Skolera LMS 2020 Recap: The Year’s Best News

2020 has been a roller-coaster, to say the least, with lots of ups and downs, big surprises, and many many challenges for all of us.

With COVID-19 playing a big part of the scene this year, millions of companies around the globe faced some obstacles maintaining the workflow from within and keeping up with the world vastly changing around us. And change with it we have!!

Skolera is now fully virtual, every single bit about it is now online (yes, services, management, and all). And, surprisingly, this transformation for all our staff—programmers, developers, digital marketing team, and the sales team—has been quite the ride.

Remarkably, the change from the day to day work in the offices into full time remote working has been much smoother—and cooler—than anyone ever expected.

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Employing Skolera’s advanced tech and taking advantage of the wide experience our specialized teams of professors and engineers offer, we managed to turn fully digital.

So whether you’re looking for a system for learning (LMS) or classroom management (CMS), HR management, finance management, students management (SIS), reports, communication and collaboration, bus management, inventory management, or even library management, no worries. You’ll get all of this and more, by a click of a button anywhere you are.

In this article, we’d like to get more personal. Here is a round-up of Skolera’s 2020 and how it was for us.

 

1. Skolera Partnership with Zoom for Education

We’ve decided to end the year 2020 with flair! We’re more than thrilled to announce our most special news. Skolera is now an official partner for Zoom for Education in Egypt, North Africa, and Saudi Arabia’s education sectors.

The world leading meetings host solution, Zoom, is recently dedicating a lot of efforts towards remote learning in schools as well as universities.

Zoom for Education now offers much better features designed for enhancing student engagement and improving learning in online classrooms.

This significant partnership helps provide powerful collaboration tools, including video breakout rooms, multi-sharing, polling, and group chats for every teacher out there.

It facilitates connecting dispersed schools and campuses for important announcements, safety information, and events via audio and video, providing emergency preparedness and system-wide notifications and much more!

Universities that already love Zoom for Education are many, of which are the following:

• The University of Sydney
• Santa Clara University
• Drexel University
• The University of San Francisco
• Western Sydney University
• University of Washington
• Mount Holyoke College
• Florida State University
• Berkely University of California

 

Moreover, over 10 000 schools are now choosing zoom for Education, and Skolera is now giving you access to all these amazing features much easier than before.

This Partnership between Skolera classroom management system and Zoom for Education also means one more thing, a full integration between Zoom for Education and Skolera Learning Management System for schools. This integration occurred at the beginning of the academic year—in August.

If you’re wondering what this means, it means a lot! Starting from session recording and transcription, which allow students to learn at their own pace and accessibility for all learners, ensuring that everyone can participate equitably with closed captioning, which ensures the support of different students—some students prefer reading than listening.

And besides keyboard shortcuts as well as exceptional clarity and quality for virtual and hybrid classes, there’s so much more this integration can give.

Besides, you can now get more enhanced collaboration features. With one click, you can share any content with your students. Or you can do real-time co-annotation, which allow you to draw or write anything you want on a shared screen to your students. This unique feature lets your students be an active participant and a significant part in your virtual classroom. Or you may use digital whiteboarding.

 

“We liked that on Zoom it was easy to create recurring meetings so students have just one link that works every week and that there are minimal administrative requirements. We also love that it is easy to use for our students, that they click once and they’re in the class.”
—Micheal Griffin, Director of Instructional Learning Technology, the University of Arizona

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Edit Your Scheduled Meetings with Your Students Any Time

Skolera listened to your requests and suggestions and we here we are! A new feature will be added to virtual class using Zoom Cloud Meetings. Now you can edit your already scheduled classes at any point. You no longer have to delete it altogether and just add another item. All you have to do is just a few steps. Here we go…

 

3 Steps to Edit Your Scheduled Meetings on Zoom for Education

1. Go to your virtual class page under “Upcoming Meetings”
2. You will now have the option to edit a scheduled meeting
3. A new button will appear on your page (next to “Delete” and “Join Now”), an “Edit” button

 

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2. Skolera LMS Is Now in Jordan

Starting from this year 2020, we’ve witnessed a wonderful movement in Jordan towards better education, and especially remote learning.  

If you want to judge the true quality of a school, this outbreak reveals much. Although this pandemic was never expected, took us all by surprise, and froze nearly all companies all over the world, many schools in Jordan were already prepared to step away from the traditional ways of teaching.

 

They chose to delve into remote learning and adopt a school management system (or SMS) that prevents any emergency situations, e.g., COVID-19 to impede the educational process.

