Edmodo: A White Paper 1

Eileen Buescher
eileen.buescher@cms.k12.nc.us
November 16, 2010

This white paper was written as an assignment for Dr. Marshall G. Jones’s EDUC 651 class at
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC. All rights reserved by the author. Permission is granted to
use this white paper provided the user notifies the author in writing prior to use.

The Wonders of Educational Blogging

 Edmodo: A White Paper 2

What is Edmodo?
Edmodo is an educational program that allows teachers and students to participate in
microblogging discussions, respond to polls, and manage and submit assignments. It is a private
platform, meaning its content is not available to
the general public. To access Edmodo, students
must enter their “access code,” given to them by
their teacher. Only teachers can create and
manage Edmodo accounts. Edmodo is a free
program available at www.edmodo.com. There
are no licensing requirements to date. Teachers
and students do not need to download anything, but rather simply register and create an account
within the website. Edmodo has an interface that is similar to Facebook, which eases the
difficulty level for most students because they likely are already familiar with Facebook and
other social networking websites from their personal use.

Solving Classroom Issues with Edmodo

Edmodo is applicable to a wide range of grade levels and curriculums because it provides a
means of gaining and advancing skills used across all contents that are needed for the 21st
century world. Students learn and apply the following skills through using Edmodo:

 Making personal, textual, and worldly connections

Students are able to use the content that they are learning and discussing via Edmodo to
make connections to other curriculums and situations beyond the classroom through
discussion.

 Drawing inferences
Students will read and understand the content-related literature and then draw inferences
and conclusions that can be developed through teacher guidance and questioning on the
Note feature of Edmodo.

 Understanding and formatting responses based on a particular audience

Through experience using Edmodo, students will learn who their audience is when
posting messages and assignments and how to arrange the formality, tone, and details
provided in their responses based on that.

 Posing literary discussion questions based on critical thinking

Teacher facilitating and student modeling will allow students to develop the higher level
thinking skills needed to fully analyze and respond to the tasks at hand.

 Working in a collaborative environment with other students

Whether or not students are working in small groups or within the class as a whole in
Edmodo, they will inevitably learn how to collaborate with others, which will be shown

through the quality and quantity of replies to their other classmates’ messages and
questions.
The chart below outlines a list of issues present in many classrooms that Edmodo helps to solve.
Issue
Disinterested Students
Creating Informal Assessments
Students Lacking Analytical
Thinking Skills
Incorporating Technology into
Lessons and Assignments
Edmodo: A White Paper 3
Edmodo’s Solution
Edmodo provides an interactive means for discussing
and interpreting literature. It is an engaging alternative
to hand-writing homework questions or class
discussions. It also allows students to express
themselves creatively and in a way with which most
are already familiar. Because most students use other
social networking websites, such as Facebook for
personal use, many understand the various features,
applications, and complexities without extensive
explanation. Having a wider audience than just the
teacher has also been found to motivate students to
write more extensively and to carefully craft their
responses.
The polls feature through Edmodo allows teachers
create multiple choice questions in which students are
required to respond. It is a quick and easy way to
assess the general class knowledge. Also, teacher
responses to students’ posts allow for meaningful,
immediate feedback specific to students’
understandings of the current topic or concept.
Depending on the teacher’s preference, students can be
assessed based on the quality and/or quantity of their
posts and responses through Edmodo.
Blogging, paired with peer feedback, promotes deep
cognitive thinking skills that students do not always
obtain from other forms of literary discussions.
(MacArthur, 2009). Students can view the responses
of their classmates and learn to evaluate and apply
these to contents and situations beyond the classroom
material.
Edmodo is an easy way to incorporate technology into
the classroom. Because it is free, it simply requires
access to a computer with the Internet. Therefore, most
students can use Edmodo from home. For students
who do not have computers, time can be provided at
school because it is accessible at school as well. It
does not require a large amount of set-up or resources,
like many technology programs do.
 Edmodo: A White Paper 4

NETS Standards
With the use of Edmodo in the classroom, the following NETS standards are addressed:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to
facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both
face-to-face and virtual environments.
d. Teachers model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning
with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
(International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

Using Edmodo in the classroom meets this standard because of the interactive nature that
Edmodo entails. Because students and teachers work together to clarify, evaluate, and
analyze literature, through questioning, argumentative, and well thought-out responses, they
are essentially working to construct knowledge.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment
incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context
and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S.
a. Teachers design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital
tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity (International
Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

Edmodo addresses this standard because when using it, the teacher has essentially adapted
the face-to-face discussion aspect of the curriculum to become a virtual aspect. Students can
be assessed in a variety of ways through Edmodo. They have the ability to submit
assignments and view grades through the Gradebook feature. Teachers can also require
students to participate in polls and evaluate students based on the quality and/or quantity of
their responses.

Assignments Gradebook
 Edmodo: A White Paper 5

(Edmodo, 2010)

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes, representative of an innovative
professional in a global and digital society.
b. Teachers collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using
digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
(International Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

The use of Edmodo tackles this standard because when used in the classroom, teachers
should inform and request permission from parents and school members first. In doing this,
the students have other adults on their side to help monitor their learning. Therefore,
students, teachers, and other adults are essentially collaborating and communicating using
digital tools.

c. Teachers communicate relevant ideas and information effectively to students,

parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats (International
Society for Technology in Education, 2008).

Edmodo addresses this standard because the teacher has an active role in posting and
responding to comments on Edmodo just as students do. The teacher can post homework
assignments, discussion questions, and links to other relevant information that students
should be cognizant of.

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving
digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.
c. Teachers promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions
related to the use of technology and information (International Society for
Technology in Education, 2008).

