Why do so many Moodle courses suck?

Moodle is a magnificent free product and has the potential to enable schools and teachers to build wonderfully unique interactive online learning courses in which learner interaction can be tracked, measured and responded to. Despite this the vast majority of Moodle courses I see are a long list of Word and PDF documents with at best a few forums that enable a minimum of human social interaction.

Given the state of many of these courses, it’s no wonder that drop out rates for online learning are so high. And of course Moodle isn’t the only culprit. Many of the other commercially available LMS (learning management systems) and VLE (virtual learning environment) platforms aren’t doing any better.

Moodle has been around now since 2002 and research carried out in 2013 showed that more than 7.3 million students had studied in more than 83 thousand registered sites.

Image from ELTPics: https://flic.kr/p/jBXAwK

So why is it that so little progress has been made in developing innovative courses that really generate interaction with media rich content?

The problem surely isn’t Moodle, because the platform is capable of delivering all of the above.

The reality is that there are a number of causes:

• I think it’s fair to say that Moodle isn’t the most intuitive of platforms to work with. A lot of progress and improvements have been made, but it’s inevitable that a product with multiple modules constructed by different people is likely to result in some inconsistencies of look and feel.
• The fact that Moodle is seen as a ‘free’ platform and so a ‘cheap’ way to get learning online is another factor. Schools start using the platform with the impression that it won’t require much financial backing and that once they have provided the platform teachers will just be able to get their classes online.
• This brings me to the next point and that is lack of training. Most teachers I have met who use Moodle do so with only the most minimal and basic training and again this comes back to the perception that Moodle is a cheap solution. Many school managers seem to think that a few hours of training is enough to get their teachers designing great online courses. It’s not! Training to use Moodle effectively takes considerable time and needs to be constantly reinforced and renewed.
• A second element of training which is often overlooked is instructional design. A teacher may well be marvellous at developing and delivering their own materials in the classroom, but when it comes to converting those materials into effective online learning units there is a new level of skill and understanding that they need. Understanding the instructional design potential of an online platform and how to structure materials so that students progress through an online environment requires training and experience.
• Another factor in this mix is that the Moodle platform is often seen as the ‘property’ and responsibility of the IT department and as such they make the platform as secure as possible. Often this means that teachers’ access to many of the different features and potential that Moodle can deliver are hidden from the teacher and they don’t have the opportunity to experiment with the platform and learn for themselves.

So given all of these problems is it worth using Moodle or any other platform to develop online and blended learning for your students? 

The answer is of course a resounding yes. To ignore the potential that online learning and new technology has to offer is to be like King Canute trying to order back the sea.

But to use technology effectively education establishments have to approach online learning with their eyes open.

• It isn’t a cheap solution.
• It will require a significant investment in training for teachers
• Teachers won’t just construct wonderful online courses in their free time. Developing good online materials takes time. More time than it takes to develop paper-based face to face materials, so they will need to be paid for this time.
• Teachers need to be trained at all levels of the platform including the admin level, not just at teacher level.

How about ready made courses?

Knowing all of this schools may be tempted to by an ‘off the shelf’ solution with all the content ready made, but I would be wary of this type of ‘one size fits all’ content. In many cases the content has just been adapted from a course book with a copious amounts of drag and drop and gap-filling activity mixed with a little multimedia and very little student - teacher or peer to peer interaction built in and no sign of any authentic materials or personalisation. These courses are often dull beyond belief and fail to engage the students.

The best online courses, just like the best face-to-face courses, are usually designed by teachers who have developed an understanding of the needs and interests of their students and can choose content which they will enjoy and find engaging.

So, if platforms like Moodle are really to be used to develop effective and engaging learning which realises the potential of online and blended learning modes of delivery, then we must have managers who are willing to invest in developing the skills of their teachers and teachers who are willing to meet the challenges of new technology head on  and accept their changing and more diverse roles as teachers, mentors and instructional designers.

For teachers who would like to try to develop their own Moodle skills.
You can register for a free Moodle platform at: http://www.mdl2.com/ It takes a few moments to register and then you have your own Moodle platform to use as a sandpit.

