CBEA CONFERENCE OCTOBER 20, 2010 MRS. DEDERER BUSINESS TEACHER BETHEL HIGH SCHOOL Moodle

What is Moodle? Moodle is an Open Source Learning Management system. Similar to WebCT and Blackboard Moodle is an online tool that educators can use to interact and engage with students outside the classroom. Institutions use it as their platform to run online courses or blended learning.

Pedagogy Social Constructivist All of us are teachers as well as learners – in a true collaborative environment we are both. We learn well from the act of creating or expressing something for others to see. We learn by viewing the activity of our peers. A learning environment needs to be flexible and adaptable, so that it can quickly respond to the needs of the participants within it. By understanding the context of others, we can teach in a transformational way.

Moodle Advantages Using Moodle teachers can easily construct richly textured web based courses. Lessons consist of a number of lessons, with each lesson including reading resource and activities. Tailored learning resources to the abilities, learning styles, and interests of each student. Learning resources are available to students anywhere.

Advantages Cont … Semester courses are complete with all resources and ready to use. Students can be cleaned out and new students added in for each course. Educators create an online component to their traditional classroom setting. Moodle can save educators time and enhance the learning process for students while taking advantage of Multimedia. Video, Text, Animation, Sound, and Graphics Less papers to bring home to grade – assessment is online

Uses for Moodle Assessment Quizzes, submit homework, projects Collaboration Wiki, groups, cross-subject courses Communication Forums, messaging, homework feedback Student Wikis or forums, journals Offer downloads Subject course or handouts

Moodle Resources Web Page – create your own page Link to a file or Website– Microsoft Work (homework etc…) Post audio/video Podcasts/MP3 Videos – YouTube Display a directory – teachers can create a folder and place all resources there Easier than linking many single files

Moodle Activities Assignments – post instructions and students upload work to the specific assignment Deadlines can be set Refuse or accept late work Moodle indicates if the assignment was posted late Grade and provide feedback offline Choice – a simple multiple choice question; used as a poll Logs all the answers and provides the statistics

Moodle Activities Cont… Workshop – works like a super assignment Pick some students work Choose a theme Mark up the work Students look at exemplar material and mark examples Promotes students producing work that hits the marked theme Forum – allows a person to make a statement, give a point of view, or ask a question Students can reply to the forum and their peers Ratings can be assessed Turns into a threaded discussion Excellent for Current Events

Moodle Activities Cont … Quiz Best activity Types of Quiz: MC, short answer, numerical, true/false, matching, essay Marks the quiz for the teacher Pre-prepared questions make creating a quiz take a minutes work Build bank of questions Provides valuable feedback – What your students dont know. Examples: SAT questions When students finish the teacher can download a spreadsheet of marks listing all parts of the question

Disadvantages Moodle needs to be installed on a Web Server On your own computer - web hosting Your schools server

Grade Book No online grade book within your district Moodle Grade Book Create weighted categories All students for each class will automatically be entered Reports can be generated

Example Sites & More Information Springdale Schools Norwalk Public Schools Moodle Community