Social networking for the classroom

John VaccarelliEDS 535Monmouth University

What is Edmodo?

Edmodo is a free web-based social networking site designed for teachers, students, parents, and school districts

Edmodo is a safe and secure platform for students, teachers, and parents to collaborate, share content, access homework, and view grades

Edmodo is a Web 2.0 tool that allows students to learn 21st century skills

Getting Started

Go to edmodo.com and click on the “I’m a Teacher” tab

Once you register you will be given a code which will then allow your students to join your page

The students DO NOT need email addresses to register

Homepage

Features

Discussion and Collaboration

Quizzes

Polls

File-Sharing

Calendar

Assignments

Grading

Parent Connection

Increased Communication

Students have the ability to discuss homework, classwork, or assignments with each other in real-time

The instructor moderates all posts and also participates in the discussions

Student to Student and Student to Teacher Communication

Assessments There are 2 main

types of assessments that can be used on Edmodo

Quizzes: Quick multiple-choice or custom made quizzes can be posted to Edmodo for students to complete

Polls: Polls can be used to gauge student preferences and interests

Differentiation Edmodo allows you to

differentiate your instruction in a number of ways.

Videos can be posted to reinforce learning and tap into different learning styles

Students can learn material at their own pace

Support can be given frequently in real time

All materials can be leveled for the different ability levels in the classroom

PowerPoints at different levels

for students

Flipped Classroom

Edmodo is a perfect tool for implementing the Flipped Classroom Model. When the classroom is flipped, students do the learning at home (on Edmodo) and then come in to class to interact and complete higher level assignments with their peers.

File Sharing and Calendar

File Sharing allows students to add their files to their “backpack.” This allows them to access documents from anywhere. It is also compatible with Google Docs.

Calendar function allows students to view when their Edmodo assignments are due. Teachers may also add other events to the calendar. The events pop up as notifications on the homepage.

Parental Involvement

Once all the students have entered the group the teacher has the option of giving each parent a code. This enables the parents to login and view the Edmodo page. This is a great way to keep everyone informed.

Edmodo vs. Traditional Learning

Edmodo

Social and interactive

Increased student engagement

Develops 21st century skills at all times

Communication and collaboration is ongoing at all times

Traditional Learning

Not social and boring

Does not engage students

Develops some 21st century skills

Communication and collaboration not consistent

The best case scenario for students is to learn in an environment with a combination of traditional and 21st

century learning with more prevalence placed on 21st century skills

Benefits for Students with Special Needs

Students with special needs can really benefit from Edmodo. The learning done on Edmodo can be tailored to their individual needs. The students can learn at their own pace and different learning styles will be presented to them. Students can also reinforce their learning by using Edmodo on a daily basis.

Parents of students with special needs will be more informed through the use of Edmodo and it will allow them to work with their child and keep in constant contact with teachers.

Edmodo Tutorial Videos

Additional Resources http://sites.fcps.org/trt/edmodo

http://blog.edmodo.com/2011/10/24/teacher-rollout-resources

http://blog.edmodo.com/2010/11/17/7-brilliant-ways-to-use-edmodo-that-will-blow-your-mind

http://wsfcsintouch.blogspot.com/2011/08/five-simple-ways-to-use-edmodo-everday.html

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2011/05/edmodothe-total-classroom-solution.html

http://lifehacker.com/5706241/edmodo-is-a-social-network-for-teachers-and-students