Access, Use and Share
Where and how do you access? Do you download? Where does it save? What are some considerations for accessing – eg. user agreement info, hardware requirements? Who can access or use it? What does it do? When could you use it? For what purpose? How do you share?
Schoology is a web-based learning management system. With an easy-to-use collaborative interface, all you need to access this web 2.0 tool is a personal device (laptop, cellular phone, tablet, iPod, etc.) and the internet. When I accessed this site and created my own username and password it was easy, and I did not have to agree to any terms or conditions.
This tool is most useful for (but not limited to) students and teachers. Parents are also able to access the site if their child’s teacher gives them an access code. This is an educational community that allows instructors to engage students, increase communication, and share resources with their peers. Schoology also makes course development, grading, annotating student submissions, and providing feedback easier.
I did not encounter any difficulty when I accessed this site, but Schoology does recommend upgrading to the latest versions of the supported browsers (Firefox 3+; Internet Explorer 9+; Safari 3.1; Google Chrome) and enabling Javascript, Flash and Cookies for the best experience.
Create and Collaborate
What does it do? How easy or intuitive is it? Where can you post/share? What are considerations for student use? How does it support collaboration?
Schoology is an intuitive tool that mainly functions as a learning management system or class site. In 2014, it won 3 CODiE awards, including “Best K-12 LMS”; “Best Education Solution”; and “Best PK-12 Solution.” It facilitates professional development creating a community of educators, as well as promotes an open line of communication between students and their instructors. With course information, assignment drop box, discussions, e-mail, grade book, attendance and calendar all in one place, it streamlines the teacher’s workload. The layout of this tool is similar to that of Facebook, as there is a feed that shows all the comments, updates and events pertaining to the teacher’s connections, courses, and groups. The instructor can also post updates (reminders for students), polls, assignments, events, or blog posts to this activity feed.
The calendar keeps events and due dates organized and easily accessible for students and instructors. Personal messages can also be sent through Schoology to members of the school and outside connections. Some teachers may wish to connect their professional Facebook or Twitter accounts to Schoology to broaden their contacts and share more resources or ideas. This integration platform allows the teacher to not only connect with social media, but also other tools such as Moodle, PowerSchool, Turnitin and Blackboard Collaborate. Another innovative feature is the option to have online quizzes to allow for immediate scoring and analysis.
As for student communication and collaboration, teachers may host interactive discussions for their class and grade students on their participation. Students will take ownership of their learning as they share new ideas in this secure online community, where their peers can view and comment on each other’s work (if desired).The students can also access the site from anywhere at anytime, keeping them informed and connected to each other.
Analyze & Reflect
How is it applicable to education? Where would you use it? (subject, topic, grade) What steps would you take to integrate it? How could you introduce it?
Schoology was designed specifically as an educational tool, so it applies to all facets of education. The website claims to be appropriate for every level, from kindergarten to higher education. However, I personally believe it may be a little too much to handle in kindergarten and grade one. I could see myself introducing this to a grade 2 class or higher.
In a primary or junior classroom, this tool could be used as a class site, for every subject, except physical education. I think it would have to be introduced at the beginning of the school year, so that the students know it is an integral part of their classroom. This would give them time to get to know the purpose of this online space and how to navigate through it. I think this tool would be used from home quite often as well, so students could check for updates and submit homework or assignments.
The in-class functions such as discussions and the activity feed where students can post questions in real time, may be limited. The teacher would have to support the B.Y.O.D. movement, or supply the students with laptops or tablets since personal devices are required to operate this tool. This could pose a potential problem in a school where technology is not readily accessible and the students cannot bring their own.
Practice social responsibility
Personal or professional uses? For what purpose/ audience? What resources/ supports are available? Will you use it, sign up or open an account? Why or why not? How does it respond to social justice issues?
This site is a professional tool for educators and students. I can imagine that it may be abused in older classrooms and perhaps double as a personal tool for students, since it does reflect similarities to Facebook. This is something that would have to be monitored and regulated by the instructor.
When a primary or junior teacher registers, as part of an ongoing process to ensure the safety of students, Schoology requires instructors to verify their identities. To complete the verification process, teachers are asked to sign the teacher Consent Form and upload a valid Photo ID. While this process is an inconvenience, it tells me they are taking precautions and value safe online interactions.
I have signed up for an account, but without a class of my own or courses to organize, the tool is not very functional for me. This being said, I am able to access blogs and groups that have been created on this site, and these alone could help users gain insight and professional development from fellow educators. They have a support team that is easy to contact and their FAQ page is quite extensive, with not only written explanations of things but numerous tutorials and video instructions as well.
Unfortunately, there is no mention of social justice or equitable access on the site. However, I believe as long as you have access to a device, you may access the site. So, again, this may be a problem in a school that is in low-income community or where personal devices are banned from school property.