I will be teaching a staff development course this spring. The goal is to help teachers with limited technology skills set up and run their own Moodle sites. We will spend a lot of time, I am sure, on basic Windows and Internet stuff, but I would still like to become Moodle-literate (Moodliterate?).
Here is my *very rough draft* (not even proof-read or spell-checked, yet). I truly welcome any and all constructive feedback from the Moodle community. I would be especially interested in feedback about making the course a little less traditional and a little more constructivist. (Does that make sense?)
I am sure that your feedback will help me design a better course.
Thanks in advance,
Art Lader
Aiken HS
===============================================================
Building Educational Websites to Support Classroom Instruction:
Participants will learn to build web sites to enhance student learning and support classroom instruction using the free e-learning software "Moodle." (60 Staff Development Points)
Instructor: Art Lader, alader@aiken.k12.sc.us
Location: Aiken High School Annex Computer Lab
Meeting Times: 4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.
Textbook: Onine at http://moodle.org/doc/?file=teacher.html
Class 1, January 6
1. We will discuss the course: grades, projects, etc.
2. We will take a look at Moodle and its many modules to see what it is and is not.
3. We will set up courses.
4. We will create Moodle accounts and will enroll in each other's courses.
5. You will begin to post a syllabus to your course.
6. Homework: Visit http://www.moodle.org and spend fifteen to twenty minutes exploring the community forums.
Class 2, January 13
1. We will complete our syllabus.
2. We will take a closer look at the forum module.
3. You will add a "general concerns" forum to your course.
4. We will visit each other's courses and will take part in discussions in the forums.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 3, January 20
1. You will upload resources (handouts, worksheets, bibliographies, etc.) to your course and we will make these resources available to your students.
2. We will visit and contribute to the courses in which we have enrolled.
3. You will continue developing your course.
4. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 4, January 27
1. We will take a closer look at the assignment module.
2. You will add an assignment to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. We will continue devloping our courses.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 5, February 3
1. We will take a closer look at the quiz module.
2. You will add a multiple-choice practice quiz to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 6, February 10
1. We will take a closer look at the journal module.
2. You will add a journal to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 7, February 17
1. We will take a closer look at linking to external pages.
2. You will add three external links to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 8, February 24
1. We will take a closer look at the choices module.
2. You will add a choice to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 9, March 2
1. We will take a closer look at the glossary module.
2. You will add a small glossary to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 10, March 9
1. We will take a closer look at the backup module.
2. You will back up your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 11, March 16
1. We will visit each other's courses.
2. You will continue developing your course.
3. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 12, March 23
1. We will visit each other's courses.
2. You will continue developing your course.
3. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 13, March 30
1. We will visit each other's courses.
2. You will continue developing your course.
3. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 14, April 13
1. We will visit each other's courses.
2. You will continue developing your course.
3. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 15, April 20
1. Class will be held at Ferrando's Italian Pizzeria, 231 The Alley, Aiken, SC 29801 (Phone: 803-643-7399). We will discuss the joys of Moodling.
second draft
Building Educational Websites to Support Classroom Instruction:
Participants will learn to build web sites to enhance student learning and support classroom instruction using the free e-learning software "Moodle." (60 Staff Development Points)
Instructor: Art Lader, alader@aiken.k12.sc.us
Location: Aiken High School Annex Computer Lab
Meeting Times: 4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.
Textbooks
* http://moodle.org/doc/?file=teacher.html
* http://moodle.org/docs/teacher-matt.html
* http://ahshornets.moodle.com/file.php/1/teacher_moodle.swf
Class 1, January 6
1. We will discuss the course: grades, projects, etc.
2. We will take a look at Moodle and its many modules to see what it is and is not.
3. We will set up courses.
4. We will create Moodle accounts and will enroll in each other's courses.
5. You will begin to post a syllabus to your course.
6. Homework: Visit http://www.moodle.org and spend fifteen to twenty minutes exploring the community forums.
Class 2, January 13
1. We will complete our syllabus.
2. We will take a closer look at the forum module.
3. You will add a "general concerns" forum to your course.
4. We will visit each other's courses and will take part in discussions in the forums.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 3, January 20
1. You will upload resources (handouts, worksheets, bibliographies, etc.) to your course and we will make these resources available to your students.
2. We will visit and contribute to the courses in which we have enrolled.
3. You will continue developing your course.
4. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 4, January 27
1. We will take a closer look at the assignment module.
2. You will add an assignment to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. We will continue devloping our courses.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 5, February 3
1. We will take a closer look at the quiz module.
2. You will add a multiple-choice practice quiz to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 6, February 10
1. We will take a closer look at the journal module.
2. You will add a journal to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 7, February 17
1. We will take a closer look at linking to external pages.
2. You will add three external links to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 8, February 24
1. We will take a closer look at the choices module.
2. You will add a choice to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 9, March 2
1. We will take a closer look at the glossary module.
2. You will add a small glossary to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 10, March 9
1. We will take a closer look at the backup module.
2. You will back up your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 11, March 16
1. We will take a closer look at the workshop module.
2. You will add a workshop to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 12, March 23
1. We will take a closer look at the chat module.
2. You will add a chatroom to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 13, March 30
1. We will take a closer look at the lable module.
2. You will add a lable to your couse.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 14, April 13
1. We will take a closer look at the survey module.
2. You will add a survey to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class.
Class 15, April 20
1. Class will be held at Ferrando's Italian Pizzeria, 231 The Alley, Aiken, SC 29801 (Phone: 803-643-7399). We will discuss the joys of Moodling.
Okay, the syllabus continues to evolve, but since it has not generated any interest, I won't bother to keep posting updated versions... I do wonder, though, if anyone can point me to a bulleted list of effective strategies for the moderators of Moodle forums/communities... "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Moodle-Moderators" or something like that.
I have found some helpful resources about facilitating online learning, but they are all too comprehensive for my little course and my timid Newbies. (I would distill the contents of these resources into a list myself, but I do not think, frankly, that I have been all that effective in leading my own Moodle community and am hesitant to create such a list until I have gotten better at it myself. I am NOT degrading myself, by the way, just trying to be objective.)
Thanks for any advice you may have for me.
And have a Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
I have found some helpful resources about facilitating online learning, but they are all too comprehensive for my little course and my timid Newbies. (I would distill the contents of these resources into a list myself, but I do not think, frankly, that I have been all that effective in leading my own Moodle community and am hesitant to create such a list until I have gotten better at it myself. I am NOT degrading myself, by the way, just trying to be objective.)
Thanks for any advice you may have for me.
And have a Happy New Year!
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Art,
I have been reading your posts and trying to come up with suggestions. I think its hard because we truly do not know your audience. Let me just give you this tip, HAVE THEM DO IT. If it where me and at my school I would hold the first class, on how to setup your classroom in moodle in person. Then every class after that would be held online, using moodle itself as the way to communicate with the teachers. My experience with having teachers use the simplest of tools such as e-mail has been lets say more work then its worth. So I simply started all correspondence via e-mail, and if they missed a meeting or was in the dart on things going on around the school then it is simply there fault for not checking mail. Now I am glade to say 100% of the staff use e-mail. Do the same with Moodle, make a point of having each teacher record a learning journal or something, once they use it they will want it.
