Web 2.0 Evaluation - Edmodo

After hearing so much about Edmodo I decided to actually sit down and really see what it’s all about. A teacher in my department really enjoys using it and has encouraged me to use it, but so far I haven’t really felt the need to.

Edmodo allows teachers to connect to students in the same way they connect with their peers through Facebook. The layout is mirrored after Facebook with some of the same functions and colors. As a business teacher, using Edmodo is certainly applicable to my content area because I teach various types of technology in my classes. However, I do not think that using it necessarily advances my curriculum. I think it mostly provides a more exciting way for students to submit work and express their opinions, than the “old school” ways. Now this in itself has the possibility to advance curriculum because it can keep students more engaged.

Edmodo offers a secure environment for students and teachers to feel safe. A teacher registers on the website and creates a page for their class/classes. They are given a random code that connects to the teacher’s site to give students and parents so they can join the group. Students and parents register on the site and must have their specific code to join. Once a student/parent joins the site they can only see the material for the class that they have a code for. This keeps everything secure so teachers and students can post and submit work and not have to worry that it will get into the wrong hands.

As I mentioned earlier, I think that Edmodo provides a more 21^st century way to conduct present material and assess students. I also think if all of its functions are used properly it can allow students a more creative way to be assessed. A question can be posted and students must provide a comment to answer. If necessary they could link to a website or upload a document that might provide the teacher with more evidence to concepts learned.