Moodle: Free On-line Classroom Tool Brian Pool National Trail Local Schools New Paris, Ohio

Background Systems Analysis at Miami University Programmed for NCR Corporation and Dayton Power and Light USAF –Active Duty Air Force for 11 Years T-37 Instructor MH-53 Special Ops Pilot IT Director –Reserves 6 Years C-141 Aircraft Commander IT Director NTLS Tech Coordinator & Teacher –5 Years

What is Moodle? M odular O bject- O riented D ynamic L earning E nvironment Like WebCT or Blackboard Free, open source software Can be used on any computer with Internet May be downloaded to your school server or hosted on outside sources

School Server or Outside Host? School servers are the best place to host Moodle. Outside hosts exist for a small fee or for free with limited capabilities. –Free –$0.95/mo _files/other/moodle.html _files/other/moodle.html

Outside Host Links – FREE, but limited spacewww.ninehub.com $0.95/mo hosting for Moodle _files/other/moodle.html _files/other/moodle.html More expensive options – $500-$600 yearwww.moodlerooms.com –Remote-learner.net $500-$600 yearRemote-learner.net

Getting Started Anyone can install Moodle! –No Administration Privileges Required! –No help is needed on your school intranet! Outside help is only needed for an internet server.

Basic Steps to 15 minute Moodle 1 - Download the appsDownload the apps –Moodle from Moodle.orgMoodle.org –XAMPP from portableapps.com portableapps.com XAMPP is for a sandbox, testing moodle, and a single class intranet for the unsupported teacher. A “real” installation needs more. 2 - Install the apps

Install XAMPP XAMPP is an integrated server package of Apache, mySQL, PHP and Perl (and more). Extract it and place it in the root directory of any drive. Start XAMPP by clicking on it. Done with the “server”! –This is the “hard part” of a production server installation.

Install Moodle. Extract Moodle and put it in the XAMPP/htdocs folder Make a moodledata directory in the xampp folder. Make the Moodle database Start the installation -

The Moodle Install.

Add Site info You are finished when you have created the main admin account and added your site information. You are ready to go!

Why do this? Moodle in general You need a sandbox to try things out. –New modifications –Configuration changes –Your own mods!

Benefits of Using Moodle Anytime, anywhere learning The software is FREE Students love anything on- line Grade homework without touching a single piece of paper or using printer ink!

Questions? Visit Try our site – Call me! –Tech Coordinator disclaimer applies