Edmodo, an online social learning and communications network for teachers and students in K-12 schools, is opening up its API to third–party web developers to enable the creation of educational applications built on top of the platform.
Edmodo, which just raised $15 million from Greylock Partners and Benchmark Capital, is a free service that allows teachers to create and maintain their own safe and secure, collaborative classroom communities across mobile and web platforms. It’s sort of similar to a Facebook for the classroom. But Edmodo is completely private and secure, and allows teachers to also manage class content, collaborate and more within the platform.
Teachers can share educational content, manage projects and assignments, handle notifications, conduct quizzes and events, and facilitate other engaging learning experiences with students. Schools and districts can claim unique Edmodo web addresses for added communication and customization. And teachers can build profile pages on Edmodo, which they use to meet and stay in contact with other educators, sharing best practices and top resources. Students can use Edmodo to interact with their private site, take quizzes, participate in games, ask the teacher questions and more.
Now, there will be apps created for the platform, which now counts 6 million users according to CEO Nic Borg. Teachers can connect these apps to Edmodo features like badges, assignments, and quizzes in order to create more engaging learning experiences for their students.
The initial platform launch features over 35 partners that have developed apps leveraging Edmodo’s API. These include everything from educational games to other subject-specific learning applications. Developers can offer free and premium apps to teachers and schools.
Edmodo is also launching a Teacher-Developer Exchange to connect educators directly with application developers so that together they can create the apps most needed in today’s classrooms.
Greylock’s Reid Hoffman, who serves on Edmodo’s board, says of the platform and the API: “Edmodo has established itself as the network for the classroom…The Edmodo API will become the most effective way for developers to create content and tools that will help teachers take K-12 education to the next level.”
Fellow investor and Benchmark Partner Matt Cohler agrees, telling us that the addition of the API is “about enabling broader and deeper functionality within the Edmodo platform.” He believes the social education market is a “significant opportunity.” “The potential is enormous and Edmodo is leading the charge.”
Next up for Edmodo, says Borg, is international expansion.
Edmodo provides teachers and students a secure place to connect and collaborate, share content and educational applications, and access homework, grades, class discussions and notifications. Our goal is to help educators harness the power of social media to customize the classroom for each and every learner.
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
San Francisco, CA
Berlin, Germany
