Page 65 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

CHAPTER 11 • Leveraging Technology for Teacher Efficiency and Effectivenes

other members of the learning system. Teachers can also easily arrange for their
students to interact with other classes in the system.

Schoology (schoology.com) is similar to Edmodo, although each learning manage-
ment system has its own personality. Schoology apparently has an excellent
interface with iPads, which is a winning feature for some users. Schoology offers a
free Basic package for individuals and a subscription-based platform for enterprise
systems.

WeSchool (weschool.com/signup) works across all devices and promotes its
capacity to blend any website, content, or tool (i.e., YouTube, Google Docs,
Dropbox, Khan Academy, etc.) into a single experience. Assessments can include
up to nine different question formats including video. Can be used with distance
learning and flipped classrooms as well.

VOICES OF EXPERIENCE

Jennifer Bond, third-grade teacher
Glengary Elementary, Commerce Township, Michigan
edmodo.com/jenniferbond

I was first introduced to Edmodo in March of 2009 at
Michigan’s technology conference. Steve Dembo mentioned it
quickly during one of his sessions, and I added it to my notes.
A month later, I was preparing to share what I had learned
at the conference for my staff, and I checked into Edmodo. I
easily created a teacher account and created a group for my
students. It was a Friday, and I signed all of my students up and
sent them home with their usernames and passwords. Many students logged in
and participated in discussions over the weekend, but the discussions went more
like this, “Hello! Hi! Anyone there? Is anyone on Edmodo? I am at my house.”
“Me too! Hi Mikayla!” I regularly checked the group, and I tried to get the kids to
understand this was not a chat room through posts, as I envisioned students
staying glued to their computer screens waiting for someone to reply back. I was
concerned what parents were thinking about this new platform. I realized that I
had set them free on this site without giving them the tools and expectations for

Continued

254 Integrating Technology in the Classroom

Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Tools to Meet the Needs of Every Student 65