Notes & Links from Day 4

Wikis in The Classroom

What is Wiki? 
 “Wiki” means “quick” in the Hawaiian language.   
A wiki is a website that allows anyone to edit, delete or modify content that has been placed there.
Here’s a quick video to help you understand
What is a Wiki
This video is about Wikis for teacher

Wikis for teachers too

Wikispaces is the leading server of free wikis for education Wikispaces                   Show students my class wikispaces (MartinSnakey)
Talk about the pros & cons of Wikis, my personal experience

Now, let me introduce you to “Edmodo”

What is Edmodo?     It’s like Facebook but made for schools.
Edmodo Homepage             Show my Edmodo.

Edmodo & the 3 sites (Teacher. Student. Parent): Edmodo at a glance

Edmodo Demo Video                      After the 2 videos go back to my page & open a group for our course.

Edmodo Tutorial (BASIC) for Teachers
Introduction to Edmodo for students
Edmodo student training: How to turn in assignments
Effectively Using Edmodo in Your Classroom More Advanced 

10 Reasons to Use Edmodo in Your Classroom

1. Edmodo is Free, without adds.                                                                        There are no restrictions to how many students can be in each group

2. It provides a secure environment.
              The classrooms are completely teacher controlled.        Teachers can delete inappropriate posts from students.          Make the class read-only.      Students cannot message each other privately.             All student posts are visible by teachers and parents.

3. It is user-friendly.
              The design and layout are similar to Facebook so it’s quick to get going.                  Plenty of videos and guides on Edmodo available online. Edmodo Support Staff respond within 24 hours to every email.

4. It’s really useful.
              You can post;   “text”, “polls”, “videos”, “links”, “quizzes” and “homework” all directly through Edmodo.           There’s a calendar, so students can keep track of homework due dates and major events.              It has a digital backpack for the Students giving unlimited storage of files, documents, photos, etc.

5. Environmentally friendly.
              Everything in on line; “No Paper”

6. It’s mobile friendly.
              Edmodo has free apps for Android and Apple products.  Students can check it on the go.

7.     Different needs for Students.
           Teachers can modify the content by using the “small groups” option and share folders.

8.     Blended Learning.                                                                                                          A great for “Blended Learning”

9.     It facilitates Active Learning: - Active learning is "anything that involves students doing things and thinking about the things they are doing"                            Through projects, discussions about them & collaboration of their projects in smaller groups.    

                      

10. Parent Involvement.                                                                                                       With the three options Teacher, Student & Parents all three can be involved.

Plenty of Ways to Use Edmodo

1. Assessments                                                                                                                Utilize the Edmodo quiz builder or poll feature to assess students’ learning.
 2. Role Playing
            Help students understand key historical and literacy events by re-enacting them through role-playing activities in Edmodo.
 3. Peer Reviews & Critiques in Small Groups
            Place students in small groups and have them post their work to their group for peer review and feedback.
  4. Writing Projects
            Students share writing projects with each other, encouraging peer learning.
 5. Build Digital Citizenship Skills         (The norms of appropriate; responsible behaviour with regards to technology use)                                                                                       Enforce online “Norms” for students when using Edmodo to help them build digital citizenship skills.
 6. Foreign Language Practice
            Encourage students to practice their language skills, as well as spelling and grammar, through conversations in Edmodo. 
 7. Book Clubs
            Set up a book group in Edmodo to encourage students to read and discuss novels with each other.
 8. Teacher Training Session
            Set up an Edmodo group for your next Teacher Training Session to enable teachers within your school to discuss ideas and share content before, during and after the workshop.
 9. Cultural Exchange Projects
            Give students the opportunity to learn about other world cultures by connecting your classroom with classrooms around the globe via an Edmodo group.
 10. Out of Class
            Use Edmodo to communicate with your students when you’re out of the classroom.                     Send updates to students who are absent from class.
 11. Backchannel Discussions  - (Backchannel communication is a secondary conversation that takes place at the same time as a class. Students discuss a lecture as it is happening)
            Inspire real-time discussions and extend them outside the classroom by posting a backchannel in Edmodo.
 12. School Trips                                                                                                 Planning trips with the Students, Parents & Other Teachers; Before the trip, during & after in class.
 13. Current Events
            Help students stay up to date on the latest news by creating a small group called “current events”.      Nominate a student a day to update it.
 14. Project Based Learning
            Facilitate project based learning in your classroom by with Edmodo’s small-group feature.
 15. Help for Teachers
            Join an Edmodo Community to connect with other teachers around the globe and share resources, exchange ideas or get advice.
 16. School Clubs
            Create an Edmodo group for clubs, sports groups etc to coordinate meetings, practices and games, as well as post results.

There are heaps more ways to use Edmodo; once again it’s your imagination that’s your only boundary.