Edmodo

**Assessment Tool Category:**

 * **Web 2.0 Tools[[image:edmodo.jpg align="right"]]**

**Assessment Tool:**

 * [|**Edmodo:**] [|http://www.edmodo.com]

**Connect:**

 * **Twitter:** [|Edmodo]
 * **Facebook:** [|Edmodo]

Reviewed by:

 * [|Lori Carter]

Introduction:
Micro-blogging sites such as Facebook are among the most popular websites on the Internet. Due to stringent Federal Internet safety regulations, elementary schools are not able to utilize these types of social media, and even though older students may legally use these micro-blogging sites, the popularity of the sites and the types of material that is frequently posted makes the educational use of such sites extremely difficult. However, educators have recognized the educational value of such sites in creating their own Personal Learning Networks, and many instructors see micro-blogging sites as a valuable and engaging educational tool for both learning and assessment. Edmodo is a secure micro-blogging environment created expressly for the K-12 educational community.



Description:
Created in 2008, by two school district webmasters, Edmodo is a free Web 2.0 tool providing a secure social network for classrooms, schools, and school districts in a platform that is very similar to Facebook. Teachers register, create their own profile and groups for their students. Teachers provide students and parents with invitation codes in order for them to register and participate in Edmodo. This ensures safety and security, particularly for students under 13.

Edmodo also has an administrative option for schools and school districts. This option allows schools to create their own domain within Edmodo, thus providing a way to connect teachers and administrators online in real-time. This option provides schools and districts support tools to encourage teacher adoption, collaboration and use and to monitor and track classroom participation. Through Edmodo, teachers and students may connect with each other in real time making it an effective back-channel platform during class. Teachers and students may share files, links, videos, homework assignments, presentations and more through the Edmodo interface and keep those resources in their own searchable library. With apps for both Android platform smartphones and the iPhone, teachers and students can be connected throughout the day rather than just a few hours in a classroom.


 * Teachers may post assignments, resources and links on Edmodo. In addition, students may turn in assignments through their own dropbox. The assignment overview link on the site provides teachers with a a quick way to review the assignment. Teachers may select a student name from the list tp bring up each student’s individual assignment details including: assignment status, number of revisions to the assignment, and if there are any attached files. Teachers can grade assignments directly from the Assignment detail page without having to download and open assignments and students will receive immediate notification once an assignment has **** been graded. **


 * The following video tutorial developed by jhollo52874 on YouTube is quite helpful in describing some of the features available to teachers in Edmodo: **

media type="youtube" key="x0f9Syv8yCI" height="390" width="480" align="center"

Examples of Educational Use:

 * __Back Channeling__: At Presbyterian Day School (a private day school with 1-1 laptop accessibility) in Memphis, teachers in the fifth and sixth grades use Edmodo as a formative assessment tool by keeping the site open on one computer during a lesson’s presentation. By monitoring the back-channel chat, the instructor is able to note which students understood the material through the discussion on Edmodo, and she was able to address questions posed by other students throughout the presentation making Edmodo. The diagram below is an example of a back channel exchange from Edmodo.




 * __Resource Sharing:__ Teachers and students may share files, links, and other resources with each other. Videos may be embedded directly into the site.




 * __Communication and Collaboration:__ Provides a dynamic and real-time forum for class communication and collaboration. PDS has noticed an increase in peer-to-peer assistance since implementing the use of Edmodo. Students post questions, issues, challenges and their peers are often available to offer assistance. In addition, Edmodo offers students one way to share files, links, and other resources during collaborative projects.


 * __[|How Educators are Using Edmodo]__: Edmodo educators comment on the Edmodo blog about how they are utilizing Edmodo.


 * [|Edmodo in Literature Circles]: Melissa Smith blogged about how teachers and students at her school utilized Edmodo to extend literature circle discussions beyond the face-to-face classroom.

**Learning Objectives with Edmodo:**
Edmodo could be utilized to enhance learning across the entire curriculum. Perhaps its greatest potential lies in its dynamic real-time interface. Students could chat with other students around the city or nation with a record of the chat available for instructor evaluation once instructors make the connections and invite students to the created groups.

Students will conduct interviews of other group members using Edmodo and cooperatively establish roles for each member of their group.

Students will analyze the literary elements (plot, character, theme, setting, conflict) of a given piece of literature and post a summary of their analysis following the analysis rubric using Edmodo

Benefits:

 * Edmodo is free and the creators have clearly stated that it will remain free.
 * The Edmodo platform is private and secure, requiring teacher initiation and invitation.
 * Edmodo does not require student E-mail addresses.
 * Platform is very similar to Facebook which is already familiar to many students.
 * Edmodo provides a forum for dynamic and live, real-time communication utilizing the Internet.
 * Does not have a private chat or instant message function to distract students when Edmodo is utilized as a back-channel.
 * Teachers may delete any inappropriate material or comments.

**Challenges:**

 * Educator buy in – many may see Edmodo as just another social network and a distraction.
 * Parental concerns about social networking with younger students.
 * The inability to approve comments before posting may be problematic for some instructors.
 * Students utilizing service inappropriately.
 * Instructor monitoring of space.

**Conclusion:**
Edmodo is a free, safe, secure, and private social networking platform created for educational use. The many features of Edmodo make it extremely adaptable to a wide variety of educational objectives. In particular, the dynamic, real-time nature of the Edmodo interface makes it extremely useful as a back channel during instruction in blended learning environments. The creators of Edmodo continue to enhance the interface increasing its educational functionality.