Originally posted by Jon Campbell on February 9, 2019
For this assignment, I chose to answer in podcast form, as I tend to digest information through audio more than text on mobile devices.
As this site doesn’t seem to allow embedding of SoundCloud files directly, the audio is available here
For accessibility, or for those who prefer text the transcript follows:
For those of us teaching in a K-12 educational setting every day, we know that the prevailing attitude towards mobile technology is that it's a distraction and something to be banned rather than embraced in the classroom. While there may be positive moves towards the use of mobile technology outside the physical classroom to connect learners it is still acceptable for schools or districts to institute a zero-tolerance policy inside classrooms. There are mobile tools that aim to change that, by using student devices as an engagement tool rather than one that disengages them. Classcraft is one of these tools. Classcraft is a web and app-based system run by a teacher that gamifies the classroom by creating a fantasy-style role-playing game based on student behavior. Students are given a chance to select one of three primary characters. Each character comes with a set of spells or powers that can affect the events in the real-world classroom. Students earn points by behaving positively and lose points (or become injured in the game) by behaving negatively. All of these actions and their point values can be set and changed by the teacher to tailor it to the specific class. The spells and actions that the players can "cash in" points for are usually set up to be real-world outcomes such as being able to move seats, to get an extension on an assignment, or be permitted to listen to their music for one day. Whatever the teacher decides. Students are also assigned teams to compete with each other for points. Students are encouraged to collaborate and work together to combine their points to win rewards for their team. Where mobile technology comes in is in the form of the app. Students can see the current information on members of their team, can use spells or actions right from their phone that notifies the teacher, and can coordinate rewards with other team-mates to maximize their outcome. Students are playing games on their phones every chance they get. Classcraft seeks to use that to their advantage. The app has a very game-like feel, with visuals that are very fantasy-like and with an immersive experience, except instead of slaying monsters and looting treasure chests; they are raising their hand to talk or bringing their textbook to class. Classcraft wouldn't be suited to every classroom. It requires that every student have access to technology regularly, to check and update their character. It requires technology for the teacher too, in order to assign positive and negative behaviours to the students.
This serves as a good introduction to Classcraft, while also considering some of the challenges. The fact that this was presented both as text and as audio is also very positive, as I found both listening and reading along to be beneficial.
In my opinion, the greatest benefit is the focus here on guidance and mentorship for students on how to use technology as a tool rather than banning/avoiding it entirely. It is important that, as educators, we are giving both guidance and examples of positive uses of technology, and providing our students with opportunities to have meaningful struggle and failure within our environment, as our school environment is one of the only places we have any influence on their habits and behaviours.
While Jon mentioned the ability for students to be “injured” by failing to meet the requirements of class, what was missing from the review was an explanation of altruistic and supportive behaviours rewarded by this platform as well. Students have the potential to be able to use their own rewards to support classmates who are struggling and “heal” or save them as well. This provides powerful opportunities for a community to support a student who is struggling without the teacher resorting to punishment or further negative consequences. It also distributes the support network, allowing students to be meaningful agents of positive change and support for their peers.
Professionally, I have seen Classcraft used in classrooms to great effect, being able to quantify behaviours deserving of rewards such as “listening to music in class” all the way up to rewards such as being able to teach the class something of interest are powerful ways to increase engagement in the classroom.