Meeting in the Moodle Jump Start Dynamic Learning NM TIE PreConference October 3, 2007 Regional Educational Technology Assistance http://reta.nmsu.edu Holly Rae Bemis-Schurtz [email_address]

RETA Program http://reta.nmsu.edu Technology Innovation Challenge Grant New Mexico State University’s College of Extended Learning K12 Professional Development NMTA Prep Online Teaching and Learning Professional Development Dossier

http://reta.nmsu.edu

Technology Innovation Challenge Grant

New Mexico State University’s College of Extended Learning

K12 Professional Development

NMTA Prep

Online Teaching and Learning

Professional Development Dossier

About Me Project Coordinator with RETA Former Middle School Teacher (Technology & Media) Graduate of Online Masters’ Program C & I – EDLT at NMSU Action Researcher

Project Coordinator with RETA

Former Middle School Teacher (Technology & Media)

Graduate of Online Masters’ Program C & I – EDLT at NMSU

Action Researcher

RETAMoodle http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle NM eTeacher Prep Online Teaching and Learning Opportunities Open Space for Course Development (No student hosting) New Mexico educators Includes Moofolios

http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle

NM eTeacher Prep

Online Teaching and Learning Opportunities

Open Space for Course Development

(No student hosting)

New Mexico educators

Includes Moofolios

Entering Moodle http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle Please use account and password on index card Change account information to accurately represent you, or continue to use guest account

http://reta.nmsu.edu/moodle

Please use account and password on index card

Change account information to accurately represent you, or continue to use guest account

Learning Objectives Understand dynamic learning tools available through Moodle Identify challenges of dynamic learning tools Consider the benefits and challenges of an open source tool such as Moodle Identify resources for Moodle support Explain ideas for incorporating Dynamic Learning

Understand dynamic learning tools available through Moodle

Identify challenges of dynamic learning tools

Consider the benefits and challenges of an open source tool such as Moodle

Identify resources for Moodle support

Explain ideas for incorporating Dynamic Learning

What is Dynamic Learning? Based on social constructionist pedagogy Active learning in a social context taking place in a learning environment with smart and interactive tools Graphic from: http://eduspaces.net/terry/weblog/archive/2006/02/ (Terry Wassall) 21 st Century Toolbox

Based on social constructionist pedagogy

Active learning in a social context taking place in a learning environment with smart and interactive tools

Graphic from: http://eduspaces.net/terry/weblog/archive/2006/02/ (Terry Wassall)

Why implement Dynamic Learning? Accommodate new learning styles Teach 21 st Century Skills Collaboration Critical Thinking Literacy Learning Skills Manipulating 21 st century tools

Accommodate new learning styles

Teach 21 st Century Skills

Collaboration

Critical Thinking

Literacy

Learning Skills

Manipulating 21 st century tools

Digital Immigrants: “When I was growing up…” Lee Rainie (Pew Internet & American Life Project)

Lee Rainie (Pew Internet & American Life Project)

Digital Natives: “Born into Technology” Lee Rainie (Pew Internet & American Life Project)

Lee Rainie (Pew Internet & American Life Project)

All About Digital Natives Accelerated development as a result of interactive media Cognitive intelligence Reasoning Personality Autonomy Sense of Self (Tapscott, 1998) Adolescents develop abstract thinking skills in middle school – as a result of acceleration this may be happening younger Ability to multitask and take in a variety of information streams (Rainie, 2006; McHugh, 2005) Lack of awareness of consequences associated with technological actions (Rainie, 2005)

Accelerated development as a result of interactive media

Cognitive intelligence

Reasoning

Personality

Autonomy

Sense of Self (Tapscott, 1998)

Adolescents develop abstract thinking skills in middle school – as a result of acceleration this may be happening younger

Ability to multitask and take in a variety of information streams (Rainie, 2006; McHugh, 2005)

Lack of awareness of consequences associated with technological actions (Rainie, 2005)

Digital Natives & Neomillenials Think, learn and communicate differently than digital immigrants (Prensky, 2001, 2004) Have sophisticated learning styles and strengths – they expect individualized instruction (Dede, 2005) They need to “look under the hood of something to know how it works” and consider themselves the authority on technology , rather than their teachers (Tapscott, 1998)

