ClassDojo - a simple way to motivate students

Have been meaning to write a quick note about a new tool that I have found gives a useful addition to a middle school class.

ClassDojo allows you to assign points to students in your classes for a variety of activities. These points can be both positive and negative ... And the software keeps track of the points over time. I have used it for about 6 weeks and am continuing with one of my classes this term as it seems to be helping with keeping students both on track and motivated.

Here is a view of the main class screen as it sits with my class at the start of this term.

The green scores are for positive behaviors and the red for negative. This display shows both values, though another setting displays just the net score, the positives less the negatives. I use the net score at an end of term prize giving whereby each point gives the student one entry into the draw for the term prize. The more positive points the more chances the student shave to win.



While it is still early days, offering positive points for extra work done is seeing students emailing in answers to extra work sheets at night, over weekends and on days when we don't even have mathematics. I'd love there to be an embed function so that I could embed the chart on my class Maths site - at the moment I capture the screen at the end of each week and post it on the site.

So - give ClassDojo some consideration - it's simple, but so far seems to appeal to the students and so worth a shot.