Students are so much more engaged when we can incorporate technology into daily activities. In the media center, sometimes it is challenging to include any kind of assessment or reflection at the end of a lesson, simply because of time constraints. When a class only visits as a group for an hour or so once a week, instruction has to be broken into little manageable bits. Technology tools such as Edmodo and Google Drive make it possible to extend the library “classroom” and allow students to access information anytime, anywhere they have a computer or tablet and an Internet connection. That’s why I like to use Edmodo.
Most students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade have no problem setting up their own Edmodo accounts and profiles. Since it is a closed system and does not require an e-mail account, parents will usually support its use. I suggest that students ask their parents for permission to use their parents’ e-mail addresses for Edmodo if they want to include one, so parents are kept in the loop about our communications. Using Google docs can be a little more problematic. A Google account is required to access Google products. I sometimes wondered whether this issue was fully considered before Google began marketing their products to schools and districts. Perhaps it didn’t occur to Google executives several years ago that not only would schools embrace the technology, but that younger and younger students have the technological know-how to set up their own profiles without even consulting parents. Ideally parents would be involved in setting up accounts, but increasingly it seems that students know more than parents do about Google. There are lots of useful free web tools that require email accounts, so teachers can set up safe student accounts using a strategy suggested by Richard Byrne and Sue Waters, among others.
It’s important to understand that Edmodo and Google documents are connected and work well together. In fact, combining the two for any class activity is the natural extension of any assignment. For example, discussions and assigned reading can be assigned and graded through Edmodo, while student collaborative work can be written in Google Docs and uploaded to Edmodo folders or through links. Teachers and other students can add comments to shared documents.
For example, one group at Centennial Place that is using Edmodo is the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team, a group of fifteen students in grades 3-5 focused on reading and memorizing parts of fourteen books in preparation for the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. Links to the book list and to Quizlet are in our folder Library. We also have a Google document under development so students can add to our question database by posting questions to challenge their classmates. Since there are fifteen students and 27 copies of the books students have to read, student sometimes can’t find a print copy to read. To help solve this problem, the group Edmodo folder includes a link to our school library online public access catalog (OPAC) so students can see what is available and find electronic books to read. However, accessing this catalog can be a little confusing, so I’ve created a short tutorial (linked via the image below) about searching and downloading ebooks to help them and their parents. This presentation is also available via the library website for any student to use.
There are probably hundreds of online tools that extend classroom time and allow students anytime, anywhere access to materials. Edmodo and Google Docs are only two of the more user-friendly ones that my students use regularly.
Most students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade have no problem setting up their own Edmodo accounts and profiles. Since it is a closed system and does not require an e-mail account, parents will usually support its use. I suggest that students ask their parents for permission to use their parents’ e-mail addresses for Edmodo if they want to include one, so parents are kept in the loop about our communications. Using Google docs can be a little more problematic. A Google account is required to access Google products. I sometimes wondered whether this issue was fully considered before Google began marketing their products to schools and districts. Perhaps it didn’t occur to Google executives several years ago that not only would schools embrace the technology, but that younger and younger students have the technological know-how to set up their own profiles without even consulting parents. Ideally parents would be involved in setting up accounts, but increasingly it seems that students know more than parents do about Google. There are lots of useful free web tools that require email accounts, so teachers can set up safe student accounts using a strategy suggested by Richard Byrne and Sue Waters, among others.
It’s important to understand that Edmodo and Google documents are connected and work well together. In fact, combining the two for any class activity is the natural extension of any assignment. For example, discussions and assigned reading can be assigned and graded through Edmodo, while student collaborative work can be written in Google Docs and uploaded to Edmodo folders or through links. Teachers and other students can add comments to shared documents.
For example, one group at Centennial Place that is using Edmodo is the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team, a group of fifteen students in grades 3-5 focused on reading and memorizing parts of fourteen books in preparation for the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. Links to the book list and to Quizlet are in our folder Library. We also have a Google document under development so students can add to our question database by posting questions to challenge their classmates. Since there are fifteen students and 27 copies of the books students have to read, student sometimes can’t find a print copy to read. To help solve this problem, the group Edmodo folder includes a link to our school library online public access catalog (OPAC) so students can see what is available and find electronic books to read. However, accessing this catalog can be a little confusing, so I’ve created a short tutorial (linked via the image below) about searching and downloading ebooks to help them and their parents. This presentation is also available via the library website for any student to use.
There are probably hundreds of online tools that extend classroom time and allow students anytime, anywhere access to materials. Edmodo and Google Docs are only two of the more user-friendly ones that my students use regularly.
References:
Byrne, R. (2012, November 28). Gmail+1 = Student email addresses to register for online services . Free Technology for Teachers. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/11/gmail1-student-email-addresses-to.html#.UmSQ-xCES8g
Google in Education . (n.d.). Google. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://www.google.com/edu/teachers/
Waters, S. (2008, July 24). Creating student accounts using one Gmail account. The Edublogger: Tips, tricks, and help for educators and bloggers using technology. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://theedublogger.com/2008/07/24/creating-student-accounts-using-one-gmail-account/
Byrne, R. (2012, November 28). Gmail+1 = Student email addresses to register for online services . Free Technology for Teachers. Retrieved October 16, 2013, from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/11/gmail1-student-email-addresses-to.html#.UmSQ-xCES8g
Google in Education . (n.d.). Google. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from http://www.google.com/edu/teachers/
Waters, S. (2008, July 24). Creating student accounts using one Gmail account. The Edublogger: Tips, tricks, and help for educators and bloggers using technology. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from http://theedublogger.com/2008/07/24/creating-student-accounts-using-one-gmail-account/