Think, learn and communicate differently than digital immigrants (Prensky, 2001, 2004)

Have sophisticated learning styles and strengths – they expect individualized instruction (Dede, 2005)

They need to “look under the hood of something to know how it works” and consider themselves the authority on technology , rather than their teachers (Tapscott, 1998)

Needs of Digital Native Students Prepare for life in a time of drastic changes (Rainie, 2006) Less need for basic skills in one particular area of technology which could become obsolete More need for learning skills to thrive in a continually changing world Ability to consider the ethics of technology research and design

Prepare for life in a time of drastic changes (Rainie, 2006)

Less need for basic skills in one particular area of technology which could become obsolete

More need for learning skills to thrive in a continually changing world

Ability to consider the ethics of technology research and design

Neomillenial Learning Styles fluency in multiple media, valuing each for the types of communication ,activities, experiences, and expression it empowers; learning based on collectively seeking, sieving and synthesizing experiences, active learning based on experience (real and simulated) that includes frequent opportunities for reflection by communities of practice; expression through nonlinear associational webs of representations rather than linear “stories”, such as authoring a simulation and a Web page to express understanding, rather than a paper (Dede, 2005)

fluency in multiple media, valuing each for the types of communication ,activities, experiences, and expression it empowers;

learning based on collectively seeking, sieving and synthesizing experiences,

active learning based on experience (real and simulated) that includes frequent opportunities for reflection by communities of practice;

expression through nonlinear associational webs of representations rather than linear “stories”, such as authoring a simulation and a Web page to express understanding, rather than a paper (Dede, 2005)

8 Shifts for Interactive Learning from linear to hypermedia from instruction to construction and discovery from teacher-centered to learner-centered education from absorbing material to learning how to navigate and how to learn from school to lifelong learning from one-size-fits-all to customized learning from learning as torture to learning as fun from the teacher as transmitter to the teacher as facilitator (Tapscott, 1998)

from linear to hypermedia

from instruction to construction and discovery

from teacher-centered to learner-centered education

from absorbing material to learning how to navigate and how to learn

from school to lifelong learning

from one-size-fits-all to customized learning

from learning as torture to learning as fun

from the teacher as transmitter to the teacher as facilitator (Tapscott, 1998)

Spectrum of Digital ‘Nativeness’ Evolving Understandings NetGen - Tapscott (1998) Digital Natives - Prensky (2001) Not a general standard of age cohort Demographics play a significant role A trend which indicates how society is changing Informs educators about student needs and learning styles Informs gap analysis

Evolving Understandings

NetGen - Tapscott (1998)

Digital Natives - Prensky (2001)

Not a general standard of age cohort

Demographics play a significant role

A trend which indicates how society is changing

Informs educators about student needs and learning styles

Informs gap analysis

Challenges of Dynamic Learning Digital Divide Complex Literacies Technological Literacy ICT Literacy Computer Literacy Information Literacy Digital Literacy Multimedia Literacy Access Schools/Districts

Digital Divide

Complex Literacies

Technological Literacy

ICT Literacy

Computer Literacy

Information Literacy

Digital Literacy

Multimedia Literacy

Access

Schools/Districts

What is Moodle? What is MOODLE? Online Resources, Polls, Forums, Chats, Wikis, Assignment Dropboxes, Blogs & much, much, more LCPS TMT May 9, 2007

Web 2.0 Course Management Software Flexible course design Distance Learning Blended Instruction Social communities Professional Learning Community Evaluation/Data Collection Enviroments Portfolios (MooFolios) Resource Collections

Flexible course design

Distance Learning

Blended Instruction

Social communities

Professional Learning Community

Evaluation/Data Collection Enviroments

Portfolios (MooFolios)

Resource Collections

Web 2.0 Course Management Software Lots of tools Profiles Blogs Forums Wikis Assignment Dropboxes Polls, Choices, Questionnaires Quizzes and Surveys Links to websites and files

Lots of tools

Profiles

Blogs

Forums

Wikis

Assignment Dropboxes

Polls, Choices, Questionnaires

Quizzes and Surveys

Links to websites and files

Moodle supports active, social learning Social Constructivism: http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss4/currentissues/socialstudies/doolittlefigure3a.gif

