Online Blackboard

Many colleges and universities these days are implementing an online database type website for their students. Two common databases are Blackboard and Canvas. These websites have special sections broken down for your school, so you can log into information  just for your school. They allow the students to log in and be able to view what classes they are currently enrolled in, grades, announcements from teachers, and many teachers post  notes and papers they would like students to print  and bring to class.

My school uses Blackboard and it can be tricky to get around at first, but once you play around with it you will realize it is not that hard at all! Once you login there is a red number in the corner advising you how many notifications are waiting for you. These notifications inform you if a teacher has posted any new assignments, grades, or have any important announcements. When you click on the button to view the notifications, the grades are posted in a  separate category from the other notifications. You can choose to go to the grades or  class  from this screen. 

Each subject lists the grades. They show what you have received on each assignment as well as your overall average for the class. Many teachers use a point system that is easily seen, but they can also use percentages  to makes up your grade. These just may seem confusing because you may be missing assignments that you haven't done yet (like exam 3 worth 15% but you only have taken exam 1 so far). All your grades are still posted and allow you to be able to keep track of your assignment.

When you click to go into the other classes  the posts are announcements from your teachers. They either have a message they wish to tell the class, or have posted papers that you may want to access or print before the next class.  Each class gets its own accessible  link . You may use this to access each class at any time and view all papers posted and all announcements for that class. Many teachers also post their class syllabus here. All of the classroom information is at your fingertips in this area. The teacher leaves contact information there for you to contact them with any questions you may have.

I believe Blackboard is helpful in getting your materials ready for class. The fact that it can be easily accessed to print out notes, or pull classroom notes and lectures  up through your laptop to during class is very helpful. I like it the most to keep track of my grades. It allows me to focus on the classes I need more assistance in. During finals week it also is a strong tool to use to figure out how well you need to do on each final to receive  a good grade. This helps me understand which subejcts I need  to study more for than others and helps me manage my study time. Many teachers even post study guides through Blackboard. Blackboard is a very helpful tool to make learning much easier than it used to be.