Dear Floyd,
My fellow K-12 educators an I will have 45 contact hours (face-to-face instruction in a pretty decent lab). The students will be almost exclusively newbies to anything like Moodle. It may be that a couple have used Blackboard, but that's it. Yes, many of them will be the kind of students who do have trouble opening e-mail attachments. I am pretty sure that they will be overwhelmed by Moodle, but that they will instantly see its potential to help them improve the courses they teach.
In the end, they will do what they think is best for their students, and I think that learning to integrate Moodle into their instruction will be GREAT for their students. I think they'll see that right away.
You are right, I am sure, that they will learn best by doing. We will simply be extremely patient, gentle and encouraging. And your journal idea is right on the money, I think. Thanks.
At any rate, as far as the nuts and bolts of Moodle are concerned, I think we'll get by.
My bigger concern is that there are important aspects of Moodle that I cannot seem to master. I still have a hard time helping my students collaborate in true, meaningful ways, for example. I can see that the workshop module is perfect for this, but somehow, the workshop assignments that I create seem to be forced and unnatural. The collaborative aspect of the assignment always seems to be just a simple division of labor, nothing more. In my mind, true collaboration should yield something more than just the sum of the parts, something more than the product any one of the students could have created on his own. But how?
And when I look at what my students are doing in the forums, well, most of it is a lot less than profound. I know that leading an online community is probably as much an art as it is a science, but there still must be some simple, strightforward best-practices I am not engaging in. There always are, right?
If possible, I guess that I would like to be able to pass on to the students in this course a little of the Zen of Moodle, but I am not really sure how to go about it. I can feel that there is something in this software that can help me become a better teacher, but I never really seem to find it. Frankly, I have become somewhat frustrated, because I have always thought of myself as a pretty fair classroom instructor. But this online stuff is making me feel a tad inadequate...
Well, enough of the pity-party. But if someone were to give me a few pointers, I would be very appreciative.
Thanks,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
My fellow K-12 educators an I will have 45 contact hours (face-to-face instruction in a pretty decent lab). The students will be almost exclusively newbies to anything like Moodle. It may be that a couple have used Blackboard, but that's it. Yes, many of them will be the kind of students who do have trouble opening e-mail attachments. I am pretty sure that they will be overwhelmed by Moodle, but that they will instantly see its potential to help them improve the courses they teach.
In the end, they will do what they think is best for their students, and I think that learning to integrate Moodle into their instruction will be GREAT for their students. I think they'll see that right away.
You are right, I am sure, that they will learn best by doing. We will simply be extremely patient, gentle and encouraging. And your journal idea is right on the money, I think. Thanks.
My bigger concern is that there are important aspects of Moodle that I cannot seem to master. I still have a hard time helping my students collaborate in true, meaningful ways, for example. I can see that the workshop module is perfect for this, but somehow, the workshop assignments that I create seem to be forced and unnatural. The collaborative aspect of the assignment always seems to be just a simple division of labor, nothing more. In my mind, true collaboration should yield something more than just the sum of the parts, something more than the product any one of the students could have created on his own. But how?
And when I look at what my students are doing in the forums, well, most of it is a lot less than profound. I know that leading an online community is probably as much an art as it is a science, but there still must be some simple, strightforward best-practices I am not engaging in. There always are, right?
If possible, I guess that I would like to be able to pass on to the students in this course a little of the Zen of Moodle, but I am not really sure how to go about it. I can feel that there is something in this software that can help me become a better teacher, but I never really seem to find it. Frankly, I have become somewhat frustrated, because I have always thought of myself as a pretty fair classroom instructor. But this online stuff is making me feel a tad inadequate...
Well, enough of the pity-party. But if someone were to give me a few pointers, I would be very appreciative.
Thanks,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Art,
Try and think of Moodle as an extension of your classroom. You sound like a very dynamic teacher, and your online classroom should be no different. In my experience each teacher will use Moodle differently. For example, in my class I use it to communicate with my students, give assignments, journals, the forums are used for senior project collaborations and web links for term paper assignments. We have another teacher who uses it for web quests and keeping daily journals. I have one teacher who uses it primarily to give test and prep for exams. One teacher uses it to post all his power point lectures and provide information the student will need through out the semester.
However you use it, the same thing seems to be consistent. Its a tool, an extension of a real classroom. But a classroom with no walls, and where students can utilize its most powerful feature and that being communication with the instructor and other students.
And as you have said, the forums sometimes become more of a way for students to abuse then use. What I and the other staff at my school have done is to set guidelines for the use of the forums. Each forum has a purpose and the student must conduct themselves as they would in my classroom while having a group chat. Again an extension of my classroom, the same applies online as it does in my face to face setting. I wish you luck with your integration, and I think your frustration is the same as many of us have. We just need to keep sharing and providing each other with what works, and what does not work.
Well, Floyd, you're probably right, but...
I have always known that Moodle could help me do the old, normal things better, but I have had the feeling, also, that it could help me accomplish new stuff (I don't know what, just "stuff"). I have always had the feeling that I was underutilizing Moodle. I still think that.
And when I look at the Moodles that I have set up for my German courses, I am truly underwhelmed.
Partly, I need to get my students doing simple stuff like uploading sound files they have made with Windows recorder. We could carry on something close to a real conversation like that. And I think I need to get my students to design a Moodle. They should be the teachers. (The "going shopping in German Moodle," maybe.) Or we could write a song together. Even first-year students might be able to write a simple one. Even simple stuff like that would help, I think.
I guess that Moodle is really no different than chalk. In the right teacher's hands...
See what happens when I get a day or two off? Not healthy, really...
In any event, we can simply focus on "the how-to's of Moodle" in my staff development course.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
I have always known that Moodle could help me do the old, normal things better, but I have had the feeling, also, that it could help me accomplish new stuff (I don't know what, just "stuff"). I have always had the feeling that I was underutilizing Moodle. I still think that.
And when I look at the Moodles that I have set up for my German courses, I am truly underwhelmed.
Partly, I need to get my students doing simple stuff like uploading sound files they have made with Windows recorder. We could carry on something close to a real conversation like that. And I think I need to get my students to design a Moodle. They should be the teachers. (The "going shopping in German Moodle," maybe.) Or we could write a song together. Even first-year students might be able to write a simple one. Even simple stuff like that would help, I think.
I guess that Moodle is really no different than chalk. In the right teacher's hands...
See what happens when I get a day or two off? Not healthy, really...
In any event, we can simply focus on "the how-to's of Moodle" in my staff development course.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
I've had courses where I just shrugged and said "yeah, Moodle was a great resource and made everyone's life easier amidst learning" [yep, that's the worse case scenario ]. But I've also had classes where Moodle was just a fantastic contribution to the class, not only making the class easier to administer, but fundamentally raising the quality of the class.
