Childrens School

In the middle of changing times for the K-12 LMS, some administrators wonder if it’s time for an update

Learning management systems (LMS) are facing changing times, as many K-12 administrators evaluate how their current LMS fits into teaching and learning goals.
The K-12 LMS is quickly becoming one of the main gears that churns day-to-day operations in classrooms and in districts across the nation.
Edsby, a K-12 LMS that connects students, teachers and parents using modern technologies, has developed a checklist to support administrators weighing the benefits of implementing a modern LMS district-wide, or in the evaluation of current systems.
As the pace of modernization in education quickens, some districts risk being held back because their LMSs are slow to evolve with today’s technologies – assuming they even have an official district LMS to begin with.
Here’s a summary of the five signs administrators need to update their K-12 LMS, according to Edsby:
1. It’s not social: Systems that create safe and secure spaces mimicking the look of popular social media channels are attractive to students, teachers and parents.
2. It doesn’t play well with other systems: Seamless integration with other systems, such as a district’s student information system (SIS), makes integration of a modern K-12 LMS easy and powerful.
3. It’s one-size-fits all: No two districts are the same, so why adopt a rigid system that may have been built for higher education when administrators can implement a next-generation, customizable K-12 LMS that meets their specific needs as a K-12 institution?
4. It makes more work for teachers: If teachers are constantly wrestling with the LMS, or having to manage their own personal LMSs, it becomes more of a distraction than a timesaving tool.
5. It’s outdated: Modern technology has come a long way since the turn of the century when most legacy systems were designed. Today’s systems are more intuitive and offer a friendlier user experience, which is particularly important for young students.
Download the full checklist here.
“An LMS is the foundation of teaching and learning,” said Scott Welch, vice president of sales at Edsby. “An LMS should be as dynamic as the district it serves. As schools continue to modernize, administrators need to ensure their systems can address schools’ needs today and are also capable of adopting to tomorrow’s challenges.”
Material from a press release was used in this report.