Class Dojo is a fantastic classroom management tool that I have seen used in most of the classrooms I have observed. On this free site, teachers begin by adding their school, and the names of each student in their class. Teachers can then invite the parent(s) of each student by sending an invitation that includes a code that is different for each student. Through this, parents can see anything that the teacher posts about their child, and the parent and teacher can message individually. This allows for quick, easy, and often communication with parents. In addition, teachers can add points to the whole class, or to individuals for good work, and subtract for bad behaviors. The behaviors can be customized to fit the needs of the classroom. Besides classroom management, Class Dojo provides a wide array of tools for teachers. For example, there is a timer, a random student generator, a group creator (with a setting that allows teachers to select students who should not be grouped together), a noise meter, customizable directions, think-pair-share, a "today" tab that can be on display as students enter, "focus music" and "active music," attendance, and cute videos about growth mindset that young children can appreciate.
Class Dojo also satisfies many elements of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. Such as, the individualized nature of the site allows teachers to demonstrate competency in element 1b: demonstrating knowledge of students. By tracking the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, teachers will be able to show that they know their students. In addition, Class Dojo dramatically assists with element 2c: managing classroom procedures. Features such as attendance, noise meter, directions, today, and music allow for non-instructional activities to be completed more efficiently. Similarly to 1b, the use of Class Dojo is beneficial in demonstrating element 2d: managing student behavior. The site provides a quick and easy way to monitor behavior, respond to behaviors, and report behaviors to parents. It also provides a more efficient way to create groups, assisting with element 3c: engaging students in learning. Another important element is 4b: maintaining accurate records. Class Dojo provides an engaging, quick, and easy way to document positive and negative activities in the classroom for individuals and the class as a whole. Finally, parents have testified that Class Dojo is an awesome tool for practicing element 4c: communicating with families. A parent of a student I know explained to me that she loves Class Dojo because the teacher posts photos of fun things that went on that day, she can track her son's behavior, and if there is an issue, the teacher can communicate with her right away. She says that this makes her feel like she is a part of her son's education, and that is very important to her.
After hearing the testimonies parents, teachers, students, professors, and trying it out myself, I plan to make Class Dojo a part of my classroom. I love the way it generates groups within seconds, and I think this can be really effective in the classroom. In addition, especially in elementary classrooms, students fight for attention. The random student generator on the site can help eliminate this if students feel that I do not chose them often enough. After hearing how much the simple communication that Class Dojo provides to parents means to them, I definitely plan to use the tool to reach out to parents. I believe it can also provide motivation for good behavior in the students, and can help me keep accurate and concrete records of each student.
Class Dojo also satisfies many elements of Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching. Such as, the individualized nature of the site allows teachers to demonstrate competency in element 1b: demonstrating knowledge of students. By tracking the strengths and weaknesses of individual students, teachers will be able to show that they know their students. In addition, Class Dojo dramatically assists with element 2c: managing classroom procedures. Features such as attendance, noise meter, directions, today, and music allow for non-instructional activities to be completed more efficiently. Similarly to 1b, the use of Class Dojo is beneficial in demonstrating element 2d: managing student behavior. The site provides a quick and easy way to monitor behavior, respond to behaviors, and report behaviors to parents. It also provides a more efficient way to create groups, assisting with element 3c: engaging students in learning. Another important element is 4b: maintaining accurate records. Class Dojo provides an engaging, quick, and easy way to document positive and negative activities in the classroom for individuals and the class as a whole. Finally, parents have testified that Class Dojo is an awesome tool for practicing element 4c: communicating with families. A parent of a student I know explained to me that she loves Class Dojo because the teacher posts photos of fun things that went on that day, she can track her son's behavior, and if there is an issue, the teacher can communicate with her right away. She says that this makes her feel like she is a part of her son's education, and that is very important to her.
After hearing the testimonies parents, teachers, students, professors, and trying it out myself, I plan to make Class Dojo a part of my classroom. I love the way it generates groups within seconds, and I think this can be really effective in the classroom. In addition, especially in elementary classrooms, students fight for attention. The random student generator on the site can help eliminate this if students feel that I do not chose them often enough. After hearing how much the simple communication that Class Dojo provides to parents means to them, I definitely plan to use the tool to reach out to parents. I believe it can also provide motivation for good behavior in the students, and can help me keep accurate and concrete records of each student.
ClassDojo for Teachers. (2018). Teach.classdojo.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018, from https://teach.classdojo.com/#/classes/5a8ad217a239e61c82ba6f52/points?_k=3m4jsb