There are two big things that, in retrospect, I've come to see as contributing to making that jump from convenience to fundamentally better learning.
1.When Moodle's features are used to fundamentally shift how involved students are in their own learning. The peer review in exercises and workshops, along with the glossary function, have all led to fundamentally different assignments for some of my courses, with some great results. Getting students engaged in self and peer evaluation is a critical part of building skills in self-directed learning.
In many of my courses students are responsible for leading a class meeting--getting reading material, facilitating class discussion, making assignments, etc. Some tech savvy students have asked me to create their own Moodle class web page for their topic. They're instructors for that "class"/topic, and can add reading material, assignments, etc. It's not an option all the time, but its been great when students have used Moodle to make the transition from student to teacher (and of course, teaching is one of the best ways to learn a topic )
2. When Moodle contributes to the class community. I think the quality of community and relationships in a course is a drastically under-appreciated aspect of learning. We're doing better with recognizing the value of group work, but I think we still have a long way to go in understanding and improving the class learning community as a whole.
Since Moodle's philosophical underpinning is social constructivism, it makes a nice reminder about the importance of context, community, and relationships. .I've found that having students include pictures of themselves isn't some trivial thing or just handy because it helps me learn names--it allowed for a sense of community as people got to know one another by name and learn about their unique quirky interests. That might not be typical of high school classes, but college students often folks won't know the name or a single fact about more than two or three of their classmates.
It's also been rewarding when I've stumbled across ways to make a given Moodle course page fit the unique character of the community/class of folks it's for. For example, when one of my assignments involved students taking photographs of the "most beautiful places on campus" (start of a lesson on aesthetics), the top three pictures selected by the students became the banner of the course. In all my classes I take a "final class picture" on the last day of class, which students now always ask to be posted on the web page. I'm still trying to ponder up some other ways to personalize and humanize class pages to be congruent and reinforce the unique class community each serves (ideas?).
None of this is meant to discount the incredible benefit of Moodle just making course logistics far more convenient. That's nothing to sneeze at--more time spent on focusing on class quality instead of class logistical minutia. But still, I think it's really rewarding and fun to see what Moodle can do beyond that.
John
Holly Smokes,,, YEAH what John just said sums it up... Good job John.
Dear John,
I have been thinking a lot about your post... Mostly, I teach German at a high school, but it seems like everything you mention is actually doable at our level.
As far as my staff development course is concerned, surely what I need to add to my syllabus is this idea of building community. During the first class, for example, we will be creating our profiles and starting to get to know each other. This is an ideal opportunity to begin creating our own online community. Each class, we should, of course, continue the process. Not as a big-deal, separate activity, just as an organic, natural part of Moodling.
I appreciate the time that you and Floyd have taken to share your thoughts and ideas with me. I look forward to any other feedback that you have for me.
And Happy New Year, too!
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
I have been thinking a lot about your post... Mostly, I teach German at a high school, but it seems like everything you mention is actually doable at our level.
As far as my staff development course is concerned, surely what I need to add to my syllabus is this idea of building community. During the first class, for example, we will be creating our profiles and starting to get to know each other. This is an ideal opportunity to begin creating our own online community. Each class, we should, of course, continue the process. Not as a big-deal, separate activity, just as an organic, natural part of Moodling.
I appreciate the time that you and Floyd have taken to share your thoughts and ideas with me. I look forward to any other feedback that you have for me.
And Happy New Year, too!
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Hallo Art,
some weeks ago I found some interesting advices for the trainer from Martin in this Text http://dougiamas.com/writing/edmedia2003/ (look at The second year /outcomes).
"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Moodle-Moderators" I will try it in german and i think you can translate it.
- Der Moderator stellt Fragen, die motivieen, sich zu beteiligen.
- Fragen des/der Moderator/in, helfen Antworten zu finden.
- Er/sie gibt Hinweise, die zum Entdecken von Lösungen führen.
- Er/sie fordert weniger aktive Teilnehmer/innen auf, eigene Ideen zu formulieren. Zum Beispiel: Hallo Art, ich habe von Dir noch nichts zum Thema gehört, was hältst Du von Martins Einschätzung?
- Der Moderator gibt positive Einschätzungen und Kommentare ab. Kritische und negative Antworten vermeidet er/sie.
- Der Moderator eröffnet und schließt Diskussionen.
- Der Moderator gibt nur in Ausnahmefällen selber die Antworten.
Lieber Ralf,
ich finde Ihre Liste super - praktisch und spezifisch aber nicht überwältigend. Die Lehrer, die an meinem Kurs teilnehmen werden, können sowas sicherlich gut gebrauchen. [Ich auch, natürlich.] Ich bedanke mich bei Ihnen für diese "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Moodle-Moderators".
Ich würde gern wissen, was Sie von Johns Ideen halten. Ich finde seine Bemerkungen sehr gut. Diese "Online Community" Komponente könnte der wichstigste Bestandteil von Moodle sein, finde ich. Wie sehen Sie das?
Übrigens - wollen wir uns duzen?
MfG,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
ich finde Ihre Liste super - praktisch und spezifisch aber nicht überwältigend. Die Lehrer, die an meinem Kurs teilnehmen werden, können sowas sicherlich gut gebrauchen. [Ich auch, natürlich.] Ich bedanke mich bei Ihnen für diese "Seven Habits of Highly Effective Moodle-Moderators".
Ich würde gern wissen, was Sie von Johns Ideen halten. Ich finde seine Bemerkungen sehr gut. Diese "Online Community" Komponente könnte der wichstigste Bestandteil von Moodle sein, finde ich. Wie sehen Sie das?
Übrigens - wollen wir uns duzen?
MfG,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Third Draft -- Please feel free to let me know what you really think!
Building Educational Websites to Support Classroom Instruction: Participants will learn to build web sites to enhance student learning and support classroom instruction using the free e-learning software "Moodle." (60 Staff Development Points)
Instructor: Art Lader, alader@aiken.k12.sc.us
Location: Aiken High School Annex Computer Lab
Meeting Times: 4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.
Textbooks
* http://moodle.org/doc/?file=teacher.html
* http://moodle.org/docs/teacher-matt.html
* http://ahshornets.moodle.com/file.php/1/teacher_moodle.swf
Class 1, January 6
1. We will discuss the course: grades, projects, etc.
2. We will take a look at Moodle and its many modules to see what it is and is not.
3. We will set up courses.
4. We will create Moodle accounts and will enroll in each other's courses.
5. You will begin to post a syllabus to your course.
6. Homework: (1) Visit http://www.moodle.org and spend fifteen to twenty minutes exploring the community forums. (2) Optional: If necessary, find or create a more appropriate icon to upload to your profile.
Class 2, January 13
1. You will complete your syllabus.
2. We will take a closer look at the forum module.
3. You will add a "general concerns" forum to your course.
4. We will visit each other's courses and will take part in discussions in the forums.
5. We will read and discuss "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Moodle-moderators."
6. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add your favorite quotation about life, school, love, etc., to your profile.
