Edmodo: Your Virtual Classroom

by Amber O’Casey

Cluster Specialist

Government & Public Administration

Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security

 

What is Edmodo?

 

Edmodo.com is a social learning platform that connects more than 29 million teachers and students around the world (Edmodo, 2013). A social learning platform is a type of virtual learning environment, a designed information space, that is social in nature and allows students to be active actors (Dillenbourg, 2000). On this platform, teachers share learning materials with students and other teachers in real time (as it happens in the moment) at no cost. This occurs through personalized information aggregation and social media tools (Trust, 2012). 

 

These quick videos are introductory clips that highlight what Edmodo is:

 

What is Edmodo?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHtwgZEHzNs

Learning through Social Constructivism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx8E8VVWiZs

 

How do I use Edmodo?

 

To begin, join Edmodo by creating an account user name and password. Then follow the prompts to designate your teaching level, upload a photo, personalize a url, and select learning communities that interest you (Edmodo, 2013). (In my experience this process takes no more than a few minutes.) Then establish a closed group such as a virtual meeting room for teachers or a virtual classroom for students. (In Edmodo both of these are called “Limited Access Groups”.) Edmodo then generates a group code that directs the members of the closed group to the correct “room,” or virtual space (i.e. it directs your students to your classroom). 

 

What about copyright and student privacy?

 

When using Edmodo, it is important that students and teachers alike behave as good digital citizens and respect the rights of copyright holders. Here is a link to the Digital Citizenship Starter Kit, published by Edmodo and Common Sense Media, with more information. Some good rules of thumb are to avoid taking credit for materials that are not yours and avoid sharing content in a way that would affect the pocketbook of the copyright holder. One other word of caution is for teachers who are teaching young students: if you are teaching students who are under the age of 13, you must comply with the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) by obtaining parental permission. (For more information about Edmodo’s privacy policies and/or to view sample permission slips see the Edmodo Terms of Service.) 

 

What are specific ways for teachers to integrate Edmodo into the classroom?

 

Edmodo provides many opportunities for integration into the classroom. The following are examples of some of the general activities available: roleplaying, writing projects, real-time discussions, small group peer reviews, book clubs, cultural exchange projects, and science probes. Edmodo is an effective place to practice digital citizenship skills/online etiquette and foreign language skills (even with native speakers from around the world). There is an Edmodo mobile app that may be used in face-to-face class for interactive activities. Edmodo is ideal for instructional strategies such as project-based learning and differentiating instruction. When these activities are complete teachers may create/use formative and summative assessments using the quiz builder and/or the poll creator (Edmodo, 2013). 

 

What if I still need convincing?

 

Edmodo is a social learning platform that is constructivist to the core. It is structured as a “community of learners” which provides teachers and students around the world the opportunity to collaborate and make meaning. Edmodo can be utilized through distance education as a virtual learning environment or in the face-to-face classroom through the Edmodo mobile app. However it is used, Edmodo is relevant to students’ lives, making it an ideal technology for teachers to integrate into their classrooms. 

 

Resources

• Dillenbourg, P. (2000). Virtual Learning Environments Workshop. EUN Conference 2000. Retrieved November 29, 2013 from http://tecfa.unige.ch/tecfa/publicat/dil-papers-2/Dil.7.5.18.pdf.
• Edmodo. (2013). Retrieved November 28, 2013, from http://www.edmodo.com.
• Trust, T. (2012). Professional Learning Networks Designed for Teacher Learning. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(4), 133-138. Retrieved November 27, 2013 from http://www.editlib.org/p/55471.