Bit 'n Java

If you read my previous article, I briefly described the online classroom. There are many different flavors of online classroom systems available on the market, but there is only one which is totally FREE and that is Moodle.

Moodle stands for Modular Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. Consider it a modular device like an iPhone. There are many skins and applications which can be added in order to make your online learning environment fit your traditional classroom. It is designed to be able to suit all needs of education levels, elementary school through graduate school. It all depends on how you set it up.

To use Moodle in your classroom, you don’t need anything fancy or laptops. The teacher can refer to it throughout the day and the students can either refer to it later on after school, during free periods, after school or whenever. However, it works very well for environments that have computers intertwined into the curriculum.

You don’t need to be a computer genius either to begin using Moodle. After setting up your account, you will be able to get an idea of how things work within a matter of a few hours. However, I would suggest trying the various options and components before making it part of your lessons. The following video explains how simple it can be.

The nice thing about Moodle is its cost. It is financially friendly for all schools, private and public. With so many ways to set it up, it is possible for a money tight private school to implement internally or with a very simple hosting program. For schools who have the budgetary space, there are solutions that can provide extra services along with hosting, maintenance, and support.

If you’re looking for a way to use technology to further enhance the classroom environment or to capture those unique students who learn in alternative methods, check out Moodle.