Class 3, January 20
1. We will discuss facilitating online learning.
2. You will upload resources (handouts, worksheets, bibliographies, etc.) to your course and will make these resources available to your students.
3. We will visit and contribute to the courses in which we have enrolled.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add the name(s) of your favorite song(s) to your profile.
Class 4, January 27
1. We will take a closer look at the assignment module.
2. You will add an assignment to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. We will continue devloping our courses.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add your favorite food(s) to your profile.
Class 5, February 3
1. We will take a closer look at the quiz module.
2. You will add a multiple-choice practice quiz to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add your favorite place(s) to your profile.
Class 6, February 10
1. We will take a closer look at the journal module.
2. You will add a journal to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add your pet peeve(s) to your profile.
Class 7, February 17
1. We will take a closer look at linking to external pages.
2. You will add three external links to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add a link to your favorite web site to your profile.
Class 8, February 24
1. We will take a closer look at the choices module.
2. You will add a choice to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add the name(s) of your favorite book(s) to your profile.
Class 9, March 2
1. We will take a closer look at the glossary module.
2. You will add a small glossary to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add the attributes that you look for in a friend to your profile.
Class 10, March 9
1. We will take a closer look at the backup module.
2. You will back up your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Add a personal or professional goal for the future to your profile.
Class 11, March 16
1. We will take a closer look at the workshop module.
2. You will add a workshop to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Continue developing your profile.
Class 12, March 23
1. We will take a closer look at the chat module.
2. You will add a chatroom to your site.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Continue developing your profile.
Class 13, March 30
1. We will take a closer look at the label module.
2. You will add a label to your couse.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: (1) Locate materials and resources for your course. Please bring them with you to our next class. (2) Optional: Continue developing your profile.
Class 14, April 13
1. We will take a closer look at the survey module.
2. You will add a survey to your course.
3. We will visit each other's courses.
4. You will continue developing your course.
5. Homework: Optional: Continue developing your profile.
Class 15, April 20
1. Class will be held at Ferrando's Italian Pizzeria, 231 The Alley, Aiken, SC 29801 (Phone: 803-643-7399). We will discuss the joys of Moodling and will enjoy authentic New York pizza.
2. Homework: Continue Moodling!
Just my 5 cents - close reading your third outline, the comments, and also reflecting on things that went wrong/good in my own approaches to introduce Moodle and other products in the past:
What I like in your apporach is that you organise live meetings with your colleagues, especially the last one! From all the things we tried in the past, this one always works great!
- Do not talk to much about that great Moodle from you, lets them just start using it as a simple outline tool soon as possible, it is just that simple: a kind of syllabus, studyguide, etc
- Do not talk about all what is possible with Moodle, that's for some very initimidating
- Instead of that give them as little info as possible to start with...
- ..and give the other information when they ask for it. (during design, see later on)
- "enroll in each others courses during class 1 and 2?" they are still rather empty then..
- label got very much attention: instedad of that combine it with other layout-handies, like the indent-option in the sections
- Don't try double innovation from the start. Just show them how Moodle can be an extension of their own teaching experience: let them take their favorit class from previous year, ask them what they did like in that previous year, copy that to moodle.
Old wine in new bottles, so what? What is there against good old wine? - In the second/third design-run you (NO, THEY!!) change little by little their old approach when they discover how easy it is to bring in more/rich activities for students by using some of the options from Moodle..
WARNING: There is nothing wrong when teachers want to wait another year with the more dangerous Moodle things.. Even advice them not to begin with a very complex workshop in their firts run... But help them with all your power if they still try
Start your class 1 with a presentation of a real Moodle: a demo course with the flavours of a Good Soc.Constr. Design...DO not tell them, they tell it you when you raise clever questions.. Let them first enroll as a student: let them experience how a student tries to see logic/sense in a Moodle: Help them (and later the students) by showing them the syllabus-methaphor in Moodle:
- A moodle is like a syllabus, it shows all the resources and actions nicely organised in sections under topics or week-themes (use the third forum approach in a separeted Moodle for their own questions during the runtime oof your 15 classes)
- Show them how a student can put only one section on the screen, together with the always present section ZERO
- Show them WHY section zero is their always and what they can put in that section
- Show them how a student can choose an activity in a section and how easy a student can jump to the previous or next activity (previous /next button) or even can jump to another section (dropdown&choose) Stress after that the importance of well choosen names for sections and logical order of tasks in a section, and the meaning of indent and labels...
- Do a quick poll, let them experience a Moodle-chat with 20 teachers in a room, show them then the better structure of a forum. (from that day on they will choose the latter)
OK,now they are ready for design, so take the designer perspective:
- try to form groups, working together on the same course, show them the option of the teacher forum,on the bottom left in the teacher toolbox
- Show them how handy it is to collect and organise resources in the teacher-resources-box
- let them draw an outline of a syllabus, right away in Moodle: do it together in a kind of guided brainstorm: start with topic-titles, put one topic on each Moodle-card - sorry section - then reorganise in a discussion the logical order of these sections.
Then zoom in on a section: do a brainstorm again for resources and tasks in that section, then reorganise the order of the entries in a groupdiscussion. - Then show them the trics for finding topic-related free resources on the internet: that's the homework!
The following meetings you could do a design process in several rounds:
- Let them create the syllabus with section titles (student use in mind..)
- past the reources on it: discuss the use of guiding texts in the titles, like "start a core-resource always with CORE<resource title> and the others with EXTRA<resource title> So students can decide to do the minimal or more...
- when the resources are in place, ask them to think about wished student activities connected with these resources: alone... together with other students?
show them the modules they ask for.. I bet the first one will be Quizz, then assignment, then forum - Then stress the differences with last year: students should take more initiatives themselves, so what can you do to motivate them, to help them to start earlier: ask their opionions: polls, journals or chats, ask in more detail: forums, show them their progress, results etc..
- Stress the importance of live meetings, also for feedback: make meeting-announcements in Moodle, show the appoitment option...
- ...and then show them all the possibilities for "second best feedback" by using ICT : public in forum, privat in dialogue, privat in journals etc
- DO also not forget to show them the need for monitoring students that are not always in your classroom: attendance, activity overviews, bring in homework,..
- start discussing the construction and sharing of knowledge: glossary, library,
- then the hard part: open assignments, scales, exercises, workshops
So design rounds: first resources in places, then activities, then organising feedback, then monitoring, then...
Whew, Ger, that's a lot to digest. Thanks for taking the time to post such a comprehensive response.
Just a few questions/comments:
I would say that your main points seem to be
1. keep the course as simple as possible;
2. let the students learn by doing;
3. teach them how to construct a solid, user-friendly Moodle;
4. start by showing the students how Moodle can help them better do the ordinary, normal things they have to do and carefully build up to the more sophisticated stuff
Or am I misunderstanding something?
I was thinking of looking at Martin's "Using Moodle" course to help my students understand what Moodle is. I thought we'd take a look at his "Open Source" course, too.
