At the start of this school year, Beth Tfiloh transitioned to a new online platform: Schoology. Since the first semester has come to a close, everyone has had ample time to adapt, and we can observe how it measures up to the old BT website.

Based on a survey distributed to the student body, 81% prefer Schoology to the old platform. Ten percent of those polled said they preferred the old website, and the remaining 9% have no preference. So there are the numbers. Now, let’s get into why the majority of BT students prefer Schoology.

While there are many reasons why students gravitate towards Schoology, it can be narrowed down to three categories: Grades, Organization, and Communication. One of the best resources Schoology provides is the ability to view your grades in real time. In previous years, we would receive our interim grades and our semester grades with nothing in between. Additionally, from the end of the grading period to when grades were released, additional assignments were submitted, shifting your overall average. With Schoology, we can access our grades for each class and individual assignment. With this feature, it is much easier to know if there is a problem in one of your classes, since you can always see your average.

In conjunction with the ability to view grades, the organization of Schoology serves as a major benefit. When we shifted online in March of last year, we were juggling several different platforms, with different teachers asking us to submit assignments to different places. With Schoology, every class resides in the same place, and assignments can be submitted easily, an important aspect for online learning. Furthermore, Mrs. Ralston and other teachers have explained that Schoology “makes it easy to post worksheets,” that can be helpful in class and for homework. Although things don’t always disappear after the due date has passed, and classwork and homework can get jumbled, the organizational aspects of Schoology prove better than the alternative.

The organizational and grades aspects of Schoology aid with the improved communication. The Groups function allows for teachers to send out messages all at once and can comment directly on assignments. Dr. Rubin expanded on that, explaining how with Schoology he can “easily comment on assignments and send out a message to an entire class.” Receiving feedback on assignments allows us to tackle any issues as they occur.

Like all things, Schoology has its shortcomings. However, they do not inhibit us from using the platform and continuing learning. When pivoting between in person and online learning, Schoology serves as a good tool to stay organized. This past year has brought many changes, and switching to Schoology has been a positive one for the student body.