Integration into the 9-12 Classroom

Online Collaborative Learning Environments

K-12 Teachers continuously strive to:Create a sense of classroom communityPromote life-long learning

Many things prevent this from occurring:50-60 minute class periodsState standardized testingSchool-wide common assessmentsRequired core curriculumEveryday interruptions

Introduction

Online Collaborative learning environments act as:Classroom extensions

More time Convenient for teachersStudents see the value of learning outside

classroomCollaboration between peers21st century skills

Solution

PredatorsInappropriate materialMisuse of technology…butStudents spend large percentage of time on Internet“Culture of Fear” (Boyd)Students must be enrolled in online collaborative

learning environmentPassword protectedTeachers model appropriate useTechs have ability to monitor

Safety

Moodle can be used “to augment face-to-face courses” or “blended learning” Moodle is an Open Source Course Management System (CMS),

also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It has become very popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic web sites for their students. To work, it needs to be installed on a web server somewhere, either on one of your own computers or one at a web hosting company.

Moodle is free to download and registration is voluntary, so we don't have full information about everyone that uses it.

Moodle Overview

Multimodal Component

System of posting information

http://moodle.munster.k12.in.us/course/view.php?id=82

ForumsWikisStudent blogsPollsInteractive lessonsAssessments Assignments

Other internal components

All subjects can benefit:HistoryScienceLanguage ArtsForeign LanguageHealth/P.E. MathArt

Sample Moodle Unit

Practical Uses for content areas

boyd, danah. “Understanding Socio-Technical Phenomena in a Web 2.0 Era.” MSR New England Lab Opening, Cambridge MA. Sept. 2008. 1 Dec. 2010. Web.

Selfe, Cynthia L. Multimodal Composition: A Resource for Teachers. Hampton Press, Inc. 2007. Print.

Soren, Kaplan. “Building eLearning and Blended Learning Communities.” iCohere, Inc. 2010. 1 Dec. 2010. Web. http://www.icohere.com/CollaborativeLearning.htm

Works Cited