Action Research Project:

Class Dojo

Susana Leon
EDUC 526
Azusa Pacific University
Professor Hixson
04/22/15

Abstract
This action research project will focus on using the app Class Dojo in order to decrease
undesirable behavior in my classroom, specifically interrupting and tattling . The teacher uses a
technology-based app and website to motivate students to follow classroom rules through the use
of praise, points, and extrinsic rewards. The app is capable of storing student behavior history,
which can help educators communicate with parents whether their child is engaging in
undesirable behavior in class or if they are doing well. Students behavior records can be easily
accessed on a daily basis by parents when they sign up for a parent account. Student accounts are
also available for students who can then use the points they have earned to buy accessories for
their monster avatars.
Introduction
Teaching kindergarteners for the last two years has been a rewarding experience.
However, teaching five and six-year olds does come with challenges. Lately, the interrupting,
tattling, being generally off task, and students who have taken to wandering around the
classroom have negatively affected the positive learning environment I work very hard to create.
Although I have classroom rules, procedures, and a reward system in place, these behaviors have
made it increasingly difficult to make it through a lesson uninterrupted. I don't recall when I first
heard about Class Dojo for the first time, but I finally decided to download the app.
After playing around with the app, I decided it would be worthwhile to use it in my
classroom as a fun way to reinforce positive behavior. As with any behavior management
system, Class Dojo has pros and cons. Ill start with the positive aspects. Class Dojo is an app
and also a website, so it can be easily accessed on a desktop through a shortcut link and through
apps on smart phones and tablets. The program gives all students their own unique monster to

represent them. When the app or website is projected, students can clearly see how many points
they have earned. The points the students earn or lose target specific positive or negative
behaviors. These behaviors can be edited which is great because every class is different. The
behaviors that will earn students a positive point in my class are: turning in homework, behaving
while in line, participating, being on task, helping others, teamwork, and working hard. The
behaviors that will earn a negative point are: telling, using foul language, getting out of your
seat, playing while in line, hitting, being off task, and interrupting. Points can be awarded to an
individual student, to multiple students, or to the whole class with just a few clicks.
One of the programs cool features is that older students can make their own account on
the website and use their points to buy accessories for their monsters. Kinder students can also
do this with parental help. Parents can create their own accounts in order to access their childs
daily behavior report. The program generates a letter explaining itself along with the information
required for students and parents create their accounts, so this is a time saver for teachers. Class
Dojo breaks down the positive and negative points earned by behavior, so parents can see exactly
how their child did and talk to them about the negative behavior and praise them for the positive.
Unfortunately, Class Dojo has a few cons. I teach in a very impoverished neighborhood.
Most parents do not have a desktop or laptop computer at home. The cell phones some parents
have are not smart phones or if they do have smart phones, they have very limited data plans.
Given that only seven out of twenty six students had parents who signed up for the Remind app,
I predict that the same seven parents are going to sign up for a Class Dojo account. What I would
like to be able to do for the parents that wont create an account is to print out the summary of
my students behavior at the end of class or at the end of the week so that they will be able to see
their childs behavior report. However, it is not possible to print individual student or class

reports from Class Dojo. I was very disappointed when I realized this because I try to establish
consistent teacher-parent communication, and this program does not allow for that if the parents
you are dealing dont have access to technology. Despite this con, I still think that implementing
the program in my class will help reduce unwanted behavior.
Another negative aspect of the program is that it requires me to stop what I am doing in
order to tell a student whether he/she is being awarded a positive point or a negative point. The
points bubble next to the student name only displays a number, so unless students are aware of
how many points they have at the beginning of the day and keep track of every positive and
negative point they earn, it may be difficult for them to know how many points they have earned
for that day. This process of awarding points also involves either being in close proximity to my
laptop computer or walking around with my iPad or iPhone. This is something I dont usually
do, so it will take some time to get used to. On a related note, I have to remember to display the
Class Dojo app so that students can see their monster and point. However, I cant have the
projector on all day, so I will have to create a chart or poster where I can display my students
monsters with their point information to provide them with a visual aid to keep them motivated
and informed of their score.
Lastly, although I want to target three negative behaviors in order to curtail them, Ill
have to remember that I have to create plenty of opportunities for the reinforcement of positive
behavior. Noticing and awarding points for positive behavior has to be my main focus rather
than taking away points for undesired behavior. If I dont make positive praise my focus,
students will only hear me talk about negative behavior and their points will always remain in the
negative numbers. In the long run, I dont believe noticing only undesired behavior will do
anything to encourage good behavior.

