Edmodo - The Classroom Facebook

I first learned about Edmodo in the 2011-2012 when my school implemented a 1:1 initiative with iPad tablets. The iPads brought many challenges, but the use of technology became a learning experience for both students and teachers which was exciting. The school encouraged us to use the technology and “try” to cut down on paper. It was – surprisingly – a welcomed challenge. I heard about Edmodo as “Facebook for the classroom” and was intrigued by the concept. I do like social media in moderation because I do believe that it does have educational application.

I like Edmodo because you can create groups for your individual classes. You can post assignments online and while it does save paper, what is also does is save time. As a classroom teacher, you can download a mobile app, use a laptop, tablet or desktop to access it at any time. Normally, with a classroom assignment, you’d need to either wait for or make copies yourself either during school or at a local copy store. This eliminates that step.

It also has a degree of accountability. If I post an assignment, It shows the date and time I did so. Therefore, while a student may say they “did not see it,” you can show that you posted it. One thing I used to do with Edmodo was whenever I posted an assignment, I would always end it with “make a comment so I know you have read this.”

I also liked it for extra credit. I may not always post an assignment on Edmodo, but I would tell the students to check the site at least 2x per day: before class and when they get home. So where I would typically inform them when I posted an assignment, I could hold them accountable even if I did not. I did this often with an extra credit assignment. So if they were vigilant and attentive enough, they could take the opportunity of completing a task for extra points.

Because an iPad is a tablet and not a laptop, my students did not have Microsoft Word available to type. This was never really an issue though. I could post an assignment with a Microsoft Word attachment and the students could still see it on his or her iPad. Then, the students would complete the assignment on the Apple equivalent word processing program such as Pages and it was never an issue.

The students love the social networking aspect of it, and I enjoy the interaction and communication with the students. It fosters a better learning environment.

Highly recommended.

Website: https://www.edmodo.com/