While Brian's been busy working on HDR images, and learning the various software programs needed to merge the photos, I've been keeping myself entertained learning about Moodle.
Moodle is a free open-source CMS (Course Management System), an excellent tool in the field of education. Moodle allows teachers to upload assignments, and to grade students online. It also allows the teacher to create forums and to set up chats; to put quizes and surveys online...
I started hearing whispers about Moodle about three years ago at the annual JALT (Japan Association of Language Teachers) conference. Two years ago, the whispers had become louder; by last October, the whispers had grown into shouts, and I could no longer ignore the technology I was hearing about.
About a month ago, I downloaded Moodle, and then uploaded it to my server (this was not as simple as it sounds:-) I then had to configure a database (MySQL), which took a few days of frustration to figure out; but voila! I now have Moodle up and running on our Japan Rider site. You can see what it looks like by clicking here.
Warning! My Moodle is still in its nascence! I am just in the process of learning how to use Moodle efficiently. The Moodle Documentation itself says that a big mistake is for teachers to think that simply using Moodle will motivate the learners; Hmm... A good hammer doesn't make a better carpenter - how true! But a good teacher can use a good tool to help learners enjoy the course and perform better overall.
Other sources to look at:
http://www.moodle.org
http://docs.moodle.org
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