A couple of items are available to me this coming year. The first is Moodle, which has been great. One of the features that I started with this past year is the journal feature. It is exactly what it sounds like a journal that the students will be keeping about my class. The really nice feature for me is that it is private, so the kids don't need to worry about what their peers will see or say about their posts, and it also allows me to post feedback to them and comment about what they write and to ask questions that work as great starters for the next post.
The second tool that I like is Google Docs. I started adding comments to their assignments before giving their grades, so they can make a round or more, if necessary, of improvements before final grading. They then send me an email when they have made their changes and they get their grade plus a second round of comments. I like this because it makes these assignments better in the end and helps the students to see what I'm looking for, where they are succeeding, and where they need to do a little more work. The only major change for me is that I really need to set two deadlines, and it is hard to track down my students who have trouble making one deadline.
The final tool, and also the newest is the Centio sp? system that my dept. is going to purchase this summer. We have them in the math dept for quizzes and such, but I envision using them as conversation starters and a way to check for understanding. I'm really interested by the option of polling my class and seeing where they stand on a certain issue initially, after discussion, after learning more on the topic.
I think all three of these tools will help me to do a better job of keeping my finger on the pulse of my class as a whole, and the pulse of individual students.
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