Edmodo

Jill Lyn Rooks

ITEC 7445
Kennesaw State University
Emerging Technologies

Edmodo
What is Edmodo?
Edmodo is a free online collaborative platform where teachers can
communicate with students and students can communicate with other
students.
It is a social networking website created for educators by educators.
Edmodo connects learners with people and resources in real-time.
Classes are set as private.
It is a great tool to use in the classroom and accessible anywhere an
internet connection is available,
Lends itself to delivering resources for a flipped classroom and self paced
student-centered learning.
Assessment options are available.
Creating connections is just the beginning; we want to do more than impact outcomes.
We want to empower learners, on our network and around the world.

What is Edmodo?
Click on the image below to watch a short video
about what Edmodo is and why and how it
should be used.

The Idea behind Edmodo

Edmodo was founded in Chicago, Illinois, when two

school district employees set out to bridge the gap

between how students live their lives and how they
learn in school, Edmodo was created to bring
education into a 21st century environment.
Were moving to a world where you can look at
specific experiences and specific students and
understand whats working for particular types of
learners. Empowering teachers is the only path to
getting better outcomes.
Nic Borg, Co-Founder and Chief Product
Officer
www.edmodo.com

The Technology Vision of

Carrollton Middle school
The Carrollton City Schools and community

nurture and empower individuals to be lifelong learners who take personal responsibility
for improving our world (Carrollton City
Schools, 2014). Technology will be the driving
force of student-centered learning achieved
through integration and accessibility of the
technology.
Edmodo provides students the opportunity to

take personal responsibility for their learning

success.

Edmodo Supports the

Vision
Edmodo supports the districts

implementation of Bring Your Own Devise

(BYOD) because students have access to an
engaging learning experience at any time or
any place in the school.
Due to universal access, students are able to
learn outside the classroom, revisiting
resources as needed.
Students are able to support the goal of
lifelong learning by delving deeper in to
content as they master the standards.

Edmodo Supports our Technology

Vision Contd
As Milanez, H., Tarnate, & C. Ver, B. (2014)

researchers indicate, with the data results, the

researchers conclude that Facebook and Edmodo
are effective supplementary tools to their
respondents (autism). It increased the interaction
and motivation of the respondents. Also, even
though they were only able to do the study for a
short period of time, they saw improvements in the
performance of the respondents.
This supports the vision in the goal of empowering

(all) individuals to be life-long learners.

Objectives in using
Edmodo
The main objective in using Edmodo is to

empower individuals to be life-long learners

by using technology and a social media
platform.
An additional objective is to increase
students academic growth and improve
engagement and achievement.
Using Edmodo will also provide more quality
constructivist learning within a classroom,
freeing up classroom time for the teacher, so
to be better able to facilitate student led
learning.

Key Benefits of using

Edmodo
Text can be converted to audio, and small text can be made

much larger. The user, instead of the author, decides what this
information is and how it will be presented.
Safe and easy way to collaborate with teachers and students.
Its a secure, closed network. This gives both teachers and
parents peace of mind because they know that students will
not interact with any strangers
Teachers can differentiate instruction by creating subgroups of
students
Students can receive feedback and suggestions via Edmodo.
Using technology is friendly to the environment and saves
paper!

Target Population
Carrollton Middle School has a diverse population of

approximately 720 students, with 48% White, 30%

African American, 13% Hispanic, 7% Multiracial, and 1%
Asian.
Thirty-one percent of the student body resides outside

the school district and chooses to pay tuition to attend.

The targeted population to implement Edmodo would

be 4th-6th grade, with 4th grade being an introductory

year due to less access to devises based on age.

Target Population Contd

The level of poverty at Carrollton Middle School is

determined by the percentage of resident students who

qualify for free and reduced priced lunches, and 54.5% of
CMS students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches.
This accounts for only 70% of the student population.
A marginal population would not have access to internet at

home, so I am proposing that it be implemented as a whenable resources when posting assignments outside of school
hours.
SPED and ESOL would be included in the targeted population.

Equipment and Software

No software would be needed to purchase due

to it being we-based and free.

Students would each need access to a device
with internet access.
A class set of devices or computers would be
ideal, however, small group access would be
sufficient.
Headphones would be needed for each
student due to the differentiated learning
speeds.

Technical Support
Carrollton Middle School offers excellent

technical support through their technical

specialists.
Tech Specialists will need to unblock certain
sites/links that are included in Edmodo.
Edmodo offers technical support through their
site.
Tutorial videos are located both on YouTube
and on Edmodo.

Technical support
Due to the vast number of educators using

Edmodo, there is an immense number of

tutorials on YouTube such as the one below.
Please click on the image to view a tutorial on how
to get started on Edmodo.

Limitations
At school students would need access to an internet

accessible devise.
If Edmodo is to be used outside of school hours, not all
students have access to computers and internet at home.
While there are ways to provide students with online time,

such as before or after school, it limits the learning

opportunities outside of the classroom.

Some content is viewed on a computer than on a

handheld devise such as tablets and Smart phones.

Also, if students are working on a collaborative project,
they are unable to message one another through Edmodo
at this time.

