Blog Post 5 - Case Study on ClassDojo & Google Classroom - 2 Digital Platforms/Tools used in K-12 Setting

Tool/Platform: ClassDojo 

Case Study for ClassDojo

• Overview: Class Dojo is a commonly used classroom management and communication platform in the K-12 setting. It allows educators to foster a positive classroom culture by using a point-based reward system, which promotes direct communication with parents and sharing class updates through photos, videos, and links. This platform intends to enhance engagement between students, teachers, staff, and families while supporting behavior reinforcement and social-emotional learning (SEL).

• User Engagement: ClassDojo actively engages students, teachers, and parents:

• Students receive real-time feedback on their behavior while also engaging in classroom activities and seeing their progress.

• Teachers use this platform to assign and track students' behavior points, communicate directly with parents, and share classroom updates.

• Parents can monitor their child’s progress, receive announcements, and communicate with their child’s teacher through the messaging features.

This engagement cultivates transparency and collaboration and shares responsibility for students' development. 

• Influence on Communication: ClassDojo modifies communication in the educational setting by:

• Providing a non-intrusive way for teachers and parents to maintain consistent communication without requiring frequent meetings.

• Encouraging instant and direct messaging between teachers and parents, minimizing dependence on traditional methods of communication like emails, phone calls, and newsletters.

• Enabling visual communication through photos, videos, and links makes interactions more engaging.

This platform allows immediate feedback and real-time updates while allowing educators to set up quiet hours so professional boundaries aren’t blurred with the expectation of instant responses.

• Information Consumption: ClassDojo influences how students, teachers, and parents access and share information.

• Students absorb feedback in real-time, reinforcing their positive behavior and learning habits.

• Teachers can share updates, classwork, and instructional materials through the platform.

• Through the messaging features, parents can monitor their child’s progress, receive announcements, and communicate with their child’s teacher.

Although this platform influences the way information is accessed, shared, and learned, some parents expect constant updates from the teacher rather than engaging in deeper discussions with their children.

• Impact on Learning: 

• Positive Effects 

• This platform enhances student motivation and engagement by making students' learning interactively.

• ClassDojo strengthens the at-home-school connection, allowing parents to support their child’s learning beyond the classroom.

• ClassDojo reinforces positive behavior through the point system, encouraging students to have accountability.

• Negative Effects

• It can create stress for students who feel pressured to maintain high point scores.

• Teachers may have an additional workload managing the platform effectively and efficiently.

• This platform may shift focus from intrinsic to extrinsic motivation because students can become overly reliant on reward-based reinforcement.

• Privacy and Safety: Given that ClassDojo is a platform used by young learners, privacy and safety concerns must be addressed.

• Teachers need to be compliant with FERPA and COPPA regulations to protect students' information.

• Parents and teachers need to address concerns about oversharing on the use of technology.

ClassDojo addresses these concerns by providing privacy settings, encryption, and compliance measures, by all users need to stay vigilant about what is being shared.

Required Literacies: To effectively navigate and participate in ClassDojo, students, teachers, and parents must:

• Digital Literacy - Understand data privacy, security, and responsible platform use.

• SEL Literacy - Understanding and reinforcing social-emotional skills through digital behavior tracking.

• Communication Literacy - Engaging professionally and respectfully in digital engagement.

• Media Literacy - Evaluating and interpreting multimedia content.

Teachers and parents must guide students in developing these literacies to ensure responsible and meaningful engagement.

Reflect on the Implications: ClassDojo aligns with educational goals by fostering a collaborative and clear learning environment. Educators can use this platform for effective teaching by enhancing classroom management and parent-teacher communication. However, educators must balance digital engagement with traditional teaching strategies to maintain a holistic learning experience. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their child’s engagement by engaging with updates effectively while also encouraging open discussion with their children rather than solely relying on digital feedback.

In conclusion, ClassDojo is a powerful tool used in K-12 education, but its effectiveness depends highly on the implementation by teachers and the usage by students and parents. Clear expectations and a focus on intrinsic motivation will ensure its role as a valuable tool and asset in the ever-changing digital classroom.

