Navigate 3.1.3 Tools within the LMS

Navigate 3.1.3 Tools within the LMS

The LMS (Learning Management System) can make a teacher's job much more efficient.  There are tools within the LMS to help teachers tremendously.

Which tools would be most valuable in the online classroom? 

The gradebook would be one of the most valuable tools in the LMS for an online classroom. Well any classroom. The gradebook can keep a running grade average and alleviate the need for teachers to calculate averages.
Secondly, discussions are a very valuable tool in the online environment.  Discussions open up a communication between peers as well as between student and instructor.

Which would be of least value?

Blogs, although a great skill to have, are of lesser value to me.  I just have not found the appeal in them.  They are a tool that offers the student a method of posting and writing about his/her understanding of a particular topic, but not my favorite by far.
I also am not a big fan of Instant messaging.  Most online classes are being taken because of scheduling issues, so the likelihood that the whole class will be available for instant messages is not good.