Description/Experience
Edmodo is a online website. It works as a socializing site similar to Facebook. The main difference between the two is that Edmodo has a hierarchy system between the student and teacher. The teacher is given moderator abilities, consequently in complete control of the students account. It is also useful as a free website to use for students to get links for homework, help, and submitting homework.
Application
The teacher could assign the students to do one of those scavenger hunts that was shown during the seminar. This assignment would take an entire period. The first 15 mins would consist of the students making their own accounts with the next 20 mins doing the scavenger hunt to find information. After the scavenger hunt is completed the students would answer questions that asked them on things that they found and how to use it in different situations. This would take another 15 minutes filling the entire 50 min. block of instruction. The learning outcomes would be learning how to use a technology to find information and manipulating the information found for conceptual questioning. This assignment can be assigned for students ranging middle school to college. The teacher can observe how the students have learned by collecting the answers to the questions that are given after the scavenger hunt.
Describe an instructional activity (e.g. part of a lesson plan) where you or your host teacher can incorporate this technology. Consider an activity that can be conducted in 15-20 minutes.
Reflection
Since the students are finding the information from the scavenger hunt online and moving at different speeds at least two things would have to happen. The first being detailed information of what is being searched for on the scavenger hunt along with hints and examples if needed. The second would be the teacher in the classroom available for any help if needed.
This technology is very useful to students. It gives the student the ability to find information and knowledge within seconds. Without this technology the students would have to spend significantly longer amounts of time searching through books for the same information.
Being able to use Edmodo for this activity would allow the teacher to know of progress from the computer. Edmodo allows for students to comment each other making it easier to help each other. This technology changes the way it was taught before because the students are looking at information that may not be set up in the standard lecture format of a math book etc. It makes the students come to conclusions and think about what they are looking at before they can understand it.
With the inclusion of Edmodo students can save their progress in the scavenger hunt at literally any time. This change in technology allows for the students to have access to many different ways to learn the content. For example a student could use a video, online exercise, or a text to learn about something.
The inclusion of this technology to the students can greatly help them in retaining the information being learned. With group learning, jigsaw, and constructive learning theories the teacher can have the students learn through the computer with each other with different sources for each student. This also greatly increases the ease of accessibility to the content needed giving the students more time to remember information.
I like your scavenger hunt lesson example. I also blogged about in-class use of Edmodo. Do you have any ideas about homework assignments on Edmodo?
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the use of technology introduces students to many different forms of the content knowledge; you could have gone a step further with that thought and discussed how that will help students who have different learning styles.
I agree with your final paragraph that addresses the ease of accessibility to content. I think this can improve student motivation.
Your scavenger hunt lesson plan is somewhat similar to what I thought could be used for Edmodo, as well. I used Edmodo for a buried treasure hunt for geography students. I think these are fun and effective ways to incorporate materials.
ReplyDeleteI also definitely agree that Edmodo is a good way to keep up with the progress of each student.