The 24/7 School
By Shawna Martin and Anne Arriaga

Digital tools of the 21st century are making it possible for students to receive 24/7 help from teachers and peers. At Moreau Catholic, our teachers are making this possible through online learning tools such as e-books, interactive online databases, and a wealth of digital resources into the curriculum.

Moreau Catholic’s course management system, Moodle, has been the most apparent instrument in the effort to connect students to school resources on a 24/7 basis. In use since school year 2007-2008, this online repository for course information, assignments and connections among students and teachers has grown in popularity each year as teachers and students find new ways to use its “always on” capabilities to complement the teaching and learning that goes on in classrooms during the school day. Currently more than 130 courses comprising over 300 sections of students are using Moodle’s capabilities. Scheduled chats with teachers on the night before tests, online reviews and access to help sessions with both classmates and teachers are just some of the ways that Moodle helps expand learning beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom.

Google Documents enables students in Mrs. Tornabene’s English class to receive real-time feedback via Google’s instant chat feature as both the student and Mrs. Tornabene view the same shared document. Unlike receiving feedback on a paper after it has been graded, students are able to immediately incorporate the feedback elevating the learning experience from passive to active.

Classroom instruction/activites can now be easily recorded or streamed live online. During the second week of school, the U.S. history classes received instruction from the library team on using primary and secondary sources. This instruction was recorded and uploaded to YouTube for students to view at a future point of need as well as allow absent students to stay on top of their studies.

The mandatory Tech Camp for incoming students is a great example of how Moodle can serve as a virtual space for online learning. Since all of the content for Tech Camp is comprised of short video tutorials which are supplemented by online assignments and in class support, students can return to the curriculum at any time.

More and more, the 24/7 tools available to our community make it possible to expand the parameters of learning beyond the walls and time constraints of the traditional classroom. Check out the October On-Course issue to learn about how teachers and parents can access The 24/7 School tools online!