Is the Frog a Prince?
Is the Frog a Prince?
As a follow on to my previous VLE post I want to share the Frog VLE with any interested parties out there who are either frustrated by a VLE or have yet to activate one (Deadline is 2010 people!)
Shopping lists…
There are lots of VLEs out there, as I’ve always said you’ll never find one that does it all for you, but if you write your shopping list before buying you’ll get it as close to perfect as possible.
On the VLE shopping list you need to be considering how a potential VLE will help with a number of things, NOT just tick the “Yep, we have one of those VLE thingys”, so here are what I think you need on that list.
- A track record: we are now at a time in Education where VLEs are been around a few years, so you can start by looking at their record, all the data you can get on them!
- Engagement 1: Students need to engage with your VLE, its interface needs to be welcoming and recognisable to them! It needs to to allow them to do so many things with it that they can enjoy exploring its advanced features and plug ins!
- Engagement 2: Staff, this is a huge Key area, you MUST choose a VLE that inspires staff to use it! Just like students it’s interface needs to be familiar to them, its tools comprehensive!
- Support: Support to expand the VLE and use it on a daily basis needs to be a phone call or email click away!
- All in one: Parents, Students and Staff, data, communication, admin – WHY do we still use multi tools, programmes, and logins for all these things? Why not shop around for a VLE that can save time and confusion, bring it all under one roof and make everyone’s life simpler … And MORE PRODUCTIVE!
“…from out of the sky like a bomb comes some little punk in a rocket…”
(Toy story, “Strange things are happening..”)
All of a sudden the Frog seems to have lept up and jumped onto the radar for me!
So why am I so interested, excited and intrigued by this possible Prince in the guise of a Frog?
The Frog
Well, It’s no lie to say that Frog does everything on my shopping list ! Which is a very pleasant surprise indeed!
- Everyone I speak to says “Think Facebook” – which ticks the engaging students with a user friendly and recognisable interface!
- Support – Just type “Frog VLE” into Youtube, I counted 17 userguide videos! Now that for me says they know their user & what century we’re living in! Everyone clicks Youtube! So that covers support, innovation and engagement of staff (& students again)
- Adding files, adding websites and much much more just seems common place for the VLE, which should keep staff and students engaged with the learning resource deliver tools for hours and weeks and months!
- DATA, as with having a VLE the government also requires that parents have access to data about their son/daughter, Frog as a feature to include this into their platform! So that can bring T&L and Data under one roof! Amazing!
- AND…. I have heard tell, whispers on the internet that it is possible to manage the VLE to allow dual log in to Google Documents Education Edition through Frog, If you’ve read my earlier posts, or seen any of the E-Learning literature I’ve sent aound our Trust Schools you’ll know that Google Documents to me has a huge part to play in the chaging face of communication in education, so this IS an exciting feature!
Video Evidence…
Don’t just take my word on this – at the point of writing this Frog is the most used VLE in the UK! And I have managed to find a good Youtube video of Frog in action at a UK College.
Look at the interface of the VLE, its tools and functionality is explored extensively in the clip, the idea that they use their forums to allow chat beyond T&L as a way of engaging students with e-learning is fantastic!
Enjoy, form an opinion, answer some questions…
What features of Frog do you think are most engaging?
What do you think would be the extent of Frogs impact in your own school?
And…
Is Frog a Prince??
Post your thoughts here using the comments function 🙂