I very much like your idea of our collaborating on a simple demo course together. I need a good topic, though. Any suggestions?
I have never used the library module. Do you use it a lot? Do you think it's important?
What is ICT? (Sorry.)
What do you think about placing emphasis on how Moodle can help in creating an online culture or community (as advised above)? This seems to me to be a very worthy objective.
I also think the earlier suggestion of having the students maintain a learning journal is a very good one and i want to work that into the syllabus. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Do you not think that enrolling and participating in each other's courses will help them view Moodle as does a student? Since there are so many of us, maybe they should just particpate in our class Moodle. Maybe this would be a little less chaotic. Having fifteen or twenty students participating in fifteen of twenty classes could be overwhelming, I guess.
I am sure that you are right about the chat module! The average age in the class will be over forty, and I already know that chatting will make them all a little crazy.
What do you mean by "the teacher resources box"? (Sorry.)
That's all for now. I have to reread your post.
Thanks again, Ger.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Just a few questions/comments:
I would say that your main points seem to be
1. keep the course as simple as possible;
2. let the students learn by doing;
3. teach them how to construct a solid, user-friendly Moodle;
4. start by showing the students how Moodle can help them better do the ordinary, normal things they have to do and carefully build up to the more sophisticated stuff
Or am I misunderstanding something?
I was thinking of looking at Martin's "Using Moodle" course to help my students understand what Moodle is. I thought we'd take a look at his "Open Source" course, too.
I very much like your idea of our collaborating on a simple demo course together. I need a good topic, though. Any suggestions?
I have never used the library module. Do you use it a lot? Do you think it's important?
What is ICT? (Sorry.)
What do you think about placing emphasis on how Moodle can help in creating an online culture or community (as advised above)? This seems to me to be a very worthy objective.
I also think the earlier suggestion of having the students maintain a learning journal is a very good one and i want to work that into the syllabus. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Do you not think that enrolling and participating in each other's courses will help them view Moodle as does a student? Since there are so many of us, maybe they should just particpate in our class Moodle. Maybe this would be a little less chaotic. Having fifteen or twenty students participating in fifteen of twenty classes could be overwhelming, I guess.
I am sure that you are right about the chat module! The average age in the class will be over forty, and I already know that chatting will make them all a little crazy.
What do you mean by "the teacher resources box"? (Sorry.)
That's all for now. I have to reread your post.
Thanks again, Ger.
Best regards,
Art Lader
For a starter project you could take a subject you all have in common: one that you can use later for example is Study Skills:
- collect all the things you all did during your own study carreer to learn things better
- isn't that what we all try to teach to our current students, sharing experiences?
- collect them in sections, add descriptions, collect things from the internet, paste.. etc....
- add a forum on places where you want to discuss things out
- group the sections in similarity
- of course you will have special groups for languages and others for maths and..
- add one section after each group with two polls on it
- poll one: which of the previous ones do you like the most
- poll two: which of the previous ones did YOU REALLY USE
A more simple project: create together a Moodle about close reading: The first thing in all courses:
READ WHAT IS WRITTEN THERE, USE THE CLUES FROM THE WRITER
I like this little example, taken from structured writing (Horn):
- Put the information from an essay in a scheme
- compare how fast a user can read it when you compare it with the reading of the full blown essay. (Maybe: put a javascript counter on the page...)
Yes, my main point is: Start easy and start with what they already know good: teaching.
- I started with a group, showing them all the nice things of Moodle, nothing happened
- Then some from the same group asked me to restart just with quizzes not all those difficult things, we did, and now they use more and more the other things of Moodle..
Using the journal as your first elegant innovation tool is a good idea, I think: it is not really a new kind of student activity, but for the first time a version where teachers can manage the logistics.
(But a journal in every course will be overkill, students will hate you for it: advice theachers to use it only If they want to stress..etc..)
I mentioned the library is an example of a collabtool, but maybe to difficult for a starter, so avoid it.I use Swiki as a hibrid guest-tool, but would prefer to have one integrated in Moodle. Only a single teacher did try Library at our schools, not a success yet.
I hope that eWiki will be integrated in Moodle soon, that's much easier.
(The same for workshops: to difficult to start with.What you can do instead of workshops is showing them the WORD exercise example of Ray form the course exchange area: a course with only one kind of activity in it. I like the idea and the way it is used very much...)
ICT= information and COMMUNICATION technology (before it was IT, now iCt)
Community building: I Still like the idea, we did try it six years ago with TeLeTOP, but it did not work out as expected:
- We expected a lot from creating global glossaries, but nobody picked it up..
- Most people prefer live meetings, that is your starting base, from that point only some will start to use the ICT-tools: We had part-time students and fulltime (on campus) students in the same courses: the on campus students hardly used the ICT-tools althouhg they had very fast connections in their dorms, the off-campus students lived in the tools despite their telephone-connection.
- Only a small group, interested in a very specific topic - like we now have with Moodle - will use it that way, the rest of the teachers will ask you and me:
"He Art, is this possible with Moodle? Ask those guys from you.."
Teacher resources box? ....AHUM, In the past they collected resources in a cardboard-box taking it to their classroom, now they have a Moodle-resources-box: resources.
I sell them metaphors..
In the same way I talked about task-cards in Moodle: a set or stock of max. 52 topic-cards with resources and tasks on it. You can shuffle the cards, etc.. (Martin is not ammused with this word TaskCards, so I promissed to talk about sections instead... and this was also before the White House came up with their Iraq-cardgame.)
You use the word Syllabus, that is more close to the metaphor-word I use now in Dutch: Studyguide
(in our language syllabus is what you call the reader. Another language difference: we say Rooster when you say timetable, while we thought that roster had for you the meaning: "things to do", that's what Oxford American Dictionary told us..)
So, Studyguide..
- It sounds more educational
- It has the spirit of Moodle: a study GUIDE, not a study obligation, student chooses
- Since I use the word studyguide they understand as teachers what Moodle can do for them, no further expalanation needed, amazing what a single word can do..
- I call Moodle now a Studyguideplus
- Moodle is like a normal studyguide, but has to offer extra things...
Looking in each other courses: looks so wise, but French teachers are only interested in French examples, Mathematicians..etc.. so their resources-community will outside the school.. The community inside the school will talk about how to help students, what do we have in common, how can we better... What pbrings you back to the first eaxmple.
Best wishes, Ger
(And I like your action: send me the final reader please and make me guest..)
Ger,
After looking again at my studyguide (nice term) and your remarks, I have the impression that, based upon your experiences, I have been a little too ambitious. Maybe something like this might be more in line with your thinking. I think it also takes into account some very helpful observations/suggestions made by others in this thread.
Class One
1. In order to understand Moodle, we will look at a couple of existing Moodles.
2. We will begin designing a "Study Skills" Moodle together.
3. We will begin developing our profile pages.
4. Homework: Begin thinking about your own Moodle. Jot down as many ideas as possible. Jot down ideas, also, for our study skills Moodle.
