Amy Whitener ITEC 7445 Emerging Technology July 14, 2014 Edmodo Amy Whitener ITEC 7445 Emerging Technology July 14, 2014

Edmodo What is Edmodo? Edmodo is a free social learning website. Made in the image of Facebook© Classes can be private or public. Teacher can upload anything to his/her profile and share with their classes It is collaborative, engaging, and based on a familiar platform for most students.

Edmodo at a glance Watch the video below:

Technology Vision and Mission of Whitfield County School System “We envision a responsive school district that is focused on students and that is valued and respected by the community.” “The instructional technology department strives to engage teachers with technology so that they in turn engage their students with technology.”

Edmodo supports the vision and mission… Edmodo supports the vision of Whitfield County Schools in that it allows teacher to focus on student achievement. It supports the technology mission of Whitfield County Schools because it engages students to be collaborative and interact with their peers.

Edmodo supports the vision and mission… Edmodo allows students to interact both during school hours and outside of them. It mimics a user-friendly, familiar platform like Facebook©, so that teachers are not as overwhelmed. The technology required for using Edmodo is simple to obtain; internet access is all that is needed.

Objectives The main objective of using Edmodo in the classroom is to engage students in instructional technology. It allows for easy interaction not only with peers and the classroom teacher, but with administrators, other teachers, and field experts.

Benefits of using Edmodo Edmodo is available in many forms, including mobile software or apps for iOS, android, Mac, Windows, and mobile browsers. Edmodo is designed for teachers to easily create a blended learning experience for students and get them excited about the subject matter. Edmodo is used to track student progress. Teachers can get instant feedback from the class through quizzes, discussions, rating, polls and updates.

Target population: Student Demographics *Average Class Size = 32 Target population: Student Demographics Category Students Caucasian 60% African American 2% Asian 1% Hispanic 34% Multi-Racial 4% ESOL 13% Students with Disabilities 10% Economically Disadvantaged 58% *Whitfield County serves approximately 12,190 students

Target population… The need to understand the software of Edmodo and how it can benefit their learning, the target audience for the program would be high school students. Any classroom with internet access of any kind would be able to use the program. Students can use their phones, tablets, computers, or any other internet equipped device. The high schools in Whitfield County are equipped with between 2 and 4 computer labs. The pilot high school also has classroom sets of tablets for students to use. All teachers have a laptop or desktop computer. All departments have two class sets of student tablets. Students are allowed to have phones, but certain usage rules apply. Students are allowed to check-out tablets from the Media Center or bring equipment from home.

Software and Equipment Edmodo is free but registration is required. (However, no personal information from students or teachers is required for access) It is not limited in the amount of students that can sign up or the number of times the site can be accessed. Internet access is necessary.

Technical support Whitfield County Schools have a technology department if hardware or software issues arise. Edmodo provides a “help” link, “contact us”, “tutorials” and video lesson for operating the site. Edmodo allows for email or chat with a specialist if the links given cannot help.

Even more technical support… Edmodo also has a “Help Center” devoted to answering questions from users. Click Here

Limitations Edmodo requires internet access. Therefore with approximately 58% of students in Whitfield County considered economically disadvantaged, there may be limitations on their ability to be online. Students should be advised of online safety and the teacher take steps to insure the privacy of their Edmodo account.

Cost of the technology The Edmodo program is a completely free web-based tool. The cost of the hardware to get internet access would cost money: smartphone, tablet, laptop, computer, etc. Internet access would be needed, if that means it must be perchased then it would cost money.

Where to get the Funds The Whitfield County School system offers tablets, computer labs, and laptops to teachers and students. If more are needed there are grants available and Donors Choose that has proven successful in the past.

Edmodo promotes learning goals… Edmodo can be used to take quizzes and the feedback is immediate, without the need for CPS™ clickers. Videos can be uploaded, viewed, and students respond immediately so that classroom discussions can lead to better understanding. Assessments, artifacts, and products can be published for student appraisal.

Edmodo and differentiation… Edmodo can be used in so many ways: Learning styles can be met through visuals, writing/typing responses, auditory through video sounds and interpersonal by collaboration with peers. Students who need to take a longer time to finish a project or read a passage can do so. Advanced students can begin enrichment as others finish an assignment.

Communication and Collaboration Edmodo is a social media website built for learning. It is in essence a digital form of communication between teachers, students, administrators and experts. Students are able to collaborate on a larger scale than just within the classroom. Teachers are given the advantage of collaborating with one another as well.

Using the technology in the classroom… Edmodo can be used to take surveys and polls to assess student learning. Videos can be uploaded for students to view. Statuses that engage student interaction and collaboration can be posted. Links to outside sources can be sent or embedded. Pictures can be uploaded. Blogging and posting between peers and teachers is available.

Research Evaluation Edmodo began small in 2008 but has seen a steady growth since then. According to EdTechReview (2013), “Edmodo is proving to be a good and desired solution esp. for parents and teachers because both of these educators were looking for some kind of interaction medium for more better education of their students.”

More Research Evaluation… According to the National History Education Clearinghouse (2013), “Edmodo is a free online and mobile tool that provides a safe way for your class to connect and collaborate; share content; and access homework, grades, and school announcements. The goal of Edmodo is to help educators harness the power of social media to allow easy customization of your classroom.” I agree that this is very true. Edmodo incorporates into learning what Facebook and Twitter have done to human interaction: technology. If schools cannot keep up with the growing pace of technology and it’s use in everyday life, students will not become engaged in learning like we hope for them.

Even More Research Evaluation… According to Brian Wadman from Academia.edu (2013), “findings affirmed that students preferred Edmodo to Moodle. The link  between social network learning and 21st century skills has been proven and offers great potential in resolving current educational problems.”

Professional Development Teachers will need training to use Edmodo in the classroom Training can be during departmental meetings or faculty developments. Edmodo offers a “help center” for FAQs and includes video tutorials that are easy to follow and explain everything needed for understanding the program. Teachers will need to be trained on the difference between the Mobile site used by smartphones and tablets, and the version used on computers.

Reflection of Edmodo Edmodo is such an excellent way to incorporate 21st century technology in today’s world. There are so many students that get caught up in social media that it would be such a triumph to do the same for educational purposes. Facebook© and Twitter© do not have to corner the market on electronic communication. Students an teachers can use Edmodo to get all the benefits of social media with all the advantages of instructional technology. In my opinion, it can only get bigger and better. If I had a penny for every time my students were trying to log on to their Facebook© and/or Twitter© account during class, I would be rich. Why not tap into that potential and allow students to interact in a way that promotes learning?

References Edmoto Inc. (2008). Edmodo at a Glance. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-KBwriCO-Q EdTechReview (2013, February 27). Edmodo - Social Networking for Teachers & Students. Retrieved July 14, 2014 from http://edtechreview.in/reviews/152-edmodo-social-networking-for-education National History Education Clearinghouse (2013, August 8) Edmodo. Retrieved July 14, 2014 from http://teachinghistory.org/digital-classroom/tech-for-teachers/25425 Wadman, B. (2014). Edmodo versus Moodle. Retrieved July 15, 2014 http://www.academia.edu Whitfield County Schools (2014). Instructional Technology. Retrieved July 12, 2014, from: http://wcs.whitfield.k12.ga.us/instructional-technology