Ideas for Using Edmodo….Let’s Create a List Together!

Voice of the Library with Shannon

Yesterday was the end of the school year for Van Meter.

The seniors already graduated and are onto the next chapter in their lives.

The kids at school were happy and excited as they talked about their summer plans. They took photos with their friends throughout the day, signed each others t-shirts and made plans for sleepovers.

All of the teachers were excited too. The classrooms were packed up, grades were turned in, and inventory in the library was complete. We had our last professional development meetings and met with our administrators to finalize what we had learned throughout the year.

I too am happy that it is summer break. I love spending time with my family and friends, taking vacations, reading, enjoying the outdoors, swimming and relaxing. I love being able to cuddle with my kids in the morning, have breakfast and then plan our day. It is the best!

But, we are teachers. We never really stop learning or thinking about ideas for the next year. So of course last night, even though I had just left the school 5 hours earlier, I was already thinking, planning and saving ideas in a Google Doc entitled “2011-12 School Year Ideas.”

One of the topics I wrote down was,

“Think of ways our teachers and students can use Edmodo”

Our teachers who used Edmodo during this school year had amazing ideas. Shawn Hyer used Edmodo during The Epic Romeo and Juliet Project with Nick Provenzano. Janelle Thompson, a 5th grade teacher at Van Meter, used it to connect with St Augustine’s School in Sydney, Australia. Mindy Doggett, a 2nd grade teacher used it for pen pals with another school in Iowa.

And I used Edmodo to….

connect our She’s the First chapter at Van Meter and

with my friend Stephen Gagnon (twitter: @jstepheng)when we connected his 4th graders in New Hampshire to our 4th graders at Van Meter.

My teaching partner and friend John Schu and I used Edmodo to connect our students in Brook Forest and Van Meter throughout the year. And this summer we are using Edmodo in our Summer Reading Program with grades 3-6. (You can read more about it on our blog twolibrariesonevoice.com).

Our students are already connecting in the “Summer Club” and “Discussion Boards” that we have set up for each grade level. I smiled when I received this Tweet from John this morning….

It just shows that the learning doesn’t have to stop for the summer thanks to Edmodo.

This is just a few of the ways that I have seen Edmodo being used. I want to think of more ideas over the summer and come to school in August with an incredible list to share with the teachers and students.

I think everyone would like this, so lets work together in creating a Google Doc.

I have created a Google Doc entitled “Ideas for Using Edmodo.” You can click on the link and add to the Google Doc too. At the end of the summer, I will share this with everyone and we can continue to refer back to it throughout the year.

I do love summer vacation. Time to not only spend with our families and friends but time to sharpen our skills, cook up new ideas, and collaborate with others on how to make the next school year the best ever!

Happy Summer….and Happy Learning Too!

Shannon McClintock Miller is the district teacher librarian and technology specialist at Van Meter School in Iowa. You can find her on Twitter at @shannonmmiller and blogging at Van Meter Library Voice http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/