Moodle+extending+the+Math+Classroom

D. J. Fromal, CFF Math Coach, Hatboro-Horsham High School dfromal@hatboro-horsham.org    **__What is Moodle? __**  Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites. (media type="custom" key="2988330" ) media type="custom" key="2980972" width="298" height="248" From: media type="custom" key="2988352"
 * __Moodle in the Math Classroom __**

**__My Moodle__**: media type="custom" key="2988366" You may login in as a guest. No rights to participate but you may observe. ·  After hearing about Moodle at PETE&C and after taking several online classes, I became interested in seeing how it might change how I run my own classes. ·  I signed up for a class run by Jim Gates at http://www.globalclassroom.us/  This course is now FREE. ·  After not using Moodle for 9 months, I needed a refresher and took a one day workshop at MCIU with Yvonne Holman ( yholman@mciu.org <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">) over the summer. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> > <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Besides uploading files for student reference (PDFs, PowerPoints, Word documents) and links to websites, I have been able to use many of the activities within Moodle. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Ken Rodoff, CFF coach at Springfield (Montco) High School has a blog with this title. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">http://kenrodoff.blogspot.com/ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">We are both advocates for making choices that engage students in their learning rather than using technology just because it is available. Does technology make the student learning rise to a higher level? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">For me, Moodle has given students the opportunity to share, to comment, to disagree, to see how math is used in reality, and to see what learning could be like without classroom walls. I am 100% satisfied with what I have seen so far and it is only the beginning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">See another demo and find out how to learn more: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXBdNdPUwKA <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Yvonne Holman will also be <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">conducting a novice Moodle workshop scheduled for Feb 24 at the MCIU, and a level 1 Moodle online course starting April 21. Information is available at <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.mciu.org/ <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> under Workshops/Courses. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Both CCIU and MCIU have server space available. Contact Yvonne Holman at MCIU and Vernice Mulcahy ( <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">VerniceM@cciu.org <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">) to get more information. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"> media type="custom" key="2978650"
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">How I got started? __**
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">On the first day of classes, I had students register using an enrollment key that allows for privacy and security.
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Which tools have I used? __**
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The “Why of it all”! __**
 * __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">How can you get started? __**