So I asked two graduates of Tech 1 and another colleague, whose name I will not disclose, "What is Moodle? Why the goofy name? What does it stand for? What does it mean?" and none could really give me a direct answer.
For years I have been using Dictionary.com, but just this semester one of my sophomores, Jessica M. explained to me that if you go to the Google bar and type "Define: (your word)" it will provide you with the most extensive definitions in our galaxy. I did this with the word Moodle and this is what it gave me:
"1. Moodle: Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment is a free and open-source e-learning software platform..."
The second definition was even more striking. It read:
"2. To dawdle aimlessly, to idle time away; The process of lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs..." Toss in the words "...and rather anxiously..." and this would describe how I felt while sifting through our millennium’s newer, burgeoning technology.
For years I have been using Dictionary.com, but just this semester one of my sophomores, Jessica M. explained to me that if you go to the Google bar and type "Define: (your word)" it will provide you with the most extensive definitions in our galaxy. I did this with the word Moodle and this is what it gave me:
"1. Moodle: Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment is a free and open-source e-learning software platform..."
The second definition was even more striking. It read:
"2. To dawdle aimlessly, to idle time away; The process of lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs..." Toss in the words "...and rather anxiously..." and this would describe how I felt while sifting through our millennium’s newer, burgeoning technology.
But I am not a hater; I swear I’m not. I love my smartphone, my iPod shuffle, my bluetoothed Bob Edwards podcasts, and so much more! It’s just that there is too much more. Just trying to complete this assignment I feel a little overburdened trying to choose the next best technology from the million others available; then of course, try figure out how to incorporate it.
In many ways I am already a Web 2.0 teacher. I currently share my bookmarks with my students on my school website; I guide my students with Wikipedia to launch them into their research assignments. For example, my students are asked to compare Orwell’s 1984 to a current nation. Using Wikipedia they can scroll to the section on Human Rights and find some Buzzwords like “Human Trafficking, Slave Labor, Arbitrary Imprisonment, Torture” which they can Google for credible sources. I also require my students to use NoodleTools to document their sources. BTW--There are three buttons on NoodleTools which I find extremely useful: Weblink, parenthetical reference, and Export.
Now that I am researching Web 2.0 Tools I found Diigi, Zotero, and two helpful websites Cool Tools for Schools and Box of Trix. Cindy just helped me setup my Diigi account as she has for many of us, and I need to transfer my old Webpage to Google Docs soon I’m told. I’m sure I will see others of you in her lab in the weeks to come.
One thing that concerns me as I watch the videos for this assignment—and I learn that kids 8-18 spend 61/2 hours a day interacting with media; and students today are no longer the consumers of yesteryear, they are creators and writers—is how do we get our students to read the novels we assign them. I do not want to Moodle with any students if they have not closely read the works first.
Well, I’ve uttered an earful.
Thanks for reading,
Nate
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