Leading a training today on using Moodle for online course creation. Once teachers start to use Moodle on a regular basis, one becomes quickly addicted.  Our school website is excellent for posting information about our classes, but Moodle fills a definite weakness, the ability to allow students to participate and interact in a safe, positive online space, ad-free, secure.  Last year a number of teachers have found valuable uses for the Moodle course including:

* submission of essays for revision and feedback.
* discussion groups during school year and extended vacations
* online test taking
* journalling, blogging and creating wikis on different topics
* reduction of the amount of paperwork by allowing students to submit work in digital format
* keeping an ongoing record of student work (digital portfolios)
* embedding videos and demos, online content without the need for programming or HTML

Moodle courses are especially useful for classes where you wish to continue the “culture of learning” outside the class period (classes that regularly meet in a computer lab setting, AP classes, honors classes, programs requiring working during vacations/summer, classes wishing to create a digital portfolio).  It also provides students who might be timid in the classroom setting and better at expressing themselves in written form. 

Caveat: Moodle is best for an ongoing online experience for students, not a once in a while experience.

Two Page Guide for Using Moodle for Online Content Development
Using Moodle for Online Content Development PowerPoint
Video Screencasts for using Moodle

Good Link for More Moodle Tutorials