A Zen Classroom with Class Dojo

It's hard to believe that week four of school is about to begin.  It feels like we have been back for months already!  And while I am still getting used to the routine of my Grade 6 class, I am also trying to promote a classroom environment where all students feel comfortable and confident to express themselves.  As a class we have created a "pact" that outlines the top 5 things we can do in order to treat others with respect and to make sure no one feels left out or put down.  Rule number one being the "Golden Rule."  The students all agreed this was important.

However, during great classroom discussions, when all students feel the need to speak out and share their thoughts, we easily forget to maintain order in the classroom so that all students get a fair chance.  This is where Class Dojo comes into play.

Class Dojo is a real time, behaviour management app that allows teachers to note any positive or negative actions created by students.  With the tap of your finger, you can identify those students that are participating, disrupting the class, being disrespectful, taking initiative, and the list goes on and on.

Here is a screenshot of the app.  Click on the student's avatar and a popup menu appears.  Click the positive or negative action, and that's it!  The action is stored into the student's profile.  Actions can also be customized by you to suit your classroom behaviour needs.

The beauty of this app is that students can also download the app onto their tech devices and are notified when the teacher has selected an action.  Students can set goals for themselves [find ways to achieve the most positive actions, and reduce the negative actions].

A student report can also be e-mailed to parents.  These reports are categorized by day and whether they are positive or negative actions.  When logging on through the website, teachers can write comments and provide feedback on how students can keep up the good work, or indicate areas for improvement.

I have just inputted my students onto the website version of Class Dojo and have verified that my class appears on my iPhone.  I am giving this app a go this week!  Let's see if order can be restored into the classroom!


Class Dojo [for iPad and iPhone]
Developer's Website

GradeBook Pro [The Digital Assessment Binder]

The countdown is on... only a few short weeks left before school begins!  My Planbook planning is well underway and now I am in the process of setting up my assessment "binder" through the use of an app called GradeBook Pro.  This app is phenomenal, and here are the reasons why:

1.  It will reduce the amount of paper used when recording student marks and notes
2.  It creates a "roster" of students for all of your classes [easy to copy and paste into various strands/subjects]
2.  You set the term date!  Keep track of which units you have taught during first term, second term, etc.
3.  Keep track of student attendance [which comes in handy when reviewing their grade history - you can detect how many days they were absent for the term and also which assessments they were absent for]
4.  Create "assignments" [e.g., quiz, test, presentation, skit, etc] and give it a standard mark.  You may also add additional information to each assignment such as the learning goal, success criteria, rubric, etc.
5.  Easily input student marks - and once done, the app will give you their percentage, class average, student's highest mark in the unit, and more!
6.  Share a student's grade report with parents by sending the report via e-mail [the app allows you to store student and parent e-mails within each student's profile]. Teachers can also save the class/student report in a PDF file for quick access [if printing a hard copy is preferred]

This app does much more than what has been listed above.  I highly recommend this app for any educator, and I believe you can find ways to make it suit your needs.  It is clean, organized and fairly easy to use.  Give it a try!!

GradeBook Pro [for iPad and iPhone]
Developer's Website

My GOAL for the 2012-2013 School Year

After giving it some thought, I am beginning to feel that becoming an Apple Distinguished Educator would be a tremendous honour.  To network with educators globally with a similar vision, dedication and passion would be a very exciting community to be a part of.  I have always been surrounded by technology since a very young age, and while I may feel that I am very tech savvy, it amazes me at the speed of innovation and development.  Rather than trying to play catch up all the time... I want to be a PART of the process.

I look forward to beginning the new school year with technology as my main focus.  Don't get me wrong, the students, the curriculum and all the other factors of the teaching profession will still be held with the highest priority, but using technology as a tool to bring all the other pieces together is what I intend to do.

I look forward to doing some of the following in the new school year:
- creating and implementing a PD session to all Primary teachers who now have access to iPads!!
- developing and presenting PD sessions at our staff meetings that will allow my colleagues to be exposed to many different tech tools and resources
- using technology as a tool to encourage critical thought, allow for innovation and creation when presenting student's understanding and knowledge of content
- attempting to experiment with parent-teacher communication using technology tools and apps

The month of September will be a busy month indeed.  I must set the stage for what the school year has to offer.  While things may change over the course of the school year, I do believe that my end goal will keep me focused on my delivery, my contribution and my dedication in education.


:-D