Moodle was a word that I unfortunately had never even heard before. I learned a lot from the YouTube videos and the links provided. It is a learning management tool that is online to enable teachers to run his/her class interactively on the web with any content delivered. It is exciting that there is a free site for regular teachers to set up online classrooms like college level online classes. It is another great way to organize my life as a teacher by putting notes, PowerPoint, tests, websites, videos, links, chats, etc. on one site. I basically view the Moodle as a class website that is interactive.
Unfortunately due to the lack of technology resources in my current building, I will not use this now. I can see this being a great resource to use in the future. We only have about 75 computers in my building for 500 students. We have 2 labs. One lab is used for computer class and the other to sign up and use. Then each classroom has a student computer. I also have about half of my class without home Internet access. I enjoyed learning about a Moodle. This is really the future of our classrooms. Our world is turning digital and this will be the new classroom someday. It is so difficult to keep up with the advances in technology!
I really enjoyed reading the “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” article. I feel that I am in between a native and immigrant being 28 years old. I have attributes of both. I am open to new technology advances, but it just takes some getting used to. I need more time and imagination to truly turn to a teacher fully meeting the needs of digital natives. I was shocked that the article was written in 2001. Ten years ago and teaching hasn’t changed much. It was interesting to read that students’ brains have physically changed. Their thinking patterns are different. It was also interesting to admit that digital immigrants have an “accent”. It is just such an entirely new way of teaching and speaking in terms of language. Like Moodle for me, I just learned this word today! Back to the point of students’ brains being different as a result of the digital input they receive, we as teachers need to change our methodology and content of teaching to meet the new brains needs. I liked how Marc Prensky wrote about having to teach a combination of legacy and future content…there is a happy medium. I think there is a need for a balance so students can reflect in face-to-face discussion and think critically together. I also found it so interesting that CAD software for engineers created video games to help them learn the new program! How cool! After reading this article, I am more motivated to integrate more digital ways of learning into my teaching to meet the needs of my digital native students. I think this would also decrease misbehaviors in my classroom. I feel that it is my job to have a better fit to my approaches when lesson planning.
I am looking forward to completing the evaluation project this week. I tend to just Google sites on the spot due to lack of plan time. I then use them in my classroom on my interactive 3-M board. I know that I need to be taking the time to evaluate them. The dlhmo and mlk sites that were not educational also shocked me. WOW! I really do need to be evaluating sites before using them with my students. I will add sites to my delicious.com site to use once I know they are safe and effective to my learning objective.
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