After its remarkable success in many international and private schools in Egypt, Skolera is now leading the digital transformation process in Jordanian schools. Of these schools are the following:

1. Al Tawhid Modern Arab Kindergarten and School
2. Geniuses Way School
3. American Excellence Schools

 

Al Tawhid Modern Arab Kindergarten and School Acquire the Automated Solution

In October 2020, Al Tawhid Modern Arab Kindergarten and School contracted with the Smart Chains Company, the official representative of Skolera LMS in Jordan, Iraq, and Syria.

 

Ms. Hala Al-Masry, the School Principal, with Mr. Alaa Al-Ramahi, the General Manager of Smart Chains Company

We’ve received great feedback on the LMS platform on the students’ noticeable improvement and were excited to see the below picture showing students during an online class and their interaction with their teacher.

 Students using Skolera classroom management system during an online class with their teacher – Credit: Al Tawhid School Facebook Page

Skolera YouTube Channel offers you many educational videos on using virtual learning, creating an online classroom if you are a teacher, managing your school successfully if you are a school administrator, and following up on student’s performance if you are a parent.

 

Geniuses Way School Embraces Skolera School Administration Software

We’re delighted to announce that Geniuses Way School has signed a contract with the Smart Chains Company, to fully operate Skolera school management system.

Geniuses Way School & kindergarten has successfully become one of Jordanian leading schools in using Skolera system for an efficient digital management of the educational process.

 

Engineer Ihab al-Daamsa from Golden Chains Company, with the School Principal, Professor Sarah Ramadan, the Director of the Kindergarten, Professor Maysa Ramadan, and Professor Rima Daoud, Assistant Principal.

 

American Excellence Schools Welcome Skolera LMS

American Excellence Schools (AES) have now joined our list of special customers who aim to employ edtech in both school and classroom management.

This not only made all school’s operations and management more productive, it also allowed for better integration with add-ons and extensions, something that offers more flexibility and peace of mind.

In addition, AES now have great analytical tools and can generate useful and beneficial reports for all. Skolera school management system makes it easier to access documents from everywhere and at anytime and to monitor and review previous interactions.

The schools have contracted with Smart Chains Company in October to start operating the system and using it to manage the educational process 100% digitally.

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Eng. Alaa Al-Ramahi, General Manager of Smart Chains for Information Technology, with Professor Alaa Shaaban, Executive Director of American Quality Schools, signing of the contract

 

With Skolera, school administration is now much easier. You get to stay up to date with the world’s most recent digital transformation and modern trends in the field of education.

Have a look now at our Skolera YouTube Channel to learn more about enabling edtech and virtual learning within your school or university.

 

3. First School in Turkey to Adopt Skolera

Afak Academy International School has decided to use Skolera’s school management system in order to smoothly manage the remote learning process.

This decision has not been taken lightly. It was taken after much thought, deliberation, and evaluation of other school management systems.

The contract was signed by Skolera’s CEO, Mr. Hossam Sallam, Sales General Manager, Dr. Anis Awad Al Mahdy, the School Director, and Mr. Osama Mohamed Fakher, the school’s technical advisor.

The school warmly embraced Skolera school management system as the top leading management system in the world, among many others, and chose it with confidence to provide an outstanding educational experience for both students and their parents.

The school was founded in 2014 and it is one of the biggest schools in the country, it’s a K-12 school with a special dedication for teaching the Arabic language and has many international students.

The school manager says choosing Skolera comes because of the many facilities it offers and matches with their needs.

At the same time, if schools go back to the way they were before, where students go to school everyday, this comprehensive system would stay an necessary tool for them to help make school and classroom management smoother.

 

4. Skolera LMS Is Expanding in Egypt

Many like to talk about the beauty of old times and how sophisticated every thing was. However education is the key to all, especially in young age. It’s what makes and refines the personalities and skills of our children. In this sense, several prestigious schools have already taken the initiative. Of the first of these schools to prioritize education, its development, and the introduction of modern methods of education with technology are….

 

Maali El Salam Language School, Alexandria

Maali El Salam Language School recently celebrated its 25th Silver Jubilee for its establishment at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, where it fulfilled its mission in providing education, moral as well as spiritual principles, and discipline to help create leaders who will bring about a world of knowledge and awareness which our society needs today.

For over than 25 years, this prestigious school has shaped the minds and consciences of many generations with dedication and resolve. 

Maali El Salam Language School—led by Mr. Gamal Mohamed Hassan El Gohary, the School Co-Founder, Mrs. Gihan El Hamamy, the School Co-Founder, Mrs. Abeer El Hamamy, the School Dean, and Mr. Ahmed El Gohary, the School Principal—adopted Skolera school management system in July 2020. 

Award-winning Skolera school administration all-in-one system was selected as one of the top 20 learning management systems worldwide based on the system’s unique user experience.

