Blog Post 8: ClassDojo

https://www.classdojo.com/

    This blog post is about a tool of my own interest, ClassDojo, from the list of technologies in the TLC Framework for C- Communications. ClassDojo is an online classroom platform. It allows teachers and parents to connect in an online environment by sharing pictures, videos, and messages. Teachers can post pictures and videos to the "Class Story" which is viewable by all the families in the class and allows parents to view how many points their students have earned for activities and assignments. It also allows teachers to send out whole class messages and announcements, as well as message parents individually back and forth. It is a communication and class organization tool. 

        For ease of use, ClassDojo is accessible to everyone. One account lets families connect with multiple children's classes, so they can easily check up with all the kids and their classrooms. The message dashboard has announcements at the very top, and then each message thread laid out below. The teacher dashboard is straightforward with easy-to-use features allowing you to make whole class announcements, message specific people, and share students' points progress. ClassDojo also allows teachers to share upcoming events and stories about the class for parents to see.                Teacher View: 

 

        For versatility, ClassDojo does everything an online classroom platform should. It allows two-way communication and keeps families in the loop about class activities. It also has a feature that allows you to translate messages into 35 different languages, which makes it more accessible for all and increases versatility. ClassDojo provides so many different forms of communication with families, which fits into the TLC Framework of technology use. One of the technologies greatest assets when being used for education is the ease of communication it can provide. ClassDojo capitalizes on some of the most important communication, which is with parents or guardians of students. Teaching and learning technologies work in combination with communication, and ClassDojo is versatile in its forms and accessibility of communication. 

Parent View: 

   The overall likelihood of using this in my classroom is pretty high. ClassDojo is a great way to quickly and easily keep parents up to date with classroom happenings, so I think it would be a useful tool to use. I think it is a fun alternative for something like Google Classroom, and even has better communication features. The announcement feature could be super useful, as well as the messages so that all parent communication can be in one place. I can definitely see myself having my own ClassDojo in the future.