I've used more digital tools during this current school year than I probably have in all my other years of teaching behind. That's not hyperbole, though it's no coincidence that the exponential rise in my tech savviness is in conjunction with it being my first year where I've had access to technology on a daily basis.
So, which digital tool stands out? I'd be amiss if I didn't talk about My Big Campus. It may not be my favorite tool to use, nor is it without its fair share of headaches, but with out district at the forefront of the My Big Campus surge in Indiana, it's definitely been something that has been used in my classroom.
What exactly is My Big Campus? The answer I hear most often is that it is the Facebook of education. But that's a bit of a misnomer. While it's wall features give it a Facebook feel, My Big Campus is actually a much deeper tool.
For all the good that is Facebook, it's essentially a place to interact socially, post a few pictures, and maybe play some games. My Big Campus certainly has the social integration down, but it can also be a hub for educational resources, lessons, tests, and much more.
While I'll readily admit that I haven't harvested all of My Big Campus' potential, I have managed to do a plethora of things with it. My students can access web-based resources, links or videos, without having to traverse the great expanse that is Google. They also get daily updates from me, whether that be assignments or interesting websites. The students use MBC to take quizzes, post comments, and write essays. Digital work from other tools can be uploaded and published to the site as well.
I'll admit that I was at first a bit leery of the site because it does have a particular bias to middle and high school curricula, but the more I got to know the program, the more I could see the potential it had to be a tremendously useful tool in my classroom.
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