This year, State High is trapped in a digital limbo, with some teachers remaining on Google Classroom while others transition to Schoology, a new learning management system. Students must juggle two platforms, making organization harder than ever. This year was designed to serve as a transition period, but in reality, the split has only created confusion and stress. Instead of dividing the school between two systems, State High should stay on Google Classroom this year and then switch to Schoology together next year.
For students, the current situation is overwhelming. Keeping track of assignments on two different platforms makes staying organized a daily challenge. Sophomore Lucia Salvato shared her perspective.
“I don’t like it. I feel like I wouldn’t forget to do a lot of the assignments since there are two platforms, and I forget about Schoology a lot,” Salvato said.
Her point reflects a common experience. When assignments are spread across two different apps, it takes more time and effort to figure out where to look. Students have to switch between tabs, remember which teacher uses which system, and try to keep track of deadlines. The risk of forgetting work is real when announcements and due dates are spread out. Senior Sydnee Royer expressed a similar frustration.
“It is hard for me to go back and forth between Schoology and Google Classroom. It is more likely that I will miss an assignment or be less organized because I am getting assignments in two places instead of one,” Royer said.
Instead of helping students stay on top of their work, the transition period is setting them up for unnecessary stress. Teachers are also feeling the strain of juggling two systems. Social Studies teacher Matt Isham chose to stay with Google Classroom this year while he focuses on teaching two new classes.
“The main reason why is because the two classes I’m teaching this year are new to me, and I wanted to be able to focus on just those classes…without also learning the new Schoology system,” Isham said.
At the same time, Isham recognizes that the full transition is coming and said he thinks it will go smoothly next school year.
“I’ve already had a couple of trainings in Schoology already, so I think over the summer is when I will do the most work, and actually, you know, moving classes over,” Isham said. “I’ve heard a lot of other teachers, particularly in the math and sciences, are already on Schoology this year. I think the way it’s being rolled out and giving people the option, I think it’ll go pretty smoothly.”
Some may say that this year’s split gives the students a “practice period,” but that only benefits the small group of individuals whose teachers introduced them to Schoology. The majority are left balancing two systems at once, which is far more confusing than instructive.
Transitioning as a school community would cut down confusion and make the process smoother for students and teachers. If the entire school switched next year, the district could plan school-wide training and allow the students enough time to learn the new platform properly. A coordinated rollout would also give teachers the summer to prepare their courses and learn the system before trying to teach with it.
The best approach is to keep the entire school on Google Classroom this year, then move to Schoology together next year. That way, we’ll avoid confusion and keep the communication clear and consistent, and make the transition smoother for everyone.
