Do you Dojo???

So, do you Dojo??? Do you use this amazing classroom management tool in your classroom? Raise your hand high if you do and if you don't run to your device and get started!!!!!! 

I love Class Dojo! This has made such a difference in my classroom! The kids love it and they work hard to get those dojo points!

Today, my focus for this post is the new feature that is being developed and will be available to all users soon! This is an unbelievable feature.  Are you ready? Wait for it........

hmmmmmmm.....

OK, Let's talk about....

How awesome is this!!!  To be able to reward whole groups for their collaboration and cooperation!!! I have so many ideas in my head on how I am going to use this awesome new feature! 

One way I am going to use this is by creating groups for our GoNoodle Dance Parties. Their class reward when they reach their Dojo goal as a class is a GoNoodle Dance Party. Well, the group with the most points gets to compete first. They love dancing against each other like Dancing with the Stars!!

I will set up small groups for both ELA and Math. I will also do table groups, RTI groups and project groups. These are just a few of the ideas I have. More and more keep popping up because the possibilities are endless. Be creative!!!!!

This is a great way to reward research groups, small groups, table groups, and so on. This will definitely increase collaboration and cooperation amongst the students. Students will not just learn from each other, they will push each other to become the best they can be. This is great to make sure everyone takes on a role. 

Another important feature of the groups is that you will be able to provide that group with feedback. I know right.. Amazing, helpful, needed, etc! Being able to provide the group with immediate and positive or constructive feedback will definitely increase their success in the classroom with both academics and behavior.

This feature is extremely beneficial to us since the are skills Dojo Groups are focusing on and implementing are the 21st century skills. These are the skills that we need to be teaching to our students as well as content. 

Collaboration, cooperation, brainstorming, immediate feedback, these are all 21st century skills and this feature includes them all!! 

And yes, parents can see these points as well so they can also discuss teamwork at home! 

So here is a review of Dojo Groups.........

and when is this available you ask?......

I can not even tell you how excited I am that they have created this feature for us to use! The possibilities are endless. 21st century skills, parent communication, ease, and helps us work smarter not harder are just a few of the features of Dojo Groups!

All I can say is...........

So check out this feature on the 21st and let me know what you think! 

Oh and there are other features coming out so be on the look out for more blog posts so you can get the inside scoop before they are out to the public!

Learn Like a Pirate Chapter 7

This has got to be one of the most inspiring books I have read in a long time. I am sad to say that this book study is almost over.  Paul Solarz has written an amazing book that I recommend all teachers read at some point of their career. I know Student Led sounds scary but the way Paul Solarz has written and explained this concept, any teacher can implement this in their classroom in one form or another.

Well enough of my rambling, let's discuss Chapter 7, Twenty First Century Skills!

First I love all the quotes that he writes at the beginning of each chapter. This one is so inspiring!

He starts the chapter off discussing how he thought he had to teach, that the content standards were the end all do all of his teaching. But as he taught on, he realized that he needs to teach the kids how to communicate and work collaboratively and cooperatively. This is where the twenty first Century skills come in. Now many believe that these skills are all technologically based! This is not true. As a matter of fact, very few of these skills are technologically based!

There are pages upon pages of these skills in this book! I will only list a few. 

These are just a few of these skills! Knowing them is not enough! Teaching them and the students internalizing them is what our goal is. 

How do we do this???? 

1.Through feedback, positive, immediate, constructive!

2. Reflection- both teachers and students

3. Progress Report-  A report that gives the skills a score of 1 to 10. Great communication for parents.

4. Make Math meaningful- teach them perseverance, problem solving, many of the twenty first century skills are focused on in math block.

Our goal as educators is to create high functioning citizens that will be productive and successful in society. This can not be done by just teaching the content standards. We need to teach the twenty first century skills as well.

As usual, this was another informative and awesome chapter!

An InLinkz Link-up