This week I had the unique opportunity of exploring storytelling with a creative twist. Using the digital storytelling tool, Story Bird, I was able to write my own digital children’s book.
The experience was so fun! Story Bird offers a free, week-long trial that gives users access to an endless amount of adorable images and customization options. Before today I did not know this website existed, but now I want to dive back in and make more! I have always had a passion for storybooks, so this experience was exciting as I got to be on the author’s side. Because Story Bird makes all stories go through a review process, I will attach photos of the story below.
My story is an optimistic look into the current pandemic. Like many, it seems to be the only thing on my mind. It is so important to remain positive during these times. My story has an outlook that says, “it may be hard now, but not forever.” During this unpredictable time, we must continue to find the good. We need to do our best with what we have. I hope you enjoy my story and remember it will be okay!
While reading Julie Lindsay’s book, The Global Educator, I stumbled upon a fascinating case study. The K12 Online Conference offers educators an outlet to share their ideas and skills regarding technology virtually. The conference comes at no cost to participants and takes place entirely online. Designed solely by other educators, the information is realistic, authentic, and extremely helpful. Understanding technology can be overwhelming to many of today’s teachers, but the K12 Online Conference allows instructors to help one another understand a variety of emerging technologies.
The set up of the conference is very user friendly. Over three weeks, educators have a set time where they can upload different 20-minute video resources for participants to view. There are also online forums and video chat opportunities that allow educators to collaborate in real-time. However, if someone misses a session they want to attend, they can watch the video at a later date. Video-based presentations accommodate the busy life of teachers, as well as opening up the conference to people of different time zones. By making teaching tools accessible to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status or location, we create a learning environment where everyone can partake in learning. I love the concept of these conferences because there is no monetary gain from vendors or fights for funding, but rather a genuine sharing of ideas that supports the growth of education.
As someone who wants to become the best educator I can be for my future students, I researched when the next K12 Online Conference would be. During the uncertainty of the current pandemic, an online teaching conference based around technology felt not only helpful but necessary. However, when viewing the K12 Organization’s website, I was met with some unexpected news. After eleven years, the K12 Online Conference ceased its renewal due to a lack of participation and interest. Instead, they will continue to archive and share past content from previous events. Below is an archived presentation by John Spencer on design thinking in the classroom.
Although I am glad there is still access to previous online presentations, technology changes fast. Since the K12 Organization’s last conference in 2016, technology has already experienced rapid change. As time goes on, we can only expect even more drastic changes in how we use technology in the classroom.
I hope one day that the K12 Online Conference will restart their educational journey. By providing educators with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom, we are simultaneously helping every child they encounter. I know I definitely would be interested in one day participating in the conference, as would many other emerging teachers. Perhaps we should come together to show the need for this program by educating those around us it exists. Before reading Lindsay’s book, I would have never known this opportunity was available to me. By supporting free learning resources like the K12 Conference, we will not only stay up to date with modern technology but better ourselves as educators overall.
The Out of Eden walk is an astounding learning opportunity created by journalist Paul Salopek. Inspired by the global migration of our ancestors during the Stone Age, Salopek began a seven-year, 21,000-mile voyage to Tierra del Fuego. His journey is entirely on foot to mimic how those in the past would have completed the trip. Along the way, Salopek remains connected to the world by reporting on issues of the time such as climate change and the innovation of technology. He does so through photographs, videos, and audio recordings to give a voice to people in today’s world he met along the way. This includes people such as small villagers, farmers, nomads and artists who rarely receive public attention. Breaking down his journey into “chapters,” we are able to explore different artifacts from his venture through the National Geographic website. Recently I explored this site and found Salopek’s journey to be both fascinating and impactful. Below I will be discussing these truly wonderful interactions.
If we choose to slow down and observe carefully, we also can rediscover our world.
On September 10th of 2014, Salopek found himself in Kirit, Turkey with walking partner and professional tour guide, Denzin Kilic. The pair met at a port in southeastern when Salopek arrived on a ferryboat from Cyprus. However, they had “met” before. Technology is a powerful tool, allowing the two to communicate before ever meeting face-of-face. After two emails and a phone call, Kilic had agreed to join Salopek on his 700-mile foot country across Turkey to Anatolia. During this course, they view farmlands, the Iranian Plateau, the Taurus Mountains, and the Cilician Plain.
Salopek traveling the Cilician Plain of southeastern Turkey.