 Tool/Platform: Google Classroom

Case Study for Google Classroom

• Overview: Google Classroom is a cloud-based learning platform/tool that is designed to streamline collaboration, communication, and content distribution in a K-12 setting. Google Classroom allows educators to create, distribute, and grade assignments while promoting immediate engagement with students. This platform/tool enhances students' learning by providing students with a headquarters for their coursework and instructional materials. 

• User Engagement: Students engage with Google Classroom by obtaining assignments, submitting work, looking at materials, and participating in online-class discussions. This platform allows and supports multimedia, including documents, videos, and links, which help foster a diverse learning environment and experience. Teachers use Google Classroom to manage class work, materials, provide feedback, and track students' progress. Parents can use Google Classroom to receive updates on their child's assignments through guardian email summaries.

• Influence on Communication: Google Classroom enhances communication within education by providing an organized and structured platform for the teacher-student relationship. Google Classroom allows teachers to post announcements, respond to students' questions, and facilitate class discussions. Students can work together through commenting and shared documents, which also promotes peer-to-peer learning. In the article by Ledgerwood, they say, "Social media tools can decrease student boredom by providing them with the opportunity to become participants and co-producers in their learning (Faizi et al., 2013). Using social media tools in the curriculum involves students in learning activities that allow them to learn through doing, creating, and evaluating. Utilizing social media tools with students takes the focus off the teacher and puts the students at the center of their learning experiences." (Ledgerwood, 2022). Parents can receive updates through automated reports to stay informed about their child’s academic progress.  

• Information Consumption: Google Classroom impacts how students access and interact with information by putting all learning materials in a central location, with Google being its headquarters. Google Drive allows for seamless access to resources with tools like Docs and Slides, which enable collaboration.

• Google Classroom also supports differentiated learning by allowing teachers to modify assignments based on students' individual needs. It is also imperative that students develop organizational skills to manage digital coursework effectively. In the TED Talk, Zacho mentions that the educational climate is changing, and to ensure that students' needs are being met, we must meet modern standards. (Zacho, 2021).

• Impact on Learning: Google Classroom offers significant advantages, including streamlined assignments, increased accessibility, and enhanced collaboration. Google Classroom also allows for personalized learning, where assignments can be tailored to fit the needs of students. However, with Google Classroom being connected to the internet challenges can arise with potential distraction as well as limited internet access at home.

• Privacy and Safety: Google Classroom follows strict privacy policies, including compliance with COPPA and FERPA regulations. Google Classroom also protects student data within Google Workspace for Education while also not allowing Ads to be displayed within its platform. Teachers have best practices when it comes to cybersecurity, while also monitoring students' interactions. Parents can also help reinforce responsible online practices to help protect their child’s privacy.

Required Literacies: Google Classroom allows students to develop digital literacy by effectively understanding how to access and submit assignments, manage multiple classes virtually, and participate in discussions. Teachers also need to have skills in designing engaging classwork that can be done virtually and integrating tools for assessments. Parents also need to have digital awareness while monitoring their child's technology use.

Reflect on the Implications: Google Classroom aligns with current educational goals by promoting digital efficiency, collaboration, and accessibility. Educators can utilize this platform/tool to enhance instruction, differentiate learning, and foster student engagement through multimedia. While Google Classroom enhances education through technology, it's important to be mindful of information overload, digital equity, and screen time. Parents can reinforce their child’s accountability by creating a conducive environment that will enhance imperative learning.

References

ClassDojo review for teachers. Common Sense Education. (n.d.). https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/classdojo 

Google Classroom review for teachers. Common Sense Education. (n.d.). https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/google-classroom

Ledgerwood, K. (2022). Using social media to promote 21st-century learning. Pressbooks.pub. https://pressbooks.pub/techcurr20221/chapter/using-social-media-to-promote-21st-century-learning/

Lis Zacho. (2021). How playing gives children digital empowerment. TED.com; TED Talks.                                                                                                https://www.ted.com/talks/lis_zacho_how_playing_gives_children_digital_empowerment