Class Dojo and Y9 Social Studies

For a couple of weeks I aas wondering what had gone wrong in my class. They were beautiful and focussed and then something happened.

I think with the crazy behaviours from students I had gotten used to the level of crazy and hadn't brought it back down to normal. Well at least my normal level of crazy.

Over the weekend I had been pondering it and realised a little lately that I hadn't been using Class Dojo. Why? I'd just forgotten and worse - I'd been using it with the Y10 Extension class who don't actually need it. This Y9 class does.

We started powering it up. Just like I do with the clicker with Mia. I noticed as many positive behaviours as possible in a short amount of time. I didn't give poins to those who asked. I gave points to those they nominated. I focused on the good behaviours, ignored the bad. Focused on the quiet workers who had smiles on their faces.

Then when those who were showing bad behaviours more often than good began to show an interest, we discussed the behaviours we need to be looking for. We changed the behaviours as per what they suggested needed work on. I also added the KCs. I need to identify from the ones they've suggested which ones fit inside our School PB4L values. Usually I would write Heights, Wisdom, Honour and Success as behaviours - but for now it's nore powerful having student selected behaviours as they're more likely to pull each other up and notice when they're not being onto it.

I just had a thought that perhaps creating a poster of all positive behaviours I'm looking for in class might be helpful - however, it also might mean that they start playing the game in a bad sense - that they work the system rather than intrinsically want to try to change their behaviours to improve their learning.

Anyway. Day One after Dojo and I feel way less stressed about the class. They're actually doing some pretty cool work too. New Settlers to Aotearoa booklets and using their knowledge and info they're gaining from tablets and the internet :)

Mindlab Assessment: LDC1 (Class Dojo and PB4L)

For this assessment I had to critique a change initiative that I had been involved in. I went well over the word limit and still don't think I said everything I needed to. I should have discussed and critiqued the leadership theories in more depth and the leadership of the change initiative itself.

Week 4 - MindLab - Theories and StopMotion

Awesome session tonight. Too tired to blog about it now though. Wrote notes so will add them in tomorrow.

Twitter Dinner - Representing Class Dojo

Was so awesome to see everyone and get to meet some new f2f buddies too. I got to the Twitter Dinner a bit late but had enjoyed myself talking with one of the awesome guys at Furnware discussing effective learning environments.

Incredibly thankful to Class Dojo for helping to sponsor our refreshments at Twitter Dinner and found the presentation went really well! It was a bit difficult without speakers for the videos or a mic because we had to speak so loud over the quietened music in the restaurant.

Super thankful to Campbell Potter for his ongoing support and offer to help present how he uses Dojo as well.

Gave out a couple of bags... wish I'd brought more because I'd given so many out during the first day. Am betting that the stickers went to school but forgot to go past school before I drove to Auckland. Will share stickers out at the next event and with my students too who have probably been my biggest supporters.

Thanks to Hamish my co-community lead for bringing more bags the next day as I probably would have run out much faster if you hadn't have given me the new lot!! :)

Hopefully encouraged some new CD users during conference and am looking forward to doing an abstract next year for Dojo.

Thanks again Class Dojo!

How we use Class Dojo and Response to NY Times article

I was sent this link tonight by a colleague: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/17/technology/privacy-concerns-for-classdojo-and-other-tracking-apps-for-schoolchildren.html?_r=0

It's the second article I've read that seems to put Class Dojo in a negative light.

The article's main points:
 - issues with child data usage
- naming and shaming children's behaviours
- rewarding behaviours with point systems

I personally don't use student's last names. I've talked extensively about my issues and need to have policies around media release and photography use at school and in publications. I believe very strongly in digital citizenship, and with that comes the need to keep as much data as possible private. Unfortunately, as other commenters have said - the likes of Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Google etc - take a TONNE of data. They mine for it daily. I am much more concerned about how our students use those platforms than they do with using Class Dojo.

As for the possibly valid point of data being used in years to come - sure. But how will knowing a students first name and their positive behaviours help to define them or locate them in our world? Regardless - what is even more concerning is that there is so much data already following our students around.

Negative Pinkies at our school - used to notify our middle managers of behaviours that need disciplining outside of our classroom control and also to ensure that we follow up on behaviours in class - follow students around, year to year. Deficit theorising too - continues to be a huge aspect in teaching - despite how much work has gone into Te Kotahitanga training and teaching teachers to be aware of the impact their words, actions and behaviours have on their students. It makes me physically sick when I hear teachers say, "(This student) is such an unmotivated kid and never does any work. He's from (this kind of) class." That kind of thinking - follows those students around. As does the MASSIVE paper-trail from school to school. At some schools - they even allow you to look at that information before you even get to know your students.

Personally, I think that what's more important is that students are being recognised for their fabulous effort and growth mindsets. They show initiative and develop an awareness of their own behaviours in relation to others. That's a key competency in the NZ Curriculum.  They participate and encourage each other to work more positively and ensure full class contribution. We should be happy that our students are displaying these behaviours - not being angry at the teachers for using a tool that actually works and builds a positive mentality in the classroom throughout all of the students.

