Class Dojo TechCritCourtney Cote
Class Dojo in the Kindergarten Classroom
2nd year of use in my classroom
Mentor Facebook Group
Can do Professional Development Seminars
Many Features and Resources!
Multiple ways to use the Application Rewards
Brag Tags
“Belt/Point Clubs”
Control of how to give points and take points
Can be used on multiple devices
Different Modes of use Teacher
Parent
Student
More geared for Grades K-8 (graphics)
Connecting with parents to the classroom in
a whole new way
Used all over the World!
Pros and Cons of Class Dojo
Pros
FREE for everyone and NO adds or in-app purchases!!!
Can connect with parents at any time with ease
Keep track of behaviors with ease
Can use the application in multiple ways that fit my classroom (can adapt it when needed)
Many features of the Application (Big Ideas, Goals, Timer, percentage of behavior)
Can see the child’s behavior percentage in many ways
Can keep attendance on Class Dojo
Develops number sense and being aware of their behavior at all times
The company is very open and always adding on to the app to make it better for everyone
Easy when entering behavior grades for their report cards
Can combine classes (special classes/multiple classes for older grades)
Saves the students’ names in school community, so easy to enter in students, especially for upper grades
Individual , Group, and Whole Class behaviors
Cons
Glitches and loading problems at times
Too many features (can be overwhelming)
A LOT of commitment!
Hard to keep up with giving points and taking points
Class points
Individual points
How to take points away from the students/class
Takes some time from the classroom
Need to have the Smart Board at all times or my phone
Can be distracting in the classroom
Being more negative giving too many negative points
Hard to use with students who need more individual needs
Hard when you are absent and have a sub (made a sheet and put it in later)
Can become bothersome with the messaging with parents (but, there is a “quiet time” you can turn on)
Evaluation&
Thematics
Conclusion Being more positive with the students and giving more positive points to the students Being more aware of the app and using it to its advantage
Saltman’s article (2016) can be related to this type of technology that this application can be a type of technology that could “take over” the classroom, however the company has received Series A funding in 2013 and received Series B funding in 2015. Stanford University’s PERTS lab has also helped with the “Big Ideas”. I am not sure that it is “corporate driven”.
In Levin and Wadmany article (2008), the discuss Information and communication technologies (ICT) where “ICT creates new possibilities, dilemmas, and directions and encourages teachers to harness the new opportunities that ICT offers to make teaching and learning more meaningful and rewarding (Levin & Wadmany, p. 234).” In this sense, teachers are able to connect students and parents to learning in the classroom. The application also teaches skills that are more in the implicit curriculum.
Gorder’s study (2008) found that teachers use technology to facilitate and deliver instruction (Class Dojo) and that there is a significant difference in technology integration based on grade level (9-12 use technology in their instruction more than K-5). I feel that Class Dojo can break this barrier by helping classroom management as well as using the “Big Ideas” to teach the implicit curriculum.
References
Gorder, L. M. (2008). A study of teacher perceptions of instructional technology integration in the classroom. The Journal of Research in Business Education, 50(2), 63.
Learn all about ClassDojo♥. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from https://www.classdojo.com/
Levin, T., & Wadmany, R. (2008). Teachers' views on factors affecting effective integration of information technology in the classroom: Developmental scenery. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 16(2), 233.
Saltman, K. J. (2016). Corporate schooling meets corporate media: Standards, testing, and technophilia. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 38(2), 105-123.