Introduction and Overview of Moodle Video Tutorial

This video is especially for instructors new to Moodle who would like to see a basic overview as it is used at Hawaii Tokai International College. Some of the features quickly passed through in this video include online quizzes, uploading or creating online syllabus, glossaries, rss feeds, uploading and posting audio, uploading graphics, and more. Just follow the link below to view the video!

http://surfingdream.com/video-tutorials/moodle-intro/moodle-intro.html

How to make a quiz in Moodle - Video Tutorial

Hi everyone. As promised, just follow the link to watch a video tutorial about how to make a basic multiple-choice quiz in moodle.

http://portfolio.hawaiitokai.edu/flash/moodlequizflash.html

Make students teachers on Moodle

Here is a good one for all you Moodlers out there. I have started a pilot course allowing my students to play the teacher role and so far they are loving it. I am too. Because they are designing tests themselves. This is saving me a lot of work, and alllowing them to get more critical in their methods of study. It has put them in the driver's chair. You can see the sense of empowerment in their eyes. Here is exactly how to this.

1. In the administration block go to assign roles and make your students teachers!
2. Have your students turn editing on and tell each one to add an activity, and choose quiz.
3. Add the new quiz. There are many options but usually just filling out the name field will suffice.
4. Once you submit that information, you can go on the make new questions and make a quiz.

The ideal project is to have all students submit questions which are oputr together to make the complete quiz. Try it with your class!

ustream - now your class can have its own tv channel

Starting this Friday, my ESL World History class has agreed to air a live weekly webcast featuring different ages of our planet's history. Our first segment will feature the period between the stone age and Mesopotamia. Out of all the tech projects I've done at school, this promises to be the easiest and perhaps the most impressive. And it is all made possible by http://www.ustream.tv/ All a teacher has to do is create a new show and start broadcasting via webcam.

The interface is very intuitive and you have the option to have a live chat along with your program. When you are ready to go just hit the broadcast button. It couldn't be any easier. I will let everyone know how it goes after we actually have our first show. Just in case you were wondering you can password protect your shows.

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.