General+Beginner+Moodle

Moodle is a Learning Management System, or LMS. There are others.

Moodle lets you have an online home for your course. Some of the basic things you can do:
 * Attach documents, pdfs, pictures, files of any sort.
 * Attach movie clips
 * Have a little mini discussion about something.
 * Share links to websites etc.
 * Add pages for additional information on things you are doing in class.
 * and on and on.

Terminology:
 * block: each rectangle on your page that serves as an organizing structure. (Most teachers start a new block for each new unit.)
 * resource: any attachment (image, text, pdf, etc)
 * activity: something that you add (from a list of choices) that students will do (add to a forum for example)

Reminders:
 * Students cannot edit the moodle page.
 * You can edit the page, ONLY after you "turn editing on" on the top right.
 * You can move blocks around and hide them from student view. So, you can get something ready in advance without showing the students. And, once you have finished a unit you can hide it or move it down the page so that the current unit is always on top.
 * You will not break Moodle by messing up. You might delete something you added, but you will not do much more than that.
 * Our moodle page: http://virtualshipley.org You might want to bookmark that on your computer.

Challenge 1: Introduce your course: First (unnumbered) block
 * Give this block a title (hint: to have it show you will have to uncheck the box that says "use default section name" )
 * Type in some welcome/intro to your students.
 * Change the font size or color for something in this box.
 * Add your free periods
 * Attach a folder for homework for your first unit and label it.

Challenge 2: Block 1: Your first unit
 * Give this block a title (you will have to uncheck the box that says "use default section name" )
 * Make the font of the title larger, maybe even a different color.
 * Add some text and an image to this section.

Challenge 3: Moving on to bigger and better things
 * Add a video clip to a block. (there are 2 ways to do this, both require that you have editing on. One way you edit the block another way you add a resources)
 * Add a forum to discuss the video.
 * Start a discussion in the forum.
 * Hide something you have added from the students.
 * Move a block, change the order.

Challenge 4:
 * Experiment with another activity option.
 * Read about some other things you might do

How might you use moodle with your class to further what you are doing?
 * Could you build stronger connections with your students?
 * Could you provide more enrichment and/or support opportunities?
 * How could students be more responsible for their own learning?