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| trainingzone.co.uk |
A course management system is a set of tools that enables the instructor to create online course content and post it on the Web without having to handle HTML or other programming languages (Janssen, 2010). Course Management System (CMS) is also a collection of software tools providing an online environment for course interactions.
In addition, a CMS is typically integrated with other databases in the university so that students enrolled in a particular course are automatically registered in the CMS as participants in that course (Janssen, 2010).
As part of the course requirement we have to create a CMS a 12 weeks syllabus. I thought it will be easier to create my 12 weeks syllabus for 2nd grade math. Little did I know that it would get hard but I did not know that not until later on in to the semester. We were given so many options of CMS to choose from. I took the time to exploring each and every one of the CMS but one that stood out to me was Schoology. I chose this CMS because I have never use it before and I want to try something different, fresh and easy to work with.
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| etraincenter.com |
Schoology is an online learning, classroom management, and social networking platform that improves learning through better communication, collaboration, and increased access to curriculum and supplemental content (Lyon, 2012). Schoology is a very powerful tool for a learning management system. It has many functions that are useful for the development of my course. When I first started using Schoology, from first glance it looked so difficult and confusing but with tutorials and practice, I was able to get a hang of it. Many of you out there might think that Math is one of the more difficult subjects to teach on Schoology. I have good news for all of you naysayers out there. It isn’t hard at all!You can easily set up all of your units as you would with any other subject. This makes it easier for students to access the current unit that they are being taught. Classroom themes such as Problem of the Week can easily be created and accessed by all of your students.
There were numerous tools that I thought were a time-saver for me. For example, students were able to self-enroll themselves with an access code which was a plus since I didn't have time to type
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| commelius.com |
in all their names. In addition, all the resources from Schoology were placed in one specific location for students to look up information and find out what is due. Students do not need to ask for their grades anymore since they could check their grades online. They could also take a quiz, upload their work and participate in the class discussion forums. Schoology is truly powerful when absent students could always find missing assignments. There are no more excuses for losing their work or not knowing what the assignment is. Schoology also allowed teachers to display their course in week-by-week or topic-by-topic or other formats. It also had the option to set up classes by groups or periods.
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| virtual-college.co.uk |
I really liked the quiz option because it could score student’s quiz without the teacher having to manually grade it. Math tests and quizzes are easily created by the teacher and accessed by the students. Schoology is a great space to assess student’s knowledge through various question types for tests/quizzes, or even as an exit card to assess understanding at the end of a lesson. I really like the fact that I can choose what kind of quiz format I want. For example, I can choose true or false questionnaires, multiple choice questions, matching, or fill in the blank. Also, teachers can “Allow rich-text answers for students” for Short Answer/Essay questions. Using this feature will allow students to use a basic version of the rich-text editor to answer the question, including the ability to add an image or use the equation editor. I also like the offline assignment option where teachers could grade essays or math problems and enter it in the grade book.
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| venspired.com |
I am very pleased with my CMS. I like how it allows students to interact with each other on the class discussion forums. I think that students learn best when they are learning from one another. I also think that Schoology is as great tool to help students become more organized and self-sufficient. We are all here to find the best tool to meet our students' needs.
Sources
Janssen, C. (2010, March). What is a Course Management System (CMS)? - Definition from Techopedia. Techopedias. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://www.techopedia.com/definition/6651/course-management-system-cms
Lyon, C. (2012, August 7). Using Schoology in a Math Classroom | Schoology. Using Schoology in a Math Classroom | Schoology. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from https://www.schoology.com/group/25228991/blog/post/28471455
