Come to find out, there is an online portal for what is called, Class Dojo. It is a super neat web application in which you can sign up for free. Then, you can add your school, your class, and each of your students. Then you add various character traits like, helping others, on task, participating, teamwork, etc. If students exhibit one of these traits while in class, then they can receive a positive, +1, Dojo point. Next, you can add the opposing character traits in which students would not be exhibiting appropriate behavior, such as, not listening, not following directions, off task, etc. If students are performing one of these behaviors, then they get minus a Dojo point.
Another very effective technique that this application uses, is you can actually add “class” or “group” Dojo points. These are very helpful because if a particular group is working very quietly for example, that whole group can earn Dojo points. Class Dojo points are a great option for whole classroom management as well. If the entire class is listening or doing well, then they can rack up points towards a class prize. The reverse happens as well, if they are not doing well as a class, then they will receive negative points.
Another great resource provided by the company’s website, is a full packet of Dojo materials to hang up around the classroom. There are classroom posters and accessories that you can use and hang up in the classroom, so that your students further understand, utilize, and become familiar with Class Dojo. There is also a Dojo introduction video that teachers can show to their classroom to get students excited about using the web application.
Dojo is a great application to implement the use of technology in the classroom. As the Dojo website describes, "Class Dojo connects teachers, parents, and students who use it to share photos, videos, and messages through the school day. They use ClassDojo to work together as a team, share in the classroom experience, and bring big ideas to life in their classrooms and homes" (ClassDojo). Below, I have explained the many ways in which this collaboration can occur through Class Dojo.
The web application has a tab called “Stories," in which the teacher can add photos, comments, and updates about their classroom so that parents can see them. The website also provides the teacher with a sheet of information for each individualized student that is sent home to the parents. The sheet provides the parent with a code in which they can sign up to DoJo to keep up with the classroom and their student’s success. They can also download it as an app on their phone if they want quicker and easier access to the information. Additionally, teachers can message parents through the application for quick updates about schedule changes, tests, field trips, etc.
Additionally, using a class iPad we can have students take pictures of their work and post it to their personal stories, so parents can keep up with what their students are doing in class. The application also provides the teacher with a timer to use, in which you can time transitions and give students points for doing them quickly. There is also a “random” feature in which the computer will randomly select a student so you can use this for classroom participation, classroom duties, random prizes, etc. Overall, Class Dojo does a great job of implementing the use of technology into a classroom management plan.
Lastly, if the students rack up a certain amount of points, then they can receive a prize. By using DoJo as a rewards system, students will be motivated to earn points because they can receive an award.
I also wanted to make sure that the awards I provide to my students are intangible ones, not simply candy or a treasure box of prizes. Here is a great website with many ideas to give intangible rewards that students will be excited about.
In conclusion, I created a list of student and class awards, in which their DoJo points can be redeemed for.
Student Awards:
- Morning work or “warm-up” pass
- Free drawing/writing/computer/or outside time
- Teacher’s helper
- Lunch with teacher
- Time in the reading nook/bean bag chair
- Positive note sent home to parents/guardians
- Dance party on Friday
- Pajama day
- Class kickball game
- Extra class recess/board games/reading time on Fridays
- Have a special guest come to visit us; custodian, principal, etc. but also outside guests like zookeeper, doctor, mayor, etc.
- Lunch Outside
- Show and tell for the class
Class Dojo provides us with an application to deal with one of the hardest parts of teaching: classroom management. One of the many reasons why teachers leave the workforce is because of a lack of classroom management (Wong, Wong, Jondahl, & Ferguson, 2014). By having a plan like Class Dojo in place, it will take a lot of the workload off the teachers plate and allow them to focus more on their lesson plans and teaching. I know for me, it was easy to get on board with this application because it already has the management plan in place; you just have to teach it to your classroom. You can customize and edit it as you wish, which allows each teacher to personalize their Dojo to fit their classroom needs and wants.
As the founder of Class Dojo, Chaudhary explains, "We had a very non-Silicon Valley thesis. It was not, here is the technology that is going to replace you, it was, how can we use technology to enable you to do all the good things you already want to do?" (Jackson, 2016). This is an important distinction because it shows that we are using technology to increase our classroom's effectiveness and productivity. It is an application that helps make classrooms more organized overall. It makes teachers' lives easier and allows them to have a classroom management plan that implements technology effectively.
There are many helpful websites out there to get a teacher on board with implementing Class DoJo in the classroom. For example, blog "Going Strong in 2nd Grade," gives teachers great ideas about how to actually make Class DoJo a reality in the classroom. A picture of one of her ideas is included on the right. She provided her class with a "Dojo Store," where the kids can pick up their prizes for the week. Another great tool is Class Dojo's website. They provide a list of ideas for teachers and they even have a DoJo blog in which they post anything and everything about Class DoJo.
Clearly Class Dojo has become very popular and is the "it" thing these days for classroom management procedures. As the Business Insider article points out, "The platform is used in two-thirds of all schools — public, private, and charter — across the nation and in 90% of school districts. It's also used in 180 countries globally, according to McKinley" (Jackson, 2016). Now, it is up to you to decide if you will jump aboard the bandwagon and implement Class Dojo in your classroom. I think I have made a reasonable case for why it would be a smart idea. It is definitely a program I will use in my classroom, and after reading this post I hope other teachers will consider Class Dojo too.
References
ClassDojo. (n.d.). About Us: Class Dojo . Retrieved March 14, 2017, from https://www.classdojo.com/about/DeAngelis, R. (Photographer). (2014). Screenshot of Classroom Dojo [Online image], Retrieved from https://literacycounts.wordpress.com/tag/class-dojo/
Dojo monsters [Google image], Retrieved from https://elementarylibrarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/class_dojo_logo.jpg
Sutton, A. (Photographer). (2015). Dojo Store [Online image]. Retrieved from http://www.goingstrongin2ndgrade.com/2015/07/class-dojo-update-q-and-giveaway.html
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