Classwha?

Classcraft.  An online gamification platform for both behavior management and class participation.  I am a gamer.  I don't have as much time to game since becoming a mom, a grad student, and a teacher (all at the same time most days).  But you can't take the game out of me - I always am trying to find ways to make learning fun.  And I think I found one.

I started following this concept, Classcraft, a few years ago, but I've just now earned a class of my own to start to experience the amazing ideas this site pulls together.  From avatars the students can take agency in, to authentic incentives and consequences, tailored by the teacher and students - there is no part that the students are not involved in, and usually they are in control.

We want student centered learning.  We crave it (or we should if we know what we're doing).  But we fall back on tried-and-true teacher centered methods to get the job done.  Blah.  No one loves that.  Kids don't.  We shouldn't be doing the majority of the talking, or the work.  They should.  So how can you encourage it? 

One way is by encouraging students to work with each other, and to trust each other.  This method developed by Classcraft allows the teacher (Gamemaster) to create the situations which students would earn experience (XP) from, create the benefits (powers) they could have in class, and the penalties they could have.  It allows for random events of both fun and frivolity (the Gamemaster has to sing a song the players choose) or more serious (penalties are at double cost for the day).

I have set up an account, and will be introducing it to my students in my three classes this week.  This blog will be my reflection space on the process, and I'll be sharing out updated links through twitter @magdulee  What have you been passionate about for your students or classroom?  What have you done to embrace it? What are you waiting for?