 

This move comes as part of a series of accomplishments done by the school to give the students an advanced learning experience provided by the world’s latest technologies, with their minds set on giving students their much deserved success and see them practice profound knowledge in action.

 

Queen Language School, Alexandria

Queen Language School, Alexandria, education system has started using Skolera school management system since July 2020, under the supervision of Mr. Gamal Mohamed Hassan El Gohary, Co-Founder, Mrs. Gihan El Hamamy, Co-Founder, and Mrs. Gailan El Gohary, School Principal.

The system especially allows for multiple remote follow-up of all types of school work and activities done from home under the COVID-19 tension the world is witnessing today.

Adaptation to the current situation and avoiding the suspension of school work and activities is vital and a great characteristic of any successful school management.

Communication through Skolera platform between students, teachers, and parents enhances their strong relationship. This support and constant follow-up instills in students self-confidence as well as independence and gives them the courage and determination needed to express themselves, ensuring a brilliant, bright future for them.

In August 2020, the school celebrated her student Bayan Abdel Razek for ranking first in the 2020 final high school exams nationwide, science. We do not take this as a statement of success for Bayan only but also for the school and its administration as a whole.

 

Brilliance Academy Schools Adopt School Management System Skolera

We at Skolera Middle East–are very proud to announce that one of the best educational institutions in Egypt–Brilliance Academy Schools–has joined the list of schools that use Skolera to digitize and manage the educational process.

Brilliance Academy School’s administration is always keen to provide an advanced, valuable educational experience for their students, so they chose Skolera system to start the digital transformation, in order to qualify a generation of young people who are able to produce innovative ideas and effective solutions to solve problems and make decisions mainly.

Brilliance’s mission is to spread, cultivate, and strengthen religious and moral values and to also modify and improve behavioral concepts, which makes its schools more distinctive among educational institutions.

Brilliance Academy Schools already have 7000 students in the 3 main schools:

• Brilliance American School
• Brilliance British School
• Brilliance National School
• Nobogh School

Here’s what Brilliance Academy Schools say about Skolera:

“Skolera Company is one of the most prestigious E-corporations which provides – Learning management system (LMS) and School Management System (SMS) – platforms in an intercontinental network. This platform is the core for our future educational system in campus and E-learning as it facilitates immediate access to all student’s affairs – timetable, grades, quizzes, assignments, and results – throughout the entire academic year; Furthermore, it maintains immense feedback and monitoring for parents for every educational aspect for their kids. IOS and Android apps are available.”

Mrs. Musheera Zidan—Member of the Board of Directors of Brilliance Academy, Mr. Mustafa Sand—Finance Director, and Eng. Hossam Sallam Sales & Marketing General Manager at Skolera Middle East at the signing event of the contract.

 

Smart Vision International School Now Uses Skolera

The school’s quick action dealing with this challenging situation we face and the quarantine the whole world suddenly faced is quite impressive to say the least.

Smart Vision International School actively sought out the best classroom and school management system and then made videos to their students and their parents of how to easily use the system for anyone to find. Here’s one of these videos, uploaded to their Facebook page: a Tutorial on how to use “Posts” on Skolera:

 

Once the school adopted Skolera and moved to E-learning, teachers started uploading videos and different learning material, PPT, audio, recorded videos, etc. Then they began assessing sent documents for learning was through graded assignments and online quizzes.

 

5. Skolera School Management System Updates

While the entire education process everywhere on earth is changing and all educators taking the leap and rapidly changing their ways of teaching, we in Skolera decided to take a good look at all of our services and offer more!

Since the beginning of the current situation and with all of us having to face the sudden lockdown, we’ve seen a huge change and great increase in the usage of the platform.

Consequently, this has generated a lot of feedback for more features, enhancements, better user experience, and much more. And in order to provide better user experience for both universities and schools, we made some exciting changes to the system.

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Academic Reports and Performance Analysis

School-wide reports issued by school management systems, at the school level as a whole, are fair and free from any bias.

They are also effective in evaluating the overall performance of the school, as an educational institution, and students and important for identifying the main strengths and weaknesses of students.

1. YTD School Overall Performance Report

This report displays the Year-to-Date overall performance of students in different subjects across the whole
school.

2. YTD Subject Performance Report

This report shows the Year-to-Date performance of students in a specific subject in all grades in the school over the different grading periods.

3. YTD Grade Performance Report

This report shows the Year-to-Date performance of students in a specific grade in all subjects over the different grading periods.

4. Student Grades By Category Report

This report shows the breakdown of a student grade based on different categories within a grading period.

 

The report shows the contribution of different categories to the student grade. The chart at the top shows the categories in all subjects combined. The lower charts shows the categories per subject.

