Tweet #ClassDojoLove to Enter To Win an iPad Mini

The popular student behavior tracking service ClassDojo is currently running a contest in which you could win an iPad mini or a Nexus 7 just for Tweeting about how you use or plan to use ClassDojo. To enter simply post a Tweet a response to this question: what learning habits, behaviors, or skills do you want to build with your students this year? Use the hashtag #classdojolove in the Tweet and you're entered. You can read more about the promotion here.

About ClassDojo
ClassDoJo is a free online service for recording and generating data about your students' behaviors. To get started using ClassDoJo you create class lists and select the behaviors that you want to track. Then assign each behavior as a negative or positive behavior. Once you have created your class lists and selected behaviors to track, actually tracking behaviors is quite easy.

To track your students' behaviors just sign-in, select your class, and start marking student names with positive or negative points. When you mark with positives or negatives you can state the reason by selecting from the menu of behaviors that you created while creating your ClassDoJo lists. You can use your computer or your mobile device to make entries in your ClassDoJo account.

Students can view their records by signing into their records through secret Clas DoJo codes assigned to them. Parents can have reports about their children sent to them by you.

Applications for Education
One good use of ClassDojo is projecting the "positive behaviors only" screen while giving out positive recognition at the end of the school day. I've also had a conversation with a high school teacher who is using ClassDojo as a way to award points for participation in classroom discussions as the discussion are happening. And if students are logged-in to their accounts they can track their progress too.

FTC Disclosure: In 2012 ClassDojo ran an ad campaign on Free Technology for Teachers. I do not currently have any financial or in-kind relationship with ClassDojo.

One Nexus 10 Feature That Could Make It a Great Classroom Tablet

The big Google press event in New York City was canceled today, but Google still officially unveiled three new Nexus devices on their official blog. The device that I want to talk about here is the Nexus 10 tablet.

The Nexus 10 tablet runs the latest version of Android (4.2). Google calls it a "premium entertainment device" and if the Nexus 7 that I currently own is any indicator of performance, the Nexus 10 will live up to its billing. Of course the device will run productivity apps as well as entertainment apps. The dimensions and tech specs of the Nexus 10 is bound to make people compare it to iPads. 

I haven't touched a Nexus 10 yet, but there is one feature of it that I think has a ton of potential for classroom use. That feature is the option to add multiple users to each device. You can switch between user profiles from the lockscreen. This should allow multiple students to use the same device without interfering with each others apps.

The Nexus 10 hits stores in mid-November. I'm not sure that I can justify buying another tablet right now, but I will definitely be "window shopping" when they do hit stores.

Update: I just learned from Ryan Bretag that it's all Android 4.2 devices not just the Nexus 10 that will have multiple profile support. TechCrunch mentions that too in their break-down of the new Nexus devices.

A Short Review of the Nexus 7

When I pulled into my driveway on Friday evening there were two boxes waiting for me. One contained new mountain biking clothing. The other contained my new Nexus 7 tablet. I'm sure that most of you don't care about my mountain biking clothing, but I have a hunch that many of you are interested in my thoughts about the Nexus 7 tablet. This is my preliminary hands-on review of the Nexus 7.

What I Like About the Nexus 7:
1. The screen. It is bright and crisp. Reading on the screen doesn't stress my eyes like my Galaxy 10.1 does.
2. The size. I can hold it in one hand and reach every part of the screen (I have fairly average size hands for an average 5' 11" man).
3. Android Jelly Bean. One of the features that I like is zoom option when trying to select a link or other email font feature.
4. Chrome. I can run Chrome as the web browser and sync it to my laptop and desktop.
5. The camera clarity. When I used it for a 30 minute Skype call it it was perfect.

What I don't like about the Nexus 7:
1. The size. The screen size makes the device default to the mobile phone interface. You can change this if you root the device, but I think that voids the warranty.
2. The lack of a back camera. There is only one camera and it is front facing. I could capture a picture with it if I held it backwards, but I wouldn't know for sure what I was capturing.

Would I buy it for students?
So far I feel the same way about the Nexus 7 as I do about the iPad and about my Samsung Galaxy tablet. I would not purchase a tablet as the only device for a 1:1 program. Yes, these tablets can be used to create content but that's not what they're designed to do.  That said, I would purchase the Nexus 7 for elementary schools before I purchased iPads for elementary schools. Why? Because I can buy two Nexus 7 tablets for the cost of the least expensive iPad.

This post was written on my Nexus 7.