How One Smartphone App Can Make Classroom Management Simple
Both public and private education have found themselves crippled by the lack of technology in the industry, especially in rural areas. Some schools have even found themselves still presenting information without the assistance of even a simple PowerPoint tool and projector connected to the computer. Even then, teachers find themselves having to rushing back and forth between their computers and desks while also keeping students attentive and focused. Teachers may even find themselves thinking “Well, what if I could control the classroom on my phone and NOT be bound to my desk for a change?” ClassDojo, a free app that can be used on phones and computers, answers this question and finally solves the issue of teachers being glued to their desks by connecting to interactive whiteboards, laptops, desktops and/or smart phones.
The app features a toolkit that has many functions assisting teachers in the classroom including picking volunteers, creating groups and presenting instructions. It is focused on monitoring classroom behavior and giving directions without the added stress. Classroom management is one of the most important challenges that teachers face as it affects every other aspect of teaching. So what exactly is the solution? The app helps with this by re-enforcing positive behavior when a teacher chooses to award a student and letting students know when a behavior isn’t accepted in the class. The “dojos” or points awarded through the app mainly let the student know when a behavior is good or bad with an optional sound to notify students. Teachers can take this a step further by adding prizes for students with the most points, encouraging positive behavior even more.
The app can also monitor data on what students are performing the best and which aren’t. The data isn’t just available to teachers though, students and parents can also view how themselves or their child is behaving in class. There was also the release of theTrendSpotter feature in 2013, which allows teachers to view which times students are in their best behavior and when they’re struggling to pay attention. Maybe students struggle particularly on Mondays after coming back from a fun-filled weekend. On the other side of things, maybe Fridays are incredibly hard as students are eager to leave the classroom and have less focus on it. Either way, TrendSpotter allows teachers to see when they’re having the most difficulties with students, giving them the opportunity to implement new strategies and create the best learning environment possible for their students.
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Overall, the app allows teachers to manage their classrooms more effectively and gives them, the students and parents relevant data to help each of them succeed. It is convenient and saves time by allowing teachers to record behavior at any time, post instructions on an interactive white board and help create groups and volunteers in the classroom for questions or cleaning up. You can find out also how online learning can help students supplement their studies. To top it all off, the app is completely free as mentioned earlier and can be used on any web browser as well as any smartphone.
