Edmodo

Do you use Facebook?  Do you think your students use Facebook?  If you said no, I might have to disagree.  I think it's safe to say that most of our students these days are using some sort of social networking at home.  And they definitely see their parents and older siblings doing it!  

Edmodo is a wonderful site that looks very much like Facebook, but is safe for students and teachers to use at school.  As we strive to move to paperless teaching in this new digital world, sites like Edmodo allow teachers to assign work, track grades, poll students, and go digital with ease!  

Check these out from the Edmodo blog...

7 Brilliant Ways to use Edmodo that will Blow. Your. Mind.

Ok, maybe we’re exaggerating.  But they are pretty fun ideas:)  Following are unique ways to use Edmodo that go beyond the basic features.

1. Science Fair Exhibition Hall: Create a “Science Fair” group and send everyone in the school the group code so they can view powerpoint, glogster, video summaries of student science projects.  A great Virtual Exhibition to showcase student work.
2. Playground: Kids are kids and sometimes they just have something funny that they are dying to share.  Create a “Playground” group where students have free reign to post whatever they want (with guidelines for appropriate use of course — encourage expression and creativity, but reinforce the need for boundaries and appropriate behavior).
3. In the News: Create a Current Events Group and allow students to post articles and blogs that are relevant to classroom curriculum.  Review posts at your morning meetings.
4. 21st Century Field Trips: On your next field trip, leave the worksheets at home.  Divide students into small groups, (ensuring at least one cell phone is available in each group).  As they wander through the museum or landmark, post scavenger hunt questions on the Edmodo mobile app to which students race to respond.
5. Lunch Count: Create a simple poll each morning – as students walk in the door, keep Edmodo open on your classroom computer and ask them to ‘check in’ on the poll on their Edmodo account.  Presto – instant lunch count, attendance, or whatever information you need to track.
6. Data Tracking Diary: Create a Data Tracking Group and use it as a filter on your calendar.  Students can enter daily data points on the calendar (growth of classroom plants, weather charts, countdown to Spring break), then filter the calendar to show only these entries.  Print it or export to .csv and use the data for graphing or qualitative analysis.
7. Announcements and Special Events: Celebrate milestones by creating a classroom group that highlights birthdays, college acceptance, sporting events, and other milestones in students lives.