Google Site

    Well, this is a bit out of order, as I have not had the chance to check out all the options with Google docs, but I already have a site. For those without a site yet, it is WELL worth creating and using. I created one last year as part of my Professional Certification process, and I have used it extensively ever since. It is quite simple to create, and the benefits have been excellent.
    Primarily, I use a calendar and list of major assignments for each class. If  students lose their reading schedules, they can find the day-by-day break-down on my calendar or a copy of the paper schedule I handed out. The same goes for any essay assignment, sample paragraph/introduction for an essay, or list of vocabulary. I have these organized by title of the text, and the students have found it easy to use. I would love to move entirely away from handing out paper copies of these documents, but I still have students without computer access at home, so I am trying to strike a balance (only hand out paper copies of some assignments to students without home access). This equity issue also has hindered me from posting all the daily work on the site, but I do hope to move more toward that in the near future.
    In fact, that is probably the only disadvantage to the site: equal access. It has been great to see students utilizing the site while working on essays in a computer lab--I often see them checking the assignment on screen to make sure they are staying on prompt and covering the requirements--but I can't think of an efficient way for students to get the work they missed from an absence if they have to check my webpage; I keep a written log in my room, and they can check that when they return. While it would be great to have it on the site, as well, so they could check it before they return, I just don't have much confidence that it would be worth the time. These are often students without home access or who don't check what they missed when they return anyway, so I feel like it would be one more thing that takes up my already limited time without a huge benefit for students. Anyway, I would love to hear some thoughts about that. Otherwise, the site has had an extremely positive impact on my instruction.  

Edmodo

    I am excited to use Edmodo, even though I have not figured out exactly how I am going to use it. I know I will utilize elements for class discussions, and I am fairly certain that I also will use it to lighten my load with student notebooks for their daily work--I am really sick of dragging home shopping bags full of notebooks every weekend. As of now, I am leaning toward having students post one or two of their notebook responses each week in a discussion forum; they will be expected to post and respond to other posts. This will leave them a bit more freedom on what responses they have graded, and they will be able to see--and comment on--responses from some students who do not often share in class. Hopefully, this will bring those shy students more into the community of the class.
    I know there will be other applications as I become more familiar with the site, but my initial goal is to alleviate that load of notebooks. (I will still have students respond in notebooks; I just don't want to drag them home and grade everything they have written anymore. It is often enjoyable, but it is extremely time-consuming.) If anyone else has suggestions along these lines, please feel free to throw them my way. And Sam, I know you have some ideas; I would love to talk about them sometime in the near future.