Fall 2008 — Spring 2009
The district was embarking on a plan to expand computer use in the classroom, but it lacked a centralized place where information could be shared. Paper handouts and whiteboards were often used on occasional computer lab visits, but they wouldn't be practical for everyday activities. Printing or emailing assignments is a mess, and adds unnecessary cost.
After securing buy-in from administrators and participating teachers, I launched the district's first learning management system using Moodle, a free and open-source solution. Assignments, resources, submissions, discussions, and grades could all be housed online. I also developed and delivered one-on-one and group training sessions for teachers. An elementary school teacher I'd coached achieved a paperless classroom within a week of implementation.
Teachers traditionally share information with their students using a whiteboard, but whiteboards aren't an ideal solution for archiving information or sharing it with parents. I was able to greatly expand the use of the district's blogging platform, Wordpress, through customized training sessions. I worked closely with teachers to identify how blogs could improve communication and help them work more efficiently. Many chose to move their daily agendas completely online, which also made them accessible to parents.