Edmodo

As the end of the school year nears, I find myself reflecting and thinking about what I will change, revise, omit or repeat the following year.  During the course of this semester, I have encountered numerous ideas about how to better my teaching and how to become a more efficient, effective instructor.  One tool I came across is Edmodo.  Edmodo is an online classroom, a place where teachers can assess student progress through student surveys and polls, create discussion topics for students to respond to, collect assignments, and so much more. 

The idea of students creating their own discussions as a way to extend the classroom discussion is very appealing to me.  Through Edmodo, students can achieve that in a private setting (blogs are public and thereby susceptible to potential inappropriate content).  Additionally, blogs are blocked in most school districts, but because Edmodo is designed specifically for educational purposes, it is readily available in schools.  Another benefit of Edmodo is that it allows the goings on of the classroom to be visible to parents, other teachers, and administrators, so it’s always clear to all involved what is happening in the classroom.  This allows students to get additional support not only in school, but also at home.

I am eager to explore this tool even more and to implement it in my classroom!