{"id":63489,"date":"2019-02-25T18:00:28","date_gmt":"2019-02-25T23:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/?post_type=cu_story&#038;p=63489"},"modified":"2025-08-19T09:37:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T13:37:32","slug":"classdojo-childrens-rights","status":"publish","type":"cu_story","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/story\/classdojo-childrens-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"ClassDojo raises concerns about children\u2019s rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 pt-24 pb-32 md:pt-28 md:pb-44 lg:pt-36 lg:pb-60 xl:pt-48 xl:pb-72\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/162\/conversation-classdojo-childrens-rights-1200w-1.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.600);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        ClassDojo raises concerns about children\u2019s rights\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"absolute bottom-0 w-full z-[1]\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 1280 312\">\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M26.412 315.608c-.602-.268-6.655-2.412-13.524-4.769a1943.84 1943.84 0 0 1-14.682-5.144l-2.276-.858v-5.358c0-4.876.086-5.358.773-5.09 1.674.643 21.38 5.84 34.646 9.109 14.682 3.59 28.935 6.858 45.936 10.449l9.874 2.089H57.322c-16.4 0-30.31-.16-30.91-.428ZM460.019 315.233c42.974-10.074 75.602-19.88 132.443-39.867 76.16-26.791 152.063-57.709 222.385-90.663 16.7-7.823 21.336-10.074 44.262-21.273 85.004-41.688 134.719-64.193 195.291-88.413 66.55-26.577 145.2-53.584 194.27-66.765C1258.5 5.626 1281.34 0 1282.24 0c.17 0 .34 27.596.34 61.3v61.299l-2.23.375c-84.7 13.718-165.93 35.955-310.736 84.931-46.494 15.753-65.427 22.076-96.166 32.15-9.102 3-24.814 8.198-34.989 11.574-107.543 35.954-153.008 50.422-196.626 62.639l-6.74 1.876-89.126-.054c-78.135-.054-88.782-.161-85.948-.857ZM729.628 312.875c33.229-10.985 69.248-23.523 127.506-44.207 118.705-42.223 164.596-57.709 217.446-73.302 2.62-.75 8.29-2.465 12.67-3.751 56.19-16.772 126.94-33.597 184.17-43.671 5.07-.91 9.66-1.768 10.22-1.875l.94-.161v170.236l-281.28-.054H719.968l9.66-3.215ZM246.864 313.411c-65.041-2.251-143.047-12.11-208.432-26.256-18.375-3.965-41.73-9.538-42.202-10.074-.171-.214-.257-21.38-.214-47.046l.129-46.618 6.654 3.697c57.313 32.043 118.491 56.531 197.699 79.143 40.313 11.521 83.459 18.058 138.669 21.059 15.584.857 65.685.857 81.14 0 33.744-1.876 61.306-4.93 88.396-9.806 6.396-1.126 11.634-1.983 11.722-1.929.255.375-20.48 7.769-30.999 11.038-28.592 8.948-59.288 15.646-91.873 20.147-26.36 3.59-50.015 5.627-78.35 6.698-15.584.59-55.209.59-72.339-.053Z\"><\/path>\n                <path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M-3.066 295.067 32.06 304.1v9.033H-3.066v-18.066Z\"><\/path>\n            <\/svg>\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<p>Recently, the tech ethics writer at <em>Forbes Magazine<\/em> argued the popular classroom digital behaviour management and communication system, ClassDojo, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jessicabaron\/2019\/01\/29\/classroom-technology-is-indoctrinating-students-into-a-culture-of-surveillance\/#270e574c3320\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">indoctrinating students into a culture of surveillance<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Forbes<\/em> writer was partly drawing on new research that examines how the platform is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/17439884.2018.1558237\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">altering schools through the use of a centralized digital network and creating a culture where children are self-conscious of performing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ClassDojo assigns students brightly coloured monster avatars that teachers can use to award and subtract points for behaviour. Teachers can record and photograph student behaviour and display student standings to the entire class by projecting from their desktop or mobile phone. They can also share that data in real-time with parents.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure>\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"688\" height=\"407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rzzb5cmNoc0?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><p><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the ClassDojo company website this application is \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classdojo.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">actively being used in 95 per cent of all K-8 schools in the U.S. and in 180 countries<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A recent <em>Montreal Gazette<\/em> article says according to numbers obtained from the company <a href=\"https:\/\/montrealgazette.com\/health\/family-child\/when-it-comes-to-classroom-apps-classdojo-is-teachers-pet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201c70 per cent of Canadian elementary schools\u201d<\/a> use the free app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario Brian Beamish told the <em>Ottawa Citizen<\/em> that the use of ClassDojo<a href=\"https:\/\/ottawacitizen.com\/news\/national\/student-app-in-ottawa-classes-gets-raves-from-teachers-but-worries-privacy-experts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> \u201cshould be setting off alarm bells.\u201d<\/a> He continued: <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"not-prose cu-quote cu-component-spacing\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cIf I were a parent, I wouldn\u2019t go into this with my eyes closed. This is one (issue) we\u2019re going to have to have on our radar.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>The New York Times<\/em> reports privacy law scholars say ClassDojo and similar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2014\/11\/17\/technology\/privacy-concerns-for-classdojo-and-other-tracking-apps-for-schoolchildren.