Implementation
I will introduce Class Dojo to my students by showing them a video that can be found on
their website (another plus for the program!). I will keep track of daily behavior on a chart to
determine whether or not the program is helping reduce unwanted classroom behavior. Since I
dont have Apple TV, I dont have a good way to show the Class Dojo points to my students on a
constant basis throughout the day. This will pose a problem because my kindergarten students
need to see their points. I do have the projector on for short intervals, but it is for teaching
purposes. Going from flashing something for instruction to flashing their Dojo points might be
very distracting. In order to solve this problem, I will create a poster with different point values.
After I print and laminate their Class Dojo monsters (which the program provides), I will be able
to move them up or down on the poster so that their position reflects their point total at the end of
the day. This should solve the problem of the lack of a constant visual while using the app.
Results
It took a while to get used to using Class Dojo, but so far, I am very pleased with the
results. I installed the app on my laptop, desktop, iPad, and iPhone, but it was still hard to
remember to have it open in all of the devices before I started my day so that I could award and
take away points with ease. It was also not natural for me to stop my teaching to let students
know why I was awarding or taking away points. However, I found that awarding points served
as a reminder for me to give positive praise to students who were on-task or caught being
good.
When it came time to taking away points, I questioned my students about their behavior
before taking them away. For example, if students interrupted me to tell me another student was
not doing their work, I would first point out that I was in the middle of giving instruction and

then I would ask them if they recalled the term for when someone starts to talk when another
person is talking. After they answered, I would then ask them if they recalled the occasions
where telling was necessary (someone is hitting you, someone is hitting someone else, someone
wont stop bothering you or leave you alone or calls you names). After they answered my
questions, I would then label their behavior as telling, interrupting, etc., before I took away a
point.
This questioning gave the whole class a chance to reflect on their behavior. Initially, I
felt the questioning process was time consuming and that it disrupted the flow of my lessons.
But, as time went on, the questioning became more automatic and less forced. It got to the point
where the students themselves would question an interrupting or telling offender before I
would or they would stop their telling/interrupting half-way through on their own as soon as they
became aware of their actions. It was not easy to get in this routine, but seeing my students get
to this point of self-awareness makes sticking to it worth it in the long-run.
The chart below shows the daily behavior record for three weeks.

5/1/15
Interrupting-1
Telling-N/A
Wandering-1
Off task-26

5/4/15
Interrupting-3
Telling-4
Wandering-3
Off task-10

5/5/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-4
WanderingN/A
Off task-2

5/6/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-4
WanderingN/A
Off task-7

5/7/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-N/A
Wandering-N/A
Off task-1

5/8/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-1
Wandering-1
Off task-1

5/11/15
Interrupting-2
Telling-2
Wandering-N/A
Off task-13

5/12/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-2
WanderingN/A
Off task-4

5/13/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-N/A
WanderingN/A
Off task-8

5/14/15
Substitute
TeacherNo data

5/15/15
Substitute
TeacherNo data

5/18/15
Substitute
TeacherNo data

5/19/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-N/A
WanderingN/A
Off task-14

5/20/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-N/A
WanderingN/A
Off task-2

5/21/15
InterruptingN/A
Telling-N/A
Wandering-N/A
Off task-1

Conclusions
I am very happy I gave Class Dojo a shot and I am planning on using it again next year
for a variety of reasons. My kindergarteners really like the colorful and cute monsters I allowed
them to choose. They want to see their monster move up the number chart because it means they
get a reward and they also get bragging rights among the group. I really like many of the apps
features as well. Its ability to store data for students who are on behavior plans or have IEPs is
very convenient. The messaging option it offers makes it a snap to message parents their childs
behavior report or academic progress. The list of positive and negative behaviors can be
customized which is great. After using this product for one week, I figured out that the more
specific the behavior being rewarded or reprimanded is, the better. Giving a point for being on
task is okay, but too general. Awarding a point for being on task during centers time is even
better. The same goes for negative behavior. Taking away a point for talking is too general.
Taking away a point for talking during rest time is a lot more specific. Class Dojo allows for a
teacher to customize behaviors and this flexibility is another feature that makes the app a keeper.