In the world of education, rewarding systems have always been a hot topic. From the traditional clip up systems to the newer digital tools like Class Dojo, educators have tried various methods to reward and communicate with their students. However, as Treena and I discovered, these systems come with inherent biases that may not be apparent at first glance.
One of the biggest issues with whole class rewarding systems is that they inadvertently end up rewarding the same kids for good behavior that they already possess. In contrast, children who struggle with behavior management or have different personalities are not rewarded as frequently, leading them to feel left out and discouraged.
Moreover, these systems tend to reinforce the same message of who the “good” kids and the “bad” kids are in the classroom. This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where children who are labeled as “bad” are treated as such and may even begin to act out more as a result of the negative attention.
It was these issues that led Treena and I to develop our own individualized rewarding and communication system. Instead of a whole class approach, EZ Stickerbook allows teachers to reward students on an individual level. The system is simple – each student has their own digital stickerbook where teachers can award them with virtual stickers for good behavior or for completing a task.
This approach ensures that every child feels valued and appreciated, regardless of their personality or behavior. Moreover, EZ Stickerbook allows teachers to communicate with students directly, providing them with an opportunity to give personalized feedback that is unique to each child.
In today’s age of digital tools and innovation, we often wonder why stickers and sticker books remain the preferred method of communication and reward in classrooms. However, after developing EZ Stickerbook, we have come to realize that sometimes the simplest solutions can be the most effective.
Daniel Bernstein
Daniel is a successful CEO, previously building one of the most well-known and beloved Casual Games Companies, Sandlot Games. He is also a composer who's written music for film and video games. He is passionate about education technology and feels strongly that better communication can make the world a better place.