Salopek often incorporates a concise history of the area he is traveling to. Anatolia is the origin point of the Trojans, as well as the source of the historical figure who would be known as Santa Clause. It has also been theorized Indo-European languages and agriculture began in Anatolia as well. Kilic is a great resource for this journey, with him being called the “advocate” for these “true Turks.” Because he is from the area, he can give an authentic, genuine, and opinionated view of history. To me, this is more than a simple textbook could ever offer.
“We will stub our toes daily on artifacts.”
Denzin Kilic
Beyneu
3,600 miles and 1,241 days into his journey Salopek entered into milestone 37. This portion of the trip takes place near Beyneu, Kazakstan. Milestones are a fascinating part of the Out of Eden Walk. Every hundred miles, Salopek records the landscape and a person he meets to assemble a “global snapshot of humankind.” Through videos and audio, he provided a view of what this area looked like. Below is a visual that depicts the landscape.
Beyneu is a small railroad town and is the only civilization for thousands of miles. On this stop, he met Bazarbay Atitanov, who was heading home on his motorbike. Atitanov is a 45-year-old retired railroad worker who owns a hut in Akbolak springs. Although not much else was said about him, I believe these moments are important because it does put a spotlight on people who do not typically receive it.
Photo of Bazarbay Atitanov.
Hard Eden
Salopek’s walk through the lush scenery of northeastern India was one of my favorite parts of his journey. The beauty of the area is simply unmatched. This trip was one of his most recent, taking place on the trails outside Khanduli. The area hosts a seemingly endless amount of life. On top of the greenery, the trails are home to cicadas, frogs, gibbons, and other native wildlife. The hum of the waterfalls can always be heard in the distance. Their beauty can be admired in the images below.
Salopek’s highlights of local populations are my favorite part of his journey. Residents of Naga are the religious minorities compared to India’s high concentration of Hinduism. They are members of the American Baptist Mission after converting in the 1930s. You can typically find them listening to Christian rock or weaving shawls and household looms. The image below shows a Naga women making one of these shawls.
Overall, I enjoyed my experience viewing this trip through the lens of Salopek. The journey is an amazing educational opportunity for our classrooms, as it gives students the authenticity they crave. By providing a rich history of not only the area, but a glimpse into the people who inhabit it, students can gain so much valuable knowledge. Educators should consider discussing these works in their classroom as the importance of these stories will only become more relevant with each passing day. Salopek’s journey is not yet complete and there is still much to be discovered. I look forward to following his story for years to come to see what he will be up to next.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
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Teaching today is much more than in-class instruction and localized learning. With modern technology, learners can examine the world in the most riveting and authentic ways. Google Lit Trips are brining fun learning experiences to the classroom, allowing learners to virtually explore alongside the characters of the stories they are reading. This leads to a genuine viewpoint for literary works and an admiration for the knowledge they support.
Google Lit Trips bridges the gaps of historic global literature using modernized resources. These trips are downloadable files that allow students to follow the journey of different literary figures, including the students in the trials and tribulations of each character. By being able to visualize where the story is taking place, learners have a more precise understanding of what life is like for the book’s personas.
While the students are on their journey, they will encounter additional information to support the understanding of the actions taking place throughout the story. Helpful information pop-ups may include instructional supports such as background knowledge on the book’s author, clarification of historic events, or additional information regarding non-fiction characters. Learning comes in different forms. These pop-ups will be given in a variety of forms such as videos, photographs, and artifacts. Google Lit Trips creates meaningful discussions while simultaneously improving the reader’s grasp of the information.
For an excellent explanation of using Google Lit Trips for educating students, view the Google Lit Trip demonstration below.
Overall, Google Lit Trips is a great learning resource for all learners. It provides meaning to literary works so that students can make significant connections with what they are learning.
Click here to view the elementary literature options for Google Lit Trips.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
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Edutopia continues to be one of my favorite educational outputs. I had discovered them through my Webtools class and fell in love with their positivity and fresh ideas. This week I stumbled upon an interesting article by second-grade teacher Paula Díaz, who is currently giving her students a voice through podcasting.
I love a good podcast, but I never thought about the potential of using this form of broadcasting as a teaching tool. Podcasting allows students to express their ideas and make connections with the world around them through interviews, explanations, and teaching. It essentially puts students in the teacher seat, allowing them to educate others while researching topics themselves. It creates an authentic learning environment where students understand the importance of what they are studying because it connects and resonates with them. I am very passionate about this form of learning because I believe when students can see why they should learn something, it creates a desire to continue their educational journey independently. To learn more about the importance of authentic learning, check out my blog post, Authentic Learning in the Classroom.
