Edmodo Jill Lyn Rooks ITEC 7445 Kennesaw State University Emerging Technologies

Edmodo What is Edmodo? Edmodo is a free online collaborative platform where teachers can communicate with students and students can communicate with other students. It is a social networking website created for educators by educators. Edmodo connects learners with people and resources in real-time. Classes are set as private. It is a great tool to use in the classroom and accessible anywhere an internet connection is available, Lends itself to delivering resources for a flipped classroom and self paced student-centered learning. Assessment options are available. “Creating connections is just the beginning; we want to do more than impact outcomes. We want to empower learners, on our network and around the world.”

What is Edmodo? Click on the image below to watch a short video about what Edmodo is and why and how it should be used.

The Idea behind Edmodo Edmodo was “founded in Chicago, Illinois, when two school district employees set out to bridge the gap between how students live their lives and how they learn in school, Edmodo was created to bring education into a 21st century environment.” “We’re moving to a world where you can look at specific experiences and specific students and understand what’s working for particular types of learners. Empowering teachers is the only path to getting better outcomes.” Nic Borg, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer www.edmodo.com

The Technology Vision of Carrollton Middle school “The Carrollton City Schools and community nurture and empower individuals to be life-long learners who take personal responsibility for improving our world” (Carrollton City Schools, 2014). Technology will be the driving force of student-centered learning achieved through integration and accessibility of the technology. Edmodo provides students the opportunity to take personal responsibility for their learning success.

Edmodo Supports the Vision Edmodo supports the district’s implementation of Bring Your Own Devise (BYOD) because students have access to an engaging learning experience at any time or any place in the school. Due to universal access, students are able to learn outside the classroom, revisiting resources as needed. Students are able to support the goal of lifelong learning by delving deeper in to content as they master the standards.

Edmodo Supports our Technology Vision Cont’d As Milanez, H., Tarnate, & C. Ver, B. (2014) researchers indicate, “with the data results, the researchers conclude that Facebook and Edmodo are effective supplementary tools to their respondents (autism). It increased the interaction and motivation of the respondents. Also, even though they were only able to do the study for a short period of time, they saw improvements in the performance of the respondents. This supports the vision in the goal of “empowering (all) individuals to be life-long learners.”

Objectives in using Edmodo The main objective in using Edmodo is to empower individuals to be life-long learners by using technology and a social media platform. An additional objective is to increase students’ academic growth and improve engagement and achievement. Using Edmodo will also provide more quality constructivist learning within a classroom, freeing up classroom time for the teacher, so to be better able to facilitate student led learning.

Key Benefits of using Edmodo Text can be converted to audio, and small text can be made much larger. The user, instead of the author, decides what this information is and how it will be presented. Safe and easy way to collaborate with teachers and students. It’s a secure, closed network. This gives both teachers and parents peace of mind because they know that students will not interact with any strangers Teachers can differentiate instruction by creating subgroups of students Students can receive feedback and suggestions via Edmodo. Using technology is friendly to the environment and saves paper!

Target Population Carrollton Middle School has a diverse population of approximately 720 students, with 48% White, 30% African American, 13% Hispanic, 7% Multiracial, and 1% Asian. Thirty-one percent of the student body resides outside the school district and chooses to pay tuition to attend.  The targeted population to implement Edmodo would be 4th-6th grade, with 4th grade being an introductory year due to less access to devises based on age.

Target Population Cont’d The level of poverty at Carrollton Middle School is determined by the percentage of resident students who qualify for free and reduced priced lunches, and 54.5% of CMS students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. This accounts for only 70% of the student population. A marginal population would not have access to internet at home, so I am proposing that it be implemented as a “when-able” resources when posting assignments outside of school hours. SPED and ESOL would be included in the targeted population.

Equipment and Software No software would be needed to purchase due to it being we-based and free. Students would each need access to a device with internet access. A class set of devices or computers would be ideal, however, small group access would be sufficient. Headphones would be needed for each student due to the differentiated learning speeds.

Technical Support Carrollton Middle School offers excellent technical support through their technical specialists. Tech Specialists will need to unblock certain sites/links that are included in Edmodo. Edmodo offers technical support through their site. Tutorial videos are located both on YouTube and on Edmodo.

Technical support Due to the vast number of educators using Edmodo, there is an immense number of tutorials on YouTube such as the one below. Please click on the image to view a tutorial on how to get started on Edmodo.

Limitations At school students would need access to an internet accessible devise. If Edmodo is to be used outside of school hours, not all students have access to computers and internet at home. While there are ways to provide students with online time, such as before or after school, it limits the learning opportunities outside of the classroom. Some content is viewed on a computer than on a handheld devise such as tablets and Smart phones. Also, if students are working on a collaborative project, they are unable to message one another through Edmodo at this time.

