Manage Student Behavior with ClassDojo

ClassDojo is an in-classroom tool that helps you to manage behavior and boost engagement in class really quickly and easily. ClassDojo enables you to recognize specific behaviors and accomplishments in real-time, with just one click of a smartphone or laptop button. Try it out for free now!

ClassDojo works by setting up real-time feedback loops in the classroom, to recognize and reinforce desirable behaviors and values. You can recognize and reinforce specific behaviors and accomplishments with just one click, and have real-time visual notifications appear on your smartboard, laptop or projector. All recognition is logged automatically, and student behavior records are automatically created and updated so you don’t have to do any other data entry (unless you want to, of course!). ClassDojo automatically generates analytics, shareable character report cards and insight into your classroom that has never before been possible.

For teachers: in some classrooms, up to 40% of class time is spent managing behavior rather than delivering instruction; ClassDojo aims to greatly reduce this so teachers can do more teaching, and less crowd control! In addition, for the first time, teachers have a painless way to focus on developing positive behavior over time, rather than just logging referrals at the point where it is too late to intervene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celly added Polling

What is Cel.ly? Cel.ly creates mini social networks called cells that connect you with people and topics that matter most to you. A cell can contain anybody with a cellphone, people from your existing social networks, or any web feed. We let you define filters based on hashtags, location, time, and user identity so you can eliminate noise and get alerted only when relevant messages occur.

Group Polls: Cel.ly lets you instantly create group polls. You can setup a poll on any cell and have the members of that cell take the poll. Polls can be created on the go using your cellphone and sms text messaging or from the Celly website.  I have also used PollEverywhere before, but one of the benefits I see to using Cel.ly for polls is that my students are already registered and familiar with using Cel.ly

Here are instructions on using Cel.ly for polling–> Click Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Create charts with ChartTool

Charts and graphs are a great tool because they communicate information visually. On ChartTool you can design and share your own graphs online and for free. They support a number of different chart types like: bar charts, pie charts, line charts, bubble charts and radar plots.

A short introduction per step:

  1. Design Graph. In this step you choose your Chart type. Choose for example a bar or line chart. If you made your choice you can personalize your chart with a number of different settings.
  2. Add Data. In this step you add the data of your graph. First choose how many items and/or groups you want to show. If you want to create a bar chart about the sale of apples in the months january till december 2007, choose 1 group (apples) and 12 items (months of the year). If you want also a show the sale of bananas during the same year, choose 2 groups.
  3. Labels and Fonts. In this step you determine the settings for the datalabels and you can set your font type and font size.
  4. Preview grafiek. If you have entered all your data and your settings you can click on ‘preview graph’ to show your chart and see if it is correct. You can always go back some steps to change your data and your settings.
  5. Save and Share In this step you can send your graph via email or save it as an image on your local computer. If you are registered and logged in on our site you can also save your graphs online for further editing at a later stage.

 

Record Audio with Audioboo

I learned about Audioboo from the Engaging Educators Blog. Audioboo is a simple website that allows users to record free of charge online. Students can even download the app to their Droid or iphone to turn their smartphones into a recording device. Audioboo seems very easy to use in the classroom. It could be used with storytelling, interviews, radio shows, foreign langage assessments, and personal messages for families. The ideas are endless!

How it works? 

Students can record any audio and its turned into a podcast also called a “boo” You can share the podcast on a social networking website or email it to a friend. You can also play it directly from the web or embed it into your blog.

Poetizing Life: September 11 We Remember (mp3)

Use Webnotes with Research

I learned about WebNotes from one of my AP Government seniors who was researching a project about federal mandates. I wish I had WebNotes in college it would have made my life so much easier.  I am sharing this resource with my entire class when we start the next project. Check it out today!

Benefits of Using WebNotes

  • WebNotes makes it easy to highlight and add notes to web pages from directly within your web browser. Notes are saved automatically and will reappear any time you visit the page.
  • Zoom in and out, search for text, and use WebNotes’ highlighting, commenting, and note-taking tools with our ultra-high quality online PDF viewer.
  • Organize your notes, bookmarks, and documents into folders, or tag them for easy reference. Search through your notes to find information instantly. WebNotes can be accessed from anywhere — either through our browser plug-in, or the WebNotes web site.
  • Highlighted web pages and PDFs can be shared with others through email, permalink, or Twitter. Recipients will see your notes without having to download software or register for WebNotes.
  • Share your notes and clippings with clients and colleagues by generating beautiful reports with WebNotes. Simply select one or more folders, choose a report template, and use our rich-text editor to make final changes. Then send your report by email, or export it to a PDF or HTML document.

Quizlet- the new “paper” flashcards

Quizlet is the largest flash cards and study games website with over 6 million free sets of flashcards covering every possible subject. It’s the best place to play educational games, memorize vocabulary and study online.

Make or Find Flashcards

Create flashcard sets with your own terms and definitions

  • Or choose from millions of flashcard sets created by other users

Use Powerful Study Tools

  • Flashcard Mode lets you familiarize yourself with the material.
  • Learn Mode is the most powerful study mode, keeping track of your scores, and retesting incorrect answers.
  • Test Mode generates customizable tests with short-answer, matching, multiple choice and true/false options.

Share & Study with Your Friends

  • Create a group to share or discuss flashcards with your friends or classmates.
  • Edit and improve sets created by other group members.

Play Competitive Study Games

  • Scatter is a fun matching game which lets you drag and drop questions and answers with your mouse while racing against the clock.
  • Space Race is the ultimate video game study simulation. Racing the clock, you type in answers to questions flying overhead before they evade your grasp.

Study on the Go

 

Use Neat Chat to Back-Channel

This week I tried my first back-channel with my AP class. I was impressed with the level of participation and discussion while we watched the video. What shocked me the most was that students asked and answered questions during the video. I posed a general question to the class that elicited responses but many students made comments about the video and even asked the class questions. We used Edmodo as the platform, which worked well. I was thinking of researching some other back-channeling options. Today’s Meet is blocked at my school so that option is out.

I recently discovered a back channeling option called Neat Chat. Neat Chat is the easiest and fastest way to have an online conversation with a group of friends or colleagues. The process of starting a chat session and inviting people is dead easy! Neat Chat provides you a clean, fast, and robust chat room.