Cost of Technology
This Web 2.0 tool is absolutely FREE!
The school currently had a technology budget to

purchase needed hardware.

Parents can supply students with devices as able.
Ipads are a reliable tablet with a starting cost of
$299 through www.apple.com.
Samsung Galaxys have a starting cost of $199
through www.samsung.com
It is easier to maneuver and troubleshoot devices

when they are all consistent models. The above two

mentioned are highly rated tablets.

Potential Funding
Many local businesses support the funding of

technology for the school.

Educational Technology Grants are available.
http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/technology/grants/

Walmart.com is a local business partner

How can teachers use this

Technology?
There are built in assessment tools in the

form of writing and as multiple choice, or open

ended quizzes.
Student collaboration is easy to manage.
Students can access resources as needed at
school or at home.
Teachers can structure Edmodo using folders
organized by curriculum units.
WebQuests can be assigned on Edmodo,
allowing students quick and easy access to
the site.

How can teachers use this

Technology?
Teachers can create a blended classroom

experience.
Can teach content standards by creating
online lessons the students can work through
independently.
Assign Edmodo work as a center.
Assignments can be linked to Edmodo- no
more lost homework.
Send the class links to websites.
Provide alternative assignments to different
learners.

How does Edmodo promote Specific

Learning Goals?
Higher order thinking is needed to reflect and

respond to others.
Videos and resources can be used to
introduce or reinforce concepts used in
student-led projects.
Folders can be created targeting the specific
goals, with the assessments being assigned to
individuals as they master the goals.
Final products can be presented to a larger
audience.

Differentiation
Text can be converted to audio, and small text

can be made much larger.

You can create folders within Edmodo which
can be organized to include different
resources for different learners.
You can assign different assessments to
different learners.
Students are provided a choice in which
sources they would like to pull from, such as
videos.

Community and
Collaboration
Students can communicate with each other

on topics being studied in class.

Students are able to read and respond to
other student work.
Students can post their work and ask for
feedback from others.
Parents can access Edmodo to compare
student work and expectations.

Research Evaluation
As stated on www.fastcoexist.com, it was

stated that there are three significant edtech

trends: the move toward supporting Common
Core standards, the use of "adaptive" learning
technologies, and an increase in social media
in education.
Tools that make it easier, faster, more
effective--more personalized for kids--are what
were most excited about. EdSurge

Research Evaluation
In a study completed at Far Eastern University, current

research has indicated that using social media as an

educational tool can lead to increased student
engagement.
It is also reported that students who use information
technology for academics also have a higher likelihood of
contributing and participating in active, academic
collaboration with other students.
This indication points to the idea that as engagement with
technology increases, engagement with academics also
increases, promoting a deeper connection between the
students, educators, and course content. (Milanez, H.,
Tarnate, & C. Ver, B. 2014).

Professional Learning
Teachers will need to be trained on the use of

Edmodo as a beneficial and effective Web 2.0

tool in the classroom.
A lead teacher could train on Edmodo and
become the expert for helping others
Edmodo has free on-site resources facilitated
by other educators.

Reflection
When I first heard about Edmodo I was reluctant to try it. It

sounded complex, and I wasnt sure my students could

manage it. After trying the site out for myself, I realized it
was simple to navigate, and I decided to incorporate it into
my classroom. Though I did have to take the time to set it
up for myself and the students, I didnt have to create
anything new. I just included resources I already had.
I found the students to be engaged and doing more
outside work than ever before. It provided me the
opportunity to differentiate and allow the students to have
a more student-centered learning experience.
Edmodo is integrating technology and constructivist
learning taken to a whole new level.

Works Sited
Borg, N. (2014). Edmodo. Retrieved from http://www.edmodo.com.
Carrollton City Schools. (2014). Carrollton Middle School School Improvement Plan. Retrieved June 20,
2014, from http://www.carrolltoncityschools.net.
EdSurge. (2011). What Three Big EdTech Investments say about the Future of Education. Retrieved
from http://
www.fastcoexist.com/1678951/what-three-big-edtech-investments-say-about-the-future-of-education.
Enriquez, M. (2014). Students Perceptions on the Effectiveness of the Use of Edmodo as a
Supplementary Tool for Learning. Retrieved from
http://www.dlsu.edu.ph/conferences/dlsu_research_congress/2014/_pdf/LLI-II-010.pdf.
Milanez, H., Tarnate, & C. Ver, B. (2014). Facebook and Edmodo as Supplementary Tools in Aiding the
Academic and Social Development among Children with Autism. Retrieved from
http://www.scribd.com/doc/213970976/FACEBOOK-AND-EDMODO-AS-SUPPLEMENTARY-TOOLS-IN-AIDING
-THE-ACADEMIC-AND-SOCIAL-DEVELOPMENT-AMONG-CHILDREN-WITH-AUTISM-Milanez-Tarnate-Ver
Nevas, B. (2010). Inquiry Through Action Research:Effects of the Edmodo Microblog on Student
Engagement and Performance. Retrieved July 11. 2014 from http://
www.scribd.com/doc/27372047/Edmodo-Research.