The main idea .. or something like it.

The main point of this PD exercise is to gain the ability to use any current or future micro- blogging website (ie Edmodo, Facebook, or something new that comes along) for the benefit of the students in our classrooms.

In being dedicated instructors/teachers, we know about Differentiated Instruction, and the permutations that online learning allows, and will continue to allow into the future. That individuals will be able to participate at their own level and hopefully grow into something greater than themselves.

Being intelligent, aware citizens, we are also aware that fraud, "the evil teacher needs unfair harassment" and other cynical attitudes potentially exist in any online relationship between teachers and students. But to ignore technology in today's classroom is to just keep the anachronistic "chalk and blackboard" idea alive, even though it seems to be on the way out.

Why Edmodo?

As far as I can see, it's free.

It seems that this is the place to start. As I am writing this, I am in a computer lab - there are students on Facebook, a website who's popularity is basically universal in appeal. In the coming days, there is a feature movie being released about it's formation and development. The current number of users of Facebook is in around the 500 million mark; something that demands at least our passing interest as teachers. Edmodo has a very similar feel and look to it, at least as far as I can tell at the moment.

Edmodo does not require an email address, has other safety features to protect students and teachers in all online interactions - something sadly lacking in Facebook.

What next?

Hands on time with this micro - blogging website, a chance to find out what others are doing with it in their classrooms. If there are other sites like Edmodo, perhaps a short investigation and their inclusion by Jan would be in order.

Give it to me in less than a sentence:

Open up Edmodo, see what it is, learn how teachers can use it in class and put a framework or learning object together for my fellow OECTA teaching professionals to explore safely what they can do to continue growing as teachers.

Of course, anything we come up with, we'd have to be willing to share and speak about.

This is the first thing I did to start looking into Edmodo: