Adventures in Edmodo Part III: Learning with Edmodo

Previously in Adventures in Edmodo....

I've written about the mistakes I made in getting students on Edmodo and how I went about setting it up with my classes. This post is about how students initially used Edmodo to move forward their learning.

I found out quickly that my freshmen are NOT used to relying upon each other for information. They have been reluctant to ask each other for help or support and instead rely on me as the font of all knowledge. In a class of 35 (it's DOWN TO 35), I don't have much time to spend with each student nor do I have time to answer the same question 15 times.

In part because of its novelty, students are posting information and asking questions through Edmodo and are finding, at least to some extent, that their peers are able to answer their questions.

I've also had students out sick use Edmodo to find out what they missed in class. Sometimes the responses from classmates are a bit humorous. Remember to read from the bottom up. The most recent comments are at the top.

I've found that even when we aren't doing something that requires a back channel, many of the students still want to log on in case they have questions. I really like the idea that they are turning to each other to get answers.

Next time we'll look at how I am using Edmodo to guide my students to new knowledge.

Adventures in Edmodo Part II: Setting it Up

Last time I talked about some of the mistakes I made in having students sign up for Edmodo. This time I'll share some of the successes we've had in just a few days' time.

Since I am now teaching in a computer lab with 22 computers and assorted tables, I have found that assisting students is not as easy as having 35 desks in neat rows. I've also discovered that many of the questions my freshmen ask could be answered by their peers (i.e. "where do I find...?" or "when is this due?"), yet they had no efficient way to ask those questions. I was also facing frequent interruptions when trying to help small groups; by using Edmodo, students could ask their questions and those questions would go into the 'queue' to be answered when I have a moment (or they can be answered right away by their peers if that is appropriate).

When we use Edmodo in class, I have it projected on the wall (no, I don't have a screen) so that all students can easily see the questions and answers even if they aren't on a computer. If a question is relevant to everyone, I can point it out easily and address it whole-group. If a comment is inappropriate (see previous Adventures in Edmodo post) I can address it right away and show students how to move learning forward. I also have the ability to point out excellent student questions and responses and explain how those will help move us forward.

The real time feedback both on Edmodo and in person has helped some students refine their questions and get more focused on their work. Others have taken the roll of encouraging their peers when comments are self-defeating. Next time we'll look at how Edmodo can be used as both a back channel in class and a homework helper out of class.

Adventures in Edmodo

A little over a week ago I got my geography classes on Edmodo. I've had an account for some time, but haven't used it. I'm not really sure why that is, but I finally reached a point where I needed a back-channel in class and an EASY way for my freshmen to communicate with each other about their work. I also needed a tool that students can use from school if necessary.

Once again I have learned that the old saying "you know what they say about assuming things...it makes an a** out of you and me" is true. Therefore, in order to avoid my mistakes, I offer these suggestions to you.

1. Do not assume that your students are tech-savvy enough to sign up on their own. Some kids had a bear of a time because they didn't understand the purpose of the invite code nor did they understand the naming convention I set up for our classes. Explain those fully.
2. Explain avatars ahead of time. I showed students my picture and showed them the avatars available on Edmodo (including one I had selected for my sample student), but they are still posting photos of athletes, actresses and logos for products they enjoy. Not good.
3. Explain, with examples, professional workspace versus place to hang out with friends. I explained it, but had no examples. We've had on-the-spot discussions about the usefulness in moving learning forward of discussing favorite foods or the best basketball player. We've also had on-the-spot discussions about using words to be supportive rather than to demean.

While these are significant issues, they are not stopping students from using Edmodo as a space to enhance their learning. That, however, is for another time.

But How Will I Upload My Video?

My principal forwarded me a great link to a student-produced video contest at CharacterCounts. I like the way this looks and the character traits the students will have to explore in order to complete the assignment. It should give students food for thought. The only downside is that two of the resources suggested, YouTube and JumpCut, are blocked at my school. TeacherTube is still available, so I am encouraged. I am still concerned, however, that these reasonable, free tools are unavailable to our students.

Tonight I ran across an article in Edutopia, "Stumbling Blocks: Playing It Too Safe Will Make You Sorry." While there are valid reasons for blocking inappropriate sites, the article asks us again if blocking these sites to 'protect' our students is more important than teaching them to be good Digital Citizens. As the section of the article on Digital Citizenship points out, students really see the blocks as a challenge; in my own classes more than one student has offered to 'help' me get around district filters.

As educators we need to start having these difficult conversations around filtering certain kinds of sites. Many educators don't use web resources in their classrooms, so part of the job is starting the conversation about the wealth of great material that is out there. Perhaps once all teachers know of the great stuff that is just waiting for them, we can get more teachers behind the idea of teaching good Digital Citizens.