Why not use ordinary web pages and Internet email to go online with your courses? Here's a few reasons to use Manhattan:
Unread messages are clearly marked with a red star. Your students will know at a glance when you've added, say, a new lecture to your online course.
The author of a message, whether student or teacher, can see the time and date their message was first opened by others in the classroom.
You, as the teacher, can view logs showing when students have entered the classroom and what they did when they got there.
The Post Office module is a self-contained email system that works independently of Internet mail. It's organized and reliable. Your students do not need to have email accounts, and you do not have to keep track of many email addresses.
The Assignments module provides an organized way to post assignments, receive student work, and provide feedback to that work. It's a far better solution than accepting written assignments by ordinary email.
No knowledge of web page design is necessary to teach online with Manhattan. Most teachers do quite well with what they already know - simple word processing. Yet Manhattan' s attach-a-web-site feature allows those interested in multimedia to include advanced learning materials in their courses.
Manhattan is very easy to use. Really!
Manhattan provides a consistent environment for online learning. Once a critical mass of students and teachers learn their way around the system, Manhattan will become a normal part of teaching and learning at your school.
Lastly, unlike other course management systems Manhattan is completely free, and completely open. There is no annual fee for the use of Manhattan by your school, and there are no advertisements. Anyone who wants to can download a complete copy of the system along with the underlying computer program instructions called source code that make Manhattan what it is, for free from its web site.
Manhattan's web address is http://manhattan.sourceforge.net. There you'll find the latest information on The Manhattan Virtual Classroom, including the latest version of this and other documentation. You will also be able to subscribe to an Internet mailing list devoted to Manhattan, where you can ask questions and learn about how others are using Manhattan to enhance their teaching and learning.