Class Two
1. We will complete our study skills Moodle.
2. We will begin designing our own Moodle sites. Most important tasks: (a) determining the format, (b) creating sections/topics, (c) adding plain text resources
3. We will vote on a module to add next week (forum, journal, chat, etc.). Activity Modules are described here - http://moodle.org/download/modules/
4. We will continue developing our profile pages.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Three and Four
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class two.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add during classes five and six.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Five and Six
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class four.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes seven and eight.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Seven and Eight
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class six.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes nine and ten.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Nine and Ten
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class eight.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. we will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes eleven and twelve.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Eleven and Twelve
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module voted for in class ten.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes thirteen and fourteen.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Thirteen and Fourteen
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module voted for in class twelve.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Class Fifteen
1. Class will be held at Ferrando's Italian Pizzeria, 231 The Alley, Aiken, SC 29801 (Phone: 803-643-7399). We will eat great pizza and discuss the joys of Moodling.
2. Homework: Keep Moodling!
I do think that by "teaching" fewer modules and giving the students more time to implement them, we can reduce anxiety a little. It is probably better to do a few things well and comfortably then to have a vague notion about how to do lots of things and to be stressed out about it. Maybe the motto for our course can be Don't worry, be happy.
I will make guest access without a key available as soon as I finalize the format of the course.
After looking again at my studyguide (nice term) and your remarks, I have the impression that, based upon your experiences, I have been a little too ambitious. Maybe something like this might be more in line with your thinking. I think it also takes into account some very helpful observations/suggestions made by others in this thread.
Class One
1. In order to understand Moodle, we will look at a couple of existing Moodles.
2. We will begin designing a "Study Skills" Moodle together.
3. We will begin developing our profile pages.
4. Homework: Begin thinking about your own Moodle. Jot down as many ideas as possible. Jot down ideas, also, for our study skills Moodle.
Class Two
1. We will complete our study skills Moodle.
2. We will begin designing our own Moodle sites. Most important tasks: (a) determining the format, (b) creating sections/topics, (c) adding plain text resources
3. We will vote on a module to add next week (forum, journal, chat, etc.). Activity Modules are described here - http://moodle.org/download/modules/
4. We will continue developing our profile pages.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Three and Four
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class two.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add during classes five and six.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Five and Six
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class four.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes seven and eight.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Seven and Eight
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class six.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes nine and ten.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Nine and Ten
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module that was voted for in class eight.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. we will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes eleven and twelve.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Eleven and Twelve
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module voted for in class ten.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. We will vote on a module to add to our Moodles during classes thirteen and fourteen.
5. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Classes Thirteen and Fourteen
1. We will add a module to our Moodles. This will be the module voted for in class twelve.
2. We will continue developing our Moodles.
3. We will continue developing our profiles.
4. Homework: Locate and create resources for your Moodle. Devote as much time as you can find to this (at least twenty minutes).
Class Fifteen
1. Class will be held at Ferrando's Italian Pizzeria, 231 The Alley, Aiken, SC 29801 (Phone: 803-643-7399). We will eat great pizza and discuss the joys of Moodling.
2. Homework: Keep Moodling!
I do think that by "teaching" fewer modules and giving the students more time to implement them, we can reduce anxiety a little. It is probably better to do a few things well and comfortably then to have a vague notion about how to do lots of things and to be stressed out about it. Maybe the motto for our course can be Don't worry, be happy.
I will make guest access without a key available as soon as I finalize the format of the course.
*...than to have a vague notion...
Art, this is a nice revision. I like the way you are opening it up.
You might introduce two parallel "promises" at the beginning of the course (but don't give the concepts too much airplay):
1) Moodle can replicate and simplify experiences in their current classrooms (I'm thinking resources, managing assignments, etc.).
2) Moodle can create experiences in their classrooms that are currently unavailable to them as teachers (I'm thinking collaboration, student-constructed glossaries, etc.).
As the teachers create their own Moodles, they can think about whether they are exploring the first or second "promise." I suspect that a blend of the two is best for most of us.
best,
Tom
You might introduce two parallel "promises" at the beginning of the course (but don't give the concepts too much airplay):
1) Moodle can replicate and simplify experiences in their current classrooms (I'm thinking resources, managing assignments, etc.).
2) Moodle can create experiences in their classrooms that are currently unavailable to them as teachers (I'm thinking collaboration, student-constructed glossaries, etc.).
As the teachers create their own Moodles, they can think about whether they are exploring the first or second "promise." I suspect that a blend of the two is best for most of us.
best,
Tom
Thanks, Tom.
If I understand you correctly, an example of #1 would be posting lesson plans. This is something that teachers are already doing (on the chalkboard, in newsletters that they send home, etc.).
And an example of #2 would be having students -- and maybe even their parents -- collaborate online about, say, a field trip that they would like to take.
Even if my examples are trivial, the idea is that Moodle is flexible and powerful enough to meet each teacher's requirments. Your Moodle will be a natural extension of your teaching style and your students' needs.
Or am I off base here?
If I understand you correctly, an example of #1 would be posting lesson plans. This is something that teachers are already doing (on the chalkboard, in newsletters that they send home, etc.).
And an example of #2 would be having students -- and maybe even their parents -- collaborate online about, say, a field trip that they would like to take.
Even if my examples are trivial, the idea is that Moodle is flexible and powerful enough to meet each teacher's requirments. Your Moodle will be a natural extension of your teaching style and your students' needs.
Or am I off base here?
No, you have it exactly.
#1. Homework without paper! Good tracking of when kids worked on assignments, etc., when they viewed resources, etc.. Easy way for them to get grades from you and comments in a timely manner, etc.
But #2 is full of innovative possibilities... The fact that you can create a Moodle course with someone in a different country or school... The fact that you can invite other teachers into your Moodle to lead activities (or to provide feedback on certain ones)... The way that you can collaborate with other teachers on activities and then duplicate them within your various courses... The way that you can create an extensive collection of quiz questions for courses, so that they can be shared across an entire school. The possibilities of creating "idea" glossaries for every resource you provide--asking students to pull out "main ideas" from the resources and adding them to the glossary, so that the good ideas become communal (writing for a community rather than for one teacher). You know, the thinking that is so much...fun.
-Tom
(question for you: New York style greasy, thin crust pizza or Chicago style deep dish pizza?)
#1. Homework without paper! Good tracking of when kids worked on assignments, etc., when they viewed resources, etc.. Easy way for them to get grades from you and comments in a timely manner, etc.
But #2 is full of innovative possibilities... The fact that you can create a Moodle course with someone in a different country or school... The fact that you can invite other teachers into your Moodle to lead activities (or to provide feedback on certain ones)... The way that you can collaborate with other teachers on activities and then duplicate them within your various courses... The way that you can create an extensive collection of quiz questions for courses, so that they can be shared across an entire school. The possibilities of creating "idea" glossaries for every resource you provide--asking students to pull out "main ideas" from the resources and adding them to the glossary, so that the good ideas become communal (writing for a community rather than for one teacher). You know, the thinking that is so much...fun.
