Remember this posting?

"Teachers Online Course Sharing: Courtesy of Moodle(TM) Magic
Written by Joseph Chmielewski
Subtitle: It takes a Global Village (of Open Source Zealots) to Devise a Strategy that Motivates a Single Teacher to Build a Moodle(TM) Course on their Own Time"

http://sos.tcea.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=

 
To quickly summarize the above: 0 teachers will do Moodle.
 
 
 

NOW AN UPDATE ... Truth Happens!!! The MATH in the above referenced posting was in-correct!

This "Global Village of ONE Zealot" has been, as you all know, stumping around the State attempting to be a "Johnny Appleseed" for open source and LAMP stack applications (like Joomla and Moodle) as well as conducting a "byolb" session(s) at TCEA - at ESC15 - at Caldwell ... at ... well, you get the idea.

I have had "success" ... at least in leading folks to a source of water! It should be noted that I ALWAYS said I represented a newly formed SIG under TCEA called SOS and that I represented what *could* be possible:

1. old dogs CAN learn new tricks

2. even a Windows "bigot" could learn to like, appreciate, and use LAMP
(given some time and a little help.  I've even "converted" two self-professed Windows Bigots!  In reality, I didn't convert anyone ... the software did!)

3. collaboration and community among Texas ISD's ("techies" and teachers) COULD OCCUR IF a few were willing to act and not just talk about it!

Hmmmm - seems it doesn't take a "Global Village of Open Source Zealots" ... just a few techies and teachers doing what they are supposed to be doing ... integrating technology (not just talking about it!).

Cases in point (just to name a few):

This EMail message clip from Mark McCall (a Teacher in Bryan ISD):

"Just FYI: We are putting roughly 160 new teachers through a Moodle Course exploring the web resources that teachers have at BISD. This course will be part of their New Teacher Orientation. I am excited to get the new teachers off to using Moodle their first week at BISD."

One of Mark's non-BISD sites: http://www.jukeboxedu.us/moodle

Then there is the Social Studies Teacher (Howard Wilen) in Alamo Heights whose entire Social Studies department (I was told in person) has decided to use Moodle.

And the newly installed AHISD Moodle: http://moodle.ahisd.net/
And the High School Moodle: http://moodle.ahisd.net/ahhsmoodle/

Early ISD: Ren Yantis ... who could not attend the TCEA session and requested an alternative. That led to a "byolb" sesssion at ESC 15 (San Angelo) and these (there might be more!):

http://www.earlyisd.net/ - a Joomla
http://www.earlyisd.net/moodle18/ - a Moodle

Robert E. Lee ISD (Sandy Sawyer)

http://www.rlisd.net - a Joomla
http://www.rlisd.net/moodle18/ - a Moodle

Another from East Texas ... a spin off of ETMP.

Central Heights ISD (Jeff Hightower)

Using it primarily for Staff Development.
http://moodle.centralhts.org/moodle/

Then, also, there is this: http://etmp.esc7.net/ which itself hasn't necessarily really been "successful" by itself. However, ISD's like Gladewater, are beginning to use: Bloodborne Pathogens.

ESC7 is beginning to use it:
http://etmp.esc7.net/esc7/

Here's an interesting collaboration: Beginning Teachers Mentoring Project
(UHV, TCEA Area 7, ESC7, and, of course, SOS [ie, me!])

http://etmp.esc7.net/btmp/

ETMP has led to many ISD's nearby acquiring their own LAMP box or outsourced Moodles  ... Rusk ISD, Lufkin ISD, WhiteOak ISD and SuperNet (15 Teachers), etc., etc..

Enough of "research-based assertions" (quotes from other articles), and challenges that are reversed from the more "traditional methods" of true research. Enough talk of "perceptions" and "marketing" ... it's time to get your hands "dirty".

Want a "lab" to do TRUE research?

Get involved with an ISD and assist them in taking the "plunge" (strategically, of course) into Open Source where they will get their biggest BANG for their $0 dollar - help them with their Moodle!

Try developing Classroom TookKits Moodle (http://www.classroomtoolkit.net/tutorials/) and create some shell courses so any teacher could install it in their Moodle and have something to begin with other than a "blank slate" (you did state that was a problem, so provide a solution)!

If not that, here's another idea ... develop Moodle Glossaries and make them available to "plug into" ANY Moodle. You could make them available at SOS of Texas Moodle Exchange !

How about developing the Technology TEKS in a Moodle glossary? For that matter, create Moodle Glossaries for ANY TEKS IN ANY curriculum area and make them available via SOS of Texas Moodle Exchange.