Ahh, the dawn of a new school year.
Pencils are neatly lined up. Students’ desks are freshly polished. For the first and maybe only time this semester, your classroom is immaculate.
We love the feeling of possibility that a new school year brings.
We want this to be your best year ever. That’s why we’re so excited to give you a rundown of what’s new with Classcraft for this back-to-school season.
In this post, we’ll walk you through everything we’ve added to Classcraft to help you deliver on your aspirations for the upcoming year. But if you have any questions, or need any help, don’t worry — a Classcraft team member is just a message away.
Now, onto the good stuff!
A back-to-school message from Classcraft co-founders Shawn and Devin Young. Story continues below video.
Make learning an adventure with Story Mode
We all love the sense of excitement that shared experiences like TV shows and games can generate. So how can we make it easier for teachers to recreate those same feelings in their classroom?
Enter: Story Mode.
Story Mode is a series of ready-made stories set within the Classcraft world. With Story Mode, teachers can harness the power of storytelling to engage students, foster a positive classroom atmosphere, and promote social emotional learning — without crafting their own narratives.
Classcraft: Season 1 explores themes of self-discovery and the value of human relationships through a year-long adventure story.
Story Mode can take your class to the next level by:
- Promoting SEL: Every episode aligns with CASEL’s SEL competencies.
- Personalizing your lesson plans: Simply add your content to each quest objective.
- Expanding the boundaries of your class: Whether it’s geeking out over lore with our Story Guidebook or creating Story Mode-aligned quests, you and your students can take the learning experience to new places.
Each month throughout the school year, we’ll release a new episode of Season 1. View Episodes 1 and 2 now.
Making Classcraft even more accessible
When we started Classcraft, gaming was still a subculture. Now, in 2019, gaming is more popular — and more diverse — than ever. At the same time, we’ve realized that we can make an impact that extends far beyond gaming.
Over the summer, we’ve made a series of changes to make all teachers feel at home with Classcraft. Because what matters most is using the power of games to make life better for all teachers and students.
Here’s a look at the changes:
A brand new look
You’ve probably noticed this already, but we have a new logo! For the story of how (and why) it came to be, read this blog post from Classcraft co-founders Shawn, Devin, and Lauren Young.
We’ve also made several big changes to Classcraft’s IP (intellectual property) — all the characters, gear, and other fun stuff you see in the game. Most notably, this includes removing weapons, recasting Warriors as Guardians, and removing the concept of “falling in battle.” We listened carefully to your feedback when making this decision, and we think that the changes reflect our values while keeping the game as fun as ever for kids.
A sleeker teacher dashboard
We’ve rolled out a streamlined teacher dashboard that offers a cleaner look-and-feel, new features, and less clutter. Try creating a new class to select options that align with goals like PBIS and SEL. You can even color-code your classes! We have plenty more enhancements to the dashboard, so stay tuned for updates.
A streamlined onboarding process
It’s easy to get excited about everything you can do with Classcraft. But when you’re just getting started, it can be helpful to take things one step at a time.
To help teachers who are new to Classcraft get comfortable with it, we’ve designed a new Lite Mode that will help you master the basics before introducing Classcraft’s more advanced features.
If you just signed up for Classcraft and aren’t seeing Lite Mode as an option, don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with your vision. For the next few weeks, Lite Mode will be in beta, which means that not all of our users will experience it. Once we gather your feedback, we’ll provide an update about what’s in store for Lite Mode.
And remember, if you’re using Classcraft Lite and want access to all of Classcraft’s features, you can switch to Classic Mode at any time!
Notification Center and Teacher News
Notifications are great for keeping you up-to-date, but they come-and-go as quickly as a summer break. That’s why we’re adding a Notification Center where you can find all of your to-dos and updates all in one place. Because there really is no better feeling than crossing items off your to-do list, we recommend checking it out when it debuts this week!
We’ve also added a News section that provides a quick rundown of all things Classcraft. Check it out for teaching tips, announcements, and maybe even some special pricing offers…
Our all-new ambassador program
Last but not least! At ISTE 2019, we unveiled our all-new Ambassador Program. Classcraft Ambassadors are a group of passionate teachers inspiring and supporting other educators with Classcraft, from their schools to communities all around the world.
Interested in sharing your Classcraft experience with other passionate educators just like you? Learn how you can join our movement.
New pricing
We also announced some pricing changes — including an opportunity to save 20% on Classcraft Premium!
And there you have it! We look forward to bringing you more updates soon. Until then, have a great semester!
News and Updates