Díaz knew that there were potential road bumps with trying podcasting with students so young, but she went for it because she saw the potential learning opportunities this technology could open for her students – and they loved it!
Podcasting might seem like a task for older students, but we tried it anyway, and we proved that everyone has something to say.
Paula Díaz
Díaz introduced her students to podcasting for about a week. During this time they listened, analyzed, and discussed. What would make a good podcast? Students began to prepare their episodes using the podcasting app Anchor. Although new technology is daunting, Díaz and her students did not let the fear of something new stop them. They worked together, watched YouTube videos, and asked for help when needed. Even though she may not have intended for this to be an educational step, I believe this stage of working together to try something new introduces her 7 and 8-year-old students to problem-solving strategies. This was a great demonstration of learning my example for her students. Teachers are always teaching, whether they know it or not.
The student-run podcast began with an interview with the school’s new principal. The students brainstormed questions to ask and what they wanted to know about the principal. The class voted together to narrow the questions down to five and chose five interviewers. Students practiced by recording themselves talking as well as learning about interpersonal skills such as eye contact, shaking hands, and how to greet someone.
The interview took place using nothing more than a microphone built into an iPad they already had. A misconception I had about podcasting is I previously believed you would need expensive equipment that is specifically for podcasting. However, it seems we may have all the tools we need in our classrooms.
In a single day, the podcast was ready. The Anchor app is very user friendly and it did not take long for the class to piece everything together. Even in the editing stage the project was very student-run, with the class voting on music and working together to remove unwanted sounds. Then it was published, put on Twitter and sent to the community. Giving the students the ability to learn something in a fun way that allows them to lead their learning is something they will not forget.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
Follow me on Twitter for more education related discussion: @EckhardtMalisa
Throughout the past semester, I have been actively engaging in educational opportunities via my online Web Tools class. The class had me not only build this blog, but also a Twitter, Google Classroom, Ed Puzzle account, and introduced me to various other incredible online learning platforms. I have had the opportunity to build a PLN and connect with the world around me. My classmates have such astonishing ideas that I look forward to using in the future. The class has been an overall great experience.
Our entire world is currently dealing with a pressing problem. In my twenty-three years of life, I can say I have seen nothing quite like it: the COVID-19 outbreak, otherwise known as the Corona Virus. The virus has put a halt on normal life. Companies as monstrous as Disney have shut their doors. However, education can not simply stop. We still owe students a free, public education. While schools have been locking their physical doors, they are opening a virtual gateway into online instruction to assure learning can still happen. The apps mentioned before are important now more than ever for our students so that they can keep learning while the world faces the uncertainty of a global pandemic.
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is an online communication tool between teacher and student. In this app, educators can post assignments, answer student questions, post materials, organize folders, and grade assessments. Students work in real-time in the comfort of their home computer. Google Classroom has been a necessity for teachers during the emergence of COVID-19, with various teachers using the website as their main instruction tool. Google classroom also connects to features such as Docs and Drive, allowing students to submit written work as well. Teachers can leave meaningful feedback so that students have a full understanding of their grade performance.
Zoom
Something Google Classroom lacks is the ability to engage in face-to-face communication. Zoom, a video conferencing app, fixes this issue. Zoom allows multiple people to enter a live video chat so that teachers can give students the auditory instruction students are used to. All participants are able to ask questions and engage with the professor. The application has recently announced it will be providing videoconferencing tools to K-12 schools for free to cope with the effects of the virus. Zoom is giving schools the resources they need to educate students so that they can keep their learning routine as normal as possible.
BrainPOP
BrainPOP is already a classroom favorite. The website uses animated segments to teach kids everything from math and science to art and music. The videos are fun, colorful, and extremely entertaining. However, full usage of the website can cost over $200 a year. Due to the mass amount of schools emptying their classrooms, BrainPOP announced that schools closed due to COVID-19 can receive free, unlimited use of all BrainPOP features during the school closure period. They also have unlocked their educational video on the topic of COVID-19 for free, public viewing along with an accompanying lesson plan. Schools can sign up for their free access here.
GoNoodle
Kids are still kids, even during a global pandemic. They need to move, run, and have fun. GoNoodle is a great way for students at home to take needed “brain breaks” when learning. The website is free to anyone with an internet connection and a screen to play on. The videos were originally created to be used in the classroom, so it does not require a large amount of space or additional tools. Movement breaks keep students engaged and motivated. Designed with K-5 students in mind, GoNoodle keeps students active and ready to learn, even when stuck at home. Look below for one of my 3rd-grade student’s favorite GoNoodle – Pop See Ko!
