Reflections of a Moodle Project
Every major project gets completed. It is really the when, and how, that we have most control of. Some projects, like building a new fence are completed when the last coat of paint is applied, and the gate swings freely. A school year ends when you walk out the door on June 31st. No matter what you have done throughout the year, the school year is done. My Moodle project is now completed, partly because all the components are complete (inshallah) but mostly because the due date has arrived, and it needs to be turned in for evaluation. I guess, like all projects I have completed in my lifetime, I am proud of some parts, yet wish I would have done more on others.
I am most proud of the doing. That is not to say it is the best Moodle you will ever see, but I created it. That in itself offers some satisfaction, but mostly I am happy that I had the chance to create something that I wanted to, and if I am to have any opportunities as an online instructor in the future, needed to. How can a person get good at something if they don’t engage in that activity? I hope that does not sound too trivial. Learning new skills, like Moodle, takes practice. You need to explore what Moodle can do, and what you can do with Moodle. I am so much more skilled than when I started this course than when I started. And I am eager to continue my learning.
I wish I had more HTML skills. At this point I am not even sure what those skills might look like but I am not happy enough with the look of my Moodle. I did not learn how to integrate DragMath or Mathtype into my Moodle course. This forced me to use a few Word documents for a few sections that required extensive math symbols, and restricted the effectiveness of building more elegant equations when I was able to utilize web pages. I must fix this weakness if future Moodle courses or projects are to reach the level of polish and expertise that I expect from myself, and that a future employer will certainly expect. Because of this shortcoming I would like the second module dealing with parallel and perpendicular lines, and the third module on building equations to be evaluated. The second module is set to release with the completion of the slope quiz in the first module.
I continue to both see the advantage of, and use the learning communities that each MET course utilizes. The discussion forum offered all types of reliable, timely, and necessary help in building this Moodle project. You Tube was the other substantial source of information. I would hate to count the number of You Tube videos I watched. Not only am I using these sources of information for my own coursework, I am also promoting their use to my students. A paradigm shift has occurred.
A good friend of mine who just happens to be an outstanding Science teacher always said that the first time you did something, you survived. The second time you refined, and by the third time the task was yours. With all the editing I did, it feels like I am at about 1.4.
Here is the link to Linear Functions. Tell me what you think.
The guest password is Line@r565