Edmodo

Edmodo is essentially and educational "Facebook." Students and teachers can collaborate on a page for their classroom. Resources can be put on the site so that students can review them on their own time at home. The theory behind Edmodo is that it becomes an extension of the classroom without allowing students into a personal part of a teachers life as Facebook would. Edmodo is a way for a class to connect and share what they are learning with each other.

To start with Edmodo I created an account as if I were a teacher. The website then guided me through setting up a class page just by asking me basic questions. Once I finished the guided set up, my page was ready for posting. To use Edmodo effectively, teachers would engage their students by asking questions and posting resources and assignments. The app should make the students feel a sense of belonging to the group that helps them to engage in what they are learning. Teachers would also set up small groups on the page so that groups of students can speak with each other on specific assignments. When used effectively, students could post responses and questions about assignments that the teacher can receive directly to his or her phone.

In my classroom, I would use Edmodo as a way to keep the students intrigued in work that we have already done in class. I would have students share their thoughts on things that we did that day. I think it could also be used to ask students their input and get feedback for the future. Because I will be working with younger students, I could see this particular site being used more in a classroom setting than in a home setting. I would use it to have students submit their assignments or reflection essays so that the students can interact with each other about their reflections.

I can see this website being very useful in the middle school grades. It can also be a way for teachers to teach students how to interact responsibly online. Some students may not have a parent or someone to teach them how to interact,and as a teacher it would be part of my responsibility to prepare students for the world. Having Edmodo in an educational context would help students to learn to post positive things and feedback for things that they may be working on.