Using Edmodo in YOUR Classroom!

Learning Management Systems in general are amazing tools to use in the classroom. For me, Edmodo is the best and easiest LMS to implement in my classes, because students are so familiar with its interface. Edmodo looks like one of their favorite social media tools, Facebook!

How can you use Edmodo in your classroom? As a high school social studies teacher, I use Edmodo….

to stimulate classroom discussion of a topic

I assign students an article or primary source related to our topic, pose a question, and require them to respond and discuss their perspective with their peers

to encourage students to collaborate on projects

students can be placed in “groups” on Edmodo and can work together to complete assignments, even if they are in different class sections, or if they are absent

to provide students with instant feedback on quizzes and tests

I frequently create multiple choice tests and quizzes on Edmodo, providing students with immediate feedback

to determine students’ perspective on contemporary issues

Edmodo has a polling feature in which teachers can immediately receive students’ views on contemporary issues, a class topic…virtually anything!

to provide students with instant access to class readings and assignments

I create folders within Edmodo and fill those folders with unit information
students can access these course documents anywhere they have Internet access…including their smartphones!

to connect with students who may or may not be physically in class

sometimes, students are absent for one day…sometimes, students must be absent for extended periods of time, and Edmodo helps them stay connected to the classroom!

to encourage students who would not typically actively participate in face-to-face classroom activities to ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE

some students are very vocal and a great class participants, while other students prefer to sit back and absorb…Edmodo “discussion boards” encourage EVERYONE to participate!

to have a “paperless” classroom

NEVER PRINT AGAIN!

to allow students to discuss content related subjects with students who may not be in their class period

I have two sections of each class that I teach…through Edmodo, students from different class sections can discuss content within their class and with the other section…AWESOME!

to prepare students for the blended learning environment they will most likely experience in their post-secondary education!

many if not all of our students will experience either a blended learning environment, or an online course sometime in their post-secondary education…Edmodo can acquaint them with this format!

Most educators can recognize that we are currently experiencing a huge shift in education…and it is so exciting! Our students have access to such a wealth of technology and information, and we are moving in the direction of embracing that technology in the classroom. Awesome!!!

Being a huge history nerd, I see this educational shift as something future teachers will study and reflect upon in their education classes. With the exception of ONE educational technology class in my undergraduate education, I most likely experienced the same type of content in my education classes that my mom did decades before me. My alma mater is shifting next year to a 1:1 environment for the teacher education courses in order to adequately prepare future teachers for the new type of classroom environment that they will most likely have. So exciting!!

Edmodo (and other LMS) aren’t just for secondary classrooms. There are many ways that elementary teachers can embrace and benefit from these systems. Here are some great articles about using Edmodo in your classroom. Enjoy!