User-Generated Content in Education/Classroom Management Systems

Why Do We Need a Classroom Management System (CMS)

Classroom Management System (CMS) is typically thought of as a security measure to police student use of technology in the classroom. While such a system can be utilized in that fashion, its potential uses extend much further. Many companies that create CMS intend it to maximize student achievement through the integrated use of technology.

In a study examining the effective use of CMS Robert Joyce and Harald Schmidl concluded, “utilizing classroom management system improves the final grade average in the order of a full grade step, far fewer students fail, and the spread of grades is significantly narrower. In addition, the overall classroom setting improves in terms of behavior and discipline.” Joyce and Harald did examine the fact that effectively monitoring the appropriate use of technology in the classroom helps to eliminate distractions caused by off-task behavior. However, they also examined instructional tools that allowed teachers to enhance student learning when utilized properly.

Below lists some CMS options available to teachers at little to no cost. The features and instructional tools associated with each CMS should help teachers to decide which system would work best in their classroom.

Netop CMS

“[Netop] wants all teachers to have access to some degree of classroom-management software so they can maximize the use of technology to improve student learning.”

Netop has develop two versions of a CMS for teachers:

• MyVision Free: limited features and available as a free download
• MyVision Basic: expanded features and available for a 12 month subscription for $199

MyVision Free

Features:

• Supervision

Provides teachers with the ability to supervise student screens through a thumbnail view that can display each screen in real-time. There is no computer number limit. The thumbnails can be easily rearranged to match the layout of any classroom. This allows teachers and substitute teachers to easily identify the student associated with each screen. Teachers can focus in on one student’s screen specifically by toggling a full screen option. This helps teachers to ensure that all students are on task and understanding the material.

• Platform Support

MyVision Free is supported on Windows 2000, XP, & Vista as well as Mac OS X 10.5. It is supported across all these systems even in a mixed-platform classroom. This allows teachers the flexibility to utilize this system despite the various operating systems that may be present in their classroom. Netop is continually updating their software so that it can be supported on more systems; they are currently working on its compatibility with Windows 7.

• Language Support

MyVision Free in available in English only. Only upgrading Vision or Vision Pro enables more languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, and Czech.

• Licensing

MyVision Free offers a free 12-month subscription license that could be renewed for after expiration.

MyVision Basic

Features:

• Supervision

Provides teachers with the ability to supervise student screens through a thumbnail view that can display each screen in real-time. There is no computer number limit. The thumbnails can be easily rearranged to match the layout of any classroom. This allows teachers and substitute teachers to easily identify the student associated with each screen. Teachers can focus in on one student’s screen specifically by toggling a full screen option. This helps teachers to ensure that all students are on task and understanding the material.

• Demonstrate

Provides teachers with the ability to project demonstrations with the entire class by projecting the teacher’s screen onto all the students’ screens at the same time. This provides teachers with numerous possibilities from displaying a presentation to walking students through a step-by-step process. This provides every student with a front row seat to your lesson.

• Blank Screens

Provides teachers with the ability to blank all the students’ screens and lock both keyboard and mouse simultaneously. This feature could be utilized to pause all work and capture student attention.

• Limitations/Blocking

Provides teachers with the ability to control the internet access for all the devices in the room. Locking the internet helps to ensure that students do not get distracted during an activity that does not require the internet. It is simple enough to turn the internet access back on when the internet is needed.

• Remote Control

Provides teachers with the ability to remotely control a student’s screen to assist with any situation. This helps teachers to handle minor troubleshooting from the convenience of their master screen rather than having to physically work with each student’s device.

• Chat with Students

Provides teachers with the ability to communicate one-to-one with any student in the room as well as send a message to the entire class all at once. This tool has a variety of uses: teachers can discretely answer questions to maintain student privacy; teachers can hold take a class wide survey with anonymous responses; teachers can give reminders to the entire class as needed. The chat tool ultimately makes the teacher more accessible and approachable to their students.

• Platform Support

MyVision Basic is supported on Windows 2000, XP, & Vista as well as Mac OS X 10.5. It is supported across all these systems even in a mixed-platform classroom. This allows teachers the flexibility to utilize this system despite the various operating systems that may be present in their classroom. Netop is continually updating their software so that it can be supported on more systems; they are currently working on its compatibility with Windows 7.

• Language Support

MyVision Basic in available in English only. Only upgrading Vision or Vision Pro enables more languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, and Czech.

• Licensing

MyVision Basic offers a 12-month subscription license for $199 that could be renewed for after expiration for the same price.

LanSchool CMS

“The decision on what classroom management solution to purchase is critical because teachers will be using it in classroom everyday.”

LanSchool has develop two versions of a CMS for teachers:

• LanSchool Lite v7.6: limited features and available as a free download
• LanSchool v7.6: expanded features and available for a 12 month subscription for $199 or other combination offers

LanSchool Lite v7.6

Features:

• Supervision

Provides teachers with the ability to supervise student screens through a thumbnail view that can display each screen in real-time. Monitors up to 3000 students. The thumbnails can be easily rearranged to match the layout of any classroom. This allows teachers and substitute teachers to easily identify the student associated with each screen. Teachers can focus in on one student’s screen specifically by toggling a full screen option. This helps teachers to ensure that all students are on task and understanding the material.

Provides teachers with the ability to monitor all students’ recent internet history by checking the last website visited. This can help to hold students accountable to their internet usage should they try to switch websites as a teacher’s presence might prompt them to.

• Manage Devices

Provides teachers with the ability to monitor each student’s battery status to avoid loss of power during critical moments in the lesson. This also helps teachers to adequately prepare the devices for an upcoming class.

