[Solved] Grade levels

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Does this work in students grades 9-12

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Hi Marie,

Definitely! We even have teachers who use Classcraft in college classes.

Does this work for elementary school or is this developed mainly for high schoolers? 

Hi Jessica,

We also have teachers using Classcraft from grades 3-4 and up. Since behaviors, powers, and sentences are customizable, you can adapt it to your grade level. 🙂

I'm a Special Education teacher, and this looks like something many of my kiddos would really find motivating! I was wondering if it could work for lower grades (K-2) as well?

Hi Jason,

We've had great feedback from Special Education teachers. You might be interested in the webinar our ambassador Sean Arnold did on the topic: https://vimeo.com/album/4283314.

We've also heard of teachers using Classcraft with lower grades. It is possible, but you have to adapt all of your presets, sentences, powers, random events, etc., to make them suitable for your class. :-)

I teach 7th grade language arts at a small junior high school (grades 6-8), and started using the premium version of Classcraft at the beginning of the school year with great success. Classcraft contacted my principal and is giving a free premium trial to the other language arts teachers at my school, and I believe someone from Classcraft will also be coming to the school to conduct a training session. The 6th grade teacher is planning on starting it soon which I'm honestly not excited about. (I will have all of these 6th graders next year and had planned on using premium Classcraft with them for the entire year.) I find that the thing about Classcraft that motivates students the most is unlocking the new gear sets that go along with the first 18 levels. Once they have done that, leveling up doesn't mean as much to the students, they are not as motivated as before to earn XP, and Classcraft loses its main appeal. 

Does Classcraft has any intention to add more gear sets past level 18? How do schools that use Classcraft in multiple grade levels make it work but still keep it fresh and exciting for the students? 

(I do love Classcraft, and it has really invigorated my teaching this year. I want to continue my membership for the next school year, but I want to make sure that it will still be something that my students will be excited about.) 

I have used Classcraft successfully in grades 4-10. If you have any specific questions, just ask.

Chinua Mosley, do you use it from one year to the next with the same students? My students this year were so excited to use Classcraft, but as we are getting closer to the end of the school year, the students that have already reached level 18 (students in my high class) aren't as motivated to earn XP to level up anymore because there aren't any more gear sets or pets to obtain. How do you keep students interested if they used Classcraft during the previous school year and already earned all of the gear sets?  

Hi Marie,

You absolutely can.  I'm one of those people using it in College classes.  It's so customizable that you can easily adapt powers, XP rewards, and everything to your needs.  For example, older students may not be so motivated by things like switching seats - so you can change that.  My students tend to want "real world" benefits from powers - things that will help them in the class like extensions, revisions, notes on tests and so on.  So I've changed up the powers to reflect that!

Laura

Hi Erin,

There are 4 ways that you get students engaged for the next year.

  1. Every year they should start the game over.  The students will have a chance to choose a different class and they'll have a new chance to level up faster than everyone else.
  2. Make sure that your powers are very desirable.  My students want to level up and get gear, but what they really want is the powers.  Being able to have free time on the computer, eat, use their phone, turn in work late, or listen to music are major draws for me.  I have recently seen that one of the users of Classcraft is making cards so that students can use GP to purchase one-time use powers from any class.  I'll probably be doing that as well for next year.  Access to all powers would be a draw and if you aren't freely giving GP, the main way that they could get it is through leveling up.
  3. Change your powers and events.  I adjust my powers and events every year to suit the students the students that I have.  You should find out what they want for powers and events and tell them that next year you will implement some of their ideas

 

The dark side:

I know that people are going to frown on this one, but I have done quite a bit of experimenting with the Classcraft model.  In on of my experiments I moved from taking XP instead of HP after students reached the maximum level for equipment.  I took XP for things like hitting, disrespect, and other offenses that affected others in the class.  My rationale is that in real life when you have a position of power and you show that you can't handle it, it is possible to get demoted.  Thus, I have demoted students based on behavior that I felt was not conducive to a healthy classroom environment.  This has a very strong effect on the students.  They really cared about having the highest level and didn't want to lose it.  I didn't perfect this strategy.  I just did it as a one-off.  If you chose to do this, I would be very mindful of how the students responded to it and I'd adjust accordingly.

 

I hope that this helps,

Chinua M.

Jessica, 

I'm an ambassador and 4th grade teacher.  If you have any questions as to how it can be used or how I make use of it in elementary, please don't hesitate to ask. 

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