BP8_1182009_Do You Edmodo?

Students are brand aware. They know that a pair of jeans from one store may be no better than another, but will pay the extra money for the little seagull on the pocket, or for the big W stitched into another. As much as students say they want to be independent, and claim to follow no one but their own sense of fashion and style, we know that everyone has a uniform.

One piece of Web 2.0 technology all students agree on, regardless of who made their jeans, is Facebook. The ubiquity of facebook is unchallenged, and since it's been made an app for iPhone, it is ultimately portable. Students love it. They love the look of it and are so loyal, that when changes either happen or are rumored to be happening, groups of users "against changing whatever" pop up like dandelions.

Opening up facebook on school campuses might be more than the average secondary principal could bear. But a tool is available that looks an awful lot like facebook, works like updating one's facebook status, and remains private, with access only possible through a code assigned by the teacher.

Edmodo.com acts as a collaborative space for a class outside of school hours. Students might post questions about homework, continue a conversation started in class, suggest an idea for later class periods, or ask another student for the day's homework. The teacher can create polls, upload files for students to download, and monitor the discussion to make sure it doesn't cross from collaboration to copying.

Students in my class are not required to use the tool, but it is available for whenever they need it. It is secondary to our course management software, but welcomes them as a comfortable space when we can't meet in person. When several students missed class due to a fast-spreading illness, we used edmodo as a method to communicate with our missing classmates.

The final benefit is personalization. Because students feel comfortable in the space--in part because it reminds them of facebook--I have seen students raise questions and issues they would not in the classroom due to fear or a lack of confidence speaking out loud. For some students, this is the greatest benefit of all.

References

[Untitled Screenshot]. Captured from http://www.edmodo.com/home/