Implementation Plan

Amanda Sutliff

Facilitator Guide to Edmodo Training Program

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Contents
Implementation Plan and Facilitator Guide .............................................................................................. 2 Section I: Module Overview and Description ........................................................................................... 2 Section II: Learner Analysis and Pre-Workshop Planning .......................................................................... 3 Learner Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Pre-Workshop Planning ........................................................................................................................... 5 Section III: Instructional Context .............................................................................................................. 6 Section IV: Unit Goals .............................................................................................................................. 8 Section V: Instructional Strategies ........................................................................................................... 9 Section VI: Learning Assessment Strategies ........................................................................................... 14 Summary of Modifications..................................................................................................................... 16 References ............................................................................................................................................ 17

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Implementation Plan and Facilitator Guide

Section I: Module Overview and Description

Introduction to the Unit This unit consists of four lessons, each one focused on one of the basic features available to Edmodo users. The lessons will take the learner from initial account provisioning to connecting with students and parents, and they conclude by demonstrating the advanced tools and features of Edmodo. Module Overview and Description Edmodo is a secure social network used by teachers to move their classrooms online. Essentially, it is a microblogging system designed specifically for teachers and students. In this technology-driven era, many teachers have started using Edmodo as a way to appeal to their students and ease communication between students, parents, and teachers. There are many things teachers and students can do with Edmodo. Teachers can post assignments online for their students, which can then be completed and submitted online by students. Teachers can also create digital libraries that their students can access to complete these assignments, which can be graded directly in Edmodo by the teacher. Teachers can create polls, quizzes, and messages on Edmodo that students can respond to. Students can also post notes to their teachers and other students in their classes on the wall or within their small groups. Teachers can use Edmodo as a calendar to assign events and assignments. Many teachers have started using Edmodo to turn their classrooms into virtual technology hubs that encourage student participation. Oftentimes, a teacher will have a piece of technology or web collaboration technology presented to them and told to "use it." To avoid this situation, we have strived to show the potential and immediate usefulness of Edmodo to a secondary education teacher. Learning some basic features will enable the teacher to have immediate use in the classroom and confidence in exploring the service.

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Section II: Learner Analysis and Pre-Workshop Planning

Learner Analysis Learner Characteristics Teachers are often lifelong learners that are eager to learn new things. The average teacher might not be a tech-savvy person and might not be actively looking for ways to incorporate more technology in the classroom. Edmodo is rather user friendly and has a high amount of applicable features that teachers can't wait to try. Learner Abilities Teachers usually have a high learning ability, and should be familiar with good teaching practices. Our module includes adult learner-friendly and connectivism-based theory-driven practice (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003; Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman, 2008). Again, some teachers are not accustomed to the newest technology. Facilitators should be aware of the needs of the teachers attending the training. Learner Experiences Teachers might have experienced both the positive and negative sides to a social network such as Facebook, and might have some misconceptions about Edmodo. For example, teachers might dismiss the resource because of a preconceived notion that social networks aren't secure and student/learner friendly places. Edmodo is completely secure and is in fact promoted for use by many school districts. Teachers might have experience with Edmodo, since it is relatively common and popular. I have included advanced tips in lesson 4 of our tutorial to ensure that even our advanced students will learn from the experience. Preparing Participants Because teachers have busy schedules, it would be wise to consider allowing teachers to work at their own pace and attend the training asynchronously. Teachers should be informed of the training specifics through e-mail. They should be e-mailed a link to the first step in the process, which is included below. While most of the class will occur online in the Edmodo classroom, there are some steps, such as logging in for the first time or signing up for Edmodo as a student and as a teacher, that will need to be explained. This would be an appropriate task for a whole group presentation method of instruction, but if not, these directions could be easily accessed online through an email with links to Edmodo and the Prezis that outline the steps to follow. http://prezi.com/kkcbw-enz_rw/creating-your-teacher-account-on-edmodo/

