We recently held a Moodle Moot for work. We’ve structured the Moot as a two day affair. The first day is structured as an overview. We do a ton of instruction. There is a lot in Moodle to talk about. We cover Resources vs Activities. We share examples of a few specific types. We’ve chosen the most popular/used modules. The second is a “hands-on” day.
The first day is overwhelming. We’ve tried to make sure that each of the participants is creating as well as listening on day one. However, it is a lot to absorb. Sometimes things just aren’t running as fast as we’d like. For example, sometimes the network connection slows down. This means that the participants are a screen or two behind. This can lead to confusion. So we cover material to give everyone a really good overview of what Moodle can do.
The second day is completely for implementation. There are four experts in the room who are available to help with any and all questions. All of the participants create resources and/or activities that align to what they are doing in the classroom (or will be in the Fall). The four experts circulate and help guide the participants through choosing and creating.
The Moodle Moot is a powerful experience. We recognize that we are trying to take weeks or months of learning and condense it down to a couple of days. We are fully aware that these two days won’t actually replace the learning that takes place over months; rather, our goal is to provide an intensive experience to hook the participants on what they can do. The good news is that we will be following up with all of the participants throughout the school year.
Everyone who was at day one showed up for day two. That alone is a positive. The feedback was similarly positive. The real proof though comes once the school year starts.
We tried to make the Moodle Moot fun and useful. We had ICE CREAM, because everything is better with ICE CREAM, and some good food. However, the focus of the Moodle Moot was good old fashioned learning.
I’m proud of everyone who showed up and worked hard. I’m proud of the Moodle experts who provided great guidance in implementation. Now, let’s get on with the school year.
Leave a Reply