Here are a few quick video tutorials that can help get you started.

• How to add an image to Moodle and size it correctly
  This video shows how to edit the html code to control the space the image takes on the screen.
• Formatting a Moodle page
  This video shows how to make the Moodle page look more attractive and professional
• Adding an image to a Moodle webpage
  This video shows how to add an image to a Moodle page
• Adding a YouTube video to Moodle
  This video shows you how to embed a video from YouTube into a Moodle page
• Embedding a webpage into a Moodle page
  This video shows you how to embed a webpage from a different site into a Moodle page so that it appears as part of the Moodle course
• Creating a questionnaire
  This video shows you how to create the questionnaire framework. 
• Adding questions to a questionnaire
  This video shows how to add questions to the questionnaire once the framework has been created. 
• How to create a quiz
  This shows how to create the quiz framework before adding questions 
• How to add questions to a quiz
  This shows how to add questions to your quiz once you have created it.

I hope you find these videos useful and enjoy making a start at using Moodle to create more engaging materials.

Best

Nik Peachey

Things I don't miss (about blogging)

Dress here from Target

I have become what I hate. That blogger that always blogs about how much they don't blog. UGH. But really, it's been a couple months since a style post or a post with any photos that definitively prove I'm alive and my blog hasn't been taken over by robots, so I thought I'd make that happen. 

Since I've cut back on blogging dramatically, a few things have happened, the most notable being that I am actually much happier and more at peace with my life. I never had any major complaints about blogging, and I don't regret the years that I was really committed to pumping out multiple posts per week, but now, it simply doesn't quite fit into my life the same way it used to. Maybe someday it will again. But for now, here's a few things I've come to realize that, well, I DON'T miss...

1. Constantly feeling like I need new clothes for "outfit posts." I mean, seriously. How do you fashion bloggers do it? I know you get a lot of free clothes, so I guess that's mainly it. But I always felt like every time I got a free shirt, I needed to go out and buy a new skirt or pair of pants to match it, or a new pair of shoes to match that free dress. Bottom line, I suck at fashion blogging, and didn't really enjoy it, and can't tell you how refreshing it is to wake up every day and put on a shitty outfit and just not give a shit.

2. Along those same lines, begging people in my life to take "outfit" photos of me, which often didn't end well. It's no secret, I'm mainly referring to my husband here. The man hates everything to do with pictures. Both being in them and taking them. Ironic, since he's married to a professional portrait photographer. So it was this constant ridiculous struggle: 

Me: "Babe, I need outfit pics tonight."

Matthew: "Noooooooooo NOT AGAAAAINN!!!"

Me: "You're so unsupportive of my blog! Why are you such a jerk! Other blogger husbands love taking pictures of their wives!" 

(? - unsupported claim, needs further research)

*Fight breaks out*

Yup, don't miss that.

3. Comparing lives. I've really never gone down that path too far (thankfully), though I know some people really struggle with it. But it's easy. It's easy to read a blog and see that peephole view at someone's curated reality, and be like, "well CRAP! My _____ (life, blog, wardrobe, home, design skills, husband, bank account, timeline-for-starting-a-family) SUCKS compared to hers!" I've experienced it a couple times, and it's a slippery slope.  Lately, I've truly enjoyed simply living in MY life for a while. Appreciating it, working on it, truly being in it.

4. Trolls. Critics. Assholes. You all know the ones I mean. I'm not all that sensitive - in fact, compared to some people, I have the skin of an alligator. I wish everyone would like me, but I know that's not possible, so when I hear about someone who doesn't, it stings for a second, but then reason weighs out and I'm like, "....mehhh." But still. I've truly enjoyed living my offline life and not wondering what misguided conclusions bitchy strangers on the Internet are drawing about me. 

