- Formative: Did the project get implemented as planned?
The project definitely did not get implemented as planned. However, I’m not unhappy with the results of the project. I knew that I would have to change parts of it as the project evolved. I’ve consistently found that what I want is always a bit beyond what Moodle has to offer. So when I discovered that only text definitions from the glossary were used to create games, I was disappointed but not surprised. Still, I was able to use the text and (transcribed) audio to create useful review games. The students were also able to learn from each other’s sentences, so I feel the project was a success.
- Summative: Evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice
- How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
I would definitely tests out all the modules in Moodle first. For this, I tested out the Glossary and Games modules but didn’t check to make sure that audio and pictures would transfer from Glossary to Games. I would also include a lot more examples for the students to see what I expect. Luckily, this session’s students have created some excellent examples so I can recycle them.
- What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?
What’s consistently come up in my blog posts is that most people aren’t aware of how much Moodle has to offer. Its rather intimidating interface keeps a lot of people from delving into what it’s capable of. I hope that other teachers are inspired to see what they can do. Although it’s definitely harder to use than other websites such as Weebly or Google, I also feel like I understand how websites work better and can troubleshoot problems a lot easier. I even added pictures and larger text to my website to make it more user-friendly.
- In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do?
I would like to do the same project again. However, I will have to separate the text sentences from the audio and the pictures. The text can be used to create crosswords and hangman while the audio and pictures can be used to create flashcards or matching activities. I’ll probably recycle sentences from previous sessions both to increase the amount of studying that the students can do and so that they can see examples of good sentences and pictures. I had already decided not to do the voting. I would really like to cut out the teacher feedback portion of the assignment, but I’m not sure how to do that yet.
We use Moodle at our school and I can say I have not researched or tried out nearly enough features or modules with my classes. I like how I can track my students activity on Moodle, which is often not available on other sites.
ReplyDeleteAll of your projects, Dave, Pam, and you, have really given me some things to think about when it comes to how to host my videos for my flipped class next year. I was thinking Moodle because it will keep track of the students logins, but I am also thinking of linking the Moodle page to a class website. This website explaining the flipped classroom and linking to information about it, because I know I will have some questions from students and parents.
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your presentation!
I think that technology often does a little less than we want it too or know that as educators would be good to have. I have found that sometimes suggestions to the web site are considered and added eventually! So maybe it would be worth your time to write to them through their feedback/tech link and tell them about the possible improvements. Just like our projects sometimes we don't just think about some of the things that others would find helpful.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it still sounds like this will be a useful project with the collaboration and sentence creation. It also appears to be something you can use over and over which so important for teachers to not have to waste time recreating lessons for each class. I appreciate the opportunity to learn more about Moodle from you and see some of its classroom possibilities.
Can't wait to see the end product!
I definitely am one of the teachers who was scared away by Moodle's interface, but I admire your ability to wade through it and figure out a way to make it work for your class. That must be frustrating to have the pictures not available though. I know it's not nearly as fancy as what you're trying to do, but have you ever used the flashcard gadget on googledocs' spreadsheet? It might be worth checking out.
ReplyDeleteJust adding to what the others have said about Moodle. It will look and feel different from a web site, mainly because it is a CMS (Course Management System. CMS allow teachers to post course content online for students to access, create blogs, discussion threads for classes and to post grades - just like the one we use for CEP 812. From reading through you post, it looks like you were able to implement most of your project; plus, accomplish some terrific work-arounds for the vocabulary piece. There is an online resource, called Quizlet, I think you might be interested in checking out for creating your vocabulary cards. It's great for mobile studying and allows for multiple study modes, and best of all it's FREE! One of the features I like the best, is that it has an audio tool that will read what is on the flash card. URL: http://quizlet.com/ For $10.00 a year, you can use Flickr images or upload your own. It also allows for unlimited groups. Perhaps it could be linked to from Moodle. I'm thinking of using this with my students this year - I'll let you know how things work out. Looking forward to watching your presentation.
ReplyDelete