Using Edmodo in Educational Settings

Edmodo is a great tool for introducing technology into the classroom setting.  Remember back to high school, I used this tool, and it was an excellent way for communication among classmates and teachers. Edmodo has many opportunities for both the students and the educator, and it is a free source to use.  Many times schools do not provide money to teachers for such resources, so it is helpful when sites like these are free for use in the classroom.

Edmodo is a great tool for communication in the classroom. It is a form of blogging on the site, and it allows for teachers and students to communicate outside of the classroom. It also allows for teachers to create calendars for the students in the program. These calendars alert the students when an event, such as a test, is coming up. Teachers can also post grades on here for the students to see if the school does not have any other online system.  Along with all of these great things, Edmodo allows students to upload files that teachers can collect. Students can also upload a file that is causing him or her an issue, and the teacher can view the problem before class the following day. As mentioned earlier, this resource is also free for use.

Along with all of the wonderful aspects of Edmodo, there are some negative downfalls. Students cannot create an account without a passcode from the educator.  The teacher must register the class and then receive a code, so that the students can be added to the class.  Edmodo can also be a distraction in class because the students in a class can "chat" or blog together instead of paying attention to the instruction. Although Edmodo is easy to use, it does take practice and corporation.  Communication is a great tool for this, but both communicators must be willing to use this.  Once this is lost, the communication is no longer available and helpful.

I do have some personal experience with this program, and I loved it!  I am a student who likes to be able to ask teachers for help and clarification.  My math teacher in high school used this very effectively.  I would send him a question, and within minutes he could respond.  Edmodo allowed my teacher to send the updates to his phone, so he was able to keep up with his classroom.  After being added to each class I was involved with, I could also communicate with peers over group projects.  An example from the program using communication will follow.

Me to Mr. Stitt    

I have been trying to watch the screencast for about 15 mins, but it will not load for me. you talk for maybe a couple seconds and then it takes 5 mins to load again....any suggestions? Also, what did i miss in advanced math today?

Mr. Stitt - I gave the class the period to do HCB 16 in Advanced Math. Let me check the screencast.

Here, I had missed class and was able to get the homework by using Edmodo.  It was a way for him to upload files to me and give me the assignment that I missed.  This was very helpful for many students in his classroom.

Edmodo can clearly be used in a classroom setting, and it would be most effective for students in high school because of the typing and communicating. Edmodo can clearly be used to communicate with the teacher over a question or a peer over a group project. It is a way to communicate with one person by sending it as a message or to the entire class as a blog.  This is a great way to create an independent classroom for the students.  Edmodo can also be used as an online grade storage device. Teachers can grade files that you upload to them, or they can put in other assignments from the classroom.  Finally, Edmodo can be used for reminders to students because of the calendar aspect of the tool.  It comes up and alerts the students that a grade has been posted or an event is upcoming.  This is helpful for all students, and students who frequently miss class are sure to benefit.

Edmodo is a fantastic program for the educational settings today.  Many students need a better way to talk to people in the classroom.  This allows for great communication, while providing the educational atmosphere that is safe for classroom use.  Although you have to be added to a class to have an account, it is very helpful once your teacher takes the time to set the tool up, and everyone will benefit from everything that it has to offer.

Here is a tutorial video on using Edmodo.