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Pre Assessment It is the facilitators responsibility to research whether the school district in question has an official district account with Edmodo. In some school districts, student accounts are created by the technology personnel, which means that teachers do not need to learn how to create student accounts. Instead, the facilitator needs to learn about student accounts within the individual school district first, in order to determine if step 2 should be skipped or followed explicitly. Some school districts computer networks can make it impossible for teachers to create student accounts. If the creation of student accounts is not allowed within the school district, then the trainees will use their teacher accounts to access the Edmodo training classroom. All they need to do is add the group to their teacher account using the group code provided by the facilitator. This will allow the teachers to view and respond to items in the Edmodo training classroom as if they were students even when they are logged in with a teacher account. Then of course, students will need access to an electronic or hard copy set of directions to get them started with the training. To start the training, the facilitator should e-mail participants a survey that indicates the uses of Edmodo features. This is designed to help the trainees determine which Edmodo features they would like to learn about. They can then select which steps they want to follow during the training. This will ensure that each trainee is able to learn in depth about a few Edmodo features instead of trying to learn a little bit about each feature in the short one-hour time frame. A sample survey is included in the Learning Assessment Strategies section of this Implementation Guide.

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Pre-Workshop Planning
Giving Participants Advance Information "Often, the instructional designer is responsible for program promotion" (Morrison, et. al., 2011, p. 417). This may involve preparing advertising with a newsletter, writing promotional e-mails and sending them out, and creating flyers. After creating and printing these items, the instructional designers will also be responsible for distributing them. Trainers should suggest that teachers bring their own teaching materials and units of study to the training, so that as time allows, teachers can begin to transfer their own unit or assignments into the Edmodo program. This will ensure that teachers begin using the program in their own classrooms as soon as possible. The flyers and emails should include information about the flexibility options of the training, registration information, optional times for group presentations, and most importantly, information about Edmodo. Include a list of twenty things that teachers can do with Edmodo, describe some sample projects or scenarios for classroom opportunities, and justify the use of the program by citing the importance of technology use in a classroom full of digitized students. Teachers need to be educated on the fact that Edmodo is a secure social network designed specifically for teachers and students to use in classrooms. Creating an Edmodo Classroom Each facilitator will create his or her own Edmodo classroom. Use the steps outlined in the training module to create your own Edmodo classroom. Using the materials to create your own classroom will ensure that you become an expert with the materials and that you are familiar with creating an Edmodo classroom. Here are some suggestions for how to create your Edmodo classroom: 1. Create an introductory post like the one in Step 3 of the training module. 2. Use a Note or Assignment to post a link to each training module Prezi. 3. Create your own questionnaire as a quiz or poll within the Edmodo program.

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Section III: Instructional Context

Instructional Context This program will be offered in a traditional instructor led session in which the instructor will model how to do a task and then the students will complete the task. The learner will have the option to complete the module independently. Since the program can be offered electronically, the learners are also able to access this training whenever it is convenient for them and work at their own pace through the program. The learner will need access to a computer with internet access. Instructional Environments This course would be most effective if it was offered as a self-paced learning environment. Much evidence supports the belief that optimum learning takes place when a student works at his or her own pace, is actively involved in performing specific learning tasks, and experiences success in learning, (Morrison, et. al., 2011, p. 226). In this environment students would learn the Edmodo program by first putting themselves in the role of a student and working through tasks in a classroom environment the way their own students would use Edmodo. This set up offers the learner a chance to perform learning activities that are carefully designed to address specific objectives, (Morrison et. al., 2011). The learners mastery is checked before they move on and feedback is immediate for the learners in this training program since the tasks are designed to cause the learner to accomplish a goal through program interaction (Morrison et. al., 2011). All of these qualities of the program are important features for a self-paced learning environment. Although, the learner is working at his own pace, there may be instances where the learner needs assistance. With long distance learning, the students may not be able to ask the instructor questions in person. Students will need to use the instructional materials and the website blog.edmodo.com to answer basic questions about Edmodo and use the Note feature within Edmodo to ask the instructor questions about specific assignments or tasks. Although this training is meant to occur as self-paced learning it can also be accomplished in a traditional group presentation. In this type of environment, the learners will be able to rely on the instructor as well as the instructional materials. Even though this is not the intended environment, the training could still be conducted effectively. The instructor would have to be prepared to be interesting, enthusiastic, and challenging to keep the learner engaged, (Morrison et. al., 2011, p. 223). The instructor will also have to gauge learning of the entire group themselves and make adjustments that are appropriate for both the individuals and the whole group. Considerations for the Learning Environment Computer Lab: With face-to-face learning, this training would be more easily held in a lab space where computers were already provided for the participants. This would ensure there were adequate power supplies and spacing for all participants. It would also allow for an optimum amount of participants because a maximum number could be established based on the available computer spaces. In this type of environment, there is generally a technical support 2013

