In the contemporary world there has been rapid change in the school teaching methods through progressive technologies.
Less need
for paper
There is less paperwork but an increase in demand to use innovative techniques. One of them is the acceleration of technological advancement in the area of teaching and learning.
In this aspect, an article “What’s in the name?” describes ManageBac as a valuable application meaning the curriculum first learning platform which made the transition of schools to online paperless planning.
This free application allows co-ordinators, teachers, students and parents to communicate without paper with using Microsoft Office and other applications. This paperless environment is not only cost-effective but also highly communicative as used in diploma, middle and primary year level programs at IB (international baccalaureate) schools.
This article highlights the usages of ManageBac and as a technology of wide usage in the future.
ManageBac greatly
helps with communication
ManageBac is a web-based application which is gaining importance at international schools all over the world as it is the tool which helps them to do efficient paperless curriculum planning, assessments, reports and can be used as the mode of communication between teachers, students and parents.
Before ManageBac in 2006, there were the old methods of communication and reporting.
School staff members were briefed every morning; each teacher was to keep records of attendance register and grade mark books. Those reports were written by hand having little evidence of grade awarded and were written many weeks in advance to be printed and collated.
There were many communication gaps in establishing co-ordination between students, parents and teachers. Thus, it became essential to make transition towards computer software for better, authenticated and systematic communication techniques.
Users of
ManageBac
An article “Online Support Centre” explains the many opportunities ManageBac gives to the six, in general, different users; teachers and advisers, parents, group advisers, administrators and observers at the education level to use the application effectively and efficiently.
It helps these users save their time while working in a teaching organisation.
1. Students: Students are information technology savvy as for them, ManageBac serves as an important tool to record all their daily homework, assessments, performances, attendance and any upcoming events.
In regard to their classes, students are able to see their summary of unit plans that are done in class, submit their work to the assignment/task dropbox, post and view messages and view class files and calendar tabs.
2. Teachers and advisers: ManageBac is mostly used by teachers for entering comments about student progress in order to provide regular and supportive student feedback that parents can also see.
This application equips teachers to make their paperless unit plans, daily plans, prepare their timetable and also prepare different assessments, record and report assessment of different programs.
3. Group advisers. They can manage simple groups that are assigned to them and also able to join a pre-existing group and manage the group calendar, messages, reviews and reflections etc.
4. Parents: The parents are able to see only selected information about their children such as calendar events from the year group, classes and groups of their children.
Summary of courses taught in each class and assignment/task assessment can be previewed by parents and they can only see class messages.
5. Observers: It gives academic surveyors special access on school’s curriculum planning.
6. Administrators: They have major access to view and edit everything and they manage the account setup to configure academic terms, bulk creating classes, importing users and generating reports.
ManageBac is an informative tool that provides a strong, efficient yet easy communication link between users in the education system.
This application brings the sharing of all sorts of information to a professional online standard. It provides an extensive network which assists in time saving and establishes a smooth, instant link between student, teachers and parents, regardless of their location. This optimises communication, class management and facilitates academic co-ordination.
Ways of
communication
Various communication methods discussed below are used by the application to maintain effective communication.
1) Calendar and messages: Full calendar option is given to assist in order to communicate full year school events; calendar and events added for each group; IA and EE deadlines can be created and the relevant people informed.
The separate calendar of each class can be added with details of each message or event ie trip, picnic, workshop, practical or functions.
Assignments appear on the class calendar.
2) Attendance: Students’ attendance can be updated each day to keep parents informed about their children. Any late arrivals or bunking of classes can be tacked down via updating on this application. Percentage attendance in each subject can be recorded.
3) Assignment and grading: Descriptive remarks on each assignment and respective grading can be given via this application.
Uploading of assignments, notification via email, Turnitin check and an enabled Dropbox are the features in this category. Teacher gets to know who submitted the assignment and when; and it also gives students an opportunity for a proper detailed feedback regarding the grades. Average grade calculated and grade boundaries are managed.
4) Reporting: This application helps teachers give a detailed report of requirements, evaluation and assessment criteria to students and parents for respective subjects. Varied options in this reporting help the teacher to give a proper assessment report to students and parents electronically.
Summary of achievement is also maintained through this application.
5) IB exam entries: Students and parents are informed well in advance about IB exam dates through this application. Topics, assessment and records are also maintained quite systematically.
6) CAS: All activities related to CAS (creativity, activity and service) can be recorded and communicated efficiently via this application. CAS projects, adviser’s comments on status of work completion, balance of creativity, activity and service, involvement in projects and status of learning outcomes achieved are updated periodically on ManageBac.
Globalisation has helped tertiary institutes in the region to outreach their services to students and shifted the pedagogical paradigm of using the paper and the manual data towards technological advancement.
ManageBac facilitates a paperless environment so there is less wastage of papers which is ecologically and financially beneficial.
* Bhawna Kundra is a French and business management teacher and MYP Co-ordinator at International School Nadi. The views expressed are hers and not of this newspaper or her employer. For comments or suggestions, email. bhawna.umatt@gmail.com.
