Glossaries and databases
MoodleMootAU08
Tabitha Roder, HRDNZ

Glossaries and databases
MoodleMootAU08
Tabitha Roder, HRDNZ

This is a picture of me, this is the pose I give when asked to give presentations!

But I am locked into presenting, as you can see... so I should just get on with it!

What are these glossaries all about then, are we talking about giving our students the new
terminology they need for the course they are in?

If we have given them the definitions, they should understand all the new words in the
course, right?

Have I done my job as a teacher then?

Have I given my students the key to success by building them a glossary? what do you think
they understand now?

I personally think it puts their understanding not far off this, blank page, which I think is
probably not enough...

I don’t think I have let the students touch the learning opportunity they would get if they
were given the chance to get themselves a bit wet, and build their understanding themselves

So I want to pull back the curtain

show my students the world on the other side

I want to see if by getting them involved, together will they learn more?

So my role as their teacher could be to stand there behind the transparent curtain, helping
them see the world, just pointing them in the right direction... or...

taking it to the next step, oh no, teacher step back now

what about letting the students pull back the curtain themselves, and lead their own learning?

it might take a while for the students to break out

It might initially be a bit of a stretch

but students can learn together and then thrive on a bit of competition, writing their own
quality and relevant definitions of the words they need to succeed in their chosen field

you can create environments that stretch students to be stars

and then see how rewarded they feel when they get there,

creating their own definitions, the words are theirs, as defined by them, in the context that is
relevant to them

now when I ask myself, am I offering students what they need? I think I am getting a bit
closer

who knows, maybe the students will be giving me a hand to help me understand!

so enough talking about it, lets take a look at glossaries.

youtube
Youtube has plenty of screen captures of people showing you how to make moodle resources

www.elearning.school.nz
Glossaries and Databases course
Guest access allowed :-)

Glossary activity
make glossaries more than just word lists
learners creating, sharing and refining their
definitions together creates deeper understanding
use the random glossary block to show off your
students entries

Databases

youtube

Database activity
plan before you build
choose the right fields to get the right results
tailor your templates to be fit for purpose
empower your students to create and share their
own learning material

Where to from here
further info on moodle.org
refer back to my workshop here -
elearning.school.nz
Glossaries and databases course
get innovating and create your own !

enjoy the new path you take with your students

thank you