As I said I've learned quite a bit about Edmodo this semester and that goes hand in hand with Google Drive. I can keep all documents, quizzes, survey's, spreadsheet's, and more all organized on my Google Drive. I share them with my mentor teacher and can also upload them as posts on Edmodo. All of the things that I upload are also saved on Edmodo under my "library." This library function stores everything that I have added as a file onto my Edmodo site. I can then organize different files into folders and share those folders with specific classes. This way students have access to all materials from class, how-to worksheets, and more at all times. There is also a calendar on Edmodo that allows me to but various events into it. Students can also view the calendar. We've used this function to sign students up to bring in snacks for Forum throughout the semester. Students can just look on the calendar to see when they're signed up to bring in snack.
There are a couple things that I haven't quite gotten to learn yet in my host classroom. To explain, that classes that I take part in are advanced journalism classes. The students create, edit, and publish their own articles using peer editing in addition to designing their own magazine pages and formatting the pages for the online newspaper. So I guess what I really want to learn is how to use the different programs (Wordpress and Indesign) that the students use. These two programs just seem completely different from everything technology based that I've learned about thus far. I'm excited to get to use them!
Below is a screenshot of Edmodo from a student sign-on. It show's how students can upload their own documents into their "backpack" to stay organized. It also links up to their individual Google docs and to the folders that their teacher creates and shares.
Catherine, I'd be curious to hear more about the peer editing process, and how the students use technology (or don't) to go about the editing & revision process. Do they make the changes directly in a Google doc? Are they given explicit directions or guidance for editing?
ReplyDeleteAlso, how are they using WordPress? I used it for a number of years to maintain a personal blog, and found that it was a very simple interface. Does it offer more than just blogging, though? Does it offer a way to build a community of blogs around a common theme, for instance?
Michael,
DeleteThere is a comments section on the document. So students highlight an area that needs to be corrected or edited and there comment shows off to the side with their name. They don't make changes to the document, they just show where an error is and how it can be corrected. The student then goes back and reviews the comments and edits their article on their own. The only advice that my mentor teacher gives for commenting is to never say something that you wouldn't say to someone's face. The students are all really good about it and really pick apart each others articles in a constructive way. They're all looking for feedback so their article is "perfect" before it's published.
WordPress is what we use for the actual newspaper site. This is where they post their final articles for editor review before they're published. I'm not as familiar with WordPress, but all of the students are very comfortable with it.
I am also interested in how peer-editing works. How does the voice or tone of an article change when it has been worked on by multiple students? Are students allowed to comment someone else's work or are they allowed to directly edit it?
ReplyDeleteDo you have any more information on WordPress? I have heard the word used, but I have never used it. Also, is learning how to use InDesign part of the class or is it a prerequisite for the class? (i.e. Do students have assignments where they learn to use specific features in InDesign or are they learning by doing?).
Also, is it permissible to share the online newspaper that the students are working on?
Students learn to use InDesign in class, it's not a prerequisite. Students learn from senior members of the class, my mentor teacher, and additional tutorial sessions are also offered. Students that work on the online newspaper are strongly encouraged to challenge themselves with different mediums online. Students create videos, add music, and create slideshows. So using WordPress and InDesign is a huge part of the class.
DeleteAs I mentioned to Michael, students only offer comments, they don't actually make changes to another students article. In this way the student is able to make changes in their own voice, so the tone remains virtually the same as the article undergoes the entire editing process.
This is also they link to the online newspaper. They're always looking to get as many views as possible. We also monitor insights and trends in the website. So we know what articles people look at when they visit the sight, how long they're spending on the sight, and from what device they're using to reach the site.
http://www.chscommunicator.com
Catherine,
ReplyDeleteThat's outstanding that you've made such leaps in your technology skills. I'm curious to know how these practices could be integrated into a core English class in which students are reading novels. Thoughts?
How cool that your placement classroom is using so much technology! I'm glad that you're excited about it because I relate to your statement about technology not being one of your strong suits. It's encouraging to me that you are enjoying it and getting up to speed so quickly! There is not a lot of technology used on a regular basis in my placement classroom, and there have been times when I've wondered about how it might help in certain situations. I really like the idea of having a class website, whether through Edmodo, Moodle, or something else. I think it's wonderful to be able to keep track of assignments, tests, and quizzes on a calendar that the students can see and to have files available for them to print out (or just view) instead of having to hand out a bunch of things in class. Organization is a big priority for me, and class websites seem to be very effective at keeping things organized. Do you think that the students find Edmodo easy to work with? Do they all check it and use it regularly? One thing I wonder about is whether students feel comfortable with and take advantage of websites like this.
ReplyDeleteErin,
DeleteI think you would really love Edmodo for organization. It is so helpful for keeping everything for all of the classes in one place and in separate folders so I know where everything is. It is also so easy to share resources between classes, and it connects to your Google Drive.
Students use it regularly because my mentor teacher stresses that all documents and info will be posted there. Students can also change the settings so that they're notified via email or text when important information that you post is added to Edmodo. The website itself is also very easy for students to use because it is set up like Facebook. It's very intuitive and students are already familiar with the layout and design of the site. I suggest you create a site and see if you like it. I learned so much just by taking an hour and playing around with it.
I think that it is so awesome that you are in a placement where you are able to practice your skills with technology! And I think that it is awesome practice for your students to get used to the technological demands that the workplace will have in store for them. Have you(or your mentor teacher) found it difficult to keep track of all of the assignments that have been turned in digitally. While in some ways it seems more organized I still find myself liking the physical act of having all of one assignment in one place and being able to clip them together. I feel like electronically things can get 'out of sight out of mind'. Haha maybe that's just me.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that by now in November you are a whiz at InDesign, but if you do need any help let me know. I was an editor for my school'd newspaper and we used the program :-)