You're too quick, Joseph! It appears I posted my reply around the same time you were posting yours.
Patrick Malley
Posts made by Patrick Malley
Since Kubrick is a 2 column theme and Moodle is set up for 3 columns, there is a good chance that your admin menu is in the left column (that is being hidden using CSS hacks in the Kubrick theme).
To "retrieve" it, switch to another theme and move your admin menue from the left column to the right column. Then, when you switch back to your default theme, you will see the admin menu.
This is, nevertheless, a short term solution. I'm certain that others (like Joseph) can help hack your theme further to show the left column when you have editing turned on.
To "retrieve" it, switch to another theme and move your admin menue from the left column to the right column. Then, when you switch back to your default theme, you will see the admin menu.
This is, nevertheless, a short term solution. I'm certain that others (like Joseph) can help hack your theme further to show the left column when you have editing turned on.
A philosophical question ...
Why do you care if students are using the message system to "chat"? I consider this part of the 'glue' that keeps students returning. It's a hook (to use a teaching term).
I'm the lead administrator for my school's Moodle and a teacher. I find it a relief to think that students are chatting in a school setting as opposed to someplace else.
For example, my students understand that I don't look through their messages, but that if they are ever flamed, threatened, etc. by another student, I can audit the messages, find the offensive use and take punitive action. That sort of "learning" environment (I feel) prepares students for the real web - where such sanctions will not be given. Some students have a very warped concept of what is acceptable on the net. They sometimes feel they can act "freely." I like the idea that I can teach them responsibility on the web. While this is something very passive that goes mostly unnoticed by teachers and students alike, it is one of the many features of Moodle I feel should stay in a K12 environment.
You may want to try the Message System restriction add-on. This would allow you to automatically restrict messaging during school hours (if that were something of interest to you).
http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=293
Why do you care if students are using the message system to "chat"? I consider this part of the 'glue' that keeps students returning. It's a hook (to use a teaching term).
I'm the lead administrator for my school's Moodle and a teacher. I find it a relief to think that students are chatting in a school setting as opposed to someplace else.
For example, my students understand that I don't look through their messages, but that if they are ever flamed, threatened, etc. by another student, I can audit the messages, find the offensive use and take punitive action. That sort of "learning" environment (I feel) prepares students for the real web - where such sanctions will not be given. Some students have a very warped concept of what is acceptable on the net. They sometimes feel they can act "freely." I like the idea that I can teach them responsibility on the web. While this is something very passive that goes mostly unnoticed by teachers and students alike, it is one of the many features of Moodle I feel should stay in a K12 environment.
You may want to try the Message System restriction add-on. This would allow you to automatically restrict messaging during school hours (if that were something of interest to you).
http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=293
To build on the concept of case studies - ask teachers in a training session for common problems they face in their classroom. You could guide them to the type of answers you're looking for - motivation, record keeping, fruitful discussions, or poor writing. All of these could easily be turned into a solution in Moodle.
Using email authentication, you can always manually add students when logged in as an admin.
What your asking is the opposite of what we do at my school - email authentication for students; manual authentication for teachers. I added all teachers to the system this summer. We have students create accounts themselves.
What your asking is the opposite of what we do at my school - email authentication for students; manual authentication for teachers. I added all teachers to the system this summer. We have students create accounts themselves.