Page 66 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Leveraging Technology for Teacher Efficiency and Effectivenes • CHAPTER 11

using it. On Monday when they returned, we created norms for using Edmodo,
and I taught them the difference between a chat room and a social learning
network.
More than 10 years later, I am still using Edmodo with my third graders, and our
uses for Edmodo have come a long way since we started using it in 2009. My
students still like to share things about their life outside of school, from links to
fancy hairstyles for the Daddy/Daughter Dance or the news that their little sister
swam through a hula hoop in swim class, yet we can use it to easily organize
digital files and resources, use it for formative assessment, connect with other
classrooms, shop for new resources, and more. I call it my digital classroom
hub! I easily create quizzes that are automatically graded and put in the Edmodo
gradebook, or assign Snapshots that are generated using common standards.
When we go into the lab, I often use Edmodo to organize our lab tasks.
For example, we did an activity where we had to go virtual shopping for a
Thanksgiving meal. I linked sale ads from four stores to a post and the children
had to choose one where they would shop. Then they had to post a reply on
how much their dinner cost. You can also offer Ask Mo (askmo.edmodo.com)
to your curious students so they can learn facts in a fun way. In addition, I have
embedded Google Maps and asked the children to post what natural and human
features they found. Often I add sites or videos that help reinforce concepts
we have studied in class. Yes, I can post the same sites on my webpage, but
my webpage does not allow the interaction. Each Edmodo group I create is a
constantly evolving community that allows all people involved to contribute!

Speaking of contributions and community, Edmodo has also evolved through the
years to be an amazing site for connecting with teachers from around the world!
In addition to the classes you create, there are groups you can join, as well as
topics to follow, depending on your interests. Educators from all around the globe
post resources, pose questions, and have conversations. Resources can easily
be added to your library and then even shared to your classroom. Don’t worry
about the language barrier: Edmodo easily translates to your language. It truly is
amazing to be able to communicate in such a global way in the best interest in
education!
Edmodo offers a ton of support when needed. You can access all sorts of
resources in the Edmodo Help Center (support.edmodo.com) complete with

Continued

Integrating Technology in the Classroom 255

Integrating Technology in the Classroom: Tools to Meet the Needs of Every Student 66