I was speaking with several 1st grade blended learning cohort teachers this week and the topic turned to how students can track their progress in Dreambox. Dreambox has online motivation tools and ways for students to check their progress. These include checkmarks when they complete a lesson, tokens, Adventure Friends that they can earn and achievement certificates once they master a standard. We were wanting something physical students could use to document progress and possibly incorporate goal setting and weekly reflection. I felt I needed to dig into the Dreambox experience as a student to brainstorm ideas. After enrolling my dog Angus into Wendi Cruce’s first grade class, I completed an entire lesson set in the “Pet Friends” area. Below is one idea of how teachers can incorporate tracking, goal setting and reflection into a weekly station.
My Data– This is a fully editable Google doc that will allow students to document the number of tokens earned, the number of lessons completed along with a reflection question and a goal for next week. One way to use this could be to have reflection station each Friday. Some teachers have decided to turn off access to My House and Arcade during most of the week. You could give access to the Arcade on Friday during a reflection station. On Monday, students can glue a data sheet into their math journal. They can use their data sheet throughout the week to draw a circle in the tracking box each time they earn a token or put a check mark when they complete a lesson. In the Friday reflection station, students count how many tokens they’ve recorded then check their menu bar confirm their accuracy. They will then record the number of tokens earned for the week in the total column. Next, students count
the number of checkmarks representing lessons completed, check their accuracy under their avatar and record on their sheet. Finally, students will record something they felt they did well this week in math as well as something they want to improve for next week.
Adventure Friends– Another tracking tool you might choose to give students is the Adventure Friends Checklist. As students progress, they may collect Adventure Friends. These are stored in “My House” and students can look to see which Adventure Friends they have collected by clicking on the bookshelf and record on their checklist in their math journal. After recording their
data and writing their reflection, students may spend tokens to play games in the arcade. By only allowing access to the Arcade on Friday and weekends, it becomes a reward for their achievements without taking away from the math your want them engaged in during the week. While students work in the reflection station, you can meet with individuals or do small group reteaching.
Building Independence- Students will need to be explicitly taught the expectations for this station. I recommend that the first couple of times, you fill out the data tracking together to make sure they can be successful with this as an independent station. By setting expectations for lesson completion each week, tracking progress, reflecting on work completed and setting goals for the next week, you are helping students develop agency by taking ownership and responsibility in their own learning.
Disclaimer– This is one idea developed in my head on a Sunday afternoon. You work in the trenches with your students and may have insights that will improve upon this with real kiddos! Please take this as just an idea and remix it or develop your own. Please feel free to add comments and your own ideas below!
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