Social Constructivism: http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss4/currentissues/socialstudies/doolittlefigure3a.gif

Easily Embed Dynamic Content Vokis Flixn Del.icio.us RSS Video/Audio/Podcasts Meebo Embed codes from popular widgets

Vokis

Flixn

Del.icio.us

RSS

Video/Audio/Podcasts

Meebo

Embed codes from popular widgets

Features of Moodle as an Open Source Tool Public license, open source and permission to develop code GNU Creative Commons Supported by user community Extensible, malleable, adaptable Examples Linux GIMP OpenOffice Audacity Moodle Drupal

Public license, open source and permission to develop code

GNU

Creative Commons

Supported by user community

Extensible, malleable, adaptable

Examples

Linux

GIMP

OpenOffice

Audacity

Moodle

Drupal

Open Source Challenges Your user community Knowledge based Active problem solving No tech support phone number Participate in Community Solve Problems ?

Your user community

Knowledge based

Active problem solving

No tech support phone number

Open Source Benefits No license fee Anyone can access software and code Development of autonomy No per user or course fees Limitations only imposed by infrastructure Reallocate funding Professional development Classroom technology Growth of internal knowledge base Contract support available

No license fee

Anyone can access software and code

Development of autonomy

No per user or course fees

Limitations only imposed by infrastructure

Reallocate funding

Professional development

Classroom technology

Growth of internal knowledge base

Contract support available

Scoping out an Infrastructure Administrative Support Identify learning outcomes, Connects resources and infrastructure Teachers who are willing Internet comfort a major plus Professional Development for teachers Time, Professional Learning Community, Philosophy Site Administrator(s) Manages Users, Courses Server Administrator PHP, mySQL, databases, installing modules, themes

Administrative Support

Identify learning outcomes, Connects resources and infrastructure

Teachers who are willing

Internet comfort a major plus

Professional Development for teachers

Time, Professional Learning Community, Philosophy

Site Administrator(s)

Manages Users, Courses

Server Administrator

PHP, mySQL, databases, installing modules, themes

Technical Infrastructure Linux, Windows, Mac OS X & others Apache, PHP and database (ie:mySQL) Approximately 50 concurrent users for every 1 GB of RAM (variable) approx max concurrent users = RAM (GB) * 50 approx max browsing users = Approx max concurrent users * 5 From http:// docs.moodle.org

Linux, Windows, Mac OS X & others

Apache, PHP and database (ie:mySQL)

Approximately 50 concurrent users for every 1 GB of RAM (variable)

approx max concurrent users = RAM (GB) * 50

approx max browsing users = Approx max concurrent users * 5

From http:// docs.moodle.org

Install Overview Download and copy files into place Set up moodle directory Set up your system Check web server settings Configure PHP settings Create an empty database Create the data directory (moodledata) Run the installer script to create config.php Go to the admin page to continue configuration Set up cron Set up backups From http:// docs.moodle.org

Download and copy files into place

Set up moodle directory

Set up your system

Check web server settings

Configure PHP settings

Create an empty database

Create the data directory (moodledata)

Run the installer script to create config.php

Go to the admin page to continue configuration

Set up cron

Set up backups

From http:// docs.moodle.org

What’s happening with Moodle so far? “ This has changed everything about the way I teach.” – Las Cruces Moodler Teachers feel comfortable using Moodle Students feel comfortable using Moodle Language learning students and emergent readers need adaptations Moodle is very extensible Time Saving ?

“ This has changed everything about the way I teach.” – Las Cruces Moodler

Teachers feel comfortable using Moodle

Students feel comfortable using Moodle

Language learning students and emergent readers need adaptations

Moodle is very extensible

Time Saving

Pedagogies of Engagement Slide from Karl A. Smith (2006)

Lila M. Smith Slide from Karl A. Smith (2006)

Lila M. Smith Slide from Karl A. Smith (2006)

Imagine …that you have a fully functional Moodle site within your hands.. Create a plan for dynamic learning…

…that you have a fully functional Moodle site within your hands..

Create a plan for dynamic learning…

Conclusions Sharing of ideas Comments Questions Webinars Next steps

Sharing of ideas

Comments

Questions

Webinars

Next steps