Cost of Technology This Web 2.0 tool is absolutely FREE! The school currently had a technology budget to purchase needed hardware. Parents can supply students with devices as able. Ipads are a reliable tablet with a starting cost of $299 through www.apple.com. Samsung Galaxy’s have a starting cost of $199 through www.samsung.com It is easier to maneuver and troubleshoot devices when they are all consistent models. The above two mentioned are highly rated tablets.

Potential Funding Many local businesses support the funding of technology for the school. Educational Technology Grants are available. http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/technology/grants/ Walmart.com is a local business partner

How can teachers use this Technology? There are built in assessment tools in the form of writing and as multiple choice, or open ended quizzes. Student collaboration is easy to manage. Students can access resources as needed at school or at home. Teachers can structure Edmodo using folders organized by curriculum units. WebQuests can be assigned on Edmodo, allowing students quick and easy access to the site.

How can teachers use this Technology? Teachers can create a blended classroom experience. Can teach content standards by creating online lessons the students can work through independently. Assign Edmodo work as a center. Assignments can be linked to Edmodo- no more lost homework. Send the class links to websites. Provide alternative assignments to different learners.

How does Edmodo promote Specific Learning Goals? Higher order thinking is needed to reflect and respond to others. Videos and resources can be used to introduce or reinforce concepts used in student-led projects. Folders can be created targeting the specific goals, with the assessments being assigned to individuals as they master the goals. Final products can be presented to a larger audience.

Differentiation Text can be converted to audio, and small text can be made much larger. You can create folders within Edmodo which can be organized to include different resources for different learners. You can assign different assessments to different learners. Students are provided a choice in which sources they would like to pull from, such as videos.

Community and Collaboration Students can communicate with each other on topics being studied in class. Students are able to read and respond to other student work. Students can post their work and ask for feedback from others. Parents can access Edmodo to compare student work and expectations.

Research Evaluation As stated on www.fastcoexist.com, it was stated that there are “three significant edtech trends: the move toward supporting Common Core standards, the use of "adaptive" learning technologies, and an increase in social media in education. “Tools that make it easier, faster, more effective--more personalized for kids--are what we’re most excited about.” EdSurge

Research Evaluation In a study completed at Far Eastern University, current research has indicated that using social media as an educational tool can lead to increased student engagement. It is also reported that students who use information technology for academics also have a higher likelihood of contributing and participating in active, academic collaboration with other students. This indication points to the idea that as engagement with technology increases, engagement with academics also increases, promoting a deeper connection between the students, educators, and course content. (Milanez, H., Tarnate, & C. Ver, B. 2014).

Professional Learning Teachers will need to be trained on the use of Edmodo as a beneficial and effective Web 2.0 tool in the classroom. A lead teacher could train on Edmodo and become the expert for helping others Edmodo has free on-site resources facilitated by other educators.

Reflection When I first heard about Edmodo I was reluctant to try it. It sounded complex, and I wasn’t sure my students could manage it. After trying the site out for myself, I realized it was simple to navigate, and I decided to incorporate it into my classroom. Though I did have to take the time to set it up for myself and the students, I didn’t have to create anything new. I just included resources I already had. I found the students to be engaged and doing more outside work than ever before. It provided me the opportunity to differentiate and allow the students to have a more student-centered learning experience. Edmodo is integrating technology and constructivist learning taken to a whole new level.

Works Sited Borg, N. (2014). Edmodo. Retrieved from http://www.edmodo.com. Carrollton City Schools. (2014). Carrollton Middle School School Improvement Plan. Retrieved June 20, 2014, from http://www.carrolltoncityschools.net. EdSurge. (2011). What Three Big EdTech Investments say about the Future of Education. Retrieved from http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678951/what-three-big-edtech-investments-say-about-the-future-of-education. Enriquez, M. (2014). Students’ Perceptions on the Effectiveness of the Use of Edmodo as a Supplementary Tool for Learning. Retrieved from http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/conferences/dlsu_research_congress/2014/_pdf/LLI-II-010.pdf. Milanez, H., Tarnate, & C. Ver, B. (2014). Facebook and Edmodo as Supplementary Tools in Aiding the Academic and Social Development among Children with Autism. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/213970976/FACEBOOK-AND-EDMODO-AS-SUPPLEMENTARY-TOOLS-IN-AIDING-THE-ACADEMIC-AND-SOCIAL-DEVELOPMENT-AMONG-CHILDREN-WITH-AUTISM-Milanez-Tarnate-Ver Nevas, B. (2010). Inquiry Through Action Research:Effects of the Edmodo Microblog on Student Engagement and Performance. Retrieved July 11. 2014 from http://www.scribd.com/doc/27372047/Edmodo-Research.