To get the most out of a novel, readers should share ideas through discussions. As teachers we use many practices such as Fishbowls, Socratic Seminars, Literature Circles, and in the last few years online forums.
I started using Moodle course management software. It's Open Source, which means free and ever evolving. Our district is slowly embracing this technology with very positive results.
Students who do not speak out in class tend to find online discussion engaging and in turn allow me to check for understanding. It's easy, as teachers, to think that because three or four students answer all the questions, to forget there are 20 other students being asked to contribute to the discussion. As such, we can conclude a class with a false sense of confidence in reaching our instructional goals.
Using online forums that include evaluation tools help us evaluate not only students, but our effectiveness.
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