Moodle as a Hook revisited
There is no doubt whatsoever: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”. Ask anybody during these Coronavirus Times. Ask teachers who will have to teach online for the foreseeable future, too. At least, there is Moodle…
It is summer in Israel, and even though this is supposed to be vacation time, we (teachers, pupils, school authorities, parents, Ministry of Education people, School Administration personnel and even my next door neighbor) are still busy with last school year’s stuff and getting ready for the uncertain beginning of the next school year. It can’t be different in many other countries where it is summer time, and I can’t figure out how things are evolving in those countries where school year started around the time Corona virus hit them.
In short, as we are getting ready for the next school year, it is time to reconsider the role of Moodle. Unlike those long-gone days in May 2019, when I wrote the “Moodle as a Hook” post, for me Moodle will become much more than what it was then. Well, I guess that as “the Earth revolves on its axis once every 24 hours“, my courses this coming school year will revolve on Moodle much of the time.
And yet, I hope we manage to meet pupils face to face (the vast majority of K-12 pupils need to go to that place called school – to study and more. K-12 is not College or University).
To be ready for whatever comes, I decided to learn Moodle systematically. Even after taking the excellent “Learn Moodle” course in the past, there was much use of intuition and trial and error in the way I had learned, used, and even taught how to use Moodle. Accordingly, filling in gaps was a good idea. The best course to do that is readily available right here on Elearningworld: the “MoodleBites for Teachers” course.
It is true: The “MoodleBites for Teachers course “is the solid foundation course for any teacher using Moodle – even if you have been using Moodle a few years – you will learn a lot as it covers all main features in-depth through facilitated resources and activities. For course fees, start dates, and course content please refer to the full course outline”. I have just completed the course. It has been worth the time, effort, and money I spent. I can recommend it highly.
Back to getting ready for next school year, which involves planning lessons. As far as I am concerned, and because I am a Moodle-enthusiast (perhaps more than that), preparing for 2020-2021 also involves helping K-12 teachers (colleagues in my school and elsewhere in Israel) learn to use Moodle in English and in Hebrew (there was a time when I did so in Spanish, too). On his #MootGlobal20 Education Room Friday talk, (https://youtu.be/E1yyGFPyKEE around 4:25:30), Martin Dougiamas mentioned some of the things Moodle enthusiasts could do. I guess I am “Fighting the good fight advocating for Moodle and Open EdThech in general … everywhere” and also trying to fit in the “Everything else you do”. If things turn out well, I might have what to share here.
I believe I will still be using Moodle to complement and supplement whatever teaching and testing I can do in class. I am planning lessons in which I integrate Virtual Classroom Meetings (Zoom or others), Moodle, and some (many?) Face to face meetings. I have lots of plans, but then, you know, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
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.
- Giving access to high-quality educational experiences with Moodle – 28th January 2023
- Enhance K-12 English Foreign Language Skills with Moodle – 28th September 2022
- Dig into Digital: Focus on H5P – 28th August 2022
What a great post Eduardo.
I think you have identified a key point – that many educators all around the world are reevaluating how they can use technology to support learners – whether that is fully remote (during the COVID-19 or alternative disaster!), or blended, when the classrooms return to normal.
It would be a shame for us to miss this opportunity to improve, and Moodle can definitely be a part of that.