 

Easily Make a Copy using Skolera Classroom Management System

We knew that teachers sometimes want to use the same assignment/quiz more than once either for the same students (after the due date, e.g.) or for different students but were not able to do this.

That’s why we worked on finding an alternative for it but at the same time without the issues that were coming out of the edit. 

Today, the new feature “Make a Copy” will allow your teachers to easily make a copy just as we are used to for instance in Google drive documents. It will give them an exact copy of the assignment (even after it is published).

 

Content, Assignments, and Quizzes: 10 New Features by Skolera LMS

 

1. Teachers Can’t Edit a Quiz Once Students Start It

 The “editing” option after a quiz or an assignment has been already published is no longer an option. Staying tuned to all remarks from school administration, IT staff, and teachers, we are aware that this may cause many issues and conflicts with students that have already started solving the quiz.

That was much the same as an exam paper that has been distributed inside a class and the teacher decided to collect the papers and change everything after the students started solving the quiz. Now, once a quiz or an assignment is published, it cannot be edited by a teacher anymore.

 

2. Know If Your Students Solved or Unsolved the Quiz

For a better user experience and easier understanding for students and parents, now, they can know immediately if any assignment or quiz displayed in their list was already “Solved” or “Unsolved” by the student.

 

3. Students Can Resubmit Their Assignment within the Due Date

We’re excited to announce that Skolera team has added an “assignment resubmission” feature. Now students can submit their assignments more than once as long as it is before the due date. This not only to provides them with the flexibility to update their submission any time if needed but also to accommodate Internet and infrastructure problems happening with some students. 

 

4. Skolera Now Has “View as Student” Feature

According to several teachers’ requests, a feature was added in their interface to allow them to get to any quiz and have a “View as student” feature allowing them to have an exact view (the same design, size, and data) of how the student will get to see the quiz and solve it in a question by question style.

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5. “Assigned to” and “Publish time” Features Are Added

A simple enhancement but proven to be very useful for teachers was adding the “Assigned to” and “Publish Time” in course page to content, assignments, and quizzes so that they (or their supervisors) can immediately know who they assigned this task to and when exactly without having to do more clicks and navigation inside each and every one.

 

6. More Notifications Are Added to Keep All Actors Updated

Notifications: Adding more notifications in the system is very important to keep all users updated and on track. Here are the ones already added and we are continuously adding even more components to the notification module.

1. Posts: when a teacher creates/updates a post, the affected users (students, parents, heads of departments of all classes chosen by the teacher) are immediately notified.
2. Hall of Fame: when a student is added to the hall of fame, the student and the parent are immediately notified.
3. Behavior Notes: when a student receives a behavior note, the student and the parent are immediately notified, if the teacher chooses to share it with them.
4. Content Edited: when the teacher edits a content, the student and parent are immediately notified.
5. Weekly Plan Notifications: when the admin creates a weekly plan assigned to one or more classes, the affected teachers are immediately notified.

7. Announcements to Groups You Choose Only

 Announcements can now be created not only to a specific section, stage, or level but even to a specific course group (class). That’s to give your school more flexibility and targeted actions and the notification will be immediately shown to all the affected users.

 

8. More Fields Added to Skolera’s System Logs

 To give your school more control and insights into what has been done, by whom, when, and even from which IP address (which is very useful in specific situations when claims are done from users of the platform), we have added more fields in the system logs and in the filter itself.

So you can now, e.g., search for all actions done related to a specific component (grade item for instance) by a specific teacher in a given time period.

 

9. Lesson Plans, Messages, Posts, and Grade Items Added

Reports and charts: To allow the school management and supervisors to always be updated about teachers performance, modules being used or others being neglected, levels, or stages that are more active than others, we have added the following components to the “Teachers Engagement Chart” and to the “Teachers Report”: Lesson Plans, Messages, Posts, and Grade items.

10. Log out after 60 Minutes of Inactivity

For better security and safety for all your users’ data and information, we added a feature for automatic logout after 60 minutes of inactivity to make sure no account is being used by a different person if left logged in on a shared device.

However, to make sure we do not interrupt users’ work, we still show them a warning first before logging them out in case they want to stay logged in.

2020 has been such an eventful year. With the massive disruption the education sector has experienced due to the pandemic, most, if not all, educational institutions had to transition to virtual learning. And this is not going away anytime soon, according to recent news reports.

Skolera’s edtech solution enables you to stay effective and provide the best online education experience for your students with a few clicks only.

Stay competitive, maintain credibility and value, and get a complete solution for your school management. To follow up on the trendiest topics, check our blog on a regular basis. You may also know more about how to help your school through our website.

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