Photos from SHSI FB page
SHSI goes virtual, classes shifts to Schoology
Schoology was introduced to South Hill School Inc. at the beginning of the school year (2020-2021). It was extremely timely considering that the COVID-19 pandemic was still ongoing. Teachers trained for months in order to learn and be familiarized with the platform. Various consultations and training sessions between teachers and parents were conducted in preparation for the opening of the school year.
Edmodo is an educational platform which has been operating since 2008. This platform was introduced to South Hill School, Inc. by Sir Karl Gabrielle De Los Santos, more specifically, to pupils under his advisory. Although its former purpose was to train students for a much higher year education and to recreate a ‘paperless’ classroom, it became efficient for distant learning during this current pandemic. It was used until the end of the school year and became a stepping stone for another online platform which we now know as Schoology.
Schoology is a learning network that provides K-12 schools and institutions a safe space wherein they can share academic-related discussions and conduct a virtual classroom. Both Schoology and Edmodo share evident similarities such as their outstanding dynamics with other apps and tools like Google Drive, and easy-to-learn features and resources which helps everyone adjust easily to a virtual setting. While they also have some resemblances in terms of elements, there are still distinguishable differences between the two. An example of their difference is Schoology’s built-in video conference enterprise called Big Blue Button or better known as Schoology Conferences. Back then, Zoom was needed to be installed so that the teachers and students could conduct classes because there were no provided virtual meeting interfaces in Edmodo.
The transition from using Edmodo and Zoom to Schoology is significant at this current time. Without these, connections between classrooms could have been suspended and knowledge will stop circulating - especially during these trying times of the pandemic. In addition, these platforms serve as our training ground for the more complex technological innovation. Since the learning set-up shifted from face-to-face to virtual classes, there are still a lot of issues that need to be fixed such as the lack of requirements, modules, and the system itself. Teachers, parents, and students were forced to adjust to the set-up in a short period of time, resulting in confusion. Therefore, access to learning and training for everyone should be required and the room is never too full for improvements.
By: Andy Pareja