Posted by In a few ways, your learning management system is your classroom’s lobby. It welcomes students, shows them what to expect from your classroom, and it’s the best way to communicate with you.
Thanks to their versatility, Learning Management Systems helps us stay efficient, organized and it saves us time on many aspects of our teaching and planning. However, some students and even teachers struggle with it from time to time. So, how can you make our LMS work for you instead of the LMS work you out?
It doesn’t matter which LMS your school or university use, wether it’s Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom/Workspace, Canvas, or Blackboard, here are some tips that can help you ge the most of your LMS:
Adopt a Suitable Organizing Method
A good wat to start working on your LMS is to adopt an organization template early on. If you work on a week-by-week basis, divide the content by week. Units suit you better? Do that.
If you work on a weekly schedule, Start practicing on just one week block and make a list of the items you think your students will need in order to survive that week. For example:
Week 1
Discussions:
Birthdays
Grammar:
Simple Present Tense of BE
Contractions
Vocabulary:
Months of the Year
Numbers
The Alphabet
Reading:
First day of class
Assignments:
Homework: The simple present Of BE
Homework: Personal Profile
Consistency is key. Make sure content is labeled in a way that can be understood at first glance by your students. If your LMS doesn’t let you title you content, you can also label each link with its role, like this:
Vocabulary: Months of the Year
Reading: First day of class
… and so on. A good idea and depending on the age of your students is to use emojis to identify content. It is easier to the eyes, and it looks great, too:
🗓 Important Dates
📜Syllabus
📑Course Files
✉️Messages
💿Song List
Location, Location, Location
No matter which LMS you use, there will be an area that will welcome your students whenever they log in to it. Use that area for general knowledge and important information, so that they are able to see that information throughout the semester. I normally use this area for the most pertinent things such as Announcements, class syllabus, grading, attendance, and class files.
Think Outside The LMS
Most LMS offer great tools that students can use without leaving the platform, such as quizzes, files, boards, and so on. However, there are countless tools that you can use that are not covered by your LMS which can make your classes more interactive and fun. Tools such as Kahoot, Quizizz, Padlet, Flipgrid and Jamboard are great for small assignments and class collaboration.