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">applications are being adopted without considering where and how the data might eventually be used<\/a>. The company that makes ClassDojo asserts that the <em>Times<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classdojo.com\/nyt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">misrepresented its privacy and security practices<\/a>, but concerns about harvesting data about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetimes.co.uk\/article\/classdojo-is-harvesting-data-on-how-british-schoolchildren-behave-0nbc2qhjh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">children outside of the U.S. have already surfaced as the international market grows<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet beyond privacy, there are additional reasons to be concerned about ClassDojo \u2014 particularly from the perspective of children\u2019s rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"surveillance-schooling\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Surveillance schooling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/canadian-heritage\/services\/rights-children.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rights of children in Canada<\/a> are reflected in<br>\nseveral key guiding principles of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.ca\/en\/policy-advocacy-for-children\/about-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-the-child\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Convention on the Rights of the Child<\/a>, ratified by Canada in 1991. For example, Article 3 stipulates when adults make decisions on behalf of children, the best interests of the child should be a primary consideration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But here are some ways that children\u2019s best interests and particular rights are being ignored or compromised:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"1-competition-is-encouraged\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>1. Competition is encouraged<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The public display of points and standings stigmatizes any behaviours that the teacher finds undesirable. In the classroom, this could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/shortcuts\/2018\/apr\/30\/classdojo-do-we-really-need-an-app-that-could-make-classrooms-overly-competitive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">encourage a competitive environment<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ability to report infractions in real-time to parents also fosters <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/young-people-drowning-in-a-rising-tide-of-perfectionism-110343\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the development of perfectionism<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"2-avatars-objectify-children-erase-differences\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>2. Avatars objectify children, erase differences<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Article 2 in the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children should not be discriminated against based on race, religion, ability or other individual characteristics. Yet that\u2019s what is happening when children are represented by monster avatars.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While assigning children colourful avatars may seem harmless, the representation of each child as an avatar imposes a particular range of imaginative images that erases individual differences, including race, religion, physical abilities or gender identities. All these differences should be acknowledged and affirmed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With regards to race, the absence of acknowledgement emphasizes a \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/journals.sfu.ca\/iccps\/index.php\/childhoods\/article\/view\/45\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">colour blind<\/a>\u201d learning environment. In a society where whiteness is a normalized privilege <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/08929092.2008.10012606\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">even \u201cimaginary\u201d monsters and puppets may typically be assumed to be white unless the viewer is deliberately led to a different conclusion<\/a>. In this way, being \u201ccolour blind\u201d can serve to <a href=\"https:\/\/anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1111\/j.1548-1492.2008.00024.x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">legitimate whiteness<\/a> as the assumed norm and thus exacerbate the invisibility of racialized play and learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"3-to-customize-avatars-parents-must-disclose-more-information\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>3. To customize avatars, parents must disclose more information<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The only children who <a href=\"https:\/\/classdojo.zendesk.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/202739645-Customize-Your-Monster#web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can minimally customize<\/a> their avatars are those who create an account and whose parents have provided consent for ClassDojo\u2019s collection, use and disclosure of their child\u2019s personal information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, what little opportunity exists for individual self-representation comes at the cost of individual privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"4-rewarding-standard-behaviour\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>4. Rewarding \u2018standard\u2019 behaviour<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Avatars are used to record and display student \u201cstandings\u201d based on a point system for positive and negative behaviours. Points are awarded with a lively \u201cping\u201d for behaviours such as arriving on time to class, being on task or completing homework. A disappointing \u201cpong\u201d signals the subtraction of points for negative behaviours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This \u201cstandard\u201d behaviour model rewards assimilation and homogeneity. It implies developmental or cultural differences are forms of deviance. And what about individual contexts or events in children\u2019s lives that may be influencing their participation?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"5-promoting-adultism\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>5. Promoting \u2018adultism\u2019<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The monster avatars also mark children as different from adult authority figures, promoting what <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/landonpearsoncentre\/wp-content\/uploads\/adultism.