Turn Social Networks into Learning Networks with Edmodo

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Permalink Reply by kat strever on March 30, 2011 at 10:15am

Katy, great read! I'm a newbie here and just starting to rap my head around social net in the classroom, and what kind of products ed publishers might be able to offer in the future that work with these types of platforms. It will be interesting to see how fast projects like the Harry Potter one in your article start to appear in text books to replace more traditional writing exercises.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Katy Scott on April 5, 2011 at 3:23pm

I hope you're right, Kat. Web 2.0 tools are SOOO amazing for literacy skill building.

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Permalink Reply by Katy Scott on April 5, 2011 at 3:24pm

Yeah, a lot of teachers are wary of social networking (it's even banned in some schools) but Edmodo really does make it safe.

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Permalink Reply by Sharyn Skrtic on April 4, 2011 at 11:54pm

Great Read Katy! I am currently teaching Grade 5 in HK and have used Edmodo in the classroom. 

I also love the fact that it is free and easy! My students and I began using it to share our work with each

other and gain peer feedback. We then extended it's use for our Literature Circle discussions on the novel, Holes. 

After a while we joined classes with another Grade 5 in Germany to expand our authentic audience and feedback. Overall our work with Edmodo was a great success! 

I also believe it was a good way to introduce my students to their blogs. They had a great experience learning and sharing through edmodo, and felt ready to take on their own space with their blogs on weebly.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Katy Scott on April 5, 2011 at 3:21pm

Thanks, Sharyn. Did you create small groups in Edmodo for the literature circles? How did it go? I've heard of some teachers using small groups for reading groups, etc., but I haven't tried it myself.

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Permalink Reply by Marion McDevitt Jacob on April 5, 2011 at 3:14pm

Thanks Katy! I really enjoyed the information you shared on the blog. It gave me some great ideas on ways to incorporate Edmodo into my class. I loved the Chemical Party video. That was great!

 

Thanks again,

 

Marion

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Permalink Reply by Katy Scott on April 5, 2011 at 3:21pm

Thanks, Marion. That Chemical Party video is one of my absolute favorites. Students LOVE it!

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Permalink Reply by Hannah Gilman on April 5, 2011 at 4:01pm

Katy, I loved your blog you attached to this discussion. I totally agree with what you said, "The fact of the matter is that social networks are no longer simply for socializing. They are tools for networking and collaboration — key 21st century skills that every student should learn." You hit the nail right on the head! I have never heard of Edmodo before, but I checked out the site and it looked pretty interesting. I wrote a blog about a classroom that used Facebook for a project. You'd probably be interested in what they did. Thanks for sharing!

 

Hannah Gilman

University of Maine

Elementary Education

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Permalink Reply by Katy Scott on April 5, 2011 at 4:07pm

Thanks, Hannah!

 

You had some cool links in your blog -- I especially liked the one listing 100 ways to use social media in the classroom. And the Will Richardson quotes were really good.

 

The video you posted is similar to one I often use, called "Did You Know?" Have you seen it?

 

Thanks for sharing!

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Permalink Reply by Briana Hernandez on April 5, 2011 at 10:24pm

What an interesting read, I have always been against having the younger students use the internet just because of all the different negative aspects that can be brought upon them. I always worried about the privacy aspect of the students, but just wished there was a way to avoid all that and it seems that there are programs that do just that! Edmodo seems perfect for classroom interaction. Yes, we are in the 21st century and it is very important that students learn the proper way of using social networking and with the fact that the teacher is the one that is mediating the entire thing is just amazing. No longer are the days that students can be held back from expressing them selves threw social networking, there is a safe and easy way of doing this, and I truly think that it is something that all schools should start looking into and using.

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Permalink Reply by Ana-Alicia Valdez on April 11, 2011 at 12:55pm

I like the idea of using social networking in the classroom. I agree with your blog posting that one of its benefits is that it allows time for student/teacher and student/student communication outside of normal class time. I also agree that it provides an alternative platform of communication for students who have a hard time speaking up in class. In terms of using Edmodo, I like that students can only join classes they are enrolled in. I think being able to easily continue discussion outside class allows students to practice their communication skills. I think using social networking with students sounds like a great way to motivate students to be involved in their education. Since many students use social networking in their personal lives, I could see it being a smooth transition to using it in the classroom. Does the site allow for student postings to be reviewed by the teacher prior to them being made available for the entire class to see? Overall, it sounds like a great program and a safe way to keep students engaged with what they are learning and with their peers. 

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Permalink Reply by Katy Scott on April 11, 2011 at 3:19pm

Thanks for the comments, Ana-Alicia.

 

As for your question, Edmodo doesn't allow the teacher to review student posts before they're displayed to the class. However, the teacher can edit or delete anything after it's been posted.

 

Still, I work with about a half dozen middle and high school classes who have their students use Edmodo, and there have been no inappropriate posts. I think there are several reasons for this:

• everything posted is signed with the posting student's name
• the teachers did a good job of explaining expectations and treating Edmodo as a professional network
• students liked Edmodo, so they didn't want to lose Edmodo privileges
• everyone in the class can see anything that's posted (one teacher allows parents on the site, for added oversight)

In the end, I think Edmodo provides a good training ground for students and social media. If they do post something just a little inappropriate (i.e., personal or off-topic), it's a great teaching moment.

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