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Winnie the Pooh is a childhood favorite to many. For me, it brings back fond memories of storybooks and stuffed animals. As I reflected upon my love for a bear who eats way too much honey, I began to wonder if this childhood classic is the same in other places around the world. How universal is our childhood? As someone who seeks a future working with children of all different backgrounds, I was curious to see if there were cultural differences that created changes in how characters were portrayed.
Russian rendition of Winnie the Pooh.
Although I would not be watching Pooh and friends get themselves into trouble until the early 2000s, I stumbled upon a video that piqued my interest. It was a 1972 version of the playful Winnie and friends made in Russia. There were noticeable differences right away, starting with the appearance of Pooh, as well as the other characters. The United States version of Pooh is a golden bear with a big belly wearing a red shirt. However, the Russian version, seen on the left, is a circular, brown bear with a small smile and big claws. Nearly indistinguishable from the version many American’s have come to love.
There are some similarities between characters in both versions, such as Eeyore being a sad donkey down on his luck, but many of the Russian characters are different from their American counterparts. Although I love Winnie the Pooh, I believe many can agree his American transcription tends to portray a simple-minded, often lazy demeanor. In the Russian account, he is lively, smart, and tends to play the role of the leader. Owl is still intelligent and independent but is portrayed as a female. This may be out of respect, as Owl is wise and is made to teach children manners. If a child sees this, this may instill the idea of respecting adults, especially caretakers. During the time the film was made, the main caretaker in the home was typically the woman of the household. Piglet is portrayed as a young child full of excitement, much less timid than his Disney interpretation. I would say he plays the role of a kindergartener, which may make Russian children see him as easy to relate to. There is a portion where he cries for his “Mommy” and many characters cater to him like someone would to a child. Christopher Robin is not a part of the cast. The universe is strictly animals with no human interference. Pooh and friends are not stuffed animals, but rather real, living beings. Children can relate to these characters more because they are not simply the toys of a young boy, but “persons” with real feelings and issues.
Part 1 of the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is fascinating to watch in another language, especially Russia. The Russian language does not utilize the American alphabet, instead, they use a mixture of symbols in writing. All Winnie the Pooh cartoons are in a storybook format, usually starting each episode with the title of the “chapter.” The Russian rendition had the same beginning, just with the text in Russian. Being exposed to text at a young age helps with the ability to read down the road.
Something I found interesting is the usage of music. Music is used in the Americanized version of the show as well, but Pooh’s songs tend to be more rapid-fire and direct in the Russian version. Russian people are known for their direct nature, so this may be a reflection of their communication style. In many scenes, music is playing that is distinguishably from Russian descent. There are many moments where Pooh and friends break out into a song while retrieving gifts for Eeyore. It seems that music is a key element in Russian culture and used for storytelling.
Part 2 of the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
There is a line that translates to “But who cares? Nobody gives a damn,” which surprised me at first because this is atypical for an American children’s show. Langauge is a hot topic in American television censorship. However, in other countries, they may not see certain words as problematic as we do. The word “damn” in the American culture is seen as inappropriate to be used around children, but in Russia, it does not seem to be an offensive gesture. This shows how different cultures interpret things in different ways. Morals, ideals, traditions, etc. all vary from one country to the next, which impacts everything from political decisions to a children’s cartoon. We can learn from and celebrate our differences while also finding what makes us similar, even if we start with a chubby bear who just really loves honey.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
Follow me on Twitter for more education related discussion:@EckhardtMalisa
Twitter is an excellent tool for spreading ideas, collaboration, and keeping up with current events. It allows us to connect in an informal setting with people we may have not been able to communicate with otherwise. Users are linking with their favorite musical artists, expressing their feelings to politicians, and finding friends around the globe. Recently I have been using the app to learn from classmates and professionals in the world of education. The experience has been great and has opened my mind to how I can use social media as a learning tool as opposed to just for fun in my free time.
By being able to understand the thoughts and opinions of others, we challenge how and why we think the way we do. Twitter has an endless amount of varying opinions. Some opinions may change the way you think, while others provide concrete validation into why you believe what you do. For example, the other night I stumbled upon a user discussing that they believe children should not be given free lunch at school as they did not pay for it. School lunches were not something I had put much thought into before. This tweet challenged me to think about my own opinions and I realized I think school lunches should be provided to students at free to low cost. This led to a meaningful conversation with a classmate where we discussed how free lunches are a great school resource. Twitter brought a topic of concern to my attention that I had not thought about before. I was able to have a learning experience and an impactful interaction even though I did not agree with the original post.
