Introduction: The Novel "No time to say Goodbye" by Silvia Olsen

Dear Parents: 

This year, we will be using Edmodo in our classroom.   Edmodo is a free and secure social learning network for teachers, students and schools.  It provides a safe and easy way for us to connect, share content and access homework, grades and school notices.

Edmodo also offers parent accounts and I’d like to invite you to join our classroom online.

With Parent Accounts, you can:

• Send messages to your child and me, either together or individually
• View homework assignments and due dates
• Stay up to date on your child’s grades
• Receive updates on class and school events

Edmodo is accessible online and on any mobile device with Internet capabilities (they also offer a free iPhone and Android app).  You can access your account on the go, and adjust your notification settings within Edmodo to receive alerts via text or email.

To join our classroom on Edmodo, follow these steps:

1. Go to www.edmodo.com
2. Select “Parent Signup”   
3. Type your unique code:  [XXXXXX] in the Parent Code field, then create your unique username and password.
4. Select Sign Up.   That’s all there is to it!

After you sign up for the first time, you will no longer need the parent code – you’ll login using your unique username and password to login.

Let me know if you have any questions.  I look forward to connecting with you on Edmodo!

Sincerely, Mr. Catton & Mrs. Nelson. 

For Monday Oct 3, 2011

Students will begin reading the Novel "No time to say Goodbye"  by Silvia Olsen with Rita Morris and Ann Sam.  They will create a student account EDMODO and then respond to their 1st assignment for the Novel Study.

Here is a review of ...EDMODO which is best described as Twitter for students and teachers. In reality though, its basically a private micro-blogging service for schools with built-in security features that give teachers privacy controls over their virtual classrooms.

• Teachers and students can share ideas, files, events and assignments
• Maintain a classroom blog
• Teachers can post assignments, share links and files, and send text (SMS) alerts
• Teachers can maintain a class calendar and assign grades to assignments
• A public stream (RSS feed) of class activity is available 
• The service is entirely free 

Feel Free to Review for yourself the EDMODO 2.0 Web-tool here http://itbabble.com/2010/07/22/edmodo-a-review/ 

Sincerely: Mr. Catton & Mrs. Nelson