BCESIS vs. Lectio

I know many teachers will be wondering how the Danish school system (or any other system for that matter) can function without BCESIS. The system I have struggled to familiarize myself with this year is Lectio, and while I use it far more than I used BCESIS, I have fewer pains in my hand from repetitive clicking syndrome.

I miss having my own classroom, a place to put stuff, but in the absence of such a place on-line places become increasingly important, and if they are well designed places they are place enough, and perhaps even an improvement.

Lectio and I had a rocky start to our relationship, primarily I suspect owing to the fact that I don’t understand Danish. Google translate and the help of friendly colleagues have got me to the point where Lectio and I are on good terms (unlike the school website it doesn’t just translate so there is much copying and pasting), and I know I will miss it dearly when we say goodbye.

For a few years now I have been attempting to start a class wiki (or something like one) that allows for and encourages communication in an on-line environment, the downfall has always been time, the amount of work I would have to put into it to make it work, not to mention that my time is wasted if the students aren’t putting in their own time too. Lectio does everything that I wanted in a class wiki and because it is the accepted way things work around here the students are accustomed to using it, or in the case of the new students, are forced to get accustomed to it.

I am new to the system, and it is still in Danish so I suspect there are layers that I don’t even know about, but so far I use it to check my schedule, assign homework, post assignments, e-mail students, post documents for class use, take attendance, receive assignments, search the library, and post grades.

Paper seems so last century. Come to think of it, so does BCESIS.