5. Pretending like I have something to say when I don't. I can't tell you how many times I cranked out a post that had no heart behind it, just to meet a quota and appease my sponsors at the time. I know a lot of my readers saw through that. And I'm happy those days are behind me. Although now, I seem to have the opposite problem. I have plenty of things I'd love to write about, but I'm mostly just too lazy to do it (or too busy, really. J. Noel Photography keeps me on my toes these days).

Having said all that, there are probably equally as many things that I miss about blogging. I will always have a soft place in my heart for this medium and all the good it has brought into my life. I haven't given up on it (obviously!), but our relationship has changed. Lately I've seen blogging as a whole from a bird's eye view versus the view from in-the-thick-of-things, and it's helped me to reevaluate and move priorities around. I'm lucky to be able to do that now, since this blog is no longer my primary source of income. 

Anywhoo. Happy Friday, my friends. Thanks for reading today. I appreciate you, and hope you have an excellent weekend!

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Smoothie Obsession

Smoothies!  Can we talk about them for a minute?

I have this weird and possibly annoying personality trait that requires that I share, nay, SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, when I discover something eye-opening or life-changing or otherwise wonderful. So naturally, I feel the need to share my smoothie obsession with you in hopes that you might experience this eye-opening, life-changing wonderfulness too.

I am one of those many people out there in the world who has a hard time eating enough fruits and vegetables because, well, I just tend to prefer the salty crunchy snacks and things like bread and cereal and, you know, stuff that does basically nothing for your health except keep you alive and slogging through every day, never feeling your best and certainly never feeding your body the best. Sound familiar?

A couple months ago I decided to start replacing breakfast with a nutrient packed smoothie, mainly because I wanted to lose the 3-4 pounds I had gained and I thought this would be a great way to start each day on the right track.

Now fast forward two months, and I am STILL having my daily morning smoothie, and I can honestly say they've kinda changed my life a little (a wee bit dramatic, but true!). Just this simple act of starting my day on the right foot helps set the tone for the rest of the day, and of course the nutrient-dense salad-in-a-glass itself gives me this punch of energy and overall motivation to continue clean, fresh eating throughout the rest of the day. I lost those few pounds, saw great improvements in my skin and moods, and generally feel much lighter and like my body is working at top capacity instead of always plugging away on its lowest setting.

The wonderful thing about smoothies is that they incorporate the finest, freshest ingredients, and there is literally no end to the variety you can enjoy each day.  All of my smoothies are "green" in that they include a nice handful of some type of leafy greens, but they are sweet and easy to enjoy because they also incorporate delicious fruits and natural sweeteners like honey or agave nectar. Depending which fruits you throw in on a given day, your smoothie may be more of a sludge color then a pretty green like in the first above photo, but sludge-color or no sludge-color, it will still be delicious and nutritious and you'll be doing your body a huge favor.

While smoothies are definitely filling, you'll be hungry again a couple hours after breakfast, so have some healthy snacks planned to get you through to lunch. My current favorite mid-morning snacks are:
+ Whole grain toast with smashed avocado and sea salt
+ A handful of dried figs
+ A handful of raw nuts like almonds or walnuts, with a little fresh or dried fruit
+ A healthy muffin
+ A small bowl of muesli or granola with milk or yogurt
+ A small bowl of healthy cereal

As for smoothie recipes themselves, there are literally endless ones you can find on Pinterest and other sites (here's a whole slew of them!), but I find that this is a pretty fool-proof group of measurements you can use to make one single smoothie that fills a mason jar:

1 cup of coconut water or milk-of-your-choice. I rotate between unsweetened vanilla almond milk or rice milk and coconut water
1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit
1/2 frozen banana or 1/2 small avocado
1/4 cup yogurt (I prefer vanilla Greek yogurt for protein content)
Sweetener to taste: Honey, agave nectar, stevia, chopped dates (I put about 2 tsp of honey in each of my smoothies)
1 to 2 Add-ons: 
Bee pollen (1 tsp)
Chia Seeds (1 TBS)
Hemp seeds (1.5 TBS)
Ground Flax: (2 TBS)
Ground Cacao or Cacao Nibs (1 TBS)
nut butter
cinnamon
turmeric
vanilla
ginger
..or any number of other super foods and power-packed ingredients you can learn about online and purchase at health food stores or more health-conscious grocery stores!

