Edmodo: Instant Connection with Students, Parents, and the Community Julia Parker ITEC 7445 Dr. Grove Emerging Technology

What is Edmodo? Edmodo is a free, educational, social-networking site that can be created for school districts, schools, and individual classes. Edmodo is appropriate for all grades and subject areas. Edmodo can be used for: Posting assignments Creating a calendar of assignments Embedding video clips Posting quizzes Creating student polls Turning in and grading assignments Analyzing student data Communicating with parents Collaborating with other students locally and globally

How does Edmodo Support Smitha Middle School’s Vision for Technology? Smitha Middle School is a Title I school located in western Cobb county. Currently there are approximately 1049 students in grades 6-8. 81% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch Smitha Middle School has a high minority student population: Black 48% Hispanic 41% White 9% Asian 3%

How does Edmodo Support Smitha Middle School’s Vision for Technology? Edmodo can meet many of the goals identified on SMS’s School Strategic Plan: Create flexible and innovative learning opportunities for students Edmodo creates opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom using multiple modes of technology. Advance innovative ways to engage the community and parents in the educational process Parents can create their own Edmodo access in which teachers can send them direct notifications. Data analysis across grade levels and subject areas Edmodo makes data analysis easy through the use of grading, graphing and analysis features.

Equitable Access Computer Lab Access: Mobile Access: Laptop checkout: Smitha already has a plan in place to ensure equitable access through access to the computer lab. Teachers volunteer to man the lab before and after school every day. Mobile Access: Edmodo has a free application for iPhone and Android devices. Students who do not have a computer but have a smart phone can access the technology outside of school. Laptop checkout: School may allow students to check out laptops over night.

What equipment is required? In order to use this technology, students need access to desktop computers, laptop computers, smart phones, or iPads. No new equipment is required: Teachers can arrange to reserve computer labs or laptop carts. BYOD: Cobb County School District supports the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative which allows students to use their own personal electronic devices in the classroom. Students can use their smart phones and other devices to access Edmodo.

Technical Support Edmodo has several technical support features built in: Help – Edmodo Help features topics for teachers, students, parents, admins, and mobile devices. Edmodo Teacher Manual – Walks teachers step by step through setting up and using Edmodo in their classroom. Webinars – Edmodo offers instructional Webinars. Support – Edmodo features a discussion board where teachers can post questions.

Limitations Equitable Access – Teacher monitoring – Although the school can assist with equitable access, it will still be more challenging to ensure ease of access for students who do not have access to technology outside of school. Teacher monitoring – Students can post directly onto the “wall” of the class Edmodo page. Teachers must monitor what students are posting to ensure that they are using proper netiquette. Students cannot directly message each other within Edmodo – Although this is a safety feature, it would be helpful if students were able to communicate with each other directly when working on collaborative assignments.

Cost and Potential Funding Edmodo is a free technology resource for public and private schools. Further costs can be avoided by utilizing resources already available at Smitha Middle School. 4 computer labs 3 laptop carts 6 iPad carts To expand the use of Edmodo, Smitha Middle School could use Title I funds to purchase 2 additional laptop carts and 2 additional iPad carts.

How can Edmodo meet content and technology standards? Content Standards: Teachers can use Edmodo in a multitude of ways to meet Georgia Performance and Common Core Standards by posting technology-rich content related videos, assignments, discussions, polls, etc. Technology Standards: Teachers can help students meet the following student technology standards: creativity and innovation; communication and collaboration; research and information fluency; critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making; and digital citizenship.

How can Edmodo be used to promote research-based strategies and specific student learning goals? Authentic Learning Students can use Edmodo as a platform for authentic learning by creating and sharing authentic products Collaborative Learning Students can post, share, and comment on their work and the work of other students Project Based Learning Edmodo can be used as a “home base” for project assignments and resources. Students can turn in various phases of project development through Edmodo. Higher Order Thinking Skills By creating differentiated lessons within Edmodo, students will have greater opportunity for analysis and creating products as opposed to simple fact memorization.

How can Edmodo be used to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all students? Teachers can create “groups” within Edmodo and use these groups to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of diverse populations. Teachers can create tiered assignments and send a different assignment or version of the assignment to different groups of students based on interest or ability level. Teachers can create different assignments for special education students who require assistive technology, and send specific assignments to only those students.

How can Edmodo promote communication locally and globally? Communication with parents: Parents can create their own Edmodo access in which teachers can send them direct notifications. Teachers can involve parents in learning experiences Student dashboard features all of the classes that the student currently takes. Parents can view information from all classes in the same location. Collaboration with other schools: By making connections with other classes classrooms on Edmodo, students can interact and collaborate with learners from across the country or world.

Research Edmodo creates a platform for the “flipped classroom” “Teachers create 3 videos a week Students watch the 5 to 7 minute videos at home, or in school if they don’t have internet access at home. Class time is spent doing labs or interactive activities to illustrate concepts.” (Strayer)

Results of the “Flipped Classroom” “Students receive instant feedback Students don’t get as frustrated Teachers revisit concepts students don’t understand Teachers support students in class” (Strayer)

Implementation Professional Development Mentoring To assist teachers with using Edmodo, a professional development will be offered as part of our professional learning day in January Teachers will be divided into two groups: beginner and experienced. Each group will receive specific instruction to help them best utilize the new tool. Mentoring After the PD, experienced teachers will become mentors and assist beginner teachers in using Edmodo in their classrooms

Reflection Most teachers at our school currently use blogs to communicate with students and parents. While this is still an effective means of communication, Edmodo creates a platform for learning that goes far beyond blogging with minimal increased effort on the part of the teacher. Edmodo can help us meet the goals of our School Strategic Plan, while creating fun and engaging learning experiences for our students.

References (n.d.). Retrieved from http://teachweb2.wikispaces.com/Edmodo Strayer, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/