Blackboard: The New Way to Do Homework

In the not-too-distant past, an assignment evoked images of sharpened pencils and fresh erasers. Now, however, thanks to the Onondaga, Cortland and Madison County BOCES Blackboard website, assignments can be completed and turned in online with just a few clicks of a mouse.

According to its website, Blackboard is an educational tool that provides a "wide array of technology services" to further the students learning process. Interaction with the site, however, isn't limited to online assignments. Class notes can be posted here, along with homework descriptions and online papers. "It's a very powerful tool that we own," says Principal Paul Gasparini.

"You can never use all of it," says Charles Clinton, a math teacher at J-DHS, and a frequent user of the Blackboard website. "It expands the class day," he says, into times that might be more convenient to students. Mr. Clinton says he mostly uses the site to post notes taken in class. "This way, if a student misses a class, the notes are up for them to copy."

Matt Phillips, an English teacher at J-DHS, frequently uses Blackboard. In fact, in the eyes of some students, frequent is an understatement. A student who prefers to remain anonymous says, "Mr. Phillips kills it. We do tests on it, and instead of class work, we have to upload stuff. I hate it."

"For me, it helps to keep organized," says Mr. Phillips. "It's easy because all I have to do is carry around a laptop instead of a bag full of papers." This new benefit epitomizes the technological revolution taking here at J-DHS.

Junior David Rapp-Kirshner says, "It could become something like the Facebook of the academic world." He says that discussion boards and online assignments further the ever-growing communication between teachers and students.

Blackboard, however, isn't exclusive to J-DHS. It's being widely used at colleges across the country. Both Mr. Clinton and Mr. Gasparini agree that its use at the high school level helps to prepare students for college courses.

Patrick Murphy, a student teacher at J-DHS who attends Syracuse University has seen this use first hand. Because Mr. Murphy's class only meets once a week, he is required to have a certain number of posts on the discussion board that Blackboard provides.

Dave Distefano, a junior who uses Blackboard.com frequently, says that it is a positive tool. "It enhances my learning experience by 100 percent!"

Most students however, disagree with Distefano. "It's kind of obnoxious," says junior Taryn Dausman. "It's unnecessary."

Fellow junior Ali Rosser says, "It requires me to do more homework."

No matter what your opinion on Blackboard is, it's here. And it's not leaving anytime soon. "It presents an opportunity to expand the way we teach," says Mr. Gasparini.