Edmodo meets this standard because prior to using and while using Edmodo, teachers should
outline a set of rules that they expect students to follow while using this program. Students
should be held accountable for abiding by all school rules, which specific to the program can
include proper language use, avoiding virtual bullying, and respecting their teacher and
peers. Teachers should also model and convey to their students proper ways to interact and
make argumentative responses in a respectable manner.

Environmental Factors
Required Tools and Equipment

1. A class set of laptop computers or access to a computer lab. Depending on the age and
level of computer skills that your students have, it is best to initially start using the
program where the teacher can present the information and guide the class accordingly.
The teacher will need to distribute the access code and may want to monitor or require
 Edmodo: A White Paper 6

the students to have a particular password. After the first trial with using Edmodo, the
teacher can assess his or her students’ access to technology to decide whether or not all
future Edmodo sessions need to be done together.

2. Access to the internet. Because of the nature of the program, access to the internet is
required. While use of the web site is free, students need to have the internet to use
Edmodo.

Required Skills

1. Basic computer abilities. Using Edmodo requires the teacher and students to have the
skills needed to complete basic computer operations. If students utilize other social
networking web sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, then they will likely already have the
skills needed, as Edmodo requires a very similar skill set. This includes: basic
keyboarding abilities, proficiency in browsing for and attaching documents, and
recognizing and responding to alerts from the teacher and other students regarding online
posts and announcements.

How Edmodo Works

Step One
Teacher signs up and enters classes.

The teacher should sign up, take the

self-guided tour to learn about
Edmodo, and enter his or her groups
or classes into the system.

Step Two
Personalize your settings.

The teacher should now choose an

avatar for him or herself, establish the
privacy settings, and set up the
notifications, or alerts, to determine
how and when you want to know
about student activity.
 Edmodo: A White Paper 7

Step Three
Invite students to join your groups.

Give your students the access code for

their particular group so that they can
join. Have them enter their personal
information and create a password.

Step Four
Begin posting.

Teachers should now begin posting

messages, assignments, and polls for
students to respond to or complete.

(Edmodo, 2010)

Implications: Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits Explanation
Because Edmodo requires only a computer with
internet access, it can be used at nearly all schools and
without much preparation needed. Also, all teachers
Lack of Equipment Needed
can use Edmodo without having to move large pieces
of equipment between rooms because it is available to
all.
Cost Efficiency Edmodo is cost efficient because it does not require

Familiarity for Students
Assessment Options
Time Efficacy
Drawbacks
Possibility for Students’ Misuse
Acquiring Parental Consent
Lack of Access to Technology
Edmodo: A White Paper 8
funding and purchasing of large amounts of
technology for the school. Other than a set of
computers, unless all students can access it from
home, there is nothing else to buy.
Because Edmodo is similar to many social-networking
sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, many students
will already be familiar with the structure of the
program because of their personal use of these sites.
This therefore requires less instructional time spent on
explanations and allows for the more novice users to
help inexperienced students.
The Gradebook feature on Edmodo allows for teachers
to assess and post grades for students’ viewing directly
within Edmodo. Teachers can also use the polls or
messaging feature to create a more informal
assessment.
Because Edmodo requires very little equipment, time
is not wasted setting equipment up for a lesson.
Edmodo is also easy to incorporate because it doe not
require a large amount of class time after the initial
set-up process.
Explanation
Since the nature of Edmodo is an open forum where
students can express their answers and opinions, it can
also lend itself as an opportunity for students to openly
discuss inappropriate or off-topic issues. Teacher
cautioning and monitoring can help to avoid this, but
the possibility is always present.
Because Edmodo necessitates the use of the internet,
parents should be notified and required to allow
permission for their child to use Edmodo in the
classroom. Given that other social networking
websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can have a
negative reputation from the perspective of adults and
the general public, some parents may be wary or
completely opposed to the idea of their child using
Edmodo.
Although Edmodo only requires access to the internet
and a computer lab at school, the benefits of the
program can be further extended if students are able to
use Edmodo from home. Conversations, polls, and
messages would be more active from further use and
misconceptions can be clarified quicker if students
 Edmodo: A White Paper 9

have constant access to the computer for immediate

feedback.

Conclusion
As blogging has become more ingrained into our society to the point where it has affected
politics, the judicial system, and popular culture, it is not hard to imagine that it also has its place
in education. The value of Edmodo and other educational blogging programs to the classroom
setting is expansive. Edmodo allows students to communicate about literary and other
educational topics freely and in a manner that is familiar to them. Students today are writing
more than ever and Edmodo provides a means to make this happen (Thompson, 2009). Because
of the small amount of skills and resources that this program requires, Edmodo is an easy way to
incorporate technology into any lesson. Just as blogging has become embedded into our
everyday lives, teachers should work to include Edmodo into every school day.
 Edmodo: A White Paper 10

References
AppAppeal: Reviews of Web-based applications. (2010). Edmodo. Comcoaster.

Retrieved on October 9, 2010, from http://www.appappeal.com/app/edmodo/

Edmodo. (2010). The Edmodo guide. Retrieved on October 12, 2010, from

www.edmodo.com/guide/

Horizon Report: 2009 K-12 Edition. (2009). The New Media Consortium. Retrieved on

October 2, 2010, from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). NETS for teachers 2008.

Retrieved on October 10, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-

teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

MacArthur, C. A. (2009). Reflections on research on writing and technology for

struggling writers. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 24(2), 93-103).

Thompson, C. (2009). Clive Thompson on the new literacy. Wired Magazine. Retrieved

on October 12, 2010, from http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-

09/st_thompson.