ClassDojo

ClassDojo is a classroom management platform for teachers, parents and students.[1][2][3][4] ClassDojo helps teachers to encourage specific classroom student behaviors, through real-time teacher-to-student feedback through the web and mobile devices.[1][2][3][4][5] The software automatically generates behavior reports that can be shared with parents and students. Behaviors tracked by the app include hard work, persistence, teamwork, creativity and curiosity.[2] The company is situated in San Francisco, California.[5]

ClassDojo was launched in August 2011. Since August 2012, the company has more than 3.5 million teachers and students using ClassDojo in more than 60 countries.[3] Initially funded in the ImagineK12 education seed accelerator, ClassDojo obtained a main seed capital investment through a series of angels and investors including Ron Conway, Mitch Kapor, Jeff Clavier, General Catalyst and Paul Graham.[6][7]

History of the company

Sam Chaudhary and Liam Don cofounded ClassDojo in the summer of 2011, launching a beta version of the platform.[8] The cofounders moved to California from the United Kingdom, having been accepted in the first cohort of ImagineK12, a Y-combinator program and funding for education startups.[5]

After a soft launch in August 2011, growth reached one million teachers and students in more than 60 countries in 18 months.[3][4] In 2012 ClassDojo announced the collection of 1.6 million dollars of main seed capital awarded by Paul Graham, Ron Conway, Jeff Clavier, Kapor Main, Lerer Ventures, and General Catalyst.[2][3][9][10] As of January 2015, ClassDojo had "teacher-users in half of U.S. schools, with 3 million teachers and 35 million students registered".[11]

The company plans to keep the main platform free for teachers.[4] The founders say that it is because they want teachers, students and parents in all types of schools to use ClassDojo to encourage better behavior for learning and character-building.[2][12] They want to have an impact for the majority of students who attend public schools.[2][12]

Products and services

ClassDojo works on two fundamental principles:

  1. Constant positive reinforcement builds positive behaviors; this is a way to boost behaviors and skills of character like curiosity, persistence and the capacity for recovery and adaptation: qualities that contribute to learning.[3][9][13][14] Teachers using the service "report 45%-90% increases in positive behavior and 50-85% decreases in negative behavior".[15]
  2. Connect to teachers, parents and students to support and develop students before offering more academic content.[3][9][13] Teacher resources are provided on the website [16] so that teachers can fully engage their students. In addition, teachers can connect their phones, tablets, computers as well as projectors so that students have a visual reference to keep them focused on positivity.

To use the behavior management program, teachers register to obtain a free account, and then create "classes" with their students.[12][13] Students automatically receive ClassDojo avatars.[12][13] The teachers can reward students with positive feedback in real time when they show good exertion in a task or activity in class, or because they showed a positive behavior during the school day.[13] The program is personalizable, and the teachers can change the behaviors for which the students obtain feedback to adapt the software to the needs of the class or of the school.[13] The teachers also can register behaviors that students are required to demonstrate.[13] Teachers can see reports and progress for all behaviors, and share reports and results with parents and students[11] by giving them access codes.[13]

Students use the program initially with an access code; after creating an account, the students can customise avatars, see classes and see individual progress.[13] The parents can also access to ClassDojo when they are invited by the teachers, and can visualise the progress of the child and the information shared by the teachers.[4]

Platforms

ClassDojo is available as a web application that can be used in any device with a web browser, and also with native applications for iPhone (iOS) and Android.[2]

Prizes and recognition

References

  1. 1 2 Colao, J. J. (August 15, 2012). "Can Software Build Character? Applying The 'Marshmallow Test' To The Classroom". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Crunchbase: ClassDojo". Crunchbase. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Empson, Rip (August 15, 2012). "ClassDojo Lands $1.6M From Paul Graham, Ron Conway To Help Teachers Control Their Classrooms". TechCrunch. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Sawers, Paul (August 15, 2012). "ClassDojo taps $1.6m in seed funding, as its student behaviour-improvement platform rolls out of beta". TheNextWeb. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 Salter, Philip (April 23, 2012). "Insights from a young Silicon Valley startup". City A.M. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ Solon, Olivia (March 21, 2012). "Startup of the week: ClassDojo". Wired UK. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  7. ↑ DeAmicis, Carmel (March 12, 2014). "The edtech startup that's shucking the playbook by acting like a consumer company". PandoDaily. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  8. ↑ James, Andrew (August 15, 2012). "ClassDojo Raises $1.6M, Announces Upcoming iPhone and iPad Apps". PandoDaily. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 Greene, Todd (April 5, 2013). "Why your app needs to be real-time". VentureBeat. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  10. ↑ Grant, Rebecca (August 15, 2012). "Funding Daily: watch out for spies and ninjas". VentureBeat. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  11. 1 2 O'Connell, Ainsley (March 27, 2014). "Why Education Startup ClassDojo Is Entering The Messaging App Wars". Fast Company co.labs. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Rubin, Shawn (April 2, 2013). "OPINION: Bridging the Disconnect Between Teachers and the Edtech Industry". EdSurge. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pierce, Jessi; Seibel, Phil (September 14, 2012). "Tech Savvy: In the classroom". Brainerd Dispatch. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  14. ↑ Montini, Laura (2015). "How to Make the Grade With Millions of Teachers? ClassDojo Has an Idea". Inc. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  15. ↑ Colao, J.J. (September 19, 2013). "How Was School Today? Classroom Software Looks To Make That Question History". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  16. ↑ http://www.classdojo.com
  17. 1 2 Casserly, Meghan (December 17, 2012). "30 Under 30: The Millennials Overhauling Education And Leaving No Child (Or Teacher) Behind". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  18. ↑ Barseghian, Tina (September 27, 2011). "Class Dojo Wins Innovation Challenge at Education Nation". KQED. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  19. ↑ "America's Most Promising Companies". Forbes. May 2013. Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ "The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Education". Fast Company. 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  21. ↑ Williams, Felicia (February 5, 2015). "ClassDojo: 2015 Best Education Startup Winner". TechCrunch. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  22. ↑ Fenn, Donna (2015). "Remember These Names: The 2015 30 Under 30 List Is Here". Inc. Retrieved August 8, 2015.

External links

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