How to add image to moodle

Here is a beginner tutorial for how to add images to your moodle course.

1. Log in to your course and turn editing on.
2. Hit the top edit icon, the hand holding pencil, in the box you would like to add the picture.
3. Once you are in the edit screen, hit the image icon, a little framed picture.
4. The insert image window should pop up. You may then browse and upload your image or enter its url or web address.
5. If you uploaded your image you can select it by double clicking and you see it come up as a preview.
6. Next enter the alternative text, what people will see if the image does not load, and specify alignment and size if you desire. You may also resize and align in the main editing window by dragging corners of the image itself.
7. Hit okay and you should see your image in the main edit screen. Make appropriate adjustments like resizing and then click save changes.

how to play any region code DVD using VLC

at my job, I get a lot of people asking how they can play Dvds from different parts of the world like Australia or Japan. Most try using Windows Media Player and get that annoying pop up stating that they have to change the region code and they can only do so a maximum of five times. There is an easy way around this. Download the VLC Media Player. This free media player plays just about everything and totally ignores the region code on DVDs. If you have a video/tv out graphics card you can even watch on your tv. as a general rule, I would try playing all media files with this player first before any other. http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

stellarium-coolest opensource ever

everyone must check this out. stellarium is open source, that means free, software that can turn your computer, and therefore your classroom into a full-fledged planetarium showing real time star and planet movement from the location you choose. you may also plot constellations, overlay with constellation art, zoom in and out to get close-ups of things like the pleaides nebula, moon, and mars, toggle atmosphere, and a whole lot more. obviously this software can be extremely helpful in an astronomy class but its applications for teaching are endless. connect your computer to a projector, turn the lights off, pick a star, or constellation, or some other heavenly body, and look it up on wikipedia, or another online encyclopedia, and suddenly you have a way for students to travel the universe, learning ancient folklore, etymology, culture, language, history, technology, you name it. trust me your students will be captivated by a lesson that starts out this way. best of all, the program is lightweight, downloads quickly, installs easily on most common platforms, and is super easy to use. you mostly move around your mouse to navigate the known universe. install on your laptop and you have a real-time star map to use studying the night sky. coolest thing since google earth. here is the link:

http://www.stellarium.org/

moodle polling

here is a quick one for all you moodlers out there. there is a module called poll block that allows teachers to poll their students. this is perfect for getting opinions on issues that come up without having to wait for institutionalized surveys. accreditors will also appreciate the data gathering.

here it is

http://moodle.org/mod/data/view.php?d=13&rid=912

Google Maps API

This may come as something of a surprise to many people, but Google Maps can but put on your website and fully customized with makers and descriptions, links, even video. The applications of this to those of us in education are profound. Imagine making placing a map on Moodle or some other class website and then having student click on a marker and have a video of location pop up. The kids are gonna love this one, its better than a video game and its free. Go to google and look it up. I will be writing how to on this as soon as i get a grip myself.

Moodle vs. Elgg - Can't we all get along

First of all what is one and what is the other. Well Moodle is a class management system, think class websites. You can give grades in Moodle, and for the most part only the instructor can see student work. Structured and organized by topics or weeks, Moodle allows instructors to guide students through the learning process and evaluate their performance. When the class ends, the user data is customarily wiped out, and everyone gets a sense of closure. It's basically a conventional class minus the paper.

Now Elgg on the other hand, is a much more social, equal, democratic, student-centered (or person centered) system. Everyone has a voice, and your files, and presentations live beyond the classes they originate from. This is a place to evaluate your own performance, allow others to comment, and be part of a dynamic community. The creators of Elgg call it a "learning landscape", a free exchange of ideas tailored to the individual. (It's also great for file storage and backup.)

So which one is better? Anyone who tries to argue one or the other should prpbably take a step back and look at the big picture. Co-existence is the key here, we need structure, and (by "we" I mean the students) and Moodle provides that by breaking the class into topics or weeks, plugging in resources and assignments, and ultimately giving grades. Elgg is for the students to shine, publish their work, express themselves, and over time reflect on what they've learned. Used together, with each being tied to the different approaches tolearning they are designed for, our students get a sense of freedom and individulaism rooted in a structured foundation.

How to put YouTube Videos on Moodle - Vodcasting

You can easily put youtube or google videos on Moodle either in one of the boxes on the left, right, or center by doing a simple copy and paste.

1. Turn editing on and then hit the edit icon(the pencil) in the box you want to add the video.

2. Next hit the "toggle html source" button located next to the spell checker. Looks like this - <>.

3. Now copy and paste the embed code for the video. In youtube this is located below the url.

4. You may want to change the dimensions of the video. In the code you will see the same numbers appear twice. I recommend changing them to 195 for width and 170 for height. Remember to change them twice for the two times they appear in code.

And there you have it, takes no time and you can post your assignments via video, record lectures, even give video based tests(we'll get into that one later using HOT POTATO)

How to podcast - a practical introduction in 2 steps

Step 1. Record your audio or video. There are many ways to do this. Most windows machines come with an audio recorder that saves files in .wav format. I recommend downloading Audacity plus the Lame MP3 encoder to record audio. There also many ways to record video. Most formats can be uploaded to Youtube and accessed that way.

Step 2 - Find a way to broadcast your audio or video. You can use Moodle or Elgg to post videos as well as your own website. Basically all you must do is put your recorded files somewhere people can see it and there you go. You have a podcast. Fancy word, simple concept.

How to display random members and recent blog posts in Elgg

Hey all of you new to Elgg-this is an awesome tool and the ultimate e-portfolio solution for schools. Follow this link for documentation on how to spice up the front page.

http://elgg.org/mod/mediawiki/wiki/index.php/Theme_keywords

You can add random user's icons and most recent blog posts, and much much more. If you want any of these options you can do the editing or just ask your system admin.

How to post a Youtube video on Elgg

Posting a YouTube or Google Video is a snap on Elgg.

1. Go to your personal blog and add a new post.

2. Click on external video and paste the embed html form YouTube. Save.

That's it. Elgg is awesome.