CHS has been using My Big Campus (MBC) since August of 2013. MBC is a Learning Management System (LMS) that provides a way for students to see teaching material and provide access to homework assignments. CUSD has been notified that MBC will cease to exist after summer 2015 due to financial issues with the company.

MBC was a social network created by LightSpeed, where students could interact in a public, yet safe and educational environment, because everything could be monitored and reported. This can help prevent bullying and can enforce appropriate online interactions and provide students with great learning opportunities and experiences.

LightSpeed is the “host-company” that carries the web filter for CUSD, MBC, and the Mobile Device Management System (MDMS), which CUSD uses for iPad testing, along with others. The company alone has invested millions of dollars into MBC, and could no longer afford it since few districts wanted to pay for its expensive services. This impacted the entire company. Because LightSpeed was not earning enough from MBC, they decided to close off the branch. Lightspeed is currently still in the process of having MBC bought out by another company. This way, there will still be a good chance that MBC will live on under new ownership.

“There is a possibility that we may not lose MBC. Enough teachers and districts were in shock when they were told MBC is possibly getting shut down. It allowed LightSpeed to realize that a lot of users really wanted MBC to stay,” Coordinator of Educational Technology, Cheryl Fiello, said.

LightSpeed gave MBC to customers who already had their filter and MDMS for free, along with professional development, which is what Claremont was offered. CUSD is unique because the district put a great amount of support behind all the technology. However, LightSpeed found that many other districts were not putting as many resources into MBC.

“Over the years, in response to classroom teachers, tech coordinators, and our core IT customers – [MBC] evolved into a powerful, collaborative LMS. We invested millions of dollars – but more importantly – our hearts and souls into trying make something useful – to solve the problem of how to safely access, share, and use Internet content in the classroom. And, frankly, we failed,” CEO of LightSpeed, Joel Heinrichs, said.

CUSD has put together a LMS search committee made up of 17 teachers from all schools within CUSD. They were asked to meet with CUSD and look at all the different options to develop criteria of what CUSD wants in an LMS and find a new source if MBC ceases to exist. From Moodle to MBC, CUSD has attempted to use LMS as a way of virtually connecting students and staff. To fill the place of MBC, CUSD is working on creating a new platform to help students connect with their teachers.