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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Edmodo ~ Student Management in the 21st Century

Edmodo...the name sounds kind of cool. What does it mean? Well, it means a lot of things to different people. Ed= Education + Modo= Methods as was pointed out to me by Betsy Whalen of Edmodo. However, the reality is Jeff O'Hara, one of the founders of Edmodo, just made the name up. Excellent choice!


For me and many other educators, Edmodo means connecting, collaborating, teaching, and learning. My teaching has changed because of it and I love how it has broken down the walls of my cave...er...classroom. Students now have more help with assignments, projects, and anything they might need assistance with after hours. I even have office hours in the evening if students have a question or just need help. That's pretty powerful! So what's all the fuss about? Well, here are a few of the features and how to get started with Edmodo:

Some of the features I didn't mention in the video include:

  • The Student Backpack - students can add items for reference and use.
  • Blogging
  • The Edmodo Help and Support Center
  • Group Management
  • Archiving Groups
All of this and more can be accessed in the Help Center and if by chance you don't find an answer there, you can go to the Support Group and post your question. Help is only minutes away. The support team is very helpful and lightning fast in responding. A truly great group of people. 


Another great thing about Edmodo is that the students love it and find it extremely easy to use. They really like the ability to post messages to everyone or directly to me if they have a question. For me I like the fact that students often times help each other when one of their classmates is in need of help.


Edmodo is safe, secure and doesn't require student emails. It's a great blend of social media and student management system that makes the administration of teaching easier. 


I know it's made me a better teacher.