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“Inspiring better teaching everywhere”

Teachers may find it difficult to use Moodle because…

It is my guess that many Junior High School and High School teachers find it difficult to use Moodle because they have not had the opportunity to learn the basics of using Moodle as teachers. If this is your case, then you can do so this January, and for free!

Because “Empowering educators to improve our world” is a major goal of Moodle, it should not be surprising that twice a year Moodle offers “Learn Moodle” https://learn.moodle.org/ – “This a free course is designed for anybody who wants to use the Moodle learning platform for teaching, whether it be in a school, a university, a company or just personal interest!

I have profited a lot (and, I hope, so have my pupils) by taking the “Learn Moodle” courses. I have participated in several such courses. On the one hand, on each course, the content is updated, so I find something new each time. On the other hand, I have learned a lot from other participants, both on the forums and by having access to the courses they create to practice during the course. Participants from many countries all over the world share a lot, and there are many who willingly help others learn. It is a worthwhile experience, indeed.

In Israel, Moodle is used widely in Universities and Colleges. It is much less so in Junior High Schools and Schools. There are a lot of reasons for this, one being that, as I see it, my colleagues have not had many chances to be exposed to the use of Moodle as teachers (most have probably used it as learners). This is changing, though.

I have developed and facilitated three Israel Ministry of Education “How to use Moodle for Blended Learning” Workshops, catering to the needs of Junior High School and High School teachers of English as Foreign Language in Israel. I believe there is room for more. Since I do not know when there will be another one, I am always looking for opportunities to share information with my colleagues concerning the use of Moodle for teaching.

Most teachers cannot invest much money in paid courses, especially if they lack the support of an organization. That is one reason why a “Learn Moodle” course is such a suitable venue to at least become more than familiar with the platform.

If you already use Moodle, and want something more in-depth and aimed at a professional level, then the MoodleBites for Teachers course is the most popular option. This course is created and run by HRDNZ, Moodle Partner since 2006, and has been running for almost 15 years! The course is 8 weeks, completely online, and asynchronous, and has helped thousands of teachers from around the world.

I have created a video to invite colleagues in Israel to take part in the January- February 2020 “Learn Moodle” course. See https://youtu.be/_4CKIymHJFU

Regardless of the country you live in, you may want to give this course a try. Find out by yourself if using Moodle suits you. Sign up at https://learn.moodle.org/ I am sure you will not regret it

Eduardo Lina
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Eduardo Lina

Born in Argentina, Eduardo has been living and working in Israel since 1979 - and he loves to use Moodle! Married to Susy, with two daughters: Gabriela and Maia, and three granddaughters (Sol, Dor, and Eliana), Eduardo is teaching English at school. Having completed with HRDNZ both MoodleBites for Teachers and the six MEC courses, Eduardo is a Moodle Certified Educator. He is a Certified Israel Ministry of Education Teachers’ teacher. He has developed and facilitated several Israel Ministry of Education's Spanish and English as a Foreign Language online workshops.

One thought on ““Inspiring better teaching everywhere”

  • blank ElearningWorld Admin

    Great post Eduardo.
    It always amazes me … how often a big budget is spent on technology (servers, LMS, backups, marketing, etc.) and how LITTLE is often spent on teachers, and training them effectively how to use the technology well ! And it’s the teachers that make the gibbets difference !
    I’ve seen great technology used badly, because of no training.
    I’ve seen relatively poor technology use really well, if staff are skilled.
    My take away from this … match your spend on technology to your spend on staff development … then you will REALLY see what is possible !

    Reply

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