Published: August 10, 2009 04:17 pm      

Moodlin’ through class

LG freshmen first to receive Netbooks

Locust Grove is gearing up for a high tech school year. The upperclassmen at Locust Grove High School may be green with envy when this year’s freshmen start sporting their brand new Netbooks. The sophomore through seniors may not get Netbooks but they won’t be left out of the technology loop when the

new Moodle (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning, System) is introduced by teachers this fall.

Moodle is a software package used for producing Internet-based courses and Web sites. The system helps educators and business teach their curriculum using many different methods rolled into one system. 

The term Moodle is an acronym but according to www.moodle.org, it is also a verb.

“Moodle … verb used to describe the process of

lazily meandering through something, doing things as it occurs to you to do them, an enjoyable tinkering that often lead to insight and creativity. As such it applies both to the way Moodle was developed, and to the way a student or teacher might approach studying or teaching an online course. Anyone who uses Moodle is a Moodler.”

With the help of Moodle, teachers like Tim White will be able to start their own Moodle page where they can upload class assignments, lectures, video and many other forms of multimedia.

“I’m excited I like to use a lot of video,” said White. “Moodle is the tool that allows you to combine everything.” The social studies teacher is also

excited about the opportunities a system like Moodle can bring. The system will allow students who are homebound, whether it be for illness, injury, discipline or pregnancy, the opportunity to continue being a part of the class room experience. 

“This will allow kids to access the class remotely,” White said.

A student will be able to log onto the Locust Grove Moodle site, http://moodle.lg.k12.ok.us find their class and access assignments, lectures, power point presentations and much more. The system will be a great asset for students outside of the classroom but it will also be utilized within the classroom. 

The new system will also work “in conjunction with smart boards,” said High School Principal Joel Green. 

Teachers have been working throughout the summer to get their lessons ready for the first day of school, Wednesday.

“The reality is this generation of students, it’s how they learn,” said Locust Grove high school principal Joel Green. 

White agrees, “It is so second nature for them (students) to be in tune with multimedia. It makes so much sense.”

Teachers and students are not the only ones who will be able to Moodle. Parents will be able to access their child’s assignment, including what has been completed and what needs to be done. It will also allow parents to see grades and where their child many need help.

Eventually the Moodle system could take the place of traditional textbooks. By combining all of the medias it allows the students to use one tool, their computer. 

The thought that someday the district would make that move to no textbooks is not completely out of the question. With Moodle and the purchased120 Lenovo Netbook computers, the school is moving forward. The Netbooks are small laptop computers that weigh about 2 pounds and are maybe half the size of a traditional

laptop.

Each of the incoming freshmen students will receive a Netbook during a special open house Aug. 20. The reason for not assigning the Netbooks until the open house is to provide a final enrollment number so the school can purchase more Netbooks if needed. The computers will be checked out and students will use them for assignments and accessing Moodle. Because it is a beginning program, the computers will only be checked out to freshmen. Then each entering freshman class will receive a Netbook just as if they were being checked out a textbook. The Netbooks will then be checked in at a time assigned by the school.

“Laptop computers are expensive but so are textbooks.” said Green. 

The administrator knows there will be some wear and tear on the computers but Green said each year the same thing happens to textbooks. The district is also prepared to tackle any troubles with the Netbooks. Technology Director David Berns and his department will handle any problems that may occur.

“If there is a problem, we can take a look at it and hopefully in 24 hours we’ll get it back to them,” Berns said.

From a technology standpoint, Berns is excited to see the direction the district is heading.

“It’s as though they’re taking a little bit of school home with them,” Berns said.

As a teacher, White shares in the excitement.

“It is a neat school district to work for … they are really innovative in reaching the kids,” White said. He said he is also impressed with the vision of superintendent Dave Cash. During a conversation, White said Cash told him he would like for the school to be the best in the region.

The school was honored in the spring with a National Education Technology Vendors Association award for the district’s efforts in technology. Locust Grove was one of five schools in the nation named as a district to watch in the next 10 years.