ClassDojo is a simple tool used for parent-communication and classroom management.
Community Review for ClassDojo
My Take
I love using ClassDojo in my class! It is simple and very helpful for my parents. The app also has a feature that allows parents to translate messages and notifications. This has definitely helped me communicate more efficiently with my ESOL parents. I plan to continue using this tool in my classroom.
How I Use It
I've been using ClassDojo for the past three years in my third grade classroom.I mainly use ClassDojo for parent-communication purposes , but there are many features on this website that can be helpful to all K-6 grade teachers. With the messaging feature, this app makes communicating with my parents easier and much faster than sending an email. Also,I can post pictures and HW notifications so that the parents can stay abreast on what's going on in my classroom.Parents have the ability to "like" or comment on notification updates. The website sends notifications to my phone if a parent has viewed my updated status. This allows me to notice which parents are actually accessing ClassDojo and which parents I need to reach out to. I can also see the percentage of parents who have joined and the amount of parents that still need to connect to the website .
For classroom management, ClassDojo has a feature that allows teachers to give out positive or negative points to individual students or the whole class based on their performance and behavior in the classroom. Parents are directly notified when their child receives + or - points. At the end of each week, parents can read their child's weekly summary, which is a breakdown of the points they've received and the comments explaining the points they've earned. When giving out points in class, my students will hear a noise that either sounds like a point is getting added or deducted. The sound that they hear will either excite and motivate them to continue doing well, or it will help redirect their behavior. Students are excited to earn positive points, because they know that their parents will be notified on the app.
At the bottom of the screen, ClassDojo has a "Toolkit" that has many different features that are useful in my class. For an example, I use the class timer very often when doing activities. The website can also randomly select groups. This saves me a lot of time when trying to select groups for certain activities. I have the option to select how many students I want per group ,and then the app will randomly group the kids.