For ITEC 7445, I completed an emerging technology project in the fall of

2013. Many of my reflections on various assignments always mentions the tool

called Edmodo. Its my favorite tool to use to collaborate with teachers, students,
and parents. I brought it to my school after creating this technology project. The
project was a presentation on Edmodo to present to the staff at Simpson Middle
School on why we should use this digital tool in every classroom and the many
resources that if gives teachers by building a community of educators who share
ideas on a discussion forum while also having Edmodo become the new teachers
blog for his or classroom. I picked this digital tool because after much research I
thought it to be both suitable and compatible for any teacher for any classroom
from small group to the gifted classroom.
I collaborated with teachers by hearing their voice in surveys and general
discussion about what was missing in the technology tool belt at Simpson. I took
that feedback and started looking for a technology software or program that would
fit those needs in several trail runs with different programs. I, and another peer of
my mine, collaborated and tested Edmodo for nine weeks in our own classrooms
before I presented the idea to administrators. With the administrators, I had great
data to work together to evaluate the tool by showing articles on how the program
had helped other schools, I found articles such as 10 ways you can use Edmodo in
your classroom, and we evaluated the tool with the trail in my room. It worked well
and the accuracy, suitability, and compatibility was testing during this trail.
This was measured by asking parents and students (who were testing the program
for those nine weeks) to take a small survey about the program. Many loved the
collaboration and organization of it.
I learned from completing this artifact that evaluating a tool is best done in
three steps. Step one- do the research on it before hand. Step two- trail time to get
to know the program or software. Step three- take data on what works and what
doesnt. I would say that if I were to complete this again or present about Edmodo
to others again, I would focus more time on the teacher-to- teacher aspect since
most of my research, data, and even how to videos I made were about the teacherto- student side of Edmodo.
This digital tool that I selected and evaluated with great for school
improvement, I take pride that my colleague and I were able to start this up and
now it is a school wide procedure and requirement for every teacher to use
Edmodo. Its great for storing student work, collaboration, so much more. I think
that once the teachers started using the program, they too, found things about it
that I didnt know and shared it with me and other teachers which was great to see
a whole school like a program as much as Simpson now loves Edmodo.