Over the past week I have been talking to colleagues about Moodle and all the ways that they use it and how it is beneficial for their classes. One of my colleagues signed me onto their site so I could get a hands on feel for what Moodle is like and all that it has to offer. I also touched based with our computer teacher and he provided me with some resources on internet safety along with a PowerPoint presentation for parents. So far I have found there to be enough resources available and know that next year will bring even more for Moodle. So far I do not feel that I need to make any modification to my action plan but I was wondering if it mattered that a big bulk of my resources for Moodle will be next year. Does anyone have any ideas?
Some of the things that I have learned so far are that in Moodle you can set up different tabs which allow for different types of topics to be going on at the same time. It also allows for you as the teacher to set up a daily log where students can go back to in order to review what happened in class. It also allows for you to add short videos and web sites so students can have resources at the touch of a button. The other neat part about the different sections is that you could have a homework board which tells the students and parents the assignments that are due and were due. One of the teachers had a link that allows the parents to see their child’s grade and what assignments were outstanding while still keeping the privacy of the other students.
When it comes to internet safety I learned that a lot of parents have blinders on and do not want to see what is going on. Most parents also do not take the time to learn the new tools that their child are using on a daily basis so even when they do take the time to talk to them they do not understand them as well as do not have any idea of how dangerous some of the sites they are using daily can be if used incorrectly.
Some questions that have arisen in my research are how long does this take to set up? How many parents and students use it? And lastly privacy factors?
Does anyone else’s district use the Moodle program?
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Sandra,
ReplyDeleteMy district does not have the Moddle program nor have I ever heard of Moddle before, but it sounds really cool. I am sorta jealous that you have access to this great resource, though it does sound like it will going to be a lot of work in order for you to get it up and running. My suggestion would be to have a parents and students take survey to see how many are going to be interested in this program and plan on using it. I think that ensuring parents that their child's information will be protect and that are there safety protocols in place to keep their child safe.
I have never heard of Moodle before but I went to the website and it looks so cool! Can't wait to dive in and give it a try. Thanks for introducing us....
ReplyDeleteMany of my colleagues use it and love it but some say that it is a lot of work and it is not used as much as they thought it would be. So the work does not pay off in the end. I had thought about having my students and parents complete a survey just to see how many would actually use it in order to determine if setting one up and maintaining it would even be worth it. Hopefully I will have a better idea after that. Good luck with exploring.
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