In a world where education is constantly evolving, the need for innovative tools that ignite students’ creativity and passion for learning is more important than ever.

Night Zookeeper, an interactive online platform, is revolutionizing the way teachers inspire imagination in their classrooms.

In this post, we will explore how Night Zookeeper can foster creativity in the classroom.

Unleashing Creativity in the Classroom: How Night Zookeeper Sparks Students’ Imagination

What is Night Zookeeper?

Night Zookeeper is an educational online program for children aged 6 to 12+ (Grades 1 to 6) that uses gamified learning to help them develop reading and writing skills.

It offers a full language arts curriculum while transforming “boring school work” into fun and engaging games, challenges, interactive lessons, and collaborative projects – children often don’t even realize they’re working!

Night Zookeeper also provides a safe space for all children, including awesome community and blog pages which they’re free to explore and use to further improve their reading and writing skills.

A team of highly qualified tutors reviews all content shared within the program.

Are you ready to make reading and writing fantastically fun for your students?

*Related: 3 Essential Guides for Teachers: Adapting Instruction to Every Student Ability

At its core, Night Zookeeper is designed to make learning fun and engaging. The platform revolves around a captivating world where students create and interact with magical animals, embark on quests, and engage in creative writing challenges. It’s this blend of storytelling and interactive gameplay that captures the imagination of young minds, making them excited about learning.

One of the most significant ways Night Zookeeper sparks creativity is through its focus on creative writing. Students are encouraged to write stories, poems, and reports about their unique magical animals. This not only helps improve their writing skills but also allows them to express themselves in a safe, imaginative environment. As they create their narratives, they learn the power of language and storytelling, skills vital in all areas of education and life.

Another aspect where Night Zookeeper shines is in its ability to personalize learning. Every student’s journey is unique, with the platform adapting to their specific learning pace and style. This personalized approach ensures that students remain engaged and motivated, as tasks are neither too easy nor too challenging. It’s in this tailored learning environment that creativity flourishes – students feel confident to explore, make mistakes, and learn from them, which is essential for creative growth.

*Related: Say Hello to FigJam: Your Jamboard Alternative with Endless Possibilities

Check out Night Zookeeper’s downloadable learning resources, great for getting your child excited about reading & writing.

Night Zookeeper for Schools and Teachers

Teachers are not left behind in this creative journey. Night Zookeeper offers a suite of tools for educators to track student progress, provide personalized feedback, and integrate the platform’s resources into their lesson plans. This ease of integration means that teachers can effectively use Night Zookeeper to complement their teaching methods, making lessons more dynamic and impactful.

Night Zookeeper is more than just an educational platform; it’s a catalyst for creativity in the classroom. By blending the art of storytelling with interactive and gamified learning, it provides a unique space for students to explore, imagine, and create. For teachers looking to spark imagination and foster a love for learning in their students, Night Zookeeper is a valuable resource worth exploring.

Get the FREE Trial!

Classroom Reading & Writing Program

• Make reading & writing fun for your students!
• Boost their vocabulary, spelling, and grammar!
• Save yourself hours of grading time!

*Please note that this post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links. This helps support the maintenance of this blog and allows me to continue sharing valuable content.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Unleashing Creativity in the Classroom: How Night Zookeeper Sparks Students’ Imagination appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In this episode, Kasey chats with Shawn Young, a former teacher, and CEO of Classcraft.

When so many teachers are struggling with behavior management, student engagement is at an all-time low.

Teachers are burnout.

We need tools and strategies to help. 

Shawn shares the importance of building relationships with students (Ted Lasso style) and managing behavior with positive reinforcement through gamification.

He also shares the importance of formative feedback and tracking actionable data.

This episode is full of great ideas to help teachers and schools!

Listen to this article.