-Tom
(question for you: New York style greasy, thin crust pizza or Chicago style deep dish pizza?)
Well, I know that we will probably spend most of our time on the nuts and bolts of using Moodle, and that's fine, but I do hope that we will be able to spend some time on the really cool stuff!
I agree! But give them the taste for the other, else they may say "I'm just fine the way that I am!" 
I suspect that those who don't use technology often aren't always afraid of it, they just don't perceive any of its usefulness.
In reply to Tom Murdock
Re: My Syllabus: Feedback Invited: Don't worry, be happy!
by Ger Tielemans -
I agree with Tom, nice changes..
I do not say that I am everytime succesful in it, but in smaller groups it is easier to ask them to fantasise about WISHED student activities. (the older the teachers the better!)
When they describe these fantasies in more detail, you have the change to map their wishes on existing Moodle modules. (Or ask the Moodle forum between two meetings to change a thing a little so it fits their needs... And some Moodlers are very creative in using modules in a not mentioned way..)
The only pitfall here is that people censor their own thoughts by thinking what is possible or not with computers that not alwys fits reality..
Nice new head you have. by the way.
In reply to Tom Murdock
Re: My Syllabus: Feedback Invited: Don't worry, be happy!
by Floyd Collins -
This is exactly why I say to tell them its an enhancement to there classroom.
Well, I have to tell you all that I truly appreciate the time and thought you all put into helping me plan this course. I feel much better about it than I did at the start and I thank you for that.
Teachers from at least five local schools have enrolled in the course, so I believe that your generous feedback will have a direct impact on students and teachers of at least that many schools. That seems like a pretty big deal to me.
So... I have begun setting the course up here - http://ahshornets.moodle.com/course/view.php?id=33
Guest access without the enrollment key is permitted, so feel free to poke around. If you would like to enroll as a student (ha!) or even a teacher, just let me know. That would be very cool, I think, and could be an excellent demonstration of Moodle's magical power to transcend borders, time zones, educational systems, and so on.
And anyone who sees anything useful or interesting in the course is invited to take it and improve it and make it his or her own.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Teachers from at least five local schools have enrolled in the course, so I believe that your generous feedback will have a direct impact on students and teachers of at least that many schools. That seems like a pretty big deal to me.
So... I have begun setting the course up here - http://ahshornets.moodle.com/course/view.php?id=33
Guest access without the enrollment key is permitted, so feel free to poke around. If you would like to enroll as a student (ha!) or even a teacher, just let me know. That would be very cool, I think, and could be an excellent demonstration of Moodle's magical power to transcend borders, time zones, educational systems, and so on.
And anyone who sees anything useful or interesting in the course is invited to take it and improve it and make it his or her own.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Hmmm... Looking at my course logs and I notice that guest visitors from North America, Europe and Australia already. I have also already received three e-mails about the course. It's only been a few hours since the course was posted.
Wow, another demonstration of the magic of Moodle.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
PS - We are hosted at Moodle.com and our site does seem even faster than before. Way to go, Martin.
Wow, another demonstration of the magic of Moodle.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
PS - We are hosted at Moodle.com and our site does seem even faster than before. Way to go, Martin.
Hi Art
I'm in the process of moving my business development library (www.businesspotential.com) into a PostNuke environment at www.developlife.com. Early stages, but having discovered Moodle over Christmas, it looks likely to me that an install on my ISP's server would allow me to add immense value to future members of the site.
My ISP can accommodate the install for me, but of course, I need to learn from first base, so that I can start to translate some of my own courses into the Moodle format.
I'm guessing the time difference between you and me in the UK would make lesson interaction awkward but would you be willing to make the course tutorials and notes etc available to me to help my learning curve. The course outline looks fabulous and even if I'm not taking part in real time, I could meet and interact with your students through the discussion forums. Could you manage a delegate new to any kind of PHP and with just html experience?
Best regards and good luck for the course,
Peter Venn
Dear Peter,
If you think that you might profit from joining us, you are very welcome to do so. I suppose that we might have to think through the logistics a little bit, but why not just sign up for an account at http://ahshornets.moodle.com/ and jump right in?
I am sure that you would make the class more interesting and that we would benefit from your participation.
You will probably want to set up your Moodle on your server, of course. We can simply link to you when you're set up. If it is going to take you a while to get going, though, we can set you up a temporary home on our server and you can move your course to your Moodle when you're ready. The amazing, magical backup module makes this very doable.
I know that you will find, by the way, that there are many experienced Moodlers who will be glad to answer your questions, explain the less obvious stuff and help you troubleshoot along the way. There are many days, in fact, that all I do in the community is read one nice, helpful post after another. It just makes me feel good.
So... Welcome aboard.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
If you think that you might profit from joining us, you are very welcome to do so. I suppose that we might have to think through the logistics a little bit, but why not just sign up for an account at http://ahshornets.moodle.com/ and jump right in?
I am sure that you would make the class more interesting and that we would benefit from your participation.
You will probably want to set up your Moodle on your server, of course. We can simply link to you when you're set up. If it is going to take you a while to get going, though, we can set you up a temporary home on our server and you can move your course to your Moodle when you're ready. The amazing, magical backup module makes this very doable.
I know that you will find, by the way, that there are many experienced Moodlers who will be glad to answer your questions, explain the less obvious stuff and help you troubleshoot along the way. There are many days, in fact, that all I do in the community is read one nice, helpful post after another. It just makes me feel good.
So... Welcome aboard.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Hi Art and thank you. I've registered on your site, though I do need an enrolment key to enter the course (perhaps you could send one to my Email address of petervenn@btinternet.com).
I've also managed to get an instance of Moodle set up with my ISP, and it works! Nothing there yet apart from some basic point-and-click configuration, but you'll find it at http://developlife.com/moodle/.
Later today, I'll be trying out some more detailed configuration around themes and getting some logos in place. That looks fairly straightforward. Once I've come to terms with that, and started on the course, I'll begin converting some of my own training courses into the Moodle format. Most of these are around basic communication skills/sales skills (for call centre agents) and junior/middle management courses (e.g. performance management, time management, meetings management, report writing etc).
It's a great opportunity, joining this amazing community, at this point in time. I've just been made redundant from my last position, so I'll be using every free moment in between job interviews etc to build content. Best opportunity for my own personal development to come along in a few years, so again, many thanks Art.
Best regards,
Peter Venn
Great to have you in the class, Peter.
I am excited that we may also have guest teachers (expert Moodlers all) with us, too.
Check your e-mail.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
I am excited that we may also have guest teachers (expert Moodlers all) with us, too.
Check your e-mail.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Tom,
New York style! I am originally from The Bronx, so this is a no-brainer for me.
Regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
New York style! I am originally from The Bronx, so this is a no-brainer for me.
Regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Okay, my Moodle class has met a couple of times [only 13 classes left 
], and everyone is thrilled and excited with Moodle. Really, it's true. We are very happy campers.
