So I am back to finish up setting your edmodo account! Last time we created an account, created a class, and created folders. Today I am going to talk on how to use edmodo not only for you students but for you as well. 

Personal settings/connect with others:
If you want to "connect" with other teachers (become friends and follow one another) you will start by clicking on your name.  This can be found on the left side next to your icon. Once you have opened your profile you can go to account in the top right corner. Here you can invite teachers, change settings, log out, and even ask for help!

The house in the top left corner will always take you back to your home page. 

Discovering NEW ideas and lessons:
On your home page on the left side there is "discover" click on that.  Once there, in the search bar it asks you, "What are you teaching right now?" Type in you content and/or your area of study and then hit check in.  This will show different websites, activities, and lessons. 

If you assign lessons, quizzes, and/or polls the results will show up on your notifications.  Please remember that you can ask any questions and I will help the best that I can!  Until next time!

NEXT project- Dropbox (a place to store all of your

Like I said in the last post, I will walk you through sites and programs that will help boost the technology within your classroom.  My "guide" will be very simple and to the point.  As always, please ask if you have questions about anything!

Edmodo for me is facebook for school. It is a great tool to connect with other educators, find creative ideas, and most importantly engage your students. To get started go to www.edmodo.com 

From here you will need to select "I'm a Teacher", type in all of the info about you and then hit enter.  You will then need to select your schools. After you find your school continue on with your teacher profile, if you do not have a photo on hand you can always add one later.  For you URL I would suggest using your last name.  The next part are the communities that you want to be apart of.  Communities on Edmodo are groups that you can connect to and from there you can communicate and browse different lessons.

Then you are ready to go to your homepage!  On the top there are icons, placing your curser onto of the icons will tell you what each one means.  On the left hand side are the links to post, search for lesson ideas, and to check progress.  Also on the left hand side you can join or create groups.  This is where you can create "classes" for your students to join. 

Creating a class/group:

click create on the left hand side.  Create a group name, this can be what ever you want to call it.  It ask for a grade level or a range of level and the subject area.  Then hit create, this is your first group! Once you create your class it will give you a group code.  This code is what the students will use to "join" your class. I usually will post this on my board and it stays up all year.  At the top of the page under your group name, there is a gray bar that says posts, folders, members, and small groups.  Under this bar there are different ways in posting posts.  You can create an assignment, a quiz, a poll, or even an alert.

Creating a folder:

Under your group name you can create folders. (this bar will only appear once you click on your group name on the left) Towards the top right corner is "new folder" once you click on that and give it a name you will need to click on the folder in order to add anything to it.  In the upper right corner you can click on those icons to add a file or link.

Ok so I am going to stop there because I do not want to overwhelm you.  I will add to this post in a couple days to tell you more about Edmodo.  With any site please remember that the more you explore and play around the more you will learn.  Hopefully this is a good start for you!  Until next time :)

Are you stuck? In mud, maybe concrete (you might be screwed), or perhaps quicksand and you are going down fast! Many educators are in the same situation as you and I, if I am being honest. When you hear those four little words, twenty-first century learner, do you also swallow hard while your pulse begins to beat rapidly? The first question that is always asked is, "How do you expect me to do
that?" I have accepted the fact that since I am entering into my 4th year of teaching that I, along with many others, must learn to adapt to this technology, change, and embrace it. 

First things first, what do you think it means to be a twenty-first century learner? I automatically picture my now grown and college bound, 18 year old sister, Tabitha. I think of her mainly because I am not a typical sister but instead a surrogate mother that is, as she would put it, "in her business." I have seen her struggle in the many transitions that have challenged her, such as new standards, a shift in technology, and her too many to count math teachers (close to 9, I think). I believe a twenty-first century learner means someone who is
tech savvy, someone who can maneuver programs, someone who can keep up with the ever changing social media networks, because as this generation will put it, "there's an app for that!" This describes my students that enter my room on a daily basis. Those eager little eyes willing to learn new concepts but unable to because we, as educators, struggle to keep up with the technology that is "floating" around on the web.
 
So here is my solution...I will be your gateway to the world of the unknown. I am always finding and using programs and websites to better the technology used in my classroom. Some of you might ask, "is it hard?", "what works?", "what doesn't work?" Here is where you can be introduced to new ideas, and from there, the possibilities are unlimited. I will give you an overview of a "product" (program
or site), guide you through how to get set up, and then tell you how I use it, what benefits it has given my students, and from there, the rest is up to you!

First project is to come... Edmodo (a classroom version of Facebook!)