Edmodo: The Classroom Hub for Project-Based Learning

 

Edmodo is becoming an indispensable tool in many classrooms engaged in project based learning, to help with project management and assessment.

There are some great tools in Edmodo.

Management Tools

We can create small groups within a larger group – so each team could have their own group. Or we can create a small group with all the teams who are focused on the same topic within a project. Then as their work progressed, students can post their ideas and get feedback from their peers, even in other classes.
 

The Library allows us to share links and documents with students. These can be organized and tagged to make them easy to find.

The latest version of Edmodo has “backpacks” where students can organize and store their own resource materials.

The calendar allows the teacher to lay out the steps and due dates. The student can also go in and add items to their own personal calendars.

Feedback and Assessment

Teachers can make assignments with due dates, and students can submit their work as pdf or word documents. Teachers can actually comment or annotate directly on student work, providing feedback students can use when they revise.

Direct posts allow students to ask their teacher – but not one another – questions.

Edmodo also has polls, which allow us to ask questions of students to get feedback. We use this for students to provide feedback on one another’s presentations.

By posting a request on the group’s wall for reflection and feedback from students we can get lots of participation. We can also achieve a public audience by having the students create a short video where they demonstrate and explain their project. We can create a “join code” that we can share with others, and have students from other classes or schools view these videos and provide feedback.

The parent access code allows them to see whatever is germane to their child.

Professional Development

We can use Edmodo for working with our colleagues as well. You can create groups for your staff, and share resources or documents within your library, or share links and videos. Edmodo offers communities that teachers can join, including a lively one devoted to PBL that has more than 25,000 members, who often drop by to share ideas or ask for help.  Videos and webinars are available, as well as rubrics, handouts and other resources.

In the old days we might have used a bulletin board and a resource library to organize all the elements of a project. Edmodo allows us to do this and much more.
 

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Using Edmodo for PBL

Edmodo is a social learning platform that allows teachers to post messages, discuss classroom topics, assign and grade classwork, and share content and materials with their students. Learn how to use Edmodo to manage projects in your classroom and how to network and exchange ideas online with the Project Based Learning Community.

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