Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Why Chalkup is the next generation learning management system you need in your life..


Guest blog post by Jayne Miller

What learning management systems are supposed to do.


What it feels like learning management systems actually do.




Yeah. It's kind of true.

Learning management systems (LMS) are big, powerful tools meant to connect students, share resources, enhance grading capabilities, and keep discussions going long after class is dismissed. The problem is that these tools haven’t been doing that - at least not as well as they could be.

Don’t get me wrong - tools like Canvas and Schoology have taken the LMS model to the next level and made huge strides in getting technology in classrooms. That’s fantastic. I’m always happy to hear about another class that has adopted a platform to keep students connected.

But the promise of the modern LMS should be about learning more and learning better. That’s where platforms have missed the mark. What we’re hearing from teachers is that these tools aren’t serving as a place for exchanging ideas or sharing content; they’re systems for churning through assignments that bog classes down with features that aren’t relevant to their needs.

Further, the amount of time and energy it takes to train and integrate these systems is time and energy that could have been devoted to learning.

All this means classes don’t look forward to using their designated LMS, and that’s not what we -- educators and #edtech lovers -- want. When we know that teachers and students are liking Google Classroom, why aren’t LMS platforms doing more to seamlessly integrate w/ Google Drive? Or putting more emphasis on collaboration?

Well, let’s talk about Chalkup. It’s the new kid on the block and I think it’s an LMS worth getting excited about. The platform was designed with collaboration in mind, and we’re happy to say it plays nice with Google Drive.

Chalkup also focused on perfecting the tools classrooms are demanding. We’re talking powerful grading tools, built-in rubrics, and course calendars. Chalkup actually launched its latest and greatest iteration today, which builds on these high-demand features and includes a fantastic new way for students to manage their courseload.

All in all, getting devices in the hands of students and integrating tech into classrooms is a huge win. But if we could do it better, why wouldn’t we?

About the Author
Jayne Miller is an #edtech lover and writer/editor who joined the Chalkup team in 2014.

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