eSchool News webinar provides insights on open-source LMS

Sept. 13, 2011 - PRLog -- Bethesda, Md. -- On Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. EDT, eSchool News will present, “Best Practices for Hosting, Supporting, and Using Moodle in K-12 Schools.”

Because open-source Learning Management Systems (LMS) are flexible and free, programs such as Moodle are increasingly popular in K-12. Trouble is, free LMS software lacks the technical support for-fee packages often include.  Now, school systems are finding ways to leverage the economies of open-source software while accessing enterprise technical support of proprietary software. Exactly how leading school systems are obtaining the best of both worlds is the theme of an upcoming webinar hosted by eSchool News (eSN), the flagship publication of eSchool Media.

Sponsored by Moodlerooms, the webinar will take place Wednesday, October 5th at 2:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. PST). The program is expected to last one hour, and registration is free.

This webinar will feature a panel of highly accomplished speakers who will share their own experiences and advice for delivering Moodle within a particular instructional framework:

* Vicki Butler is the director of Academic Technology for the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences.   Offering a demanding college-prep curriculum, Butler’s school serves some 600 students in grades 6-12. During the event, Butler will discuss how Seattle Academy overcame the departure of its staff Moodle expert to access 24/7 maintenance and increase faculty adoption with Moodlerooms’ fully-supported platform.

* Sarah Weston is the curriculum director for the Open School of Utah, a statewide full-online charter school currently serving more than 400 students in grades 9 – 12.  Weston will discuss how the school reevaluated their LMS provider midway through the 2009-2010 school year to choose a new platform that enabled the school to reduce costs, gain greater flexibility, access more collaborative elements through integration with third-party tools, and deliver more intuitive and aesthetically-pleasing courses based on Utah state standards.

* Phill Miller is vice president of Product Strategy for Moodlerooms. During the event, Miller will help to put the experiences of Butler and Weston in a larger context, drawing on his expertise in open-source solutions and LMS development.

Join Moodlerooms and this panel of experts to learn about best practices for Moodle adoption and its uses in today’s K-12 schools.

What you will learn:
-  Discover what is required to implement, host, support, and sustain Moodle for a K-12 school or district.
-  Learn what alternatives to self-hosting are available and why hosting with a trusted provider is more affordable and sustainable.
-  See how today’s educators are using Moodle to engage students in new ways inside and outside of the classroom.
-  Check out the newest features of Moodle, and learn how Moodlerooms is optimizing these features for today’s K-12 educators.

To register for “Best Practices for Hosting, Support and Use of Moodle in K-12 Schools”, visit http://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/408158934.

About eSchool Media
eSchool Media Inc. is a news and information organization delivering print, web, e-mail and video communications to nearly one million K-20 decision makers and influencers throughout North America and around the world. Its information networks provide education-technology content and services for leaders in schools and colleges and help educators successfully use technology and internet to transform education and achieve their educational goals. eSchool News is the flagship publication of eSchool Media Inc., which also includes eCampus News Network, serving higher education exclusively, and eClassroom News, an electronic publication network for teachers and other classroom practitioners.  

With more than 280,000 registered members and more than 5 million page views a month, eSchool News Online is the No. 1 website for ed-tech daily news and information for K-20 decision makers.

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eSchool News provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and the internet to transform North America’s schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.