Woodward I.T. Communicator

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Communicator is an extremely functional intranet application that was designed for North Lakes State College. With the college expanding to encompass a new Middle School with an existing Primary School and Senior yet to come, it was recognised that there needed to be an efficient communication tool put in place for the college to survive.

The functionality blossomed from simple communication to an application that could automate a lot of the functions required by a large school. Communicator also replaces the need to have a suite of different software packages to perform daily functions.

Communicator was built using a combination of Apache Web Server, PHP, Javascript, PostgreSQL and MapServer running on a linux server. The application is extremely robust and ensures that no incorrect information can be entered. All Communicator data is archived to provide tracability back to any information.

Communicator is also self-managing, meaning that all of the web pages are dynamic and can be edited through simple tools, negating the need for staff to have knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, databases and web servers.

This page contains a summary of some of the key areas of Communicator. Click on any of the smaller screen shots to see them enlarged.

For more information on Communicator, continue to Communicator Page 2

Jump Station

Each staff member is assigned their own Communicator login and password which allows the application to be customised for each individual. After logging in, the user sees the jump station which not only provides quick access to any part of Communicator, but also informs them of any outstanding actions they may need to take.

The Communicator interface is consistent throughout all of its components. The menu structure on the left side of the window is visible on all pages and allows users to jump from section to section with ease.

Daily Notices

The focal point for communication is the Daily Notices component. Daily Notices are like a bulletin board but with many additional features.

Any user can lodge a daily notice and send it to a group of users. Daily notices are composed using HTML which allows each user to write notices that are more attractive then a generic font would allow. Communicator contains tools to develop the HTML without the user even knowing.

In viewing mode, daily notices from the last seven days are displayed. Communicator remembers which daily notices you have read and flags them appropriately as well as letting you know how many are unread on the jump station.

All daily notices are archived, which allows the user to access any old notice as well as search notices. Daily notices provide timely information, replacing the need for staff newsletters and sending copious amounts of email.

Calendar Management

The Calendar Management component simplifies the way events and diaries are managed. Each user has their own calendar. There are also calendars for each group, year level, junior-middle-senior school and for all of the college.

The calendar component also contains the following:

Ability to view any other users calendar and make requests to add events to their calendar.
Automatically add events to users calendars that are members of a group when adding to a group calendar.
Schedule recurring events daily and/or weekly.
Print a list of upcoming calendar events.
Find meeting times for a list of users where there are no events on anyone's calendar.

Absentees

The Absentees page provides a quick view of teachers that are absent for the current day or offsite for some reason. All staff can view this information which also lists a replacement teacher if applicable and/or why they are offsite.

Absenteeism can be scheduled for days in advance, or for many consecutive days. The numbers of absentees are also displayed on the jump page.

Staff Contact

Communicator also contains a staff contact component which lists information about each staff member as well as providing the ability to search for staff. What sets this staff contact functionality apart from others is the inclusion of a dynamic map which shows where each staff members can be found.

Policy and Procedural Framework

All staff can access any school policy documents through Communicator. Policy documents are registered on the web server (through Communicator) which also acts as the official document management tool.

Continue to Communicator Page 2 ->