I am excited as can be about discovering class badges.  (The video, short, promotional, explains everything.) The link Erica provided to the edudemic article hit the spot!  I love how cleverly and clearly it is presented.  I have signed up and created my first badge.

Over the summer, I spent some time and energy exploring Classcraft.  I don’t know if any of you are familiar with it.  To be honest, I wished I could try it, but the extent of the endeavor was too much for me.  Furthermore, it is much about controlling behavior, and that is not a real issue in my classes. What I do like about the game system is that motivation becomes a primary goal; engagement matters.  This same invitation to engage is what I see with Class Badges on a more manageable scale.  We have read articles about the importance of motivation, and mindset, particularly among the younger students. Badges may be a way to encourage this.

In exploring further, I came across this updated post, dealing with using badges for motivating professional learning.  Kasey Bell’s blog makes is clear that youth aren’t the only ones who benefit from the incentive of earning badges.  It is clear that any age loves games.  “Gamification with badges can be a great motivator for teachers and students.”  She includes advice from Michelle Phillips, an IT Specialist, “Start with the badges you really want everyone to have experience with, then add more as you go.  Competitions are a great way to get teachers engaged in the program.”  These are words I will take to heart.

Here is how I envision using class badges in the upcoming months. One of the ways badges can be used is to mark progress during a long project.  The upcoming Book Clubs project is just such a project.  I can see structuring the required assignments, and building in Challenges (or “extraordinary targets” as the edudemic article explains).  The very first task the students must do is create their own Google Site to use a Book Club Central and link it to their Google Classroom account..  I will create a badge for that accomplishment.

One of the discoveries I have made in researching this platform is that the badges cannot be assigned in Classroom.  What I will do, as was recommended in the forum, is make a Class Badges folder in the “About” stream in Classroom, so students can easily check their badge progress.  This is a bit of a drawback, but not prohibitive.  The motivation will outweigh the inconvenience.  When I told my colleague my plans, she said,” They’ll [the eighth graders] do anything for a sticker.  I guess we’ll see how effective this turns out to be.

I’m completing a screencast and going over how to create a site next week, on Monday (11/7).  I’m introducing the idea of badges on Friday when the students set new marking period goals for their independent reading.  The Site badge will be up for grabs after Monday when I show the screencast and the students try their luck.  I’ll keep you posted on how the new addition is received.