While I sometimes question the amount of screen time our younger generation is experiencing, I do believe in the theory of moderation. I do believe technology gives us an advantage in the education world and culturally that we’ve never experienced before. When I was growing up I couldn’t just talk to somebody on the other side of the world and learn something new with them with the click of a button. Today, our children can. So I try to keep up with the newest trends in technology. Plus I try to teach my students that technology is an amazing tool but they have an obligation to stay healthy and that requires movement.
One tool I’ve been playing around with for a while Is Edmodo. I used it some last year. Then did some more research this summer and I attended the 2015 EdmodoCon and I was sold. The features are unbelievable.
As I stated previously, I started dabbling with Edmodo last year when I came across the Global Read Aloud. A teacher from Australia and I used it to create small groups that met once a week to collaborate and discuss Jennifer Holm's The Fourteenth Goldfish. It was amazing! My students were so excited to use a platform similar to Facebook to meet with others their age. Their excitement crossed over to their love of The Fourteenth Goldfish not only because it is an amazing book but they were in control of their learning. They were able to ask questions and share connections with peers on the other side of the world.
Today I'm going to share with you how I'm using Edmodo to create self-regulated learners in my intervention classroom. I’m using it with my sixth graders this year because they have a 1:1 classroom and they are able to bring their laptops down to my room.
I want to share some amazing features I’m using to make learning more engaging!
Here’s what the group page looks like:
You can see the group setting and the ability to create small groups within your class group. This makes differentiating so much more simple.
Then I’ve highlighted the middle “post” portion. This is very similar to Facebook except it has education features that allow the teacher to create assignments, tests, quizzes and polls. Students can post but you need to remind them that their post are not private and can be read by all members of the group including yourself.
There is an Assignment Center for the students to quickly find assignments and all their assignment details. I don’t assign “homework” but they do have assignments that they work on in class. I’ve already found that even my reluctant speakers will ask questions in a post this way. And I can only imagine the relief it would be for parents if there was an assigned time in the evenings that a teacher would answer any questions on Edmodo for homework help at home. The possibilities are endless.
Last but certainly not least, my apps! I’m just going to highlight the apps I'm using right now but you should definitely check it out for yourself because there are more apps then you could ever imagine.
My number one favorite is Snapshot.
This app gives you the formative assessments needed to ensure coverage of standards. You choose the standards, your students take a short test, the app gives you reports. Then it offers lessons for students who may need more direct instruction regarding the standard they're not meeting. I'm using these reports as part of my students' goals & reflections notebook work. Click on the graphic to learn more about snapshot. 
This is my second favorite app. My goal for all my students is to become self-regulated learners. With my 6th grade group I'm able to give them opportunities to practice setting goals, asking essential questions and their ELA standards using this app. This is where I create their lessons. I give brf mini lessons, release them to work on their Blendspace assignments then I meet with individual students to conference regarding goals, lessons and reflections. Click on the graphic to learn more about blendspace. 
I'm just now in the beginning stage of introducing this app but I felt like it was worth the mention. It's similar to GoodReads but it's for kids. They can find books, write book reviews, read others' reviews, and much more. 
I'll be posting more on my experiences with Edmodo on Looney's Literacy so be sure to follow along here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment