The initiative is a collaborative programme of work, in partnership with schools and the wider education sector. The Ministry wants to facilitate input from as wide a range of people as possible.
SMS Update, February 2016
The latest update on the SMS initiative is online now and available to read.
SMS workshop 3 December 2015
The SMS initiative held a second workshop in Wellington, on 3 December 2015, which was attended by about 50 sector representatives, vendors and project team members.
The focus of the workshop was the many problems and supporting issues that need to be addressed to ensure any technology solution is implemented successfully. The SMS team put forward examples of problems or pain points they had heard about, asked attendees to identify the problems they experienced and to prioritise the problems and issues.
A summary of output from the workshop is attached here .
SMS Initiative Sector Secondment
The SMS initiative has seconded Tim Harper, from Mount Aspiring College, Wanaka, as a sector representative for the Student Management System (SMS) initiative.
Tim has held a range of teaching positions in primary and secondary schools and has consistently championed the use of ICT in schools. He also has hands-on knowledge and understanding of SMS.
The secondment is a 0.4 position running to 30 June 2016.
Nineteen people have also joined an online working group that will help shape the scope and outcomes of the project and contribute to documentation.
We also encourage you to join the Loomio discussion group so you can contribute to the project.
What is the Loomio discussion group?
It’s an online group discussing the ongoing strategy and use of SMSs. Participants in the discussion group represent primary, secondary and intermediate schools, SMS vendors and education consultants. To join the group email delta.info@education.govt.nz .