Moodle 1.9: The English Teacher's Cookbook

By Silvina P. Hillar

This book follows a cookbook style, which will help you achieve outstanding results using ready-to-use recipes for reading comprehension, writing, and composition holding hands with Moodle 1.9 in the Web 2.0 Era. Each recipe is unique; some deal with similar teaching techniques, but they show how to develop the same technique using different software, situations, or topics. Images, videos, poems, songs, artists, classic stories, cartoons, superheroes, painting, the environment, and comics are inserted into the Moodle course, in order to be used as either prewriting or writing activities. If you are an English teacher who wants to discover practical, funny, and engaging activities to insert in your course, this is a perfectly designed book for you. It will help you to use different techniques in the teaching of reading comprehension, writing, and composition using a great variety of resources from the free and open source software available in the Web and interesting websites as well as social networks. You need basic experience with Moodle 1.9 or 1.9.5, as well as installation and configuration procedures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Release date: Jul 5, 2010
• ISBN: 9781849510899

Book preview

Table of Contents

Moodle 1.9 English Teacher's Cookbook

Credits

About the Author

Acknowledgement

About the Reviewer

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Connecting Ideas

Introduction

Matching sentences

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Carry out the activity in Hot Potatoes

Hot Potatoes website

Showing Hot Potatoes Quiz in Moodle

Creating a matching activity in Hot Potatoes

Unjumbling and connecting sentences

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Using Twitter and Facebook for a survey

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Protecting Students' Rights and Privacy

Brainstorming ideas using Forums

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Answering a quiz designed in a Lesson

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Writing somebody's biography using a link to a website

Empty book, great story: upload pictures from Microsoft Word

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Connecting stairs: Uploading drawings from Microsoft Word

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a link with a Microsoft file

Linking to websites and writing about an endangered animal

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

2. Matching Pictures and Text

Introduction

Picturing comprehension

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Students justifying their choice in a Forum

Matching text to speech bubbles of comic strips

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Ordering and writing a story based on the comic strip

Picture paragraph matching

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Sceneries and possible stories through flowcharts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Working with paintings—Salvador Dali's art

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Choosing a book by its cover

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Advising posters

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Cooking recipes

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

3. Looking at Things from Different Perspectives

Introduction

Becoming a well-known character

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Understanding secondary characters

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a glossary with the characters

Creating a crossword using the Glossary

Uploading the crossword to Moodle

Adding technology to a story

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Statues can think

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Changing an adventure

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Linking to a website where students can listen to Alice in Wonderland

Reading Alice in Wonderland in your iPod touch, iPad, or iPhone

Old age versus childhood

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Beauty versus ugliness

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a writing activity after chatting and reading

Curious characters

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

4. Defining Types of Sentences

Introduction

Embedding videos, games, and matching the correct topic sentence

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more

Embedding the game

Writing detailed sentences according to the topic sentence

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Multiple choice: choose the correct concluding sentence

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Mixing paragraphs

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Selecting the correct sentences

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Adding more True/False questions in the Quiz

Adding detailed sentences

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Writing topics and concluding sentences

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Hamburger paragraph: writing a composition using three types of sentences

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

5. Creating Stories using Twitter and Facebook

Introduction

Debating a topic

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Inserting a Twitter button in Moodle

Inserting a Twitter button in the HTML block in the Moodle course

Cause-and-effect diagram, Fishbone, or Ishikawa diagram technique

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Inserting a Facebook button in our Moodle course

Positive and negative points list

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Inserting a Twitter button in Moodle

Play the reporter

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a writing activity using the answers in the Database

Tweeting in an easier way

Writing a story guessing facts

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Writing a very short play using text messages

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Chain composition

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

How to summarize information

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

6. Improving Your Students' Writing

Introduction

Cubing technique: Describe

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Connecting both activities automatically

Cubing technique: Compare

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Cubing technique: Associate

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Cubing technique: Analyse

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Using Sweet Home 3D to design the floor plan

Cubing technique: Apply

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Cubing technique: Argue

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Rolling a cube

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

How to correct this essay

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

7. Comparing using Venn Diagrams

Introduction

Summer holidays versus winter holidays— drawing Venn diagrams using OpenOffice Drawing

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Living in the country versus living in an overcrowded city—drawing Venn diagrams with clip art from Microsoft Word

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Being famous versus being unknown— drawing Venn diagrams with SmartDraw software

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Having a healthy lifestyle versus bad habits—completing a Venn diagram using the classtools.net website

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Famous coincidences—drawing Venn diagrams of Abraham Lincoln and John Fitzgerald Kennedy using Paint

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Comparing different types of pollution— drawing Venn diagrams using Microsoft Visio 2007

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Types of students—drawing Venn diagrams using Edraw Max

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Puzzles—placing adjectives and sentences in a Venn diagram according to the description of personal possessions

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

8. Composing New Sceneries

Introduction

Updating a fairy tale—using a database to guide writing activity

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Changing a poem into a cartoon—using resources from Web 2.0

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Cartoonizing ourselves

Cartoonizing ourselves using Photo to Cartoon

Listening to a poem and writing another end to it

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Imagining that your house is a palace

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Superheroes have other powers—creating your own hero using tools from Web 2.0

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Writing about a hero designed using a link to a website

Flying shoes—creating an advertisement using animoto.com

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Becoming your idol—using Quandary 2 in Moodle

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a writing activity

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

9. Working with Mind Maps and Tree Diagrams

Introduction

Pictures in mind maps—using Buzan's iMindMap V4

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Uploading the mind map as .png file

Drawing pictures using pen sketch

Creating a writing activity

Adding data to pictures—creating a mind map using MindMeister

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Providing a situation to a story—drawing a mind map using Draw Anywhere

