My Take
ClassCharts is a web service that is both an interactive seating chart and student behavior tracker. The logic of the site is that student location, both vis-à-vis the teacher and specific other students, has a significant impact on that student’s ability to focus on the content and skills being taught. This service provides longitudinal data concerning behaviors and performance. Graphical in nature, ClassCharts allows you, the user, to visualize behavioral data, even generating a weekly report. This resource has gamification elements, and is one step away from letting students become character classes in the classroom. Students can be “givers,” “healers,” or “stinkers.” BTW, the service is large enough now to command the attention of some LMSs. As time passes more shall be included.
My concern is not for the product itself but its application. If the focus is on recognizing positive behaviors, as well as dealing with behaviors that detract from the teach-learning process, then ClassCharts is potentially a powerful, positive tool. If used by an exasperated teacher to make the world see just how much of a pain little Johnny really is, then maybe not so much. The commitment and learning curve to use is 5-15 minutes to become familiar with the system, and additional time to actually build your charts. This chart will work at all K-12 levels
So, what is the cost? The demo version, very limited in function, is free. I could not find a price to buy the full version, but rather I was taken to a form to request a sales rep to speak with me. That is a turn-off.
Website Link: http://www.classcharts.com/
How I Use It
I like the idea of measuring positive behaviors alongside the negative ones. It is almost certainly more productive to reward the good rather than simply correct the bad. I would use the product in that light. Add a discussion participation metric to this site, and you’d have a site that teachers would have open throughout the teaching day. I do not plan on using it. I already use a discussion participation rubric that I am fond of, and I believe that I can better adjust my own class.