Lately, I have been hearing a
lot about Class Dojo from teachers of all levels, so I thought it might make a
great article for Tech Tidbits.
Class Dojo is a web-based
program or a tablet app designed to track both desired and undesired classroom
behaviors. It is currently free for teachers who sign up for this beta version.
However, since Class Dojo had ready receives 47,000 results in a Google search,
my guess is that it won’t be free for much longer. I’d suggest you create an account now, just
to be on the safe side.
Teachers: Teachers create their classes and customize
the behaviors they wish to track. During
class, they can award points for desired behaviors (i.e, completed homework,
prepared for class) and deduct points for undesired behaviors (i.e., shouting
out, talking to others) right into their computer/tablet/smartphone, providing
immediate feedback to students in real time.
Comments can be included with the points. Some teachers keep the Class Dojo site/app
visible throughout class for students to see.
That would definitely be a teacher choice to do so or not.
Students:
Teachers can provide students with access to Class Dojo so they can view their
own behaviors on their own time. They
can customize their avatar as well.
Parents:
Teachers can provide parents with access to Class Dojo so they can view their
own child’s classroom behaviors daily (if desired).
By instantly reinforcing
desired behaviors in real-time, student behavior improves, they become more
engaged, and intrinsic motivation can be enhanced. Teachers can print reports
to use for report cards, parent-teacher conferences, and to share with other
site specialists (SPED teachers, psychologists, counselors, etc.)
It can run on an interactive
whiteboard or any internet connected device. Only one device is needed – for
the teacher.
While I don’t currently have
classes, I created an account to see how easy it was to add students,
add/subtract points, and customize behaviors and I have to say, it was pretty
easy.
If you’d like a reference from
a teacher actually using it with students, feel free to contact Danielle Ryan,
a Carlsbad High School English teacher using it with her sophomores and even her seniors (who
think it’s “cool”).
I’d love to hear about your
experiences with Class Dojo. And if you
need assistance, please let me know and I’ll do what I can to help you.
More information available
here: http://prezi.com/padb8nzkw-yq/sharing-classdojo-with-other-educators/