Strategies and Tools to Improve Student Behavior and Engagement

Shawn stumbled into teaching when he substitutes taught in a high school physics class while earning his undergraduate physics degree. After weighing the life of a laboratory researcher and the life of a physics educator, Shawn enjoyed the interactive classroom setting much better. Deciding to stay in the classroom meant furthering his education for certification. This led to a thesis on building student community through digital platforms.

A Scientific Approach

In 2008, there weren’t too many options for a digital platform to ask students to interact outside class. Shawn utilized Moodle as a way to encourage students to provide support and help on assignments. He measured how student interaction inside the classroom increased and raised morale. 

Once Shawn witnessed the positive impact this was having on his students he wanted to take it a step further. All the fun projects and hands-on activities didn’t seem to be enough to build a strong community among students. With the experience and skill set for building an app, Shawn landed on an idea to gamify his classroom. 

Gamification 

With the knowledge to build an app and a passion for gaming, Shawn put it all together to create Classcraft. Students design their own avatars within the app and earn points for mastering skills. A few examples include: being organized, managing emotions, including others, and respecting others’ opinions. All of which are lifelong skills teachers want to see their students growing in as they interact. 

It’s also possible to include classroom management-type behaviors like turning work in on time or being seated at the start of class. Students gain points that allow them to level up and earn swag for their avatars. Points can also be earned for real-life powers like eating a snack in class or turning in an assignment one day late. 

The goal then is to show students that when they behave in a way that is favorable to their education and those around them they will gain more control over their experience. Ultimately, this builds trust between students and teachers. 

Students are also participating in this game alongside their classmates. This means that when the group works together more effectively they all win bigger. Think Ted Lasso. When a group with lots of different personalities can come together to collaborate and support one another it’s a win in everyone’s book! 

Related: Power Up Your Classroom with Game Play

It’s All About the Relationships

If you are a fan of the Apple TV+ fictional show, Ted Lasso, you’ve seen how Ted puts relationships above everything. He connects personally with everyone and builds a great soccer team.

“If you care about someone, and you got a little love in your heart, there ain’t nothing you can’t get through together.” – Ted Lasso

Even if you’ve never seen the show, as teachers, we know relationships are the foundation for everything in the classroom!

The power of relationships is something many teachers have experienced. Every educator’s why is about impacting a student’s life. In the past few years, the pandemic and major changes to education have in many ways kept teachers from fostering relationships with their students. Shawn explains how Classcraft allows teachers to notice students for their positive behaviors and reward them. 

Of course, the expectation is not to be perfect every day but to be seen for the ways they are meeting expectations in the classroom. Shawn makes the point that for students the value of being at school has a lot to do with socializing. Most kids have discovered by now that they can learn to do pretty much anything from a YouTube video. 

Creating schools that are safe physically and emotionally is the only way to ensure learning is truly taking place. Shawn asks, What can we do to make school a place where kids want to be? He believes that establishing a more positive social aspect can help make school a place where kids want to be. 

Social Incentive

An aspect of Classcraft that helps to foster relationships among students is the kudos option. This is a way for a student to send another student a positive message. Of course, all messages are teacher approved! These might be a thank you for the help or you were a good friend today. The students are earning points for these encouraging messages, which in turn teaches them to choose a positive social interaction. 

As this behavior becomes normalized within the app it begins to happen more organic in everyday interactions. Many of the behaviors teachers award points for within Classcraft become habits for students. 

Why Use a Game

Shawn shares how playing video games cater to several human fundamental needs. He points out that video games develop intrinsic motivation. The reason people play video games is that they want to. They are motivated to play because it’s a situation where the gamer has control. As humans, we are also motivated to achieve mastery and then share that with others. 

Because these are universal truths Classcraft can work in upper elementary, middle, and high school. These are age groups who might also be drawn to the gaming experience because of their own exposure to video games. 

At a time when many teachers have been drowned in technology, Kasey asks why use an app to manage face-to-face relationships. Of course, it’s not necessary to use tech for gamifying classroom management. However, the tech makes it a whole lot easier. Shawn explains that Classcraft is one of those technologies that exists and gets out of the way. To award students points it takes about five minutes and then teachers can move on with their day. 