office available that should be able to ensure the training program is running properly before the training begins. Tables: The delivery environment could also be a room where there is adequate table space for the participants to use their own technology. However, this could pose a problem because personal laptops and devices may not be compatible with the training program, and individuals may not be familiar enough with their technology to troubleshoot problems that may arise. Equipment and Materials Computers: Computers or equipment should be tested before the training to ensure the training program is compatible with the software being used, and that participants will have an optimum experience. Projector: If instruction is happening in group presentation setting, a projector will need to be provided so that all participants can see the presentation comfortably. Sound Delivery: Participants should either be required to bring or provided with headphones or another type of personal sound delivery method since the program is self-paced and can include supplemental video tutorials. Handouts and Media Support Technical support: Media support will be important. Participants may need help troubleshooting their own devices, or the instructor may need help with the provided devices for the training. Technical support would also be important if problems arose during the training. Electronic Instructional Booklet: The materials are colorful, detailed, and provide the learner with enough information to be successful after the training.

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Section IV: Unit Goals

The learner will use Edmodo to digitize his/her classroom. The learner will complete objectives 1, 2, and 3. Learning Objectives: 1. The learner will create a teacher account on Edmodo. 2. The learner will create a student account on Edmodo. 3. The learner will post messages to communicate on Edmodo. 4. The learner will complete advanced skills on Edmodo. A Note about Attitudes Teachers who take this course will be exposed to the idea that Edmodo is a microblogging system designed specifically for teachers and students. As part of this training, we will attempt to help all teachers realize that digitizing a classroom is vitally important in this day and age in order to fully engage all students. Also, Edmodo is a great choice for creating a digitized classroom, because it is completely secure and safe for students. After addressing this with our learners, we hope to help them develop a positive attitude toward Edmodo.

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Section V: Instructional Strategies

Delivery Methodology The Edmodo tutorial may be presented in a computer lab with learners at computers or laptops or asynchronously using e-mail and interactions within the Edmodo classroom. Also there will be screen shots along with instructions using a Prezi on how to create and utilize an Edmodo account. The lesson will start with an overview of tasks to perform to set up, create, and utilize an Edmodo account. Students will be given time to ask questions about terms or instructions and screenshots on the Prezis. The instructors will give directions on how to set up an account as a student in Edmodo and join a group set up by the instructors. Learners will learn to use Edmodo as a student. The lesson will continue with self-paced learning with the learners working at their own pace on each lesson and learning how to use Edmodo as a student. The units will be set up in small, distinct steps in Edmodo on each concept and designed for the self-paced learning atmosphere. Each concept and activity will be sequenced. Mastery of the concept will be checked before moving on to the next concept. Learner activities and assignments are designed to address the specific learning objectives of the Edmodo program. Once the learning activities for each objective have taken place, there will be time for a final question and answer session. Learners will be able to take what they have learned and use and apply it in their classrooms. Overview of Lesson One Objective: The learner will to create a teacher account on Edmodo. Group Format: Learners will be placed in either a large group or small groups depending upon the number of learners. Time Allotment: 10 to 15 minutes The facilitator of this lesson will introduce the structure of Edmodo and explain to the learners the purpose of the training and how it will benefit the teachers in communicating with both their students and their students' parents. The facilitator will use a Prezi presentation to show graphics of the Edmodo site, with emphasis on creating a teacher account and groups, and making the learner aware of group codes and how they function. After viewing the Prezi presentation, all the learners will begin using Edmodo with their computers. The facilitator will assist as needed and answer any questions before moving on to the next objective. Demonstration: 2013 Students will be instructed on how to navigate to the Edmodo home page. Students will be instructed on how to create a teacher account and sign in to Edmodo. Students will be instructed on how to create a group.

