Speaker 1: A learning management system is designed to help teachers plan, implement, and assess learning. Typically, these systems include a wide variety of content delivery tools, announcement features, a gradebook, grading tools, and ways for teachers to monitor and assess student learning. There are many for-fee LMSs like Blackboard and Desire2Learn, however, there are free or freemium options as well. Freemium LMSs offer a free version and a paid-for edition that offers more features, particularly systems-level features like integration with the district's student information system. Moodle is a free open-source LMS. Moodle is totally free. That doesn't mean it's not going to cost you money. Certain optional peripherals and support from third parties can cost money, and your district will require some internal tech resources that are devoted to implementing and maintaining Moodle. It's also important to note that Moodle can be a bit more complicated for new users, so if usability is your prime consideration, this might not be the best fit. Canvas is a freemium LMS platform, but there are important limits to be aware of with a free account, so make sure to check those out. Canvas offers some very sophisticated course assembly tools, and although it's certainly easier for new users than Moodle, its user interface is not as intuitive as other platforms. Canvas lets users structure content in modules, has assignment discussion and quizzing features, a rubric tool, and lets educators stipulate prerequisites for modules that students must complete before the next module is unlocked. Schoology is another freemium option with a visually impressive interface and a high level of usability for new users. Schoology offers a flexible and user-friendly content delivery structure, automatic updates and reminders for students, a gradebook, robust quizzing tool, assignment and discussion tools, attendance and student usage trackers, a rubric tool, and the ability to create and award badges, plus an industry-leading mobile app. Like Canvas, content can be easily copied from course to course in your year. The paid-for version offers mastery tracking, which lets teachers assess student performance by standards, portfolios, and some more advanced features. Edmodo and Google Classroom are two more tools that are very popular with teachers, and which are often labeled as an LMS, but both are missing some key features that make them full-fledged LMSes. Edmodo has a nice interface that's modeled after social networking and allows teachers to post announcements, quizzes, assignments, and polls. However, it lacks a nice way to organize and deliver the content. The wall or newsfeed is organized chronologically, and it can become cumbersome for users to find items in this long list. Also, there is not a way to copy all of your content from class to class, so teachers need to repost all items from year to year, but frequently used items can be saved in your resource library. Google Classroom is completely free for Google Apps for Education users, and provides excellent workflow features for teachers, like automatically creating copies of assignments for students in their Google Drive, and it has an assignment tool for collecting student work. However, like Edmodo, it does not have a great way to organize the content. The central feed is chronological, which makes it hard to navigate to older content. It does not have features like a gradebook yet, attendance options, doesn't have analytics or quiz tools, but it certainly integrates very nicely with Google Drive. Like Edmodo, teachers need to recreate all posts from year to year, since content in the stream can't be rolled over into a new class. Google Classroom is relatively new, and I do expect its list of features to grow in the future, so be on the lookout for new features. Finally, some teachers opt to organize their content using a website. This website uses a hierarchy of pages to deliver the content by unit. If you are using a website, you're not going to have any gradebook or student tracking tools, and you will probably need to find some other options for collecting student work and tools that allow for student collaboration and discussion, but websites are certainly an option. Whatever tool you use, it's important to have a central hub for your digital content, where all of your learners know that the activities and content will be housed. When considering all the options, look for tools that enhance your workflow and which make it easy for your learners to access your digital content.