Shawn also points out that students receive, on average, very little feedback from their teachers. He also brings up that two-thirds of the feedback given by teachers during class is negative feedback. This is why at its core Classcraft is about letting students know they are seen. The majority of our students are well-behaved and generally don’t hear much feedback, whether positive or negative. Awarding them points for their positive behaviors within the app let them know they were noticed and appreciated. 

The other reason for using technology for these purposes is to capture the data. It’s always a good idea to reflect on and evaluate our teaching practices. By using Classcraft it’s possible to record how often praise is being given to students. The data can also help to point out any bias or imbalance of feedback. 

Leveling Up

Another positive mindset shift that takes place with Classcraft as a management tool is the fact that students are always progressing. There is only the option to level up. Rather than having a label as a student who gets by with passing grades, this system allows students to gain confidence in themselves. Classcraft provides more specific feedback than a letter grade can provide. 

The data points collected with the use of this app can lead to interventions for students who may need more help with social-emotional skills. When these SEL skills are addressed with intentionality students can show growth academically as well. While these data points are important for individual classrooms they can also be incredibly important for whole buildings or districts. This data provides insight into the culture within the school. 

Generally, schools collect behavioral data based on referrals and suspensions. This highlights which students are not behaving as they should and this group is usually a small group. That means most of the students in the school are not being noticed. Utilizing a technology system that can collect specific positive behaviors about students develops engaged learners and can help build the relationships students need, along with the community schools are meant to provide.

About Shawn Young

Shawn Young is the co-founder and CEO of Classcraft, an innovative platform that helps educators make learning meaningful and motivate students through gamification. Since its launch, it has been a force to be reckoned with in transforming behavior and classroom cultures, having been successfully implemented by educators in their pedagogies worldwide.

In alignment with his mission to improve teaching pedagogy and students’ motivation in learning, Shawn co-chairs UNESCO’s MGIEP Global Collective for SEL and Digital Learning, serves as the President of the Edteq Association, and is an Ambassador for the Education Faculty of the University of Sherbrooke.

Shawn has an extensive experience in professional education, having taught 11th-grade physics for nine years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s in education from Université de Sherbrooke. In addition, he is also a seasoned web developer, combining these skills and experience to start Classcraft.

School and district leaders are some of the many types of listeners that will definitely benefit from Shawn’s insights on motivation, education, skill development and culture, and leadership. He can’t wait to get booked to talk about creating a sustainable community in the classroom and the role of playful principles in teaching the whole child!

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Strategies and Tools to Improve Student Behavior and Engagement – SULS0175 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Let’s talk digital badges with the experts: Cate Tolnai and Jen Gibson!

Digital badges can help us engage students (even remote learners).

Learn what digital badges are, when to use them, and how to implement them in your classroom.

Yes, you can do this in your remote, online, or blended learning environment!

These two creative ladies will help us learn how we can use digital badges in the classroom to engage and motivate our students.

Listen to this article.

Shoutout

Thank you, Lisa Scumpieru, for all of your support of Shake Up Learning and the new Blended Learning with Google book!

Blended Learning with Google Book Study information can be found here.

Learn more here: BlendedLearningwithGoogle.com

Quick Tip

Did you know many of your favorite Google apps have built-in TEMPLATES for things like lesson plans, reports, contact forms, and more? ALL FOR FREE!

Watch this quick video to learn how! 

Digital Badges in the Classroom (What, When, & How)

You may happen to notice that the URL for this post looks a little different. The post that originally appeared on this page in 2014 was completely out of date. I needed to find new and fresh information about badges, so I called in some help from my friends, Cate Tolnai and Jen Gibson!

Related: Power Up Your Classroom with Game Play

What Are Digital Badges?

Digital badges (aka micro-credentials) are images that represent an accomplishment or skill achieved by the student or stakeholder. They can be displayed online, and many also have connected data that shows how the badge was earned.