Here's a great graphic I found on HERE that basically illustrates what I just wrote above:

It's important to remember that you really can't mess up a smoothie, so don't be intimidated. Some will be thicker than others, some will be thinner than others, so just adjust accordingly if needed (add ice, frozen fruit, or yogurt to thicken, or add water/milk to thin). I think it's more enjoyable to drink them with a straw, so have some on hand!

Here's my current favorite smoothie recipe, since peaches are so delicious and in-season right now!

Peach & Greens Smoothie
3/4 cup coconut water
1/2 cup ice
1 whole, very ripe peach cut into chunks (de-pitted, of course). I prefer it un-frozen because it's more flavorful
1/2 frozen banana
1 packed cup or handful of spinach (or Kale or Collards)
2 tsp honey
1 TBS chia seeds
1 tsp bee pollen

Blend in a blender and enjoy :)

You'll never waste fruit again - just freeze anything you have that's about to be over-ripe, and use it in your next smoothie!

DO IT! :)

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Use VoIP to Do More with Less

VoIP for small business bundles phone, data, and video into one unified service so you can do more with less.

Now you can enjoy the speed, flexibility, and security of unified communications on your own network. Cisco offers VoIP for small business solutions that are just your size.

VoIP for small business is an important part of your unified communications solution

Before we get started, let's go over some key terms:

• "VoIP" (voice over IP) lets you make phone calls over an IP (Internet protocol) data network.
• "Unified communications" from Cisco takes VoIP for small business a step further. It helps you combine all of your communications-including voice, data, and video-into a secure, inexpensive, easy-to-manage solution with lots of great features.

VoIP for small business helps you keep it simple while saving cash

As a small business owner, you've got to stay flexible-and that's why VoIP for small business is such a great way to go. By switching to an Internet-based phone system on your own network, you'll stay connected at work and at home. You'll have better security. And you'll have easier access to the information you need, right when you need it.

• Save money
  • Reduce travel expenses with Web conferencing, video calls, and other collaborative tools
  • Add extra phone lines easily-VoIP allows you to send more than one phone call across the same Web-based network
• Communicate better with employees and customers
  • Offer more ways for you and your employees to stay connected
  • "Presence" technology allows you to see which employees are available and how to contact them
  • Unified communications makes it easier for you to work from home-or from anywhere with an Internet connection
• Enjoy lots of features without hidden fees
  • Call forwarding
  • Voicemail
  • Unlimited long distance
  • Call conferencing
  • Caller ID

VoIP for small business from Cisco offers technology that serves your business needs. That means you have more time to focus on what really matters-your success.

Get the VoIP for small business solution that is right for you.

Other articles you may be interested in:

• Small Business Phones: The Basics
• Buyer's Guide: Small Business Telephone Systems

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MegaPath offers nationwide solutions for single-site and multi-site businesses. Our flexible business phone systems support advanced calling features including Find Me/Follow Me, Visual Voicemail, and Hosted Voice Mobile. MegaPath Hosted Voice delivers the benefits of VoIP (Voice over IP) while eliminating the costs of managing and maintaining a PBX. With SIP Trunking and Enterprise Trunking, you enjoy the benefits of VoIP while leveraging your existing PBX equipment.

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Hosted Voice

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Hosted Voice Services

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MegaPath SIP Trunking reduces costs and simplifies IT management by combining voice and Internet access over a single broadband connection using existing IP PBX equipment. Businesses purchase only the trunks they need based on their maximum number of concurrent calls. MegaPath offers SIP Trunking for single-site businesses and Enterprise Trunking for multi-location businesses. Enterprise Trunking optimizes network capacity across all locations. For added savings, employees share call capacity and receive free on-net calling between locations.

Lines and PRI

For small business customers that want the benefits of VoIP while maintaining their current voice infrastructure, MegaPath offers traditional Analog POTS Line and PRI Trunking services.

