While assessing the three CMS tools this week, one stood out as a tool that students could easily relate to: Schoology. Schoology gives instructors the complete package that makes it easy for students to learn online. Schoology has a facebook feel to the program and allows students to post updates and assignments that are similar to a timeline. When reading through reviews of teachers who used both Haiku and Schoology, a lot of the teachers were moving towards Schoology because they believed it was cutting edge and really engaged the students in the material. They thought that programs like Haiku were outdated and needed a make over.
When it comes to grading, Schoology has a user friendly gradebook that is available for students to access their grades. The program has a variety of tools such as randomizing, giving instant feed back and types of questions, that allows making quizzes and tests unique to each student. Teachers who like to use rubrics can create their own to communicate to the students what is expected when completing an assignment.
As far as for using Schoology in physical education, there are several advantages. First, all assignments can be linked to the state standard by using the target button when setting up an assignment. This is a great tool because it allows teachers to keep an accurate record of each standard that they cover. It also makes sure that the students receive a comprehensive education. Secondly, Schoology is supported on mobile phones and tablets allowing teachers to grade students on the fly. One difficulty that phys ed teachers have is submitting their attendance right away. Having a CMS that is compatible with iPads will help solve this problem. Lastly, having the calendar on the main timeline is a great tool. It allows students to see important dates in a list form on the right hand side of the main page. Students do not need to click additional links and will have the assignment that is due at the top of the list.
In conclusion, having a successful online class has three important ingredients: an active learner, engaging materials and a regular routine. Schoology, blends these together by having an interface that is similar to facebook and being able to host a wide variety of assignments. I would recommend Schoology to any of my colleagues who were looking into creating an online class.
When it comes to grading, Schoology has a user friendly gradebook that is available for students to access their grades. The program has a variety of tools such as randomizing, giving instant feed back and types of questions, that allows making quizzes and tests unique to each student. Teachers who like to use rubrics can create their own to communicate to the students what is expected when completing an assignment.
As far as for using Schoology in physical education, there are several advantages. First, all assignments can be linked to the state standard by using the target button when setting up an assignment. This is a great tool because it allows teachers to keep an accurate record of each standard that they cover. It also makes sure that the students receive a comprehensive education. Secondly, Schoology is supported on mobile phones and tablets allowing teachers to grade students on the fly. One difficulty that phys ed teachers have is submitting their attendance right away. Having a CMS that is compatible with iPads will help solve this problem. Lastly, having the calendar on the main timeline is a great tool. It allows students to see important dates in a list form on the right hand side of the main page. Students do not need to click additional links and will have the assignment that is due at the top of the list.
In conclusion, having a successful online class has three important ingredients: an active learner, engaging materials and a regular routine. Schoology, blends these together by having an interface that is similar to facebook and being able to host a wide variety of assignments. I would recommend Schoology to any of my colleagues who were looking into creating an online class.