4 Fun and Easy-to-Use Positive Behavior Apps For Your Classroom
Oct 11, 2023
Based on the blog post below written by Classroom to Boardroom Community member Connor McQueen, this episode of the educators 2 educators podcast explores four engaging and easy-to-use positive behavior apps teachers can start using today.
If you’re looking for fun and effective classroom management strategies, Connor and host Carrie Conover explore why each of these tools might be a perfect fit for your classroom. Discover how gamification and seamless communication can seriously improve your classroom environment to foster deeper learning and better collaboration.
A look into the episode…
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[01:34] Carrie introduces Connor McQueen, educator of nine years, and his passion for EdTech tools.
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[05:12] Connor explores why he’s passionate about tech tools for teachers and how behavior management became a focus for him as a teacher.
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[07:08] Diving into each of the tech tools, Connor explains what he prefers about each and how they can help teachers.
Less than half of students reported that they were engaged with school in 2021. Sometimes, it takes a little extra motivation to fully grab students’ attention. This inevitably puts a lot of responsibility on the teacher to do everything he or she can to reel the kids in. Take a look at these awesome positive behavior apps/websites that will motivate your class to be the best that they can be.
ClassDojo
ClassDojo is so much more than just a parent contact app. While that’s a wonderful feature, it also offers motivational tools for students. Create specific categories with which you want your class to strive for greatness (recess behavior, teamwork, helping a classmate, etc.) and award them points when you see the desired behavior.
It aligns wonderfully with PBIS and any cool tools or school-wide expectations that may be in place. Maybe once a student reaches a certain number of points, they earn a prize. Even award the whole class points with one click of a button.
The kids will surely strive for greatness if they know there are Dojo points awaiting them. And they love to hear the DING when they earn a point!
Price: Always free for teachers!
Classcraft
Classcraft makes learning fun by combining learning with what they love most—games! Each student is able to craft a customizable character that represents them and their choices throughout the school year. Students earn points, or XP, for showcasing positive behaviors. As they earn this XP, they unlock special in-game perks, such as pets and armor upgrades. Special powers that translate into real life can also be earned (homework pass, prize, etc.).
Not only are there individual goals for students to reach, but there are team goals as well. Classcraft fosters teamwork so that your class community can become even closer.
Eventually, you may get to quests and boss battles, but to get started, check out these tips and tricks. You’ll be a game master in no time.
Price: The basic mode is free and the Premium mode is $120.
Thumsters
Yes, this one is billed as a family or parental app, but it can absolutely be used to manage student behavior in your classroom. Due to its simplicity, we would suggest using this one for younger grades (K-2).
Input your students and award them a thumbs up or thumbs down for certain behavior. It’s that simple.
Thumsters is great for differentiation because the teacher can create different goals for different students. One student in your class may have a problem with talking back, while another might struggle to keep her desk clean. With Thumsters, you can target those specific behaviors and reward them with a thumbs up.
We think this app should be paired with some in-class rewards.
Price: Free!
Gimkit
We’ve covered Gimkit here at e2e before. If you want more of a rundown of what Gimkit is, you can check that out here.
I wanted to share a personal story about Gimkit in the classroom and how it relates to SEL. I’ve played the “Trust No One” mode on Gimkit with my students. It is essentially the game Among Us. Students all work together answering questions, investigating each other, and calling meetings to try to spot the imposter (which is one of the students playing).
You can imagine that this could get a bit chaotic in a classroom setting, with accusations being thrown around and feelings getting hurt. Not when we played. And it won’t when you try it, either.
We set very firm ground rules about how to go about “accusing” someone of being the imposter. Students were respectful and listened to one another while defending themselves in a respectful manner. Kids would even step up and defend each other.
My students learned social skills and built a sense of community playing this game. They learned to reason, to listen, and to care for others’ feelings. You should try it in your classroom — it’s free (and requires no plan, just a basic understanding of the game)!
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