What is ClassDojo?

   

ClassDojo is a digital platform that works to connect teachers, students and families inside and outside the classroom through a feed of photos and videos as well as messaging, it can be said that, this tool is similar to an instagram account, however it is not a social network to share your personal life, it is to monitor the teaching and learning process.

ClassDojo is free, which allows teachers, students and the school community to access it.
The most interesting thing is that this tool makes it possible to take the education of students beyond the classroom, involving families in their learning process. 
One of the most used tools of class dojo is "Class Story", which is the easiest way to share updates, moments and notices to parents.

How does ClassDojo work?

ClassDojo works in such a way that a teacher can create several classrooms and incorporate their students, where they can check the attendance of students, upload content and tools that facilitate the students' performance, upload evidence of homework and work done in class, as well as messaging the children's tutors. To be more specific, whenthe student is already a participant in a class, each of them is assigned with an avatar. When students demonstrate positive behaviors, the teacher simply clicks on their avatar, chooses the appropriate behavior from the list, and awards the student with a positive point, as well as, when a student demonstrates a negative behavior, the teacher can subtract points from the student's overall point total. Nevertheless, the grades will depend completely on the instructor, who decides when and why the grades will be awarded.

Even though the platform can be accessed through any web browser, it is also available for iOS and Android devices, which is ideal because any teacher can access their classes from their smartphone or tablet.

In class dojo there are three types of interconnected accounts:

 1) Teacher account; that user is in charge of creating the classroom, is the one who interacts with the parents, assigns the points to the students and manages the "class story". The teacher can create several classrooms and have more than one teacher per classroom.

2) Student account; the student has a limited access to the platform, the student is only allowed to customize the avatar and check what has been the assessment made by the teacher, depending on their behavior and work. It does not allow to see neither the scores of other students nor, of course, the messages exchanged between families and teacher.

3) Parent account; The parent is given specific information about their student(s), as they may have several students in their care. The parents or legal tutors of the student receive an access code which allows them to access their pupil's ClassDojo account, in this way, they can visualize what the teacher's evaluations have been at any given moment: what distinctions have been obtained, both positive and negative. Likewise, you can view the 'Class Story' or send messages to the teacher; you will not be able to check the progress of other students who are not in your supervision. 

One of the most fascinating things is that ClassDojo allows parents to see the reports on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, therefore, if they are registered, they will receive an email every Friday with the details of their child's behavior and work. 

This tool is relevant for language learning, since on the one hand, it allows you to upload content and activities, which are recorded through the class stories, in this way the student receives feedback about their work. 

Additionally, ClassDojo has a translation function, which allows both students and parents to access it. For example, if a parent does not understand what is being taught, upon receiving the message with the activity, they can translate it and understand it in their language. 

Some limitations for the use of ClassDojo are; communication is tailored just for parent to teacher, there is no search function inside the app. On the other hand, the awarding of badges could lead to problems between students, in other words, they could fight over which one has a badge and which one does not have one.

Finally, ClassDojo is an easy to use app that allows you to stay connected with your school community, and students learn based on their own needs and most importantly, at their own pace. That is why, one of the important things that class dojo contains is the delivery of insignias, which allow the teacher to motivate their students to work and learn.  

different teaching approaches could be carried out through the use of this tool, some examples of which could be task-based language learning and communicative language teaching (CLT).
During the next few weeks we will be uploading different posts which aim to present different benefits of the ClassDojo app, based on the acquisition and enrichment of the different English skills, such as writing, listening, reading & speaking.

        For more information on how to create an account as a student, check the following video