Materials and Media Selection: The training module will be conducted through a Prezi presentation. Student Participation: Students will participate in the live demonstration and practice by setting up their own accounts during the training Student Grouping: Students will work as a large group for the presentation; they will work individually when practicing the processes that are being explained and demonstrated. Practice Items and Activities: Students will watch the demonstration on how to create an account on Edmodo. Students will practice creating an Edmodo account. Students will create a group.

Feedback: During the live presentation, the instructor will allow students to ask questions.

Overview of Lesson Two Objective: The learner will create a student account on Edmodo. Group Format: Learners will be placed in either a large group or small groups depending upon the number of learners. Time Allotment: 15 to 20 minutes The facilitator will use a Prezi presentation that shows graphics of the Edmodo site and outlines the process of creating a student account. Following the presentation, all the learners will use Edmodo with their computers in the training room. The facilitator will assist as needed and answer any questions before moving on to the next objective. Demonstration: 2013 Students will be instructed on how to navigate to the Edmodo home page and address any questions for instructing their students. Students will be instructed on how to create their account and sign in to Edmodo and address any questions for instructing their students. Students will be instructed on how to navigate the training class on Edmodo and address any questions for instructing their students.

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Materials and Media Selection: The training module will be conducted through a Prezi presentation. Student Participation: Students will participate in the live demonstration and practice by setting up their own accounts during the training.

Student Grouping: Students will work as a large group for the presentation; they will work individually when practicing the procedures. Practice Items and Activities: Students will watch the demonstration on how to create an account on Edmodo. Students will practice creating an Edmodo account, navigating the site and work on group settings. Feedback: Student will provide feedback through questions and answers with the demonstration. Overview of Lesson Three Objective: The learner will post notes to communicate on Edmodo. Group Format: Learners will be placed in either a large group or small groups depending upon the number of learners. Time Allotment: 20 to 25 minutes The facilitator will use a Prezi presentation that shows graphics of the Edmodo site, with emphasis on how to post notes and other communication sections that the learner should be aware of as they proceed, with an emphasis on creating guidelines for the Edmodo classroom. An explanation for each section of posting notes and communicating with the students will go along with the presentation. Following the presentation, all the learners will begin using Edmodo with their computers in the training room. The facilitator will assist as needed and answer any questions before moving on to the next objective.

Demonstration: Students will be instructed on how to post and access the notes that are posted on the Edmodo wall.

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Materials and Media Selection: The training module will be conducted through a Prezi. Student Participation: Students will participate in the live demonstration and practice by setting up their own accounts during the training. Student Grouping: Students will work as a large group for the presentation; they will work individually when practicing the procedures. Practice Items and Activities: Students will watch the demonstration on how to access and post notes on the Edmodo wall. Students will practice reading, replying to, and creating notes.

Feedback: Student will provide feedback through questions and answers during the demonstration to show their understanding. Students will also provide feedback for the instructor by responding to the introductory post in the Edmodo SteppingStoneDesigns classroom. All students should show proficiency in using the Notes on Edmodo to communicate with the class.

Overview of Lesson Four Objective: The learner will apply advanced skills on Edmodo. Group Format: Learners will be working independently on this lesson after they complete lessons 1, 2, and 3 at their own pace. Time Allotment: 15 to 30 minutes The students will independently access the Prezi presentations to view graphics of the Edmodo site, with emphasis on how to create quizzes, polls, assignments, and calendar events. An explanation for each section can be found in the corresponding Prezi. This lesson is designed to allow students who finish lessons 1, 2, and 3 early an opportunity to explore advanced skills on Edmodo, including creating alerts, assignments, quizzes, polls, and calendar events. This is an optional lesson to provide students with advanced tips and strategies for using Edmodo in the classroom.

