Edmodo

The Information Highway!  Our school is celebrating our centennial this year. Everyone in the school has created a tile that will be part of a centennial mosaic.  This is mine.  I was inspired by a graphic on my Printshop Deluxe program. 

During the month of January, I was doing so well with my blogging.  Then I hit February with parent/teacher conferences, report cards, and more and more testing, and I lost my momentum.  I said in an earlier post that it might take me two months to do the 20 Day Blogging Challenge, and it turns out it's more like three months, but I'm not giving up.  Here goes day 20!

20 Day Blogging Challenge, Day 20:  What is a website that you can't live without?

What looks like Facebook, but is safe for kids to use, and is actually a great educational tool?  Edmodo!  That's what!

I have used Edmodo occasionally for about three years now, but I have been very inconsistant with it, and I have barely tapped the possibilities.  Last summer I participated in an on-line conference to learn more about it called Edmodocon.  I wrote about it here.

I am working to increase my use of Edmodo for reading discussion.  Earlier this month I created an on-line quiz.  We had a few snags, but it will go easier the next time.  I’m also trying to learn how to create assignments.

In the past we have used Edmodo for research.  I decided to try more of a flipped classroom approach, with students viewing videos, and reading information involving the weather unit we are working on for Science.  For homework, students were to spend 20 to 30 minutes visiting the websites that I posted links for.  They were to comment about at least three things they learned.

When I checked around nine o'clock that night, I could see that 20 of my 29 students had spent time reading and commenting.  Five more students got on Edmodo during my before school computer lab time.

When we started science class, we could launch right into the next step of our learning, so I felt that it was a great success.

Edmodo is also a great collaboration tool for both teachers and students..  Earlier this school year my class participated in the Global Read Aloud. I joined a teacher group and got some great instructional ideas.  My students joined a group where they could discuss the book Out of My Mind with other students from around the world, and all from the comfort of our own classroom.

If you are unfamiliar with Edmodo, check out this video by Klista Rader.  It gives a good overview of how to set it up and some of the possibilities.

The World of Harry Potter

All month I have been participating in the 20 Day Blogging Challenge created by Kelly Hines.  My 20 days aren't going to be within the same month, but it has been great to have these prompts to write from, as well as being able to read how others are responding to the challenge.  Kelly has created another month of challenges.  You can read about phase 2 on her blog, In the Trenches.  Also, if you are on Twitter, you can read what others are doing by following the hashtag #BC20.   It's been a busy week, so I am still on phase one.

20 Day Blogging Challenge, Day Eighteen:  Tell about a favorite book to share and teach. Tell about at least one example of an extension or a cross curricular lesson.

I love the Harry Potter books!  I always have.  Years ago a friend gave me a copy of Sorcerers Stone not long after it first came out.  I was a little lukewarm about it, and then I started reading.  Then I couldn't stop reading.  I will always remember the first year I read it aloud to kids.  All I had to do was reach for the book, and kids would hush each other with, "Shhh!  She's going to read!"  It had that kind of effect, and it still does.  Now I have Sorcerer's Stone on tape, and it is our current read aloud.  I have a classroom set of the books, so students can follow along.

This book accomplishes exactly what I want to accomplish with a read aloud.  It gets kids hooked!  If you come into our classroom right now, you will see lots of Harry Potter books sitting on desks.  Many of my students are now reading Chamber of Secrets, Goblet of Fire, or other books in the series.  Last week one of my reading groups asked if we could read Prisoner of Azkaban as our reading group book.  I had four copies and between the library and copies students brought from home, we managed to acquire enough copies for everyone.

This is my group of strongest readers, and I always have difficulty with this group because some of the group are such prolific readers that they shoot through whatever book we are reading, while others plod along slowly, and never seem to finish.  This time I am trying a new approach to address this issue and keep everyone focused and on track.  I am not going to tell kids not to read ahead when they are loving a book, but I also want to hold discussions to build skills and increase comprehension.

One of the dilemmas I run into is that my school district uses Houghton Mifflin Journeys for reading. I am supposed to teach the Common Core Standards through the use of the small readers that are part of this reading system.  By the time we spend one or two of our reading group days each week on the readers, it is very difficult to move a group through a chapter book in a timely manner while students still have enthusiasm for the book.  Not to mention the fact that these little readers are BORING  and definitely not quality literature.  This has also been complicated by time lost to district testing and because of weather.  I have mostly abandoned the readers for my on grade level students and am teaching the standards using real chapter books.  That makes it all the more important to keep everyone on track, so everyone benefits from those lessons.

One way I am trying to accomplish that is with a Blended Classroom approach, using Edmodo.  We have conducted some of our reading group discussion using Edmodo in the past, but I am trying to do it more consistently.  There are some great resources out there to add to student understanding and to build interest, including Scholastic's Prisoner of Azkaban page, and  J. K. Rowlings website.

Edmodo is a great way to provide links to resources, as well as encourage student discussion and sharing.  For the first time I am using Edmodo to create and conduct a quiz.  It was easy to use, and very similar to creating a Google Form.  It also connects with the Edmodo grade book.

Along with the group reading Prisoner of Azkaban, I am using Edmodo with two other groups.  For each group we set a weekly reading goal.  When students finish their reading for the week, they will log onto Edmodo to add to the discussion and take quizzes.  Hopefully this will keep kids interacting with the text when they are ready, and not hold anyone back.  Of course this will only work if I can stay on top of things, respond to the conversation and add resources for my speedy readers.  With 29 students and 5 reading groups that will be a challenge.

Help!!!

How do you handle reading discussion when students read at different rates?  I can use any advice that you can offer.

Homework: On-line vs. Paper and Pencil

20 Day Blogging Challenge, Day 12:  Talk about homeowrk. Do you give it?  What types do you give it. How do you balance it with other demands?

