Class Dojo – An Observational Assessment Tool
Class Dojo allows teachers to award and deduct points for students based on observations of certain “behaviors.” In a basic sense, it is a behavior management tool, but customizing some of its features can turn it into a far more useful tool for teachers.
It’s easy for teachers to create classes. Each student is represented by a monster avatar (which they can customize). Teachers click on a student and are then prompted to select the positive or negative “behavior” they observe. They can also choose to let Class Dojo randomly select students for them.
More Than Behavior Management
I’m not a fan of using this type of tool to manage behavior, nor am I fond of grading behavior or compliance. I am a fan of using class dojo as an observational assessment tool using custom behaviors.
After setting up a class, teachers can customize the set of “behaviors” they wish to observe in their students. I know several science teachers who have used this as a way to assess student application of science and engineering skills during lab. It’s also popular among PE teachers who often rely on observational assessment.
The video below shows how teachers can use Class Dojo on a computer and a tablet simultaneously.
Class Dojo Works on Any Device
My Environmental Science students spend a lot of time working outdoors. I’m able to provide much more
objective feedback about their science skills using the Class Dojo App on my iPhone. Student accounts allow students to review feedback, and this often leads to discussions with them about what I observed. In this way, I’m able to make a greater number of observations and provide a greater amount of feedback on any given day.
Class Dojo makes it easy to invite parents to create accounts. Parent accounts allow for monitoring of student progress, and offer some unique ways to communicate with parents. Teachers can share announcements, photos, and videos with parents. They can also quickly send private, direct messages to parents. Class Dojo even allows teachers and parents to translate their messages in 35 different languages.
What other ways can Class Dojo be used in the classroom? Share your ideas in the comments below.
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