Edmodo: A Simple tool for teachers

Last summer during a PD training, we were introduced to My Big Campus, but we didn't have Lightspeed so we didn't have access to the premier plan and were limited in what we did.  I started checking out other sites that offer a classroom environment on a social platform.  I finally settled on Edmodo and I am so glad I did.

Edmodo allows a school district to have a specific login based on an IP address.  You can create an account for yourself through a school and have students add your classes to the account.  Each class is available until you archive it.  Kids can log in and see a platform that has somewhat of a facebook look to it.  They feel like they are on social media.  I love Edmodo and have encouraged the teachers at my district to look into it and several have started dabbling.

Edmodo had several neat components, particularly a library that can be shared or kept closed by the teacher.  It also allows you to embed audio and video dropboxes and lets you build tests.  Some of the tests can be graded on the site so you just have to create them.  The awesome thing- they are there for the following years. I recycled several quizzes until the kids had mastered the material this past year and it was fabulous.

I love the versatility in the program.  Kids do the assignment, upload the task and voila, you can grade it on site and post a score for immediate feedback.  I am also pleased that parents can receive a code to access their child's classes.  That code works for the duration of their child's time in school. It never changes, so the first class the child joins, a code is made and the parents can get online.

From a parent perspective, I am not pleased with the changes Edmodo made for the parent's view.  It is a little harder to leave comments for a teacher and to do more than see assignments.  I think if enough parents comment about that, it will refer back to the old way.

Edmodo offers a lot of things to the classroom teacher, but one neat aspect is the connections you can make with schools outside your district. The program has several different groups created by different content area teachers to share information.  I found a French one that has offered me a few new ideas.

The program is very user friendly.  The fact that materials can be uploaded and saved in libraries for later use is fantastic.  I love how easy it is to use in the classroom.  If you are flipping your class, Edmodo is a great way to start.  It also leaves no excuses for not getting work done on time.

Just a few tips- Don't post work until right before the class.  The ultra-motivated student will get it done early and be sitting in class twiddling thumbs.  This happens particularly with quizzes.  You can make them far in advance and then assign them when needed.  Also, keep an eye on the posts.  The kids are able to chat in the system, but it isn't as open as Big Campus is for discussion.  That is one thing I wish they would develop- a social forum for discussion.

Edmodo offers several trainings to become a certified Edmodo educator.  Look into that as well.