Class Dojo

Have you heard of Class Dojo? It's a classroom management took that helps teachers keep track of student behaviors. I know, we've all heard of a million of these, but seriously- this one is a winner. The kids love it, it's easy to use, and it's free. What else can you want in an app?

The kids love it because they are able to customize their avatars. I didn't think this would be as big of a deal as it is, actually. I thought it was a cool little "extra", but it turned out to be a driving factor. My 5th graders absolutely love logging in, changing their avatars, and checking out the avatars their friends made!

The site automatically creates reports about student behavior. The teacher can log in and see her entire classroom, or an individual student. It's pretty powerful to look at a chart that shows what your class excels at, and what they need more work on. Students can also log in at home and see a report about their own behavior. It's a powerful tool for students in the upper elementary grades. They can goal set, track their progress, and see their success as it happens. The system automatically generates parent reports, too! If you collect parent email addresses, you can have them sent out automatically weekly. I haven't utilized this portion of the software just yet since I adopted it mid year, but I am looking forward to trying it next year.

And, my favorite part, the apps! I downloaded the app to my iPhone and iPad. When I'm walking around the room and talking to students in small groups, I can give dojos out to students who are working hard, staying on task, or participating well in their groups. At the same time, I can have the dojo class screen displayed on my projector so the students can watch dojos accumulate on their avatar in real time. Seriously, it's great! The students are getting the verbal recognition that they want, and also earning dojos they can see. Best of all, for them, we trade dojos in for classroom currency weekly. They can use that to buy rewards in the classroom. 

I can't help but coo over a free tool that my kids love, parents love, and I love. Check it out!

Linked up with Technology Tailgate :)

Today is the final day of Teaching in Blue Jean's birthday giveaway! 

Most people have birthdays and receive gifts, but Amy is giving them! Only 12 hours left, and there are TONS of items up for grabs, from all grade levels. Check it out!