Are you a teacher like me, wanting to promote student agency but worried that the sandcastle you’ve built could fall apart at any moment? I’m a Year 4 teacher at an international school in China. Due to the pandemic, I am starting the year mid-way through the first term, so my students have been through a lot of change and uncertainty. At the time this assignment was posted, I had not begun teaching my class in person. One of the concerns I’ve been told about is the lack of routine and expectations the students’ teacher had for them the previous year. I believe the word “feral” was used at some point during this conversation. While I am an experienced teacher with 10-plus years under my belt, I consider classroom management to be the weakest part of my “game”. I don’t consider Classcraft to be a magical tool that will transform my classroom; however, I do believe there is the potential for future use.
Classcraft is an app available on web browsers and mobiles. It uses role-playing stories to engage students and help them manage their behaviour. In the spirit of gamification, I have used Twine to present information about Classcraft and my conclusions on the app. Please click the following link->https://shemetec.itch.io/a1-classcraft
Hi Sheena,
I absolutely loved your twine! Your use of humour and story-telling really appealed to me and made the review/information easy to digest. I participated in an optional Classcraft game last year and started off REALLY excited/intrigued to play it but lost interest VERY quickly. I think I lost interest because there was significant disconnect between the “adventure”/game part and the content that had been added. They felt like two separate things and it was not motivating. I think there is a lot of potential in Classcraft but your conclusion that “… it’s not something you can implement without some careful planning and communication…” is also correct. In terms of crafting this design, I would be tempted to flip the challenge onto my students, can they use Classcraft to create a fun experience embedded with learning experiences, and make it fun?
Hi Sally,
Thanks for your feedback. That disconnect you mentioned is something I hadn’t thought about. I like your idea about flipping the challenge onto the students. I think if students can have input on how the RPG is integrated into the class, the disconnect could be bridged. Currently the classroom management tools I’m using are ClassDojo and a whole class behaviour tracker (a number line with a sad emoji and happy emoji on either side). Both tools were suggested by my students and I think the reason why they’ve worked so well is because they chose them. How wonderful it would be if students could use Classcraft to regulate their own behaviour and engagement?
Thank you for your analysis of Classcraft. There was a lot of information and you explained it very well. I admit that I am quite hesitant about using apps such as this one for a variety of reasons, such as worrying about the time it may take away from instruction and student learning, as well as the behavioural focus that includes negative punishment. That being said, the reviews that teachers give Classcraft are overwhelmingly positive. Because I’m not a gamer it is definitely harder for me to wrap my head around programs like this, but if I ever have a really difficult group, I may just have to try it out!
Thank you so much for sharing your project, Sheena!
KJ
(Note: There is a video that is broken in your presentation – I believe it was in the “Teacher Review” section?)
Thank you Kendall for your feedback about Classcraft and my analysis. I was actually thinking of first using it at the end of the school year with my class as a test run because by then I should know the quirks of my students and what works and doesn’t work. I think story mode could be more your cup of tea/drink if you’re not a gamer. You could think of it like watching a play, perhaps?
Thanks for letting me know about the broken link.