LMS all around

It’s hard to think of only two courses that can be redesigned into online courses with Schoology as the LMS, since this platform can be used for just about any course. Being a social studies teacher, I gravitate towards redesigning World History. But being a child of a former Spanish teacher, I also see the benefit of redesigning LOTE classes to be online with schoology as the LMS.

World History’s curriculum often uses primary sources and focuses on teaching students to analyze documents to teach historical lenses and critical thinking skills. The discussion board tools in Schoology are great ways for students to create a dialogue and collaborate with their peers as they can develop a deeper understanding of events and their importance. My school will be implementing schoology for the first time as the official LMS in the fall, and I’m excited to share all of the tools and possibilities of this platform with my department and school. I am looking forward to teaching the World History teachers about their ability to give feedback with audio clips. The biggest hurdle every year for that course is giving constructive, personalized feedback in a timely manner. The amount of grading is often overwhelming that giving feedback to students in a way that students can use quickly, often takes a back seat, but with the ability for audio feedback, it makes it much more manageable.

Before this course, I would have thought teaching a foreign language class online would be next to impossible. Now I see the benefit and the tools that a good LMS provides for these types of classes. Students can submit video and audio files that can be a great tool in demonstrating growth and competency throughout the class as well as discussion boards that will help with reading and writing fluency. The ability for teachers to quickly post resources from online sources, allows students to have up to date examples and lessons. The online format of a LOTE course can also bring in authentic audiences from around the world as students can connect to other students in online courses in their community and beyond.

While this time in education can be scary and unpredictable, I’m excited about sharing these tools and best practices with not only these two courses, but all of the teachers and administrators in my school as I continue my journey towards being an instructional technology leader.