One of the key changes that happened during the pandemic was the shift of all classes to the online modality, children were having classes via the internet at the kitchen table or in their bedrooms. Teachers had to make do with what limited resources they had; it was extremely difficult in the early years of Covid19. Teachers were not prepared to carry out classes using the internet and they had to scramble to develop instructional materials that were suitable for the online interface.
This undoubtedly placed great stress on the teachers and instead of focusing on actually teaching their students, a huge chunk of their time was used for the preparation of materials, assignments, and activities. As such, many teachers felt that it was too much work and their mental health suffered from it. Fortunately, many of the computer software developers in the country were quick to develop programs that would make teaching online classes a bit easier and fun.
This is in the form of a school management software that was specifically designed for schools that are conducting online classes whether full-time or in a blended setup. What this software does is that it already has an integrated syllabus, lesson plans, and activities for a variety of subjects from kinder to senior high school. It, therefore, lessens the tasks of the teachers and allows them to focus more on engaging their students during classes, delivering instruction, and helping their students have a positive learning experience.
Moreover, the program has several added features like the management of the submission of assignments, an integrated grade book, customizable report cards that can be printed, a messaging system for parents and teachers, an online portal for teachers and students and it is entirely cloud-based and affordable.
This would mean that even small schools can use the school management system and they do not have to invest in new computers and infrastructure since it can easily be deployed and will not take up so much space and bandwidth. It can also work with other existing platforms, such as other free educational programs.
Why do you need school management software?
Online classes are here to stay, whether it is because of covid19 or any other illnesses that seem to find their way to most countries, having the option for students to go to in-person classes or online is one that parents would like to have. Coupled with the fact that some parents would feel that their children are safer at home learning than if they were in school.
As such, there is now a market for online classes that was not there before, and with the right kind of school management software, schools can not accommodate students who want to stay in the online modality. Having a blended curriculum in which students attend both in-person and online classes for a certain amount of time can be a nightmare for the school and the teachers, especially as they have to quickly adapt and adjust to it.
But with the help of an online school management software, this will be a cinch. On the other hand, this software does have a lot of functions that make teaching online classes more fun and enjoyable. The predesigned lesson plans can be used as is, or they can be customized by the teacher depending on her teaching style and the pace of the students. The teachers will be more than willing to conduct classes online as they do not have to deal with all the other tasks associated with online learning.
Moreover, for those schools that decide to have online classes only, the software will surely provide all the support that the teachers and schools need to manage online learning. Besides, the software is cloud-based which eliminates the need for large disk space, servers, and new computer hardware, it also lowers the cost of the program and can be very affordable even for small schools.
There is an integrated portal in which students and teachers can hold their classes, and have their classrooms, and students and teachers can interact. This will provide a space for students and teachers to exchange ideas, share stories and experiences, and overall have a positive experience.
How to install a school management system?
Before installing a school management system, one has to first decide which one to get as there is much available software on the market and each one has its advantages and disadvantages. However, the decision should always be based on functionality and costs, schools operate on a limited budget and will depend on the number of enrollees that they have, however, without an online school management system, they would also not be able to attract students.
This would mean that the school has to invest in software and its cost should be covered by the projected number of students they would have. Be sure to check out each software that you can come across and take advantage of demos and tours and even free trials before you finally decide on which one will best work for your needs and budget.
You need to focus your search on cloud-based software as these are the cheapest in the market as it does not require any hardware upgrades unless you have a very old system or network. Being cloud-based also means that you do not need to pay for the software in which you have the sole ownership, you can purchase it for access and this can be six months to a year.
If you are not satisfied with the program after a year, then you can terminate the subscription and look for another one. After which, the program can then be easily deployed in your school’s network, wherein it would take less than a day to install it and then provide your teachers with a brief orientation on how to use the program, and then the school is set to hold online classes.
There are companies that provide free training on how to use the different features of the program and this is a good way to be able to maximize the program and lessen the workload of the teachers.