Voice service instructions and tutorials are available for customers in our Voice Learning Center.

Use VoIP to Do More with Less

Software Phones vs. Hardware Phones Learn about the main differences between these two types of phones and hear how VoIP for small business can boost flexibility. (1:47 min) VoIP for small business bundles phone, data, and video into one unified service so you can do more with less. Now you can enjoy the speed, flexibility, and security of unified communications on your own network. Cisco offers VoIP for small business solutions that are just your size. VoIP for small business is an important part of your unified communications solution Before we get started, let's go over some key terms: "VoIP" (voice over IP) lets you make phone calls over an IP (Internet protocol) data network. "Unified communications" from Cisco takes VoIP for small business a step further. It helps you combine all of your communications-including voice, data, and video-into a secure, inexpensive, easy-to-manage solution with lots of great features. VoIP for small business helps you keep it simple while saving cash As a small business owner, you've got to stay flexible-and that's why VoIP for small business is such a great way to go. By switching to an Internet-based phone system on your own network, you'll stay connected at work and at home. You'll have better security. And you'll have easier access to the information you need, right when you need it. Save money Reduce travel expenses with Web conferencing, video calls, and other collaborative tools Add extra phone lines easily-VoIP allows you to send more than one phone call across the same Web-based network Communicate better with employees and customers Offer more ways for you and your employees to stay connected "Presence" technology allows you to see which employees are available and how to contact them Unified communications makes it easier for you to work from home-or from anywhere with an Internet connection Enjoy lots of features without hidden fees Call forwarding Voicemail Unlimited long distance Call conferencing Caller ID VoIP for small business from Cisco offers technology that serves your business needs. That means you have more time to focus on what really matters-your success. Get the VoIP for small business solution that is right for you. Other articles you may be interested in: Small Business Phones: The Basics Buyer's Guide: Small Business Telephone Systems

Photoshop tutorial for portrait photography

Rob & Lauren over at Photography Concentrate have done it again. Those two are seriously the photography tutorial ninjas, and they have finally provided an incredible Photoshop tutorial. (Where was this two years ago when I first started learning Photoshop?!!).

You've heard me talk about Extremely Essential Camera Skills, Super Photo Editing Skills, and Incredibly Important Composition Skills. The first two were a huge part of my education before I started up my business, and I thank goodness for those and the way they helped me learn my camera and Lightroom so quickly and so easily. LIFE (and money) SAVER.

I went through their newest tutorial, Really Easy Retouching with Adobe Photoshop, and even though I've been using Photoshop retouching techniques for two years now, I still learned so much I didn't know before. For example, HEAD SWAPPING. When you're photographing families with young children, it is damn near impossible to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time. One of the videos in this tutorial explains how to seamlessly bring a head over from one photo to another, to complete that happy, smiling picture where all family members at least APPEAR to have been fully cooperating. ;) No more throwing out otherwise perfectly good shots because I don't know how to head swap!

Other techniques addressed in the tutorial are as follows:
+ Photoshop skin retouching such as brightening undereye circles and smoothing skin/removing blemishes & shine
+ Brightening eyes and whitening teeth
+ Removing distracting elements in your background
+ Slim down chins, arms, waistlines, etc
+ Composite images (head swaps!)
+ Photoshop shortcuts and other tips on layers, masks, and panels

This tutorial is worth every penny and absolutely perfect for the new portrait photographer looking to save time and money on their photography education. Check out all Photography Concentrate tutorials here, and go here for more info on Really Easy Retouching.  It is currently 30% off through June 30th only (this coming Monday), which makes IT UNDER TWENTY DOLLARS! That is insane, you guys.

GOOD LUCK! :)

PS - Did you know you can download a free 30 day trial of the latest version of Photoshop HERE? (top right, blue button!)

You can also download a free 30 day trial of Lightroom HERE (again, top right, blue button!) My favorite editing software is Lightroom, and I use it for about 90% of my editing, however, Photoshop IS necessary for certain types of retouching, unfortunately!