by William Yang
Edmodo is a free, safe social networking site specifically designed for education. My colleagues and I have been integrating Edmodo with upper elementary students and discovered that social networking can support learning in many ways.
Engaging Students with Content
Have reluctant readers and writers? With Edmodo, all students were eager to read and respond. Students who were reluctant to speak in class found it easier to share their thoughts on topics with Edmodo. They learned more about science, writing, and social studies through video public service announcements, author podcasts, and online articles that were posted to the site. Students gained additional insight through online conversations and questions they had about content.
Students processed ideas and asked for feedback with Edmodo. They learned how to effectively provide and receive feedback by cultivating questions and responses that elicited further thinking. By sharing links to sites, media, and discussions, students became resources for each other. They were more conscious of their spelling, grammar, and expression knowing that their audience was not only their teacher but also other students and adults.
Developing Online Literacies
Information on Edmodo is presented in a non-linear fashion through a timeline of posts and replies. Students learned how to make inferences from seemingly disconnected ideas and to communicate clearly through this unique format. They learned to attach codes such as tags or symbols to assist their audience’s understanding as well as manage information. They used links to online content to express ideas and conduct online conversations as a collaborative group.
Beyond the Classroom
With access outside of school, students shared content and engaged in conversations with teachers and classmates at all hours of the day. Academic conversations that began in class continued outside of the class period. By inviting parents or other guest “speakers” to join the social network, students had access to additional learning resources.
There are a number of tutorials on Edmodo designed to help you get started. You can join the many teacher groups focused by subject areas or special interest. Once you are familiar with Edmodo’s format, plan on starting slowly. While students seem adept at navigating social network sites, they need support in comprehending, responding, and managing information in this format. In order for students to develop more complex responses, learn digital ethics, and effectively collaborate online, scaffold learning experiences and provide time for explicit instruction and modeling. By mediating student use of Edmodo, we can help students to not only learn content but also learn to be effective digital citizens.
For an explanation of Social Networking and a list of safe sites, please read Janice Friesen’s TILE-SIG entry on “Safe Social Networking.”
William Yang is an educational technology coach for the Greenacres School in Scarsdale, New York.
This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).