Class Dojo: more to do, or more to say?

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I came across this App a few weeks ago, and the more I play with it, the more I love it.

The App is designed to help students and teachers monitor classroom behavior- both the positives and negatives. At first I thought it would just be a cute app to use during classroom projects or small group discussions, but the more I explored online, the more I thought I could incorporate it into lessons.

We have several classroom jobs in our class, such as compost, recycling, and announcements. The students applied for classroom jobs last week as a part of “planning for the future.” Students completed a resume that explained why they chose the job they did. Guess what- the number one application was for Class Dojo. ImageStudents wanted the chance to use the iPad, I am sure. But their applications were surprisingly altruistic: “I am honest and helpful,” “I would like to help others and to work as a group.”

HOW TO SET IT UP:

First I downloaded the App on my iPad.

Next, I went online and signed-in to the website www.classdojo.com to add a class list. I generated random monster “avatars” for each student (they are really cute! The kids love them!); down the road the students can actually log-in and create their own avatars, once the teacher gives them their “secret pin.”

Next, I give the “classroom Dojo master” the iPad at the start of class. We went around the class and did a quick homework check.The Dojo master marks students as either having or not having homework:

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You can add your own icons, such as homework, uniform, prepared, etc.

At the end of the day, I took the points and either added them to our “fish bowl” for each school house (we have three houses) or I gave the students classroom currency. The points can add up quickly, so I would love to hear ideas on what you think they would be good for…Image

Lastly, at the end of the day, you can log-on to the website and check out the stats.

You can also add comments to remind yourself what you gave/took away points for.

The reason I have decided this is a great little App is because it takes NO time to maintain. Oh course, you have to have students old enough and trustworthy enough to handle the iPad. Of course,  you can do it yourself throughout the class or at the end of the class.

What I like the most, though, is that come report time I can look at the results from each day in the log and have a much better sense of what I am writing for my personal comments. You can print off the report and email it to parents. Students can check their report whenever they like and monitor their progress. Finally, you can look at overall trends in the classroom. Are students off task often?  Do they forget their homework daily?

Ultimately, this is a tool that should help students better themselves and adjust behavior, but it is also wonderful to see the positive actions and behaviours taking place on a daily, weekly and term basis. Image