Schools Using Edmodo – Interview With Ben Wilkoff

On Thursday, August 19th, join us  for a special webinar that will show you how to get the most out of Edmodo’s new school and district features.  During the session, you will hear from Ben Wilkoff, the Online Learning and Technology Resource Specialist for Douglas County Schools in Colorado.

Below is a short interview with Ben.

Q: As a teacher/administrator, what do you like best about Edmodo?

I love how much students want to engage in helping one another. No other platform I have seen has allowed students to be so giving of one another, whether that is just sharing a helpful link or actually recording a screencast and sharing that with other students. We have seen a dramatic decrease in technical support tickets because of Edmodo’s ability to have students engage in the kinds of social and academic conversations that seem to pop up naturally.

Q: What do your students like about Edmodo?

They love how much it looks and feels like a safe Facebook. They love how instantaneous the feedback is even on the smallest details of their learning experience. They also love to have their own conversations and groups that feel truly theirs. While they know that teachers are on the site constantly, I see many students starting conversations that are helping to build relationships. They don’t see each other as just classmates in our school, they are starting to see each other as friends.

Q: What is the biggest surprise you have experienced using Edmodo?

The biggest surprise is how much the kids want to use it. Our school has only been open for 2 days and we already have 12 students with over 100 posts (out of 160 that have registered so far). I thought that I was going to have to poke and prod them the whole way, but they are already starting to think of it as their space and they have worked really hard to keep it incredibly positive and supportive of one another. I guess I am most surprised about how good Edmodo makes me feel about our school. It makes me want to get to know the kids more and to make their learning environment even better. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Q:  Tell us about  your plans for Douglas County Schools and Edmodo?

I will roll out Edmodo first to our k-12 online school, then our center-based online charter, and finally with our brick and mortar traditional schools. All three of these entities should be up and running by second semester, especially with the extreme success I am starting to see in the online school.

Thanks, Ben, for helping us spread the word!