How-To Videos for the
technology classroom

How-to video: Edmodo -- the Twitter-like Web 2.0 application for teachers

Brief synopsis: The Web 2.0 application, Edmodo, is very similar to Twitter, one of the most popular Web 2.0 and social media tools on the Internet. Twitter users love the 140-character concision the application offers, as well as the ability to place links to other sites and media on Twitter posts. Edmodo captures the microblogging persona of Twitter, without the 140-character limit. Edmodo is designed for concise posts, but it allows both teacher and student to create plenty of content, either through links to other Web 2.0 applications or by attaching documents. Edmodo is a powerful communication tool, as it has an interactive calendar, assignment and grading feature. An alert system allows both teachers and students to remain updated on events, notes and assignments placed on Edmodo.

Benefits: The Web 2.0 application, Edmodo, gives teachers and students in today's digital classroom an all-inclusive web-based environment. The note section on the central, Twitter-like, stream encourages brief written responses that may or may not include links to other web sites. Video can be embedded easily, using Edmodo's built-in dropdown feature. The interactive calendar can be used to link to assignments, and assignments can be turned in on Edmodo and graded within the application. Teachers can easily create groups, so streamed information can be sent to targeted classes, all students at once or even to individual students, if necessary. Excellent privacy features are easy to configure, keeping students in a safe environment.

Drawbacks: Some school districts may block Edmodo, because it is a Twitter-like social media tool.

Conclusion: The how-to video above demonstrates the social media tool, designed for education, Edmodo.