In our class - we have aligned our positive behaviours to the values we have at school: Wisdom and Honour = Heights and Success. Along with these are the key competencties: Thinking, Relating to Others, Using Symbols, Language and Text, Managing Self and Participation and Contribution.

As for the issue with publicly showing students behaviours - I'll say that we do this in our class.Why? Because it encourages positive mentalities in our class - because we use positive behaviours and we work to a class goal of points by the end of the term.  Having the points on the projector - and usually in the background with the sound off, and sometimes on - especially during the beginning to get the buy-in from students - helps to encourage students. They check their own behaviours and points on their own apps - or they ask to see their pie graphs.

The naming and shaming issue too isn't something that I think occurs with Dojo because I don't use negative behaviours - because I use restorative practice in my class. My deep and meaningful conversations are well known by my students. We talk quietly and sometimes outside so that other students can't hear what's going on - and the students discuss why they're acting out or what's going on to qualify their negative behaviours. When it comes to students really not listening or focussing, we have a disciplinary process as mentioned above that works incredibly effectively because our middle managers work together with the students to create a better plan. I focus on building positive behaviours in our class because it's important to identify behaviours we as a class, and as individuals, need to work on. We develop a stronger consensus of what is appropriate behaviours in class.

Many students I have taught come from homes and environments where certain behaviours that aren't acceptable nor appropriate in our class, are completely acceptable and appropriate at home. This is why I believe that Dojo helps to reinforce those Positive Behaviour for Learning areas of focus that we as a country are working towards. With the rollout of PB4L - sure it was already being done with Te Kotahitanga - we are again ensuring that students are modifying their own behaviours, being accountable and responsible for their actions. This - is why I use Dojo. Because each student knows how they're doing and through using Dojo they can take accountability for their behaviours. Sure some students would prefer a more stricter way of life in class because that's what they're used to at home or need to have more structure and stability. I know though, that the way I nurture and encourage my students is appreciated by them.

There seems to be a wide range of views when it comes to the comments section from that article and while I can understand the different points of view - the majority of the naysayers - aren't teachers. They don't know the daily grind and the difficulty in engaging unmotivated students or students that just do not enjoy being stuck in a class all day. Those students who love school also need extending and encouraging daily as well. They too need motivating and recognition of their effort and growth mindsets towards their work, learning and of course their positive and, unfortunately at times, negative behaviours.

By encouraging the positive behaviours - we ensure that all students are on-task. No we don't use it at every moment of every lesson. But when we do use it - the engagement is more focussed and students are more receptive to feedback and feedforward of goals and appropriate actions. Some students need continuous encouragement and Dojo doesn't always work straight away for them because they have deep-seated issues that need altering first. And any app can't solve those issues. As a teacher, I can help, listen and try to understand. I encourage them to believe in themselves. When they see that Dojo is related in some way to this - some of those students become more engaged - and for others - they didn't really need the extra encouragement because they already have so much resiliency and can achieve well without it. For those students that just don't buy in to this or other systems of management and encouragement - at least they're in a safe space that when they're ready to join in - they can.

I also take offense to this particular statement: "Such an anecdotal approach does not sit well with evidence-based educators." 

Why? Because nearly every single one of my blog posts has been from my own anecdotal experiences in my classroom and professional learning. Because without it - how are we meant to know how our behaviour management and encouragement systems are working? I am an evidence-based educator. Each class's evidence is clearly shown through our use on Dojo, their goals as learners, the daily formative and summative assessments we do in class and the students' overall feedback and feedforward about how we use Dojo and what we can do to improve our behaviours and focus each day.

So while I understand some of the commenters and some teacher's misgivings with Dojo... use it and see how it works for you. If it doesn't seem to work perhaps you're already doing systems of management and encouragement in your class that work for you and your students.

I just know that it works for me and that my students absolutely love it.

Class Dojo: Student Engagement and PB4L

This post has been a long time coming.

Over the last year I've used Class Dojo more and more in my classes. The avatars, the point systems and the easy ability to contact parents has been incredibly big pulls for me in terms of use in class and student interest in the app and browser programme.

As a high school teacher - who has been finding different strategies to not only engage my students and create strong relationships with them - it's been imperative to find the right tool to develop those areas but also to maintain positivity in the classroom.

I feel a lot of the tools out there are great - but with Dojo there is the instant gratification of the gamified aspects as well as the cool little avatars that are changeable per student. This buy-in is invaluable for high school students.

Last year when I used it with my Year 12 English class as well as the Year 9 class - it showed that even the seniors were into it - and despite my thinking that they might have thought it was stupid or too babyish for them - they bought into to kaupapa and encouraged others to get more points by displaying appropriate behaviours.

This year, I've tutu'd with it a bit more - developing more focussed behaviours in each class as well as generic behaviours that I want us to look out for. I've asked my students about goals they'd like to achieve as a class and the next step is individual goals.

