Moodle Monday (Changing Image Size, Glossary Activity)
Happy Monday, Moodle users!
Some Moodle points to share:
1. Changing picture sizes: You uploaded your picture, but it is way too large when you view it on the page… what to do! You can still use it, you just need to use the size area of the Insert Image window to adjust the picture size when selecting it. Don’t worry about having a calculator on hand to keep the picture proportional, just fill in EITHER the width or height, and leave the other box empty. Moodle will re-size to your new value, but keep the image proportional for you!
2. Glossaries: Glossaries are another one of those Moodle activities that-once discovered by a teacher-gain popularity as a versatile activity used often, especially as students can create entries that include pictures, graphics and even videos. Additionally, you can enable the settings so students can comment on each other’s entries, creating an interactive experience for them. Here are some ways that Glossaries might be used:
a. Create book reviews on poems, novels read for the course OR outside the course. (An extension using comments: perhaps the initial post is the book title & setting, added comments over time with main character(s), plot, audience, summary, etc)
b. Create a collaborative dictionary for the class. (Could be a review at the end of the marking period, created over the duration of the course, or used to show prior knowledge from previous course(s).)
c. Use it as a collaborative research tool, where students add information as they learn about a topic
d. Have class participants introduce themselves with glossary entry. (An extension using comments: students add information over time, such as hobbies, interesting facts about them, etc)
e. Use it as a website aggregate for sites used during the course
f. Have students record the steps of a learning process-either to share the process or reflect on their results; for example, in science class, creating a hypothesis, then adding with comments how it will be tested, what the results were, etc.
g. Have students share work that is then critiqued by other students
h. Create a course puzzler area, where you or your students put up a mind-bender or teaser that others try to solve.
i. Create a tips & tricks share area.
As you get using Glossaries, you probably will appreciate the ability to tie keywords or categories to the entries, allowing for searching capabilities. Moodle also lets you create secondary Glossaries that can be pulled into a Main Glossary, giving lots of options for starting small and easy compilation later (think unit glossaries that come together for one large course Glossary…).