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">psychologist Jack Flasher first termed adultism<\/a>. Adultism refers to the systematic discrimination against young people based on the assumption that adults are more human than children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From this point of view, ClassDojo differentiates between the human teacher and her \u201cmonstrous\u201d students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"6-growth-mindset-constructs-children-as-becomings-not-beings\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>6. \u2018Growth mindset\u2019 constructs children as \u2018becomings\u2019 not \u2018beings\u2019<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ClassDojo offers <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/2zrtHt3bBmQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">videos<\/a> made in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.perts.net\/our-work\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">partnership with Stanford\u2019s Project for Education Research that Scales<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These videos teach <a href=\"http:\/\/thebusinessleadership.academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/What-Having-a-Growth-Mindset-Means.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">growth mindset<\/a>, a term coined by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck, which focuses on improvement as a developmental process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Growth mindset\u2019s emphasis on hard work and productive effort is meant to encourage students to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kqed.org\/mindshift\/43417\/what-classdojo-monsters-can-teach-kids-about-growth-mindset\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">embrace the challenge of learning<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But critics of this model say it reflects a deficit view of childhood  \u2014 in other words, childhood is seen as incomplete. Being a child is seen as something that must be improved upon to reach an <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1177\/0907568218811484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">idealized state of adulthood<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further, as education scholar <a href=\"https:\/\/jlukewood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luke Wood<\/a> asserts, focusing on effort <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/entry\/prominent-scholar-calls-growth-mindset-a-cancerous_us_5a07f046e4b0f1dc729a6bc3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can obscure structural inequalities that place marginalized students at a disadvantage<\/a>. Instead, particular abilities, interests and experience that facilitate certain kinds of learning are prioritized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"whose-interests-does-it-serve\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Whose interests does it serve?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ClassDojo, <a href=\"https:\/\/montrealgazette.com\/health\/family-child\/when-it-comes-to-classroom-apps-classdojo-is-teachers-pet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">by many accounts<\/a>, is quite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/kathleenchaykowski\/2017\/05\/22\/how-classdojo-built-one-of-the-most-popular-classroom-apps-by-listening-to-teachers\/#2d5454391e5e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">popular with teachers<\/a>, but whose best interests are really being served by digital discipline in the classroom?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Have school administrators, early childhood educators and parents in Canada and beyond thought about the potential implications of a behaviour management model that may be violating children\u2019s rights to privacy, self-expression and individuality? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is Canada living up to its commitment to the rights of children?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespec.com\/opinion-story\/9132494-canada-is-not-living-up-to-its-obligation-to-our-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Canada ranked 25th out of 41 peer countries on UNICEF\u2019s 2017 Index of Child and Youth Well-being and Sustainability<\/a>, these are certainly questions that demand further inquiry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/carleton-university-900\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Carleton University is a member of this unique digital journalism platform that launched in June 2017 to boost visibility of Canada\u2019s academic faculty and researchers. Interested in writing a piece? Please contact <a href=\"mailto:steven.reid3@carleton.ca\">Steven Reid<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/become-an-author\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sign up to become an author<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>All photos provided by The Conversation from various sources.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8212;<br>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/\">Carleton Newsroom<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/111033\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently, the tech ethics writer at Forbes Magazine argued the popular classroom digital behaviour management and communication system, ClassDojo, is indoctrinating students into a culture of surveillance. The Forbes writer was partly drawing on new research that examines how the platform is altering schools through the use of a centralized digital network and creating a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":410,"featured_media":63495,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_story_type":[1623],"cu_story_tag":[],"class_list":["post-63489","cu_story","type-cu_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_story_type-expert-perspectives"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":"blueprint"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/63489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cu_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/410"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/63489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63498,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story\/63489\/revisions\/63498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_story_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_type?post=63489"},{"taxonomy":"cu_story_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_story_tag?post=63489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}