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Demonstration: Students will independently access a Prezi that demonstrates how to create an alert. Students will independently access a Prezi that demonstrates how to upload and grade an assignment. Students will independently access a Prezi that demonstrates how to create a quiz. Students will independently access a Prezi that demonstrates how to create a poll. Students will independently access a Prezi that demonstrates how to create a calendar event. Students will independently access a Prezi that demonstrates how to organize the library.

Materials and Media Selection: The training module will be conducted through Prezi presentations. Student Participation: Students will independently practice creating quizzes, calendar events, polls, and assignments by following the demonstrations on the Prezi presentations.

Student Grouping: Students will work individually when practicing the procedures. Practice Items and Activities: Students will practice creating quizzes, calendar events, polls, assignments, and libraries on Edmodo. Feedback: Students will provide feedback through questions and answers with the instructor individually during work time. Evidence of completing this lesson can be obtained by accessing the students Edmodo classrooms. Trainers can request group codes and log into their learners Teacher Edmodo accounts to see how they are progressing with these objectives.

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Section VI: Learning Assessment Strategies

Pre-Assessment Strategies Pre-Assessment strategies can be very beneficial before beginning any training. The first advantage to pre-assessing is that this allows the instructor to have the information on where training needs to begin. Another advantage is that it allows the instructor to have comparison data to assess the information learned from the training using pre-assessment and postassessment information. To begin the pre-assessment period, facilitators will need to have a teacher email address. The instructor can ask questions and verify that everyone has the required skills and information to begin instruction. Prior to the training date, the instructor should also survey the trainees to determine which Edmodo features each trainee wants to focus on. Here is a sample survey: Edmodo Training Pre-Assessment Survey Please read the description for each Edmodo feature. Then choose two or three Edmodo features you would like to learn how to use in your own classroom. Notes and replies A note is an Edmodo message that posts to the entire group. You can use notes to hold group discussions online. Students can only reply to a note; they cannot create their own notes or type a note to an individual student. Alerts An alert is a private message sent to an individual student or a reminder sent to an entire class/group. Alerts can be used to notify students of overdue library books, missing assignments, or can be sent to an entire class to remind them of an upcoming quiz or project due date. Assignments An assignment is a tool used to upload documents. This allows teachers to access electronic copies of student work, such as papers typed in word documents. Quizzes and Polls A quiz or poll is a way for teachers to assess student learning. Polls can be used to quickly get an idea of a groups understanding of a concept. Quizzes can be used to digitize tests or other assessments in order to make grading easier and offer students with more immediate feedback. Library The library is a tool used to organize websites that teachers want to use with their students. The library can be accessed by students in order to complete assignments or quickly link to websites. Events The events feature on Edmodo allows teachers to digitize their classroom calendar so that parents and students can access due dates and other important dates for the classroom. Groups Teachers can create all kinds of groups on Edmodo. Besides creating a group code for a specific subject or period of the day, teachers can also create small groups for discussions or projects.

