Week #12- Edmodo to Enhance Student Learning

Edmodo Code: hb7ii9

How can teachers use Edmodo to enhance instruction?
Edmodo is a social media website that features a wide variety of tools and resources to enhance and promote student learning. Much like Facebook, it appeals to the virtual senses. Some of the features that would be helpful for teachers are the ability to quickly assess using online polls/quizzes, monitoring student growth by tracking a student's progress over time, utilizing tools to promote student collaboration(writing projects, science probes, project based learning, and school clubs). Teachers are also able to follow different subjects(specific and/or general) in order to find resources and ideas. 
Some of the features beneficial to teachers and students, in that they provide clear and focused tasks, easy access, and immediate feedback are the: discussion boards, Edmodo planner, and downloadable apps. The discussion boards allows for students and teacher to collaborate and extend instruction on a given subject; students are able to share their thinking and enhance their understanding through virtually engaging, and non threatening discussions. The Edmodo planner is helpful and efficient, as students are able to access and complete assignments even when they are absent from class. Students are able to stay informed and are aware of deadlines as they are approaching. Teachers can utilize the planner to keep the parents informed as well, and to organize assignments, quizzes, and polls. The apps are downloadable games, videos, and/or media rich content that the teacher can assign to specific groups, or members of a group, to enrich student learning and/or to provide remedial work. 
Overall, Edmodo is an efficient social media site that allows for collaboration among parents, students, and teacher and that alone is reason enough to use it. Edmodo saves time and keeps the students informed and organized, which leads to the enhancement of their learning. Teachers can quickly access progress reports, which allows them to differentiate instruction accordingly.