Think digital versions of those patches we used to earn in scouts!

They can range from a simple, digital sticker to something much more complex like passing an assessment or competency.

Cate has a ton of professional learning badges in her email signature! (Show off!)

Cate Tolnai’s email signature badges

Badging has grown a lot in popularity for professional learning, higher education, and career and technical education classes (CTE) at the high school level.

But there are so many ways that K12 classrooms can take advantage of digital badges!

Using Digital Badges in the K12 Classroom

Digital badging is at its heart, a student-centered strategy. It’s empowering for students of all ages.

By connecting the play environment to the classroom, “the learning bridge,” can help students see that failing is part of the learning system. You can have multiple attempts and multiple lives, like in a game.

If we are using technology more, how can we use these to demonstrate mastery of skills and knowledge in our classrooms?

Classroom Badges – Backwards Planning for Authentic Assessment

Start with your content standards! Then deconstruct it into bite-sized pieces–what Cate call’s micro-tasks.

STEP 1: Determine your unit of study.

STEP 2: Plan the lessons of learning (sub-standards).

STEP 3: Identify the measurable objectives (micro-tasks).

STEP 4: Assign the task aligned with a master badge or micro badge.

STEP 5: Students submit evidence.

The infographic below will walk you through the steps!

CLICK HERE to Download Cate’s PDF

Badges are Great for Choice and Differentiation

When we give students more voice and choice in their learning, that flexible learning path to the learning goal, we can easily align the badge with the competency or mastery.

Tools for Creating Badges

Many of the tools you are already using may already have badges or creation tools available.

Tools to design your own badges:

• Google Drawings
• Canva
• Adobe Spark

Badging Systems

• Badgelist.com
• Canvas (Badgr is integrated)
• Add-On for Google Sheets: Magic Digital Badges

How can you use digital badges to increase engagement with your students?

About Cate Tolnai & Jen Gibson

Twitter: @BuoyConsultants

Website: BuoyConsultants.com

Podcast: BuoyCast

Cate Tolnai: In her 18th year in education, Cate Tolnai’s professional experience spans online and blended professional learning design and implementation, strategic social marketing and communications, K-12 education, and both district and county level administration. As co-founder of BUOY, her deep interest in professional learning and development coupled with her communication skills positions her to successfully partner with a wide variety of teams. Author of Power Up Your Classroom with Game Play.

Cate’s website: CateTolnai.com

Jen Gibson: With more than 25 years of experience in education, public policy, edtech, and K12 business development, Jen specializes in strategic thinking and unique approaches to work on behalf of BUOY’s clients. Jen is a partner with a passion for learning, combined with innovative strategies that provide growth opportunities, powerfully designed programs, future visioning, diagnostics and analytics that drive success.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Digital Badges in the Classroom (What, When, & How) – SULS096 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

In this episode, I got to talk to Cate Tolnai and Lindsey Blass about their new book Power Up Your Classroom! They share their passion for gamifying the classroom with game-based learning and teaching through play. We discuss what types of classroom environments are appropriate for gamification and ways you can incorporate game-based learning today!

For those of you who don’t know, Cate is a passionate fan of learning, coaching, and connecting. She works as the Director of Member Engagement for California’s ISTE Affiliate, CUE. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty at the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothills College. Cate has spent over seventeen years in education and is committed to supporting educators as they integrate technology in the classroom.

Lindsey spreads her love of learning as the Personalized Learning Environments Program Manager for San Francisco Unified School District. She reimagines learning through empowering teachers and administrators as designers of flexible learning environments that leverage technology to personalize instruction. She too serves as Adjunct Faculty for Foothill College/Krause Center for Innovation where she teaches courses on blended learning, assessment strategies, game-based learning, and more. 

This episode is jam-packed with inspiring nuggets that will get you started with gamification today. Listen as Lindsey and Cate share their passion for gameplay in the classroom and how you can use game-based learning to teach above the test. You won’t want to miss this episode and you will definitely want to read their book after you hear about all of the passion and love they poured into its creation!

