Tech-savvy teachers can rejoice: the long-awaited ClassDojo app for iOS is here. You can now reward and penalize your little monsters from an iPhone or iPad with a dedicated app.
ClassDojo is a behavior-management platform that has swelled in popularity, with over 3.5 million teachers signing up. Teachers create target behaviors and monster avatars for their students. During class students can earn or lose points based on their conduct.
The app is smooth and stable, which is a welcome change from the Safari web app that was the only option until now (Android users will have to stick to the web app for now). Just tap on a student’s avatar and select the proper reward or penalty. You can also select multiple students before assigning a reward.
One of the best features from the web app is also here – the ability to randomly select a student. If you have ClassDojo up on a projector or interactive whiteboard, the student’s name and avatar will appear. It is a much better and engaging way to choose someone than the traditional popsicle stick.
One surprise: the reward icons are different from what you see on the web site. It is a little jarring, as instead of quickly picking the easily-recognized icon it takes a moment to recalibrate for selecting your choice.
Editing classes, students, or other major details are still handled from the web interface. However, I have found it works very well on an iPad in Safari or Chrome.
ClassDojo has had a busy year, recently exiting beta and creating student accounts. The students can customize their own avatar, see their rewards, and view avatars of other students in their classes. Teachers can email or print student reports, which come packaged in an attractive pie chart.
“Real-time feedback like this, especially when used to provide consistent, positive reinforcement, has the power to influence future behavior,” says Sam Chaudhary, co-founder of ClassDojo in a statement. “This instant feedback loop helps students build the kinds of positive behaviors that promote learning. In the process, we’re taking on a frustrating pain point for teachers and turning it into a positive experience that benefits all.”
Download ClassDojo from the App Store (Free)
On Target:
- Stable
- Award multiple students at once
Off the Mark:
- Different icons are jarring
[...] the class's pluses and minuses on a whiteboard for all to see. In this way, according to Chaudhury in an AppPlanet article, real-time feedback, especially when it's used for consistent, positive reinforcement, has the [...]