I have recently been exposed to the
website Edmodo by my cooperating teacher. This website is a great resource for
students and teachers. Its interface is similar to Facebook in that the teacher
and the students have a profile and there are certain apps you can use for your
classroom activities. The teacher can post a “status” on her profile and the
students will receive the post. These posts can be anything from homework
assignments to links and other resources. The students can then comment on the
teacher’s page as well. For example, if the student has a question at home
about a homework assignment, they can ask on Edmodo. This way the teacher or
other students can answer the student’s questions about their homework.
There
are certain apps on Edmodo that can be used for everyday classroom instruction.
For example, there is an app called Storyboard where students can literally
create an online story board. It is a very fun app because students can customize
the setting background, choose characters and customize their appearance, and
then add text bubbles to incorporate writing. This app can be used for students
to create comic strips by using dialogue, or create a visual story. Not only is
this app an educational promoter for online instruction, but it resembles apps
and software’s that students are already familiar with.
Before
being exposed to this sort of technology I was slightly adverse to the use of
technology to teach, because I felt that in high school teachers used
technology to solely make their lives easier instead of catering to the
students needs. But now that I’ve been exposed to it and seen it happen live I think
it’s a great idea. The first time I saw students use this app I was astonished
by how many students were actually engaged in the lesson. It is really
difficult to engage students effectively in a classroom because they are so
used to moving around and multi-tasking. However, during this specific lesson
100% of students were engaged because the technology that was being used was
not only complementing their learning, but complementing their interests. Our
students are born into a world full of technology and start using technological
devices at such a young age. So why not cater to them? Witnessing this has changed
the way I view the use of technology in education.
Hey Ana,
ReplyDeleteI have heard about this website before, but have never personally used it. After reading this post, I'm now looking to give it a try. As you noted towards the end, with children every year working more and more with technology, we as teachers should use this to improve the learning experience. Sitting in front of the classroom and talking for 75 minutes straight is not going to get the job done anymore. The classroom should be in a constant state of change to fit the needs of all, and technology like Edmodo can help with this.
I think that this website is a great idea, and I am glad that you brought it to my attention. I think that Social Media is definitely the future, and I think that we should definitely be able to integrate into the fabric of our educational system. However, the issue is that there is so much liabilities for teachers who use social media. You can always see all over the news that teachers are getting fired across the country for things they done on their personal pages. I think that is awesome that they came up with something like Facebook that is purely for the educational climate. In this way, technology helps to facilitate increased communication between the students and the teacher. I also like the point where you say this following statement: However, during this specific lesson, 100% of students engaged because the technology that was being used was not only complementing their learning, but complementing their interests." This is an amazing point because the best kinds of educational technology are the ones that a thoughtful teacher can engage students and have them learn at the same time. Even though technology can be a great thing, much critical thought must go in to ensure that the learning goals are met in an engaging way that does not cause students to become distracted. I think I can imagine myself using this website in my future teaching career because I want a dynamic website where students can interact and manipulate it rather than having a boring, outdated teaching site that is a one-way flow of communication. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the idea of using Edmodo in all subject areas and for all grades. My brother uses it and he absolutely loves it because he is able to contact his teacher and other students when he needs assistance with homework. It is also a great way for students to contact the teacher when they are absent. One of my brother's teachers posts the homework assignments on the website everyday, so that students who are absent or students who forget their homework planners in school have the information.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if you are aware, but there is also a FREE Edmodo app available in the app store. My brother downloaded the app onto his iPhone so that he has access to the website wherever he goes. This app is definitely convenient.
Also, if you log onto the Edmodo website, there is an option to sign up as a Parent. This is an absolutely wonderful way for parents to become involved with their child's education.
I've never heard of Edmodo before, but I really like this idea! I've always had a little bit of an issue with teachers and students being friends on Facebook, but I think this is a much better social networking tool. I saw that parents can also make Edmodo accounts, which is great because I believe there is a lack of parent involvement when it comes to student progress.
ReplyDelete