My school is a public school that is also a school of choice.  We are a traditional school.  That means we have a dress code, we have strong parent support, and we have mandatory homework three nights a week. A few times each year we do a homework project that is completed over a few weeks.  Our castle project is one of these projects.  Sometimes we use some of our homework time to prepare for book talks.  Most weeks I assign spelling work on Monday, reading or writing on Tuesday, and math on Thursday.  Many nights I offer the choice of completing homework on-line.  Since some of my children do not have internet access at home, I always offer a pencil and paper option as well..

In my last post, I wrote about Spelling City.  On Monday evenings, students may use Spelling City or they may choose one of these Fun Ideas for Spelling Practice.  They need to have a parent sign their planner indicating how they studied.

Tuesday night is often writing or reading.  This month I am having them read, and then we are doing a status of the class the following morning.  I also talked about this in an earlier post.  Some nights I have students write a blog post.  We use Kidblog, and you can see some of our posts here.  We welcome your comments.  Again, I provide a paper and pencil option.  Students may write their post in their writer's notebook and blog from school.

Thursday night is math night.  Sometimes I assign a worksheet, but other nights students may work on XtraMath, which is basic fact practice or they may go to TenMarks.  For TenMarks, the teacher selects the skills that need to be practiced.  If I assign XtraMath or TenMarks, I also make a worksheet available for those without internet.

With all these websites, I have a classroom version, so I can monitor who is on-line, and in some cases, how much time they spent on line.  I have our Kidblog account set so nothing publishes until I okay it.  With TenMarks I can see how they are doing with the various skills.

Most of my kids like to do the on-line assignments.  I expect them to work for 20 to 30 minutes.  I would like to begin using Edmodo  for homework as well.  We currently use it for book discussion and social studies and science research.

Beginning in February, I am going to begin running a before school computer lab so those without internet or computer access can come in to do on-line homework.  It would be on a voluntary basis.  I did this last year, and I had some kids that came in all the time even though they had internet at home.  They just liked using the websites.

If for some reason I do not assign homework, I send a note home explaining why.  Our parents are supportive and many will call to check if there is no homework.  On the flip side, I am flexible.  Sometimes things come up, and kids forget supplies or for some reason cannot complete an assignment.  I do not want homework time to extend beyond a half hour.  Kids need time to just be kids.

I am always looking for new ideas.  Do you assign homework?  If so, what works for your students?

Edmodocon 2013

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to participate in a world wide conference with 25,000 attendees from 170 countries.  I didn't spend long hours in airports or on trains to get there.  I did it from the comfort of my own living room.  Edmodocon took place on the west coast, but almost all of us were on-line attendees.  Even some of the presenters gave their presentations from distant locations.

If you are not familiar with Edmodo, it is a website that works much like Facebook, but it is for educational use, and it is safe and secure to use with students.  Students use a code to access the group.  No one else can get in.  Here is a very quick overview of the website.




I have used Edmodo for the past three years.  I was already aware that I had barely tapped it's potential. We have used it mainly for book discussion and to do webquests.   Edmodocon made me aware of just how much potential there really is, and it's amazing!

Edmodo is a fantastic way to engage and empower students to take responsibility for their own learning. I witnessed my students enthusiam for using Edmodo in May.   Last year was not a very good school year for me.  Because of an accident, I missed more than five weeks of school recovering from a fractured ankle and foot.  We had a new reading series and lots of curriculum changes, and my school district is heavy into testing, so I was very stressed.  For those reasons, I did not introduce my students to Edmodo until almost the end of the year, after all the testing was done.

We had a story in our reading book about spiders, so my goal was to do a webquest, and give the kids an opportunity to research and read about spiders.  I showed one reading group how to use the website.  They taught the rest of the class.  When the first group was learning, the rest of the class was practically climbing over their desks to see what we were doing in reading group.  For the next three days, students shared their learning, carried on discussions about spiders, and figured out how to post links to the websites they were finding, so that everyone could see them.  The class was totally engaged!

This was an epiphany for me.  This is why I teach!  I made a pledge to myself, that in spite of district requirements for pretesting, post testing, common core or whatever, I will keep these kinds of learning experience at the forefront of my students' educational experiences.  One of my goals for the summer was to learn how to use Edmodo more effectively, and to introduce it to students and parents early in the new school year.

At Edmodocon, Patrick Fogharty talked about shifting students into collaborative and creative roles, and that is exactly what I want to do.   One idea I really liked was to have students create videos to teach the class.  I can see that working well with math.  It would also be a great way to share book talks and book recommendations with the class.

My first goal, when I get back to school, will be to make sure we have the Edmodo app on all our iPads and that we have shortcuts on all the laptops.

Here are just some of the possibilities that I need to explore:

• Use Edmodo to communicate with parents.  Provide parents with a code that enables them to see what their student is doing and saying.
• Edmodo has a Classroom Planner to organize projects and due dates. Use it.
• Digital Citizenship resources are available. Use them to plan lessons the first weeks of school.
• Use badges to award students for their hard work.
• Use Google Docs, Evernote and Edmodo together.
• Embed Padlet (which used to be called Wallwisher) for brainstorming and discussion.
• Give quizzes using Edmodo
• Use Edmodo for homework, and run a computer lab for students without internet access
• Explore some of the new apps that Edmodo has added, including Go-Animate (though to be honest, this is probably too expensive for me to invest in)
• Explore Gobstopper, which is an e-reader.
• Participate in the Global Read Aloud
• Join some of the Edmodo on-line communities
• Collaborate on a project with students from another school

That's a lot!  That ought to keep us busy.  Are you an Edmodo user?  What are your favorite projects and uses for this fantastic website?