===School Information Management Software for Teachers=== URL: http://janastu.org/school Svn: http://dev.ground1.org/svn/pantoto/branches/school Contact Email: school@janastu.org Phone: 080-2676 2963 Description: ----------- School Information management often involves various modules that need to be configured for every school. Even in large IT savvy schools, the teachers are dependent on the IT department to help develop these modules to be able to do Admission Application Process Management, Library Needs, Student Information management, Scheduling Teachers to Classes, etc. While working with a teachers in a reasonably large school, it was observed that teachers at schools get pro-active if the bottle-neck of depending on their computer support department, to help with developing these modules, is minimized. The aim of this project is that of developing software that helps in providing the teachers the capacity to configure their modules for these needs. As a result, we are now working on developing an open source school management software that is aimed at the teachers and staff of a school, for configuring it to their needs. Note: There are various projects that are providing computers to schools in villages. There are a large number of schools that can use school administration software. The teachers and staff at these schools can participate in configuring/customizing a software for their needs. This is significant also for small schools and rural schools who cannot afford software development or software costs. This is also significant in enabling the teachers and staff to consider the software requirements for their own needs. Software Methodology: -------------------- Web technology (Web 2.0) Small groups are experimenting with Java, RoR, Python frameworks. Currently an Python version is developed and used by a school. There is however activly to take it forward using Python, given the specification desired (see below). Desired specification for now: ----------------------------- The school management software will be usable on single computer or a network of computers. All configuration and its use will be done using a Web browser. A software product that is a Web application, that installs on a server computer, and can be used using a Web browser on a client computer on the network. Documentation and Training material. Model/Typical school management software pre-configurations. Basic assumptions in the specification: ---------------------------------- 1) A flexible teacher/staff friendly "module creator" utility that will help teachers in a school create the module for their needs. Say, Student information management module that works with English class grades management module done by the English teacher for her needs. 2) A tamper detection backend. 3) A reasonably friendly UI for the teachers for the everyday use and maintenance. Our attention currently is on enabling a framework for 1) and 2) above. One idea we are toying with is the possibility of developing a database ourselves that will help us define column level access levels in the tables so that teachers can indicate the editorship rights for certain data. In the example above, administrative staff will be allowed to modify student info while english teacher will be able to modify the grades of students in her class. Any thing else, including the possiblty of a system admin modifying from the backend, should be considered tampering of the data and the software should indicate tampering to appropriate people (say the principal). Activities: ---------- Software Development, Documentation, Pre-configuring for different kinds of schools, Enabling Indic Languages Milestones contemplated: ----------------------- Month 4: test deployable software Month 5: 3+ different kinds of schools to test the software Month 6: First public Release of the software and tutorials Testing details: --------------- The software is currently being prototyped from inputs from CHIREC, a popular school in Hyderabad. The basic functionality of the software will be tested based on their requirements. This software will be further tested by requirements of another two or more schools. Potential Impact: ---------------- Teachers and schools are essential targets for upgrading the IT social skill in the education sector. A configurable software can go a long way in enabling this to the teachers and the communities. The impact of such an activity is beyond the utility of the software for its information management, it could be a basis for creating a community of teachers who can help discuss the needs of their schools and other schools. A management software itself shall also bring credit to the way the teachers can help in managing the student information, exam results, library checkout information, etc., and credibility of the managed information. ==============================================