Twelve years ago when I left the classroom to go into the technology integration side of education, I said I wouldn’t come back until the technology would take care of the mundane side of teaching so I could spend more time on the instruction and curriculum design side. Five years ago, I came back to the classroom because I knew it was very close to that time when technology would just explode and meet all of those classroom management tasks (grading, grade keeping, data collection of instructional practices effectiveness, parent communication, etc.). Besides, the business of keeping the technology working had now become mundane due to endless software patches, hardware fixes and administrative lack of vision. 
Well now it is here and I want to ride the wave. The technology hardware is putting out more users friendly, well integrated, sophisticated gadgets that allow you to complete many necessary tasks quickly and efficiently. The voluminous software apps has become so sophisticated, ubiquitous and collaborative that the possibilities of the educational applications are unfathomable. Ahhhhh, but to keep a handle on all of this with robust management means another software package that can organize, deliver and record the use of the curriculum is a must. That is why I picked Schoology as my Web 2.0 tool. It offers much potential in delivering the organization of curriculum while managing the specific assets and collecting grades and time spent on task.
Schoology also uses the familiarity of social networking interfaces, such as facebook, to make the ease of use for your students immediate. This is a great feature because of the sometimes-cumbersome use of Moodle, its closest competitor. They both are free and have extra features that can be paid for but are hardly necessary for someone just starting out. So I have signed up and plan on setting up courses for my students and explore the use of this in my classroom. From my initial look it is already more intuitive then Moodle and the organization is more streamlined. I’ll keep you posted on how useful it is.
I, too, loved the Schoology site. I actually wanted to use it, but saw that you chose it, and selected another site. This is both useful and easy for both students and teachers.
ReplyDeleteMany students have either used or are familiar with social networking. To have a classroom site modeled after the same format makes perfect sense. You will have to spend minimal time teaching the students how to use it. Furthermore, they know that it will allow them to communicate with one another and the teacher.
For the teacher, well...where do I begin. I think you said it best. All things mundane, lol! I remember being bugged with paper notes, about grades, important dates, etc. and it just became depressing. I am thankful for sites like these that allow teachers to spend more time on doing the what they are really getting paid to do: teach. I cannot express the relief that Schoology and other similar sites provide. Good pick! Hope it works wonders for you!
The role of an instructional designer is not limited to developing content. How the content will will be delivered and managed is also important. I like Schoology because it simplified the learning management process and kept the interface familiar for the user. I started testing Moodle about one month ago and believe it is for an organization that has access to ongoing technical support. Schoology allows a learning professional with less resources to be technologically creative in the classroom - virtual or traditional. I look forward to comparing notes with you on Schoology.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at Classrunner (Moodle) but this looks like a possible alternative,one that might be a bit easier to use. I will definately have to take a look at this and compare it to classrunner.
ReplyDeleteI agree with each of you. I like the simplification of Schoology. Schoology is a more user-friendly enhancement tool. Most if not all of my students are familiar with some form of social networking, so the know how to use it is already there. This will allow me less time spend on teaching the how to and more time developing the student's critical thinking skill. I believe this is a great tool and look forward to sharing our views later.
ReplyDeleteWow this is a very cool tool. My action research project is on Moodle but this program looks more user-friendly. I will definitely check this tool out. Keeping records is not my strength but this looks like it would make my life so much easier. Thanks for sharing!
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