education & tech

I don't pretend to criticize neither the teacher nor the application. What I try to, is to show experiences from which everyone else may benefit.

Simon Job of Maths Class, lived first hand, what happens when we give a tool to students for whom it is merely a way of communication.

What we really love from Job's post, is the blame he sets on blocking social intercommunication for misbehaving of his students while using Edmodo. He also recommends some ways Edmodo could be improved to work in schools.

Ways that Edmodo could be improved:


• An ability to "time-out" a student who is not using the site appropriately. I changed one student’s password as she was not using the site appropriately, she just signed up with another username.


• Set "operating hours" for your group. For example, a button for teachers to turn the discussion feature on/off – allows me to monitor my class, rather than wondering what they are talking about whilst they’re in English and I’m teaching another class. I see this as a way to slowly introduce social networking at school.


• Provide far better user-management for teachers.


Some other thoughts:


• A step too fast? Generally, the students at my school have poor social skills. We’ve identified this in the past and been actively working to improve the way they relate, respond and talk to staff and students. Maybe I took this on too early.


• In some ways, I think this is a consequence of the blocking of everything social approach that the Department has taken. We have not really had an opportunity in the past to deal with these issues, because students have not had access to social networking online.

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