My Social Studies class is very ambitious - they're trying to get 450 points by the end of this term. My Y11 English class have just started using it yesterday and are already buying into the process and probably just need a bit more focus in terms of the areas we're going to be concentrating on with them, like Growth Mindset and Delving Deeper, using SOLO and Essay Structures appropriately.

What I'd like to do is somehow use Dojo as part of my Gamification in my Social Studies class where points are collated to gain badges along the way as well as build class reward systems that are both intrinsic and extrinsic.

As this year has progressed I've been using it more and more frequently, finding alternative methods to me just adding points. Our Y10 English TA Ria was rewarding points today to students who were working really well, completing work on time and having generally fantastic attitudes. Having used Dojo with some of these students previously - they have a mini-buy in. The issue last year was that I hardly ever had it up on the projector. Even if it's up there just so that they can see the banner come up - it really helps to encourage more students to create more positive attitudes.

I was observed by one of my mentors today using Dojo and in that Social Studies class we have begun going down the class list alphabetically, where each student gets a turn to reward points. My Y10 SS class have bought into the programme so well that they are using the language and developing more appropriate behaviours more consistently.

With my Year 11 class today, we were working on Events and plotting them on the exposition, rising action, climax etc line to show their understanding. Some students were fine and others needed more growth mindset to push them forward. Giving out the invites is always slightly time-consuming because they eventually realise (after I say it about five or six times) that they can change their avatars once they log in on their own at home.

One student took the last few moments of class to jump on my computer to do his and showed the rest of the class how to do it. Very impressed. Showed our TA Marie how to reward the points as well as it will help to integrate the ideals into our class when it's coming from both of us - and plus it's just really cool noticing awesome behaviours.

Of course, we already have a PB4L system - where we give positive pinkies for the students who do well. It was previously done online but has now gone back to a paper system - because the Heads of Houses just don't have enough time to do it online... though if I were a Head of House - I'd more likely lose the bits of paper and would have my phone or laptop on me at all times.. I'd probably invest in a tablet actually...

Anyway... I think that eventually when there are students who are being consistently awesome - then not only will they get their class badge - but they will get positive recognition in their assemblies as well.

What I just found out tonight was that you can add student's pictures up instead of monster avatars! https://classdojo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/202027529

Over the past few weeks getting the tote bags, stickers and my Dojo Shirt from Jenna and the CD team for when I present on Class Dojo at conferences, I've slowly but surely begun to make more of an impact in school. My new drink bottle was AWESOME. Love love love presents and especially ones from Class Dojo because by having them - they become talking points and I can share my knowledge and experience with the app and ensure that others are using it to help improve their classes as well. Sharing the taonga helps as well because they become talking points for my colleagues as well.

Best comment yet though was when I walked into class with my marking in one of the tote bags - one of my students said, "Oh - so Class Dojo is actually a real thing then..." Love it.

I think using Class Dojo without having previously made a connection with the students would have been harder because - for me there needs to be a lot of moulding of parameters and ensuring students are safe, and focussed. But mostly having students in a healthy headspace that they can functionally be there in class - not just physically. Also - developing strong bonds comes with time - and while Dojo definitely has the potential to maintain and build on those bonds in future -  I just think that there needs to be a bond prior to beginning the CD journey with your class.

Looking forward to the next few days with using Class Dojo and seeing how it progresses with my Year 11 and Year 10 English class.

Y10 Poetry update..

Again... I don't quite know how it worked but... it did. Perhaps it was the scaffolding or the flexibility or the one on one group work, checking up on everyone and getting everyone involved.

Was really really easy to see the two students disruptinf their own learning... and actually - none of the other kids were put off because they were all in their own little poetry ecosystems. So so cool.

Really need to figure out how to recreate this. I feel like it's a mixture of the 'right kinda kids' and also perseverance.

To have kids choose to write their own poems over beginning the decorating side or for those who want to start the decorating side and think while they're doing it. Or having one student working on Minecraft creating billboard signs with poetry on them or another creating a PowerPoint on my laptop and looking up Hone Tuwhare poems for more inspiration. Or the student who has consistently been on point, choosing poems by Coleridge and Wordsworth for his selection. Or the student reading out of the poetry book I lent her last week to the disruptive students beside her - trying to help them get on task - but then ignoring them while still sitting beside them - doing her work. Or the students at the back immersed in their music, using it to create a collaborative song. Or the student so immersed in his own poetry that he was finding it hard to get it out "right".

Somehow... I helped create this.

And it's simply wonderful.

After last year and being so incredibly drained by the immature behaviour and consistent setbacks with changing class dynamics and constant stops during the lessons - it is so so nice to finally see them involved, participating and getting into it.

At one point I stopped them for a bit to talk about a Class Dojo point goal - 50 points by the end of the term. And one student said, "Miss, this is not helping. I'm in the zone." Or something to that effect. He just wanted to get back into his poetry and honestly... that is the coolest thing hearing that from him.

Of course... it could also be the cupcakes that I gave out at the start of the lesson in recognition of two boys' birthdays over the weekend, promised rewards from last year that I owed and just because they've really been working so damn well.

Stoked.