Sunday, November 24, 2013

Course Management Systems


How to set up My Big Campus:

If you are a student or educator you will need to sign up and search for your school. If the school is not listed you can fill out a request form to use My Big Campus. The request form is short and to the point only asking about the school address and name, as well as your information.

This is a great site for 21st century student education and collaboration! My Big Campus is also a safe site for students and educators to use.  This Course Management System can be accessed anytime from any mobile device which is important with today’s students.


My Big Campus website can be accessed here

Features of My Big Campus:

Activity Feed- You will receive notifications for posts, discussions, assignments, announcements, submissions, etc.

Profile- Here you can let other My Big Campus users learn a bit about you, share pictures, and list activities are you involved in (much like a profile page on Facebook).

Groups- Groups allow students to discuss a topic, share announcements, post resources when working on a collaborative project, etc. Students will be able to connect with all the people in their classes as well as any groups on campus they are involved in. This is a great feature to allow students to check on when a practice is or get feedback from their peers on a project. Students are more than likely to be involved with social media. My Big Campus attracts users because of its resemblance to other social sites.

Library- Students can easily access educational resources through the library feature on My Big Campus. Students can browse and search for the information they need for an assignment. The content in the library feature is filtered, so any grade level can use the feature and teachers won’t be worried about inappropriate content popping up.


Drive- Cloud storage allows users to easily download their files so they can access their material from any mobile device. Students will never have the excuse “I lost my flash drive” again.

Schoolwork- Using My Big Campus to submit assignments and complete tests online is ecofriendly and convenient. Tests and quizzes can be automatically graded making My Big Campus ideal for saving teachers time! With the Schoolwork feature students can easily access all of their work.

Edutalk- A networking tool for teachers allows teachers to share and access needed information about subject content, teaching tools, etc. whenever they go.

Messages- Students can communicate with friends or group members in a community message or a private one. Students can message teachers or peers if they have a question about an assignment or an upcoming event.

Calendar- All assignments and tests for class are posted on a calendar. This allows students to learn time management and to plan ahead. Events can be posted for clubs or teams as well.

Reporting- My Big Campus allows teachers to monitor the students web activity, including messages. Cyberbullying is a concern when using a web program that allows students to send messages. With My Big Campus teachers can tract students activity and immediately put a stop to any inappropriate behavior taking place.

Classroom Uses for My Big Campus: 

My Big Campus allows students to easily share responsibility for a group project. The group can communicate with the messaging feature where everyone can view the message and respond. 

Students can research a topic using the library tab where they can browse and search for needed information. 


Students can use this Course Management System to keep track of their assignments and activities, submit a paperless and ecofriendly assignment, interact and collaborate with peers through messaging, and upload their files to cloud storage so they can access it anywhere and work on group projects. 


Additional Resources for My Big Campus: 

My Big Campus Schoolwork Tutorial

How to Use My Big Campus the First Time Tutorial 

My Big Campus Creating a Group Tutorial 






Blackboard

This Course Management System costs money for a school to sign up for and use so I had a difficult time researching this topic. Interested educators can contact a sales associate at 1-800-424-9299 or fill out a contact form under the "Contact Us" tab at the top of the web page. I do not have step by step instructions for how to use each tool because you have to purchase Blackboard.

Blackboard website can be accessed here 



Blackboard Teaching and Learning Solutions:

Blackboard Learn:

Teachers can create powerful lessons by customizing their Blackboard Learn. Teachers can design web based journals, chats, wikis, blogs, etc. Blackboard Learn incorporates peer participation through this Web 2.0 social learning experience. Teachers can share lessons and easily manage their students grades.

Blackboard Collaborate:

Blackboard Collaborative allows teachers to create a more student focused instruction through office hours, tutoring, etc. A Course Management System such as this allows students the opportunity to learn from home while taking on other things such as working or a family.

Blackboard Mobile Learn:

This Course Management System allows students and teachers to access course material from any mobile device. This is necessary for students who are constantly on the go. Students can turn in assignments when they are riding the bus or on break at work. Another benefit of Mobile Learn is teachers can communicate with parents who may not be able to make it to a conference. Mobile Learn allows parents to have access to their student’s grades and homework assignments.




Blackboard Engage:

Blackboard Engage allows parents to access any information regarding their child’s education, from grades, attendance, lunch menus, school news, activity schedules, etc.


Classroom Uses for Blackboard: 

Blackboard is a Course Management System that allows teachers and students to interact. Students can have peer-to-peer discussions in a forum post, turn in their assignments, and manage their assignments in the calendar. Students can watch videos and reflect on them through Blackboard as well as peer edit another classmates paper. 


Additional Resources for Blackboard: 


Blackboard Tutorial

Blackboard Profile











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