Learning Management Systems

Have you ever wondered what is the best way to digitally manage your classrooms? In this day in age, there are many different ways to better our communications and class assignments by using online platforms. This week I will be evaluating the Learning Management Systems (LMS), Google Classroom and Edmodo, and looking at how they may be used in my English Classroom. In Argentina, many schools have not moved all digital, and still use only email and agendas for communications. As I start to integrate this type of technology into my school, I plan to help other teachers learn how to use LMS and reap the benefits from it as well. Both students and parents will be able to see the benefits of digital communication and learning. 

There are many benefits from using Google Classroom as a LMS. This centralized platform of creation and collaboration makes group projects and teacher feedback easier. It also streamlines parent-teacher communication, making it easier to keep busy parents informed of their child's progress (Rink, 2017). Most people are probably familiar with Google with the use of Gmail and Drive, therefore using Google Classroom can be just as easy. You could probably say that I use Google everyday in some form, so as a teacher, why not use it to help make my life easier in the classroom? It is free, and that is a word we teachers like to hear. 

For me, Google Classroom is a great option. With having a mixture of personal English classes as well as my class in the school, I am able to create and manage the classes that I want. This is something that I need currently, as it is no cost for me or the school. I can use Google Classroom despite the language barriers between my student's parents, as they are able to change the language settings directly if they have doubts about anything. Google Classroom can enhance my classes by giving students to study English at home and on the weekends, since they are not using English during these times. I can create assignments and post links to videos or games for them to play to practice vocabulary. In my classroom, I also enjoy using Google Chromecast, where you are able to cast any Google or compatible App to the screen from any device. This is a great way to instantly share to the screen to the whole class. 

Pros: 

1. Quick and Convenient

2. Time Saving

3. Boost Collaboration and communication

4. Centralized Data Storage

5. Rapid Resource Sharing 

(Pappas, 2015) 

Cons: 

1. Difficult Account Management (Unique accounts for each student)

2. Difficult to share with parents and learning community

3. Does not contain a full grade book

4. Online Advertising 

(Scraag, 2018)

Another well-known LMS is Edmodo. I personally have not used it, but I think it would be a good alternative to Google Classroom at my school. It seems user friendly, and is also free to teachers. It allows for easy communications between teachers, students, and parents. It also allows the ability to create quizzes and assignments. Teachers can also put students into groups within the classes. One of they key features is that it does not require private information from the students, keeping their safety in mind (Edmodo, 2018). The only people who can find students on Edmodo are their classmates and teachers. 

I think Edmodo is a good option for classroom use. In my particular situation, I do not know if it would be the best because it does not have multi-language support for the parents and families involved. However, it could be a very friendly tool to use within my class, which includes a grade book to keep communications with that open. 

Pros: 

1. Easy communication between parents, teachers, and students

2. Easy to use, a lot like Facebook

3. Gradebook

4. Free

Cons: 

1. Glitches when uploading documents

2. Needs Updates

3. No multi-language support 

(https://www.capterra.com/p/129886/Edmodo/)

Sources: 

Edmodo. “Edmodo.” Reviews and Pricing - 2018, 2018, www.capterra.com/p/129886/Edmodo/.

Pappas, Christopher. “Google Classroom Review: Pros And Cons Of Using Google Classroom In ELearning.” ELearning Industry, ELearning Industry, 16 Mar. 2018, elearningindustry.com/google-classroom-review-pros-and-cons-of-using-google-classroom-in-elearning.

Rink, Travis. “25 Awesome Tips for Google Apps in the Classroom.” Current Events and Why We Need to Teach Them!, 2017, blog.mimio.com/25-cool-hacks-for-google-docs-in-the-classroom-0.

Scragg, Sandy. “Pros and Cons of Google Classroom.” Lab Safety Rules for Students | United Federation of Teachers, 2018, www.uft.org/linking-learning/pros-and-cons-google-classroom.