> me!)
>
> Regards
> Robert T-A
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Kevork Krozian" <Kroset at novell1.fhc.vic.edu.au>
> To: "Year 12 IT Applications Teachers' Mailing List" 
> <itapps at edulists.com.au>
> Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 9:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [Year 12 IT Apps] OT - Ultranet functionality - true 
> integration ?
>
>
> Hi Roland and Robert,
>
>   I think as admirable as batch import/export facilities are, in this day 
> of striving for truly integrated systems,  subsystems need to be able to 
> allow for access to the data in terms of partial or full import/export or 
> retrieval, modification or addition through real time web based 
> functionality.
>  We have used this approach with our local version of the Ultranet known 
> as MyFHC ( Ultranet is copyright ) , to generate live web based timetable 
> viewing and hyperlinking to access specific moodle courses. This was 
> achieved through a number of web pages incorporating session variables, 
> LDAP, and retrieval from both MSSQL and mySQL using PHP.
>  There are several other challenges on our journey towards full 
> integration:
>   1. real time roll marking data access and SMS to parents phones.
>   2. live progressive reports online for students/parents on the way to 
> the final version of the report. There was a thread on this recently and 
> it is an area I am excited about.
>   3. More moodle integration , see 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLukDNtf3k and 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8RuxnXeBos&feature=related by Tomaz Lasic 
> ( thanks Ros Meadows for the link )
>
>
> Best Wishes
>
>
>
> Kevork Krozian
> IT Manager , Forest Hill College
> k.krozian at fhc.vic.edu.au
> http://www.fhc.vic.edu.au
> Mobile: 0419 356 034
>
>>>> "Timmer-Arends" <timmer at melbpc.org.au> 14/03/2009 5:36 pm >>>
>>From Roland> ... agree on an XML transport layer and ...
>
> Exactly my thoughts when all this came out into the open. Most (secondary) 
> schools have most programs they need to operate the school's admin. If our 
> place is anything to go by, the single biggest inefficiency is the lack of 
> interoperabilty between the various packages.When the new report format 
> was introduced and a contract awarded to produce QuickVic, someone managed 
> to cobble together an XML specification that allows qucik, easy transfer 
> of data between CASES and QuickVic (MarkBook). It seems to me that 
> creating an EducXML and then insisting that all vendors create 
> import/export functions that speak EducXML would be a heck of a lot 
> cheaper, free up a lot of time for users, and have a greater chance of 
> success than inventing a whole new, all singing, all dancing wheel.
>
> Regards
> Robert T-A
> Brighton SC
>
>
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