Twitter has also been an amazing tool for finding ideas to use in the classroom. Going into a blank room your first year of teaching can be overwhelming. How will you set things up? What will make the students comfortable? What will you do to keep students engaged in learning? Twitter allowed me to get insight from real educators with years of experience while also sharing ideas I found online with the community. These professionals have an idea of what works and I am so grateful to have these ideas for when I design my elementary classroom one day. The core of my teaching strategy is the use of kindness to build confidence. Twitter has shown me several ways on how to implement this in my classroom. Below is a list of my favorites:
Classwork turned into different drawers to signify how confident a student is with the material.
Allowing every student to talk during morning meetings so everyone feels seen and heard.
Implementing a Day of Caring to teach students empathy.
The use of check-in/check-out buddies to act as supports to show kindness.
How to build personal bonds with struggling students.
60-Second Shout Outs done by students to highlight the accomplishments of another student.
Twitter has allowed me to interact with others, even if we do not agree, showing me we are always able to learn from each other. We can always learn something new from those around us and I believe this experience truly demonstrates this, especially in Twitter Chats. Twitter chats are free ways to increase your professional development for today’s classrooms. I appreciate the insight had by those in the field and I look forward to joining them one day. I will continue to use the app in the future as a way to connect with educators in the field to not only enhance my skills for myself but my students.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
Follow me on Twitter for more education related discussion: @EckhardtMalisa
Have you ever been in a class and wondered, how exactly am I going to use this in my life? We have all been there. After reading chapter after chapter in our textbooks or completing yet another paper by researching articles on Google, learning can lose its authenticity. We begin to wonder why this is so important or why you have to devote so much time to something that does not have relevance to you. As someone who grew far too tired of the mundane “do it because you have to” form of learning, I want to bring back real-life, authentic learning to my students with real-world examples and relevancy.
Julie Lindsay’s The Global Educator explores this idea of “authentic learning with real-world partners.” Students who are in global classrooms expect to have authentic learning partners among all ages. In turn, they also expect to have an audience that is equally authentic to produce everything from blog posts to videos. This form of learning cannot simply be taught solely from the textbook and must expand beyond essays and research. Modern, living people can provide the most up-to-date information about how they live while books can quickly fall behind the times. Although textbooks are important, we must expand beyond them in certain instances so we can show students how they can use this information in their own lives. When we learn from each other, we get a live, real and genuine look into the lives of others and can base our understanding of real-life experience.
We should connect students with the world around them. When they see first hand how what they are learning matters, they will feel more inclined to work hard as now the work has an added meaning. When we collaborate with others globally, we are improving the education of the children on both sides of the communication. This can be done through virtial games with students in another part of the world or even giving presentations to not only the class but to someone in a different state. When we extend the reach of our classroom, we give students the thrill of communication, connection, and collaboration.
When students feel a personal connection to what it is they are learning, they are more excited to participate in their education. As an article produced by Lexia states, authentic learning “places students at the heart of real-life experiences” making them more motivated to explore and develop their educational skills through a variety of outlets (project based-learning, community connections, experiential learning opportunities). It is important to meld practical academic skills with real-life situations so students understand why they are learning. Below is a quote from the Lexia article that I thought was insightful on what exactly authentic learning environments are:
Students engaged in authentic learning are not memorizing content and demonstrating understanding through a multiple-choice test. Rather…they take the lead in identifying questions and problems, brainstorming solutions, and responding and adapting to failure until they are successful in addressing a need or creating a final product.
Geography is a subject most of us can agree on is not very “exciting” and students can quickly lose interest after 45 minutes of facts and maps. I found the idea of a mystery hangout and I know it is 100% something I am looking forward to introducing to my students in the future. In a mystery classroom, two classrooms from around the world interact with each other via Google Hangout. Using knowledge about geography, they ask each other questions to attempt to uncover where the other group is from. It is a fun activity that connects students from around the world while also applying a fun an meaningful experience. The mystery classroom gets students thinking about and interacting with people all around the world to not only increase their geographic understanding but their understanding of how life is like for the other class. This Hangout provides an authentic explanation for the importance of geography and will be a lesson they take with them for years to come.
