Edmodo Part 2: Assignments

This post is the next in a series of posts to help schools and teachers that I work with get started with Edmodo.

In my previous Edmodo post, Edmodo Part 1: Getting Started, I briefly described how to post a note to your groups. Posting notes is the easiest way to get the discussion going within your virtual classroom. With the ability to attach files or website links, a teacher can easily share resources, such as classroom notes or blended learning videos, directly to  members of the group.

Notes are great for discussions or collaborations, but let's face it, teachers need to be able to grade student work as well. Posting quizzes and assignments, complete with resources and due dates, are some of the other things you can post to Edmodo. These become part of student calendars and grade books. I'll address quizzes in the next blog post and focus on assignments here.

The biggest difference between notes and assignments is that notes are used for communication and collaboration. There is no accountability other than the teacher manually tracking who has contributed to a discussion. Assignments, on the other hand, are used for grading because they can have due dates and also appear in the Edmodo grade book automatically. Follow the steps below to create an assignment.

Post Assignments

1. In your Edmodo feed click the Assignments tab.
2. Type in a name for the assignment and then type the actual assignment.
3. Select a due date. These dates appear in the student's Edmodo calendar.
4. Type in the group name.
5. Similar to notes, you can attach a file, hyperlink, or item from your Edmodo library. You can also schedule when the assignment will appear.
6. Click Send. 

Student View

When you post an assignment it will appear in the student's Edmodo feed.
 If they have a lot of posts in their feed they can use the Filter posts by menu to select Assignments. The student clicks the Turn In button and follows these steps to turn in their assignment.

1. Type a message in the text box.
2. Select a reaction to the Assignment.
3. Attach any files, links, or items from the student's Backpack.
4. Additional comments are optional.
5. Click on “Turn in Assignment."

Grading Assignments

After students have submitted assignments it's easy for a teacher to view and grade them. Locate the assignment post and click the Turned In button.

1. Select the student from the list.
2. Enter a score.
3. Select a reaction.
4. Enter a comment about the submission or attach a file (optional).
5. Click Grade.

Teachers can find more information about assignments, including edit, deleting, and sharing, and reusing assignments at https://support.edmodo.com/home#forums/20796115-assignments.

Are you ready to try out Edmodo assessments? Download the Edmodo Assessments Technology Integration Challenge and see what you can do!