...

In This Episode:

[00:29] – Welcome back ya’ll! Kasey is chatting with Cate Tolnai and Lindsay Blass about gamification in the classroom.

[01:50] – Shout to Kim Nowak for her wonderful email regarding Kasey’s masterclasses.

Join the Google Classroom Master Class

Join the Google Slides Master Class

All courses: https://shakeuplearning.teachable.com 

[03:18] – Listen to our Speakpipe message from Susan Noake and her idea for using duty time to build relationships.

Leave you own speakpipe message for Kasey here.

[05:01] – Cate and Lindsay say hi and share some information about themselves.

[08:21] – Learn more about Power Up Your Classroom: Reimagine Learning Through Gameplay, who the book is for, and how it will change your classroom.

Buy the Book on Amazon

Gamification v. Game-Based Learning

[13:43] – What’s the difference between gamification and game-based learning? 

From the book: Power Up Your Classroom by Cate Tolnai and Lindsey Blass

The 4 C’s of Game-Based Learning

[15:38] – Learn the 4-Cs in game-based learning.

1. CHOOSE: Learners experience choice in process and product
2. CLARIFY: Learners reflect on their progress in an iterative growth process
3. CONNECT: Learners build relationships through common progress, skills, interest, and goals
4. CELEBRATE: Learners have opportunities to celebrate both process and mastery of learning

[19:14] – What is one simple way to incorporate gamification in your classroom? 

[22:03] – Learn why you have to start with the culture in the classroom regarding failure before starting any type of gamification in the classroom.

[25:44] – Cate and Lindsey share specific topics in the book they are really excited to present.

[32:33] – Hear how Cate and Lindsey respond to the issue of time in the classroom and teaching to the test.

[38:36] – How to find Cate and Lindsey to connect!

www.powerupclassroom.com

Cate on Twitter: @CateTolnai

Cate on LinkedIn

Cate’s Website

Lindsey on Twitter: @LindseyBlass1

Lindsey on LinkedIn

Lindsey’s Website

Podcast Question of the Week

[41:31] – Kasey shares the podcast questions of the week: 

How can you empower your learners with gameplay in your classroom? Name two takeaways.

Post your answer to your favorite social media platform using the hashtag #ShakeUpLearning, or share it in the Shake Up Learning Community on Facebook!

[42:35] – Thank you for listening! Please subscribe to the podcast, and leave a review on iTunes. (Bonus points if you use  the word “y’all” in your review!)

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

The Shake Up Learning Show

The Shake Up Learning Community on Facebook

Join the Shake Up Learning Book Study!

Shake Up Learning: Practical Ideas to Move Learning from Static to Dynamic by Kasey Bell

Shake Up Learning Summer Book Study Facebook group

Power Up Your Classroom: Reimagine Learning with Game Play by Cate Tolnai and Lindsey Blass

Yu-kai Chou

Cate Tolnai’s Website

Lindsey Blass’s Website

Caine’s Arcade Concept

Ron Berger

Bill Marsland 

Andrew Rothman

The Shake Up Learning Show episode 19: Top 10 Secrets of an Awesome Tech Coach

Questions & Comments

Do you have a question you would like me to answer on the show? I’d love to hear from you!

I also love to hear from students!

Leave me a voicemail and your message could be played on the podcast!

Do You Want to Be on the Podcast?

To learn more about our process for selecting guests, please visit our show page here.

Sponsorship and Other Inquiries

If you have other questions or inquiries about the podcast, please use this contact form.

© Shake Up Learning 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com.

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Power Up Your Classroom with Game Play [interview with Cate Tolnai and Lindsay Blass] – SULS022 appeared first on Shake Up Learning.

Re-MAKE Learning

© Shake Up Learning 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

The post Re-MAKE Learning: Research Behind Building and Creating appeared first on Shake Up Learning.