1. Central to our investigation of eLearning Technologies and Methods is gaining an understanding of Learning Management Systems (LMS) sometimes also called Course Management System (CMS) software. Chapter 1 of our text discusses the functionality of typical LMS/CMS, identifying four major categories. What are those categories?
The four major categories of LMS/CMS are
1. Distribution of course information
2. Student – instructor and student – student communications
3. Student interaction with course resources
4. Online testing and grading
I currently use a variety of LMS/CMS software. The main one is Blackboard. Blackboard has the ability to host up-to-the-minute announcements, presents course syllabus, and hosts course documents and class materials. It has a discussion board, but does not have a real time chat feature like Skype or Talkshoe. I enjoy the ability of Skype in communicating right away with a person. Of course, that person needs to be logged on, but has been a great way to communicate with my principal at school. Blackboard also has the ability to host surveys and tests. I never used Blackboard before this program, but the only think I feel it lacks is the ability to host real time chats.
3. Chapter 1 of our text identifies six steps for getting started with eLearning. Discuss each step and use each step as a springboard for discussing what you want to do with eLearning either now or in the future.
As a 4th and 5th grade teacher, elearning beyond what I currently use at this present moment doesn’t seem possible with the school and district requirements and with the level of technological mastery available to my students. I will however, attempt to justify my current use in my classroom.
1. Ask Yourself Why – The biggest advantage for elearning is to enhance your instruction. As Chapter 1 stated, pedagogy needs to drive technology, not the other way. For my needs, I would like to continue to use elearning on the level of test distribution, data collection, and classroom management. In my program currently, lessons are reinforced through the computer instruction program and am able to monitor my students progress.
2. Make a commitment – When first starting the program every year, it takes repetition, instruction, and modeling with the students. A lot of students have little experience on computers besides going on the internet. The time put in at the beginning of the program is a must to ensure a smooth year.
3. Develop a New Vision – I have a new vision or tweak in the course I teach. Our learning CD’s were finally put on the server, so that has been a much smother experience for the students as well as for the teacher. The next step to this would be to put all the audiobook CD’s on ipods or upload them to the server. Taking the handling out of the students hands of the CD’s themselves is a classroom management must!
4. Determine the resources - The resources are available to me to be able to upload the audiobooks to the server or to each individual computer. We do not currently have the funds to purchase ipods for this.
5. Acquire new technology skills – I will need to learn how to specifically download all the audiobooks to the server and enable the students to connect and find the story they need with little ongoing management.
6. Plan – While this isn’t planning a whole new course my need, it does give me time to reflect and figure out the best way to implement this part of my class.
4. Chapter 4 of our text discusses the functionality of specific LMS/CMS tools in terms of being for one-way communication, two-way communication or for organization. Explain the key differences between one-way and two-way communication and identify the tools your LMS/CMS provides for each type of communication.
One way communication is meant to send a person a message, post information about a course, or assign a task in the classroom. IN my classroom, I use one way communication everyday as the students complete the assigned tasks that I assign for the day.
Two way communication is meant to elicit a response. Emails that require a response is a basic example of this. One of my favorite forms of this is Skype.
CMS/ LMS Review
I discovered Skype a few years ago when a teacher asked me to install it so she could speak to her sister in the Philippines. I originally thought it was a great tool to have to get around having to pay long distance phone charges or international rates. Don't get me wrong, it's great for that as I was able to stay in contact with my family during my trip last year to Samoa, New Zealand, and Australia. Skype can function as a one way communication tool and a two way communication tool. The text chat feature can be used as an on going conversation. This does not have to be in real time. However, you need to log in to see if you have any messages. For me, the best use is the video chat. Skype hosts one on one video chat, as well as group voice chats. At school, it is the best way for me to get in touch with my principal to ask questions. A great feature that I recently discovered last semester is the share screen function. In having a conversation with someone, you can show them a document on your screen or the entire screen of your computer. Works wonders when you're trying to explain to someone what you're seeing.
One of the drawbacks that we discovered last semester with the group chats is people leaving their microphones on during discussions. Also, if there are too many people involved in a chat, people tend to lose connection.
While Skype doesn't cover all 4 categories of LMS/ CMS, for me, it's the best way to communicate between students, and student to teacher interactions.
My "Real" LMS/CMS Review
Blackboard was introduced to me during my first semester with Dr. Newberry in ETEC 500. At the time, I thought it was a bulletin board to just post schedules and syllabi.
One Way Communication
Blackboard offers a variety of one way communication tools. This was the first and only thing I thought Blackboard was used for. Teachers have the ability to post classroom announcements, schedules, and syllabi. These are meant as informative one way communication, not eliciting a response by posting them. You also have the ability to upload documents, videos, and powerpoint presentations for your students to use and view.
The Gradebook feature provides up to date grade for your student. The student can only view their score, but the teacher obviously has the ability to view entire class grades.
Blackboard also has the ability to send emails to entire classes or individual students. The downside of his is blackboard creates separate email accounts for each student, ignoring there private emails. Most students would feel more comfortable sending and receiving from their own private account.
Blackboard also has the ability to have a homepage for individual students or groups with the ability to upload pictures, links, and personal information about students or teachers. I have not had any experience with this or with another one way communication tool, the calendar feature. In the calendar feautre, the teacher can post dates of assignments, tests, and projects.
I also was able to see the digital dropbox in effect last semester with Dr. Baek. Here is where she would put our corrected assignments with grades and comments attached to them.
Two Way Communication
Blackboard uses discussion boards as one of it's more popular feature that I have seen. Students have the ability to post work on the discussion board under teacher created threads, or student created threads. Anyone in the class can then log into those threads and post comments. This is a must in on-line classes that facilitate learning between students.
I don't believe blackboard has the ability to host live chats, one of the few faults I can find with the program.
