EDMODOA Social Learning Platform

Christa Evans HeathITEC 7445Dr. MooreJuly 6, 2013Emerging Technology

EDMODO

What is EDMODO?•It is a social learning platform whose users include students, teachers and parents.•The website allows two way communication between student and teacher and teacher and parent.•This platform allows for flipped classrooms, online assessments and differentiation.www.edmodo.com

The Technology Vision for Holcomb Bridge Middle School and Fulton County Schools

Holcomb Bridge Middle School fosters educational excellence, individual excellence, and cultural enrichment in a safe, respectful, global learning environment through:  Innovative and engaging standards based instruction and 21st century technology.

The Fulton County Information Technology vision is to provide innovative technologies, contemporary training models, and superior support that:•promotes high achievement for all students.•promotes highly effective faculty and staff use of technologies to enhance curriculum, assessment and instruction, •promotes community access to technologies that support and improve the learning environment

How does the use of this technology support the vision of Holcomb Bridge Middle School?

The use of Edmodo supports the school vision in the use of technology through:

•Innovative instruction through the use of flipped or blended instruction•Allows differentiation instruction•Access to learning applications embedded•Collaborative learning environments•Communication between home and school community•Allows authentic and meaningful instruction•Access universal•Meets the needs of diverse learners

Target Population•Holcomb Bridge Middle School is a Title 1 School with a student population of 855 student and 55% percent of students receiving free or reduced lunch. •Edmodo will be used at 6, 7, 8 grade levels including students, parents and teachers.•With this demographic access to the tools may not be available at all homes. For equitable access most work on the web site will be at school. The tool does allow access from smart phones and tablets.•As the school district moves to a 1:1 technology model further integration of the tool could be implemented.

Key Benefits•Fostering a positive and engaging learning environment through the use of collaborative.•Differentiation of learning through skill level activities, remediation and enrichment.•Teaches online safety and digital citizenship.•Enhances and allows project based learning. •Shared platform of student work.•Classroom behavior management.

Objectives•To build an authentic and engaging learning environment which meets the needs of diverse learners through the use of innovative technology. •To build safe collaborative learning environments to increase problem solving skills and higher critical learning.•Research has shown learning is social.•Prepares student for the real world in 21st century learning.

Safety

Does not require email address to access

Closed Environment

Teacher Invitation Only

Digital Citizenship Taught

Teacher Managed

Technological Support

•Since this is a web based tool, the school district's IT department would not need to install any software or keep it up to date.•The site is built upon a collaborative community and supports it’s user through the same means. Edmodo provides their own support page with webinars for training and user blog.

Equipment and Software

There would be No Cost associated to tool itself since it is web based and does not have a subscription fee. Implementation is free!Each classroom has a minimum of three computers plus headphones to access site.

Equipment and SoftwareThe school has two computer labs and one media center lab which students can use.The web tool can be access from any computer and/or smart phone/tablet.There are additional application embedded into the site many are free, however some do require license fee. These additional services are not required.

Implementation

• Teachers Professional Development: teachers take part in training to understand the tool and attend on going webinars.• Parent Training: parents made aware of the tool through open house and provided training links. •Due to being similar to the social networking site Facebook, students will have a easy understanding of how to navigate the tool

Authentic Learning and Assessments

AssessmentsFormal Assessments: •Edmodo allows for formal assessments such a quizzes, projects uploaded and assignments graded.•Create a virtual fair.

Informal Assessments: •Edmodo allows teacher to assess student progress or opinions through polls and discussion questions.•Check for understanding questions., warm-ups, Ticket out the door.

Assessments

Peer Assessment: • Students can review each other’s work can provided feedback including: writing, projects, literacy circles.

Self Assessment: •Student can review work they have posted and evaluate their own progress.

Authentic Learning

•The video showed students response to real life situation and problem solve for a resolution.•Provides example how online communities operate and how best to use them through digital citizenship.•Examine real world problems through structured activities such as a poll on dress code or elections.•Use of higher thinking skills through content knowledge to express opinion and explain reasoning.

Communication

•Allows two way communication between student and teacher ,parent and teacher, and peer and peer.•Student can ask questions, clarify instructions and help peers during homework.•Classroom events and due dates posted.•Allows anytime anywhere communication between students and teachers.

Scaffolding

•Teacher can assess student knowledge through gauge student progress.

•Teacher can provide guiding questions, post videos and provide examples based upon student needs.

Differentiation•Teacher are able to build lessons, activities and assessments based upon student needs and levels.•Different assignments, links and instruction can be assigned to different students, groups or sub-groups in Edmodo.•Edmodo can benefit different types of learning styles through the various types of material which can be uploaded, videos, music, audio, and written documents.•Can benefit different reading levels by uploading a audio version of a reading assignment.

Differentiation

•Differentiate by arranging students into small groups within the class based on readiness or ability.•Can benefit different reading levels by uploading a audio version of a reading assignment. •Differentiate homework based upon student progress and growth

Collaboration

•Students can connect through group work and problem solving activities with students from around the world.•Role-playing with •Back-Channel discussions to extend learning and discussions. •Group work can be edit, shared and stored.•Can be individual, group or class collaboration.

Blended or Flipped Classroom Teacher can upload any type of media to group to allow student to review prior to instruction or to be complete instruction on a given topic.Assigned assessment through Edmodo to gauge student understanding in advance of instruction.Paperless classroomEmbedded review /practice exercise applications

Accessibility

•Can access at school, home , phone or tablet.•Student have access to work they created at school to finish or edit at home.•Storage system- students have a “backpack” to store files. Files or project stored can be access anywhere .

Professional Development

•Edmodo offers on-line professional development through their own web site.•The site is home to thousands of professional learning communities built around content and college readiness.•There are 150 publisher communities including Khan Academy, Glogster and Discover Education.•Thousands of groups have been created based upon grade level and content allowing on –line collaborative and sharing among teachers world wide.•Teacher to Teacher collaboration

Reflection

When first introduced to Edmodo, I saw the tool just as an communication tool to send messages to students and parents and vice versa. This is different than teacher web pages which are one way communication. I would update what we had done in class and access to homework.

In further review, I found Edmodo to be an educational community with a wealth of information and additional tools to bring into the classroom. It enables me to have a blended classroom by allowing access to material such as videos prior to the lesson and provide enrichment activities.

I am able to meet the needs of my diverse learners by building differentiation lessons and assessments depending on their needs.

Reflection•Edmodo allows students to work collaborative through on-line discussion and peer feedback to assignments.•Students are also able to work in groups completing class assignments and problem solve in real world application.•As a teacher, I am able to view student progress and give feedback during the process.

Research

Even though created in 2008, on September 12, 2012 there were 10 million worldwide users. The largest collaborative learning site in the world.

According to a National School Board Report study,  59% of students with access to the Internet report that they use social networking sites to discuss educational topics and 50% use the sites to talk about school assignments.

Research

•Educational Research has not been published at this time, however a case studies in the use of Edmodo and peer review by Kennesaw State University's Mark Gardner will be available May 2016•Gonzalez and Vodicka in their publication Blended Learning state: During classroom learning, technology resources can be used to promote higher levels of engagement and interaction. They further say tools such as Edmodo are The link for students between the content, conversations and productivity tools.

Works Cited

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmarshallcrotty/2013/07/03/can-safe-social-learning-improve-u-s-academic-achievement/

Gardner, M. (2013). Social Media and Peer Review: Edmodo in the Composition Classroom. DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University.

Gonzales, L., & Vodicka, D. (2012). BLENDED LEARNING: A disruption that has found its time. Leadership, 42(2), 8-10.