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This note is a positive review of my experience as part of the Garnet group during the spring semester 2005. As a first-year history faculty member at ULM, the group’s introduction to Blackboard has been extremely useful, allowing me to teach my courses more effectively. I have learned and applied the basic features of Blackboard; with the group’s help, I am moving toward managing my classes with some of the more complicated features of Blackboard. Thanks to Garnet, my World History students can now come to class with a set of lecture notes and ready to discuss our daily topics as well as ask and answer class questions. In ULM’s smart classrooms, I use Blackboard to project notes and as a source for web links. On-line Blackboard assignments have helped improve class discussions and my students’ grades. Garnet has also introduced me to the above and to additional means of contacting my students outside the classroom. This is invaluable for improving communications between my students and myself. Having the Garnet meetings once a week has provided me with a schedule that forces me to improve as a teacher. In particular, these meeting have allowed me to work with and receive advice from Gene Eller of Garnet. I would recommend and hope that Gene and Garnet return in fall 2005. For my part, I plan to continue to take part in the group and recommend it to others. |