Navigate 3.2.1 Tools for Deciding on an LMS

For the K-12 Online Learning Platform, these are among the most popular Learning Management Systems:

1. Moodle
2. Sakai
3. Blackboard
4. Desire2Learn
5. Canvas
6. Jenzabar
7. Loud Cloud
8. McGraw Hill Connect
9. Pearson Learning Studio
10. MindTap

I have experience working with Moodle as a teacher, and I grew to really love it. I particularly love that I can design a portion of the site but keep it hidden until a later date. This allowed me to work ahead without exposing my students to information before they were ready. Unfortunately, my school system saw weaknesses in its security features, so they chose not to renew our contract or update any new features.

I have experienced Blackboard and Desire2Learn as a graduate student. While the K-12 options may be different than what was available to me as a grad student, I was generally pleased with each LMS. I do remember that D2L required bi-weekly updates, so as a grad student through the University of West Georgia, I knew that I would not have access to D2L every other Friday night. That was inconvenient, but I learned to download any materials I might need so that I could continue working "offline" during those update times.