My seventh graders are energetic, passionate students. They are highly competitive and love to play games. Their lives are infused with technology, and they benefit from its use in the classroom. Because of this, I decided to take a (fun) risk and attempt to 'gamify' my classroom by using Classcraft this year. At first I explained to my students that we would do a trial run, but it quickly became apparent that there would be no turning back!
Classcraft is "designed to encourage participation, good behavior, and 21st-century skills like collaboration," and so far in my classroom it has done just that.
Each student creates an avatar that gains points from positive classroom behaviors. Since players are placed on teams, they are encouraged to work together to continue 'leveling up', and to protect each other from poor decision making.
Classcraft has an element of surprise and randomness that keeps students guessing and always wanting more. The positive classroom culture that has blossomed around Classcraft is something I do not want to lose. My goal for this project is to fully fund Classcraft Premium for two years.
My Project
I know what you're thinking: My child plays enough games at home already, why would I want their teacher to 'gamify the classroom'?... But don't worry. Classcraft does not necessarily increase your child's screen time. There is no traditional 'game world' beyond the avatar that they create. Real-world behaviors and actions transform into real-world classroom perks and rewards.
Classcraft simply takes advantage of the 'key components of games' such as social relationships, feedback, and surprise, and connects them to classroom learning.
There are aspects of Classcraft that are free, such as earning and losing points and changing the avatar's outfit, but once students reach a certain level, they can no longer interact with various aspects of the game. We are currently using a free trial of premium (which ends at the end of January!), and would love to be able to continue using the additional features.
Classcraft premium unlocks a variety of features that are not available in the free version. One fun feature is a boss battle. Boss battles are formative quizzes that test student learning and understanding. Another feature is virtual quests, or self-paced lessons that allow students to access the curriculum. Classcraft premium even has a volume meter that can be projected to encourage students to monitor their noise level.
Despite the fact that I am not personally a gamer, I cannot deny the fact that 'gamifying' my classroom has grabbed my students' attention, fostered a collaborate nature among students, and made learning fun! Please help us continue to learn while using Classcraft!
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Toner and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