• Chat with Students

Provides teachers with the ability to communicate one-to-one with any student in the room as well as send a message to the entire class all at once. This tool has a variety of uses: teachers can discretely answer questions to maintain student privacy; teachers can hold take a class wide survey with anonymous responses; teachers can give reminders to the entire class as needed. The chat tool ultimately makes the teacher more accessible and approachable to their students.

• Platform Support

LanSchool v7.6 is supported on Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 2003 & 2008 Terminal Server, Citrix, NComputing X & L series, and Mac OS X 10.4 & 10.5. It is supported across all these systems even in a mixed-platform classroom. This allows teachers the flexibility to utilize this system despite the various operating systems that may be present in their classroom. LanSchool is committed to enhancing its compatibility with both Mac and PC products.

LanSchool Lite v7.6 can be paired with Teacher’s Assistant for the Apple iPad to effectively monitor EdApp Certified iPad/iPod/iPhone applications. This allows for even more versatility in the classroom as students could individualize their learning through a device individually chosen to find their learning style.

• Language Support

LanSchool Lite v7.6 in available in English only.

• Licensing

LanSchool Lite v7.6 is available for download free of charge provided you currently work in a K-12 educational institution. Proper contact information including a professional email address for the educational institution must be provided prior to download.

LanSchool v7.6

Features:

• Supervision

Provides teachers with the ability to supervise student screens through a thumbnail view that can display each screen in real-time. Monitors up to 3000 students. The thumbnails can be easily rearranged to match the layout of any classroom. This allows teachers and substitute teachers to easily identify the student associated with each screen. Teachers can focus in on one student’s screen specifically by toggling a full screen option. This helps teachers to ensure that all students are on task and understanding the material.

Provides teachers with the ability to monitor all students’ recent internet history by checking the last website visited. This can help to hold students accountable to their internet usage should they try to switch websites as a teacher’s presence might prompt them to.

• Assess Student Progress

Provides teachers with the ability send and collect student work via file submission. Teachers can create a file, send it out for students to complete, and when it is collected back, it is organized in a specified location on the teacher’s computer or network drive.

Provides teachers with the ability to assess students through multiple choice and/or true/false questions. The results can be monitored in real-time to provide immediate feedback on student progress. Teachers can ensure that students understand a topic prior to moving on.

• Manage Devices

Provides teachers with the ability to monitor each student’s battery status to avoid loss of power during critical moments in the lesson. This also helps teachers to adequately prepare the devices for an upcoming class.

Provides teachers with the ability to remotely power on/off all the devices in the room. This saves time when setting up or tearing down a classroom.

• Demonstrate

Provides teachers with the ability to project demonstrations with the entire class by projecting the teacher’s screen onto all the students’ screens at the same time. This provides teachers with numerous possibilities from displaying a presentation to walking students through a step-by-step process. This provides every student with a front row seat to your lesson.

• Blank Screens

Provides teachers with the ability to blank all the students’ screens and lock both keyboard and mouse simultaneously. This feature could be utilized to pause all work and capture student attention.

• Limitations/Blocking

Provides teachers with the ability to control the internet access for all the devices in the room. Locking the internet helps to ensure that students do not get distracted during an activity that does not require the internet. It is simple enough to turn the internet access back on when the internet is needed.

Provides teachers with the ability to control access to specific applications. Teachers can easily specific the applications students should be using for any activity. This prevents off-task behavior by the students.

• Chat with Students

Provides teachers with the ability to communicate one-to-one with any student in the room as well as send a message to the entire class all at once. This tool has a variety of uses: teachers can discretely answer questions to maintain student privacy; teachers can hold take a class wide survey with anonymous responses; teachers can give reminders to the entire class as needed. The chat tool ultimately makes the teacher more accessible and approachable to their students.

• Platform Support

LanSchool v7.6 is supported on Windows 98, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 2003 & 2008 Terminal Server, Citrix, NComputing X & L series, and Mac OS X 10.4 & 10.5. It is supported across all these systems even in a mixed-platform classroom. This allows teachers the flexibility to utilize this system despite the various operating systems that may be present in their classroom. LanSchool is committed to enhancing its compatibility with both Mac and PC products.

LanSchool v7.6 can be paired with Teacher’s Assistant for the Apple iPad to effectively monitor EdApp Certified iPad/iPod/iPhone applications. This allows for even more versatility in the classroom as students could individualize their learning through a device individually chosen to find their learning style.

• Language Support

LanSchool v7.6 in available in English only.

• Licensing

LanSchool v7.6 offers a 12-month subscription license for $199 that could be renewed for after expiration for the same price. LanSchool v7.6 also offers 3 year subscriptions for multiple classrooms and additional costs. Proper contact information including a professional email address for the educational institution must be provided prior to download.

CMS Comparison Chart

	MyVision Free	MyVision Basic	LanSchool Lite v7.6	LanSchool v7.6
Supervision
See all student screens in real time	X	X	X	X
See last viewed website			X	X
Access Student Progress
Allow student file submission				X
Test/assess student progress				X
Manage Devices
Monitor student battery status			X	X
Remotely toggle power for all devices				X
Demonstrate
Share teacher screen with all students		X		X
Blank Screens
Blank screens for individual students, a group or the whole class		X		X
Limitations/Blocking
Disable internet access for all students		X		X
Disable specific applications for all students				X
Remote Control
Remotely assist individual students on computers		X		X
Chat with Students
Chat with individual students or send a message to the whole class		X	X	X
Platform Support
Supports PCs	X	X	X	X
Supports Macs and PCs, even in mixed-platform classrooms	X	X	X	X
Monitors EdApp Certified iPad/iPod/iPhone applications			X	X
Language Support
English	X	X	X	X
Licensing
12-month subscription license	X	X		X
Unlimited subscription			X