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Creating mind maps using resources from Web 2.0

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Creating a tree diagram using Microsoft Word

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Pictures in a tree diagram—creating a tree diagram using creately.com

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Designing a writing activity out of the tree diagram

Completing a tree diagram comparing two people using my.lovelycharts.com

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a description activity out of the tree diagram

Comparing the Flintstones and the Simpsons—using cacoo.com to create a tree diagram

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

10. Preparing a Discussion Clock

Introduction

How to prepare a discussion clock—words to cover different viewpoints

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a writing activity

Writing from a viewpoint—using tiny URLs in the discussion clock

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating another writing activity

Picturing the clock diagram—adding images

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Music in the clock diagram—embedding MP3 files to our Moodle course

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Just words—using a target diagram to create a discussion clock and creating a story out of it

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Designing a creating a story activity through Web 2.0

Questions in the clock diagram—writing a newspaper article

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Creating a writing activity using the template of a newspaper

Correcting through a clock diagram

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

Designing a discussion clock in order to create an aircraft using resources from Web 2.0

Getting ready

How to do it...

How it works...

There's more...

Using Facebook to create another writing activity

Index

Moodle 1.9 English Teacher's Cookbook

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Moodle 1.9 English Teacher's Cookbook

Copyright © 2010 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, Packt Publishing, nor its dealers or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: June 2010

Production Reference: 1290610

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd. 32 Lincoln Road Olton Birmingham, B27 6PA, UK.

ISBN 978-1-849510-88-2

www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by Vinayak Chittar (<[e-mail]>)

Credits

Author

Silvina P. Hillar

Reviewer

Ben Reynolds

Acquisition Editor

Sarah Cullington

Development Editor

Swapna Verlekar

Technical Editor

Paramanand N. Bhat

Copy Editor

Lakshmi Menon

Indexer

Tejal Daruwale

Editorial Team Leader

Akshara Aware

Project Team Leader

Priya Mukherji

Project Coordinator

Zainab Bagasrawala

Proofreader

Kevin McGowan

Production Coordinator

Shantanu Zagade

Cover Work

Shantanu Zagade

About the Author

Silvina P. Hillar has been teaching English since 1993. She has always had a great interest in teaching, writing, and composing techniques, and has done a lot of research on this subject.

She is an English Teacher, a Certified Legal Translator (English/Spanish) and has a Post Degree in Education (graduated with Honors).

She has worked in several schools and institutes with native English speaking students. She has also worked as an independent consultant for many international companies essaying the role of an interpreter, translator, and e-learning activities developer.

She has always had a passion for educational technology. Formerly, videos and cassettes were a must in her teaching lessons; computer was and still is present. Her brother Gastón C. Hillar designed some programs and games for her courses. Lately, she is teaching using Moodle 1.9 and the Web 2.0. She believes that one of the most amazing challenges in education is bridging the gap between classic education and modern technologies.

She lives with her five-year-old son, Nico. When not tinkering with computers, she enjoys travelling to the seaside with her son, with whom she spends a lot of time at the beach.

You can reach her at [e-mail].

You can follow her on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/silvinahillar.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank all the team at Packt Publishing Ltd., who worked with me as an incredibly helpful team. Sarah Cullington helped me to transform the original idea in the final book and to give my first steps working with a Cookbook. She was always ready to help and give good advice when I was doubtful. Zainab Bagasrawala guided me with patience through the process of writing. Swapna Verlekar also guided me in the development stage of the book and added wise comments to my original writings.

I would also like to thank Paramanand N. Bhat who has performed a great job as a Technical Editor, the reader will notice his work.

I wish to acknowledge my Reviewer, Ben Reynolds who has been very helpful with his comments and gave me good tips which I added to the different chapters. I must also thank my Proofreader Kevin McGowan for his thorough reviews.

I would also like to thank all my students, either real or virtual, who made it possible for me to be a teacher.

Special thanks to my five-year-old son, Nico, who despite his age was very patient and supporting in the writing process of the book, even though he does not want me to work at all! My parents, Susana and Jose (also a writer), who always stood by me and supported my decisions. My brother Gastón C. Hillar who helps me whenever I need him. My little one-year-old nephew Kevin and my sister in law Vanesa S. Olsen with whom we spend time working and exploring Moodle and Web 2.0 resources.

Many thanks to all my relatives, friends, and work colleagues who have helped me in different ways throughout the writing process of this book.

About the Reviewer

Ben Reynolds is a Senior Program Manager of CTYOnline at The Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth (CTY). An award-winning fictionist, he began CTY's face-to-face writing program in 1978 and launched CTYOnline's writing program in 1983. He began administrating CTYOnline's writing & language arts division in 1985. CTYOnline serves over 10,000 students a year in writing/language arts, math, science, computer science, Advanced Placement, and foreign languages. In the 1990's, Reynolds left the classroom for full-time administration both of CTY's writing/language arts program and of a residential site for CTY Summer Programs. Reynolds has also taught writing and the teaching of writing for the Johns Hopkins School of Continuing Studies. He holds a BA from Duke University, where he part-timed in the computer center, trading print out for punch cards, and an MA from Johns Hopkins in Fiction Writing. He is an active member of the Using Moodle community.

Dedicated to To my son, Nico.

Preface

This book begins with simple activities which enhance students' writing such as connecting activities developed in different ways either using Moodle or any other free and open source software available in the Web 2.0.

Next, it moves into matching images and different pieces of writing, it shows how to import different pictures to the Moodle course in different ways. It caters for a great variety of images which will enlighten the creativity of students.

Then, reading comprehension is explored from the characters' point of view. Students should explore reading in such a way as to become a part of it and write as if they were