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Formative Assessment Strategies Formative assessment will occur and be ongoing during the training. This assessment allows the instructor to determine if the instruction should be altered during the class in any way to allow the learners optimum learning instruction in the training session. This also allows for qualitative feedback during the instructional process rather than a written score. Ideally this will take place inside the Edmodo training classroom as the students are creating and using their Edmodo accounts. Students may also e-mail the facilitator if they experience technical difficulties. The students will let the instructor know by their feedback during the training if the instruction is working or needs to be adapted or changed to meet the needs of the learners. Summative Assessment Strategies Summative assessment gives the instructor needed information on the outcomes of the lesson and whether objectives have been met. It can also give the instructor feedback on whether the instructional method was successful or will need to be changed for future instruction to achieve more successful outcomes. At the conclusion of the training, summative assessment can be obtained when the instructor accesses the Edmodo classroom and monitors the students participation. The facilitator should create posts that students will need to complete by replying to notes, and these posts should be monitored by the instructor throughout the training. There should also be a questionnaire quiz that students will complete upon completion of the training. The most important assessment of the training requires the instructor to monitor student progress with creating and running the learners teacher accounts. Students will create their own teacher account, access their group codes, and post the first assignment to the group they created. This work completion will not be visible to the instructor unless the instructor requests student group codes. This will allow the instructor to join the class as a student and monitor progress through Edmodo. This will also allow for the instructor to continue monitoring the students use of Edmodo after the training ends. After the course ends, the instructor should continue to monitor the activity of his/her students by periodically logging in as a student to see how each trainees Edmodo classroom is being utilized. This last step is vital to evaluating the overall effectiveness of the program, because if teachers dont continue to use Edmodo, the training was not successful.

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Summary of Modifications
This Implementation Plan was created using the Instructional Plan Report Edmodo Tutorial (Faison, Pomeroy, Wroble, Sutliff & Dains, 2012). I combined sections of their implementation plan with other parts of their project and then removed redundant or repetitive information as much as possible, in order to create this Implementation Plan. I used the sample instructional materials from their tutorial to develop my own instructional materials. After implementing this training in a face-to-face learning setting, I have found that the success of the training heavily depends on a few key factors. First, the quality of the Edmodo training classroom is of the utmost priority, because the trainees tend to focus on what is happening in the Edmodo classroom. I suggest that each facilitator create his or her own Edmodo training classroom. For example, a series of notes within the Edmodo training classroom can link to the training materials located on the online Prezi website. The web address has been added to the implementation guide. It is up to each individual facilitator to determine how they will use the Edmodo training classroom. Some facilitators might find that its best to allow their trainees to focus on their own classroom instead of working in the Edmodo training classroom. They may choose to e-mail all of the materials for the lessons directly to the trainees instead of linking to them through Edmodo. Either way, I highly suggest administering the training asynchronously using e-mail as the primary form of communication to set up and commence the training. This will ensure that the trainees have flexibility with the training and can work at their own pace and benefit from the module as much as possible. The purpose of lesson 2 is to teach trainees how to create student accounts so they can walk their students through the process of creating accounts on Edmodo. In some school districts, student accounts are created by the technology personnel, which means that teachers do not need to learn how to create student accounts. Instead, the facilitator needs to learn about student accounts within the individual school district first, in order to determine if step 2 should be skipped or followed explicitly. Some school districts computer networks can make it impossible for teachers to create student accounts. If the creation of student accounts is not allowed within the school district, then the trainees will use their teacher accounts to access the Edmodo training classroom. All they need to do is add the group to their teacher account using the group code provided by the facilitator. This will allow the teachers to view and respond to items in the Edmodo training classroom as if they were students even when they are logged in with a teacher account. Because the Library was a popular feature among the first group of trainees, I have added the library to the training module. Setting up a library can take time and has some tricky steps involved, and my trainees had a few questions for me about the process. In order to teach this feature effectively, it has been added to the module as step 12. This increases the amount of advanced Edmodo skills to include 9 different Edmodo features. In order to help trainees select which skills to focus on once they master the basics in lessons 1 through 3, I have created a pre-assessment survey that includes suggested uses for each advanced Edmodo feature. After analyzing the information, trainees are asked to select their top three Edmodo features. This will avoid overwhelming the trainees with the high amount of information in the training module and give them specific skills to focus on. This pre-assessment survey should be e-mailed to the trainees along with the group code for the implementers Edmodo classroom.

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References
Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2011). Designing effective instruction (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custom edition). New York: Pearson. Sutliff, A., Faison, S., Dains, J., Pomeroy, N., Wroble, N., (2012). Instructional Plan Report Edmodo Tutorial.

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