I have discovered the value of the teacher forum. It is such a pleasure to take a look at the course a student is building and to discuss it with him or her in the teacher forum. ("Are you sure that you want to put those resources in the news forum?" "Wow, you really have some wonderful links in that first section!") The back and forth is great.
A couple of students joined us during the second class, but they seem to be in pretty good shape, thanks to the excellent documentation that is available.
And I am of course grateful for the excellent advice I received in this forum. You guys were right on target.
Okay, that's all the news from Aiken, South Carolina, USA tonight.
Regards,
Art Lader
Aiken HS
I have discovered the value of the teacher forum. It is such a pleasure to take a look at the course a student is building and to discuss it with him or her in the teacher forum. ("Are you sure that you want to put those resources in the news forum?" "Wow, you really have some wonderful links in that first section!") The back and forth is great.
A couple of students joined us during the second class, but they seem to be in pretty good shape, thanks to the excellent documentation that is available.
And I am of course grateful for the excellent advice I received in this forum. You guys were right on target.
Okay, that's all the news from Aiken, South Carolina, USA tonight.
Regards,
Art Lader
Aiken HS
Good to hear it Art. I take Moodle to the board of education tomorrow night. I hope all goes well if I get there backing then I can keep going with the Web Campus project. If not I will still keep going. But its always best if the bean counters,, back something
I hope that your board sees the value of Moodle. I am sure that your presentation will be super. Please let us know how it goes, Floyd.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
Art,
It was a huge success, I showed them how we are using moodle
to bridge the gap for not only our inter city students but our students who
live in the country. The one thing that keep coming up is, will this have a
reporting feature so that parents can see the progress of there students, and
students can see there overall progress. So with that I have come to the
conclusion that I need to figure out a way to implement a progress report
system into moodle or outside of moodle. Other then that one little comment that I could not answer,
everything went real well.
Congratulations, Floyd! Woohoo!
We also have been thinking about how to best add a progress report to Moodle. Of course, if parents log in as their children, then they can view the grades of their children. Not the same thing, though, I know.
Frankly, I would request that someone consider working on a progress report feature, but I have already asked for and received so much -- and I am in no position to really contribute anything other than appreciation.
Still, it would be an important addition to Moodle. Maybe someone will come up with one some time down the road.
Regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
We also have been thinking about how to best add a progress report to Moodle. Of course, if parents log in as their children, then they can view the grades of their children. Not the same thing, though, I know.
Frankly, I would request that someone consider working on a progress report feature, but I have already asked for and received so much -- and I am in no position to really contribute anything other than appreciation.
Still, it would be an important addition to Moodle. Maybe someone will come up with one some time down the road.
Regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
I haven't tried what I am going to suggest with Moodle and sending stuff to parents. But I did it with a plain spreadsheet and made a progress report for the student. (In the "old days", before Moodle.) So I think the idea would work.
- Download the grades from Moodle into a spreadsheet.
- Make a Progress Report template in a word processor.
- Make it a mailmerge document with the downloaded grades spreadsheet as the data base.
- Merge.
- Print.
What do you think?
Well that is being done now with the grading software the
dist uses. I think more then the same old print and mail, they are looking at a
way for it to be posted live online like each week. We do so much outside of
moodle that the moodle grade book does not help our teachers. What I think they
would like to see moreso is a way for the teacher to fill out a form of the
students progress that the student and the parent can get too.
Its going to happen, just dont know how. Since it does not seem like a focus from
the developers, maybe an external program like the webcal program that is integrated
into moodle.
For every assignment outside Moodle you can create entries in the gradebook:
What if you combine these with the use of the scales you can create in Moodle?
You end up in a number, but you did use scales to create that number..
When I was a child I got a report from primary school with in the footer someting like:
10=perfect 9=very good 8=good 7=etc.. (Why not use scales that way?)
Ger,
I think I am missing something or you are. Take a look at this link to see a form our teachers must fill out on each student twice in a 9 week period. http://www.goohio.com/preport.html
Right now I have made it a form as I try and figure out a way to incorp this into moodle.
I think I am missing something or you are. Take a look at this link to see a form our teachers must fill out on each student twice in a 9 week period. http://www.goohio.com/preport.html
Right now I have made it a form as I try and figure out a way to incorp this into moodle.
Any way to hide this for Belgians ? 
What an administration ! We just give figures and a 2 or 3 line written comment.
What an administration ! We just give figures and a 2 or 3 line written comment.
In the lower levels, we do the same as you stated with the figures, but in high school its all about work and work ethics it seems.
A quick update:
So, this is where we are now: I am team-teaching a Moodle course with Marc Dastous and Tom Murdock. They are both terrific. I am very grateful that they have made time to help teach the class.
We have twenty students, including one from the UK. The students are excited (one or two are clearly obssessed) and the class is a lot of fun for everyone. It is chaotic and loud and wild -- lots of Sinatra and big band music playing -- we're not kids -- and rolling around in the lab chairs.
I have explained the enrollment key five or ten times so far and am looking forward to discovering/inventing new ways to do so to any new students who straggle in.
The idea that the WYSIWYG editor works in some browsers but not in others has caused low moaning sounds and 360 degree head rotating in some students. Ha!
The new Moodlers are creating courses in art, French, driver education, business, learning styles, science, math, English, special education and more.
Some just want to create very simple sites, others have already begun to ask smart questions about implications for pedagogy.
Teaching this course is a little like being pecked by birds. Nice, friendly, happy birds, though. On Tuesdays, the day we meet face-to-face, I find myself impatient for four o'clock to come so that we can get started. (I like being pecked.)
The whole thing is even better than I had hoped for.
Life is good. Moodle is great.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
http://ahshornets.moodle.com/
So, this is where we are now: I am team-teaching a Moodle course with Marc Dastous and Tom Murdock. They are both terrific. I am very grateful that they have made time to help teach the class.
We have twenty students, including one from the UK. The students are excited (one or two are clearly obssessed) and the class is a lot of fun for everyone. It is chaotic and loud and wild -- lots of Sinatra and big band music playing -- we're not kids -- and rolling around in the lab chairs.
I have explained the enrollment key five or ten times so far and am looking forward to discovering/inventing new ways to do so to any new students who straggle in.
The idea that the WYSIWYG editor works in some browsers but not in others has caused low moaning sounds and 360 degree head rotating in some students. Ha!
The new Moodlers are creating courses in art, French, driver education, business, learning styles, science, math, English, special education and more.
Some just want to create very simple sites, others have already begun to ask smart questions about implications for pedagogy.
Teaching this course is a little like being pecked by birds. Nice, friendly, happy birds, though. On Tuesdays, the day we meet face-to-face, I find myself impatient for four o'clock to come so that we can get started. (I like being pecked.)
The whole thing is even better than I had hoped for.
Life is good. Moodle is great.
Best regards,
Art Lader
Aiken High School
http://ahshornets.moodle.com/
For the amount of times you change your pix I think I will start calling you the many faces of Art Lader.. 
Haha!
Fair enough.
Fair enough.