Edmodo is a great tool for elementary school educators and students alike. It is an educational website that takes the concept of social networks and refines it in a way that makes it appropriate for the classroom. Essentially, it is a community and social media tool that allows the sharing of ideas, posting of discussions and uses multimedia to further explain and share information. There are several ways we can incorporate the site into our classrooms, even for our elementary students.
1. Morning Blog Posts
Technology is extremely accessible in today’s classrooms, with most schools equipping students with their own school chrome book or laptop. I discovered the idea “morning blogs” from Bethany Schwappach, a lead teacher in the Cajon Valley Union School District in Cajon, California. Every morning her students begin the day by completing work embedded in the morning blog, making themselves aware of what their day at school will look like, aquatinting themselves with the material and what they are expected to do next. Her explanation of this concept can be found below:
Morning Blogs are explained between the 0:01-0:56 mark.
2. Exit Tickets
Another use Schwappach explains in the accessibility of exit tickets. While exit tickets are not a new concept, Edmodo makes them more cohesive and organized in one place instead of students simply handing in a loose-leaf or sticky note that can easily be lost. Exit tickets require the student to think bout what they learned and allow teachers to access for student understanding. Teachers can put a variety of questions or even post a survey to get a grasp of where their students are in their learning.
3. Assist With Classroom Lessons
A student uses the SmartBoard in class.
Edmodo is not just on our laptops and phones, it can also be accessed on tools such as SmartBoards. Teachers can pull up lessons or have students participate in real-time. An example is a 2nd-grade teacher, Tracey W. who shared her lesson plan on internet privacy. She created a class Edmodo page with a fake text post by a student and asked the class to discuss what was something the student posted but should have kept private. Since Edmodo has a similar format to other social media outlets, it makes the lesson more realistic when discussing online safety. Students can work collaboratively to get rid of information they believe is private and volunteers can come up to the Edmodo on the SmartBoard to correct the post in real-time.
4. Communication with Parents
Edmodo also is a great tool for keeping parents informed and involved in the classroom. Teachers and parents are able to communicate quickly to answer questions, share concerns or ask for help. Something I think would be helpful is to send out a “newsletter” every week through Edmodo highlighting:
Important Dates (Tests, Assemblies, Projects, etc.)
Topics being discussed the upcoming week
Tools to help parents study with their child
Important Announcements
Students of the Week
Student shout out section (Birthdays, Accomplishments, Kind things they have done in class, etc)
Parents want to feel connected to their children at school and by keeping them fully immersed in their learning, they are able to also be included in the classroom community. This may work better than apps like Twitter when considering the age of elementary-aged students because Edmodo is more private, only being seen by parents and students in the class.
5. Sick Days, Vacations, and Extended Leave
Students are going to be absent and it is important to have an action plan in place for when they are not in the classroom. When students are gone for anything more than a day, it can be overwhelming to come back to school and have a pile of work on their desk. Edmodo allows teachers to have communication with their students where they can place notes, slides, and missed work directly on the website for students to work at home. Absent teachers can also get updates on class behavior and check in on their students through Edmodo. If a teacher makes a student account for subs to use, they can participate in the chat as well, keeping the teacher up to date with how their class is doing.
6. Offer Teaching Support
Teaching is not an easy job and many teachers find themselves with questions about lessons, teaching or standards. Edmodo allows teachers to create a virtual “teachers lounge” where teachers within the school can ask questions, share content, and discuss ideas. Being more casual and organized than an email chain, teachers can quickly interact with one another on their own time. There is also a feature that allows workshops for teachers to be posted on the website.
7. Peer Critique and Feedback
Students can work in small groups or independently and post their work for peer review and feedback for both the teacher and other groups to see. Other students are encouraged to comment and discuss what was well and what can be improved. With Edmodo, students are even able to upload and listen to audio directly from the site if they would like to share their work verbally, work on presentation and verbal skills. When using the audio feature, students can also refine their listening skills.
8. Provide Assessments
Edmodo allows teachers to build quizzes and polls right on the site. Quizzes are valuable to test students at the end of the lesson whereas polls are great identifiers for what students want to know and how comfortable they are with the material. Edmodo makes it even easier as all data is collected automatically, providing a statistical analysis of where the students are in an easy to read format. For example, a teacher can post a poll where students identify how ready they feel a few days before the quiz is released to see what material should be reviewed. The students can take the poll in seconds right in the classroom.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
Follow me on Twitter for more education related discussion: @EckhardtMalisa
