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Friday, May 25, 2012

Moodle in the Classroom


                Moodle is “a free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites” as defined by Moodle.com.  It works effectively for traditional classrooms, online classes and hybrid sessions.  Hybrid learning is a mix between online classes and face-to-face classes.
                We learned from a YouTube video by Molly Tipton, an 8th grade social studies teacher, that Moodle is beneficial for both teachers and students.
                Moodle is a great way to keep everyone up to date on important news and announcements.  Plus there is a calendar which can show events or lessons that are yet to come or remind students what homework is due and when.
Another great aspect is that it allows students to take their tests online.  This is good news for the students because they have instant feedback on their score.  In the same respect, teachers save a lot of time on grading.  Moodle collects these results and can give an up to date grade for each student, keeping both the child and parent well informed.  Moodle can also be set to allow the tests to be taken more than once, in which case kids can learn from their mistakes and perform better the next time. 
                The site also creates a quick and easy way to share links, videos, and other online content.  Then students can be asked to study the content before coming to class or they can refer back to what they learned during the class period.
                One option Ms. Tipton mentioned was the online chat room Moodle can offer at the teacher’s discretion.  In Ms. Tipton’s classroom she allows this with the rule that students must behave on there the same as they would if they were in the classroom.  She says she allows this because it brings her class closer together and keeps them safe.  No one without a classroom login can join the chat session.
                Overall, Moodle seems like a great addition to the classroom and an excellent way to expand learning beyond face-to-face time.

                To watch the video for yourself, you can find it here.

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