The power of the Natterhub Badges of Honour

 

Schools have used rewards of various kinds for some time now and regardless of the name or theme given, children do tend to respond well. Extrinsic motivation is linked to reward and can really help hold a child’s attention to support learning goals. Indeed adults still love to receive rewards – many of us set goals on fitness watches and delight in the notification when it has been met or exceeded! 

So the appetite for reward stays with us into adulthood and is just as relevant in the digital world as it is offline. 

The Natterhub ‘Badges of Honour’ assessment system taps into that all important motivation through reward. The badges represent key topics and soft skills that align to curriculum criteria for online safety and digital citizenship. They benefit young children by giving them badges to collect and a way to evidence their progress, but also support the teacher by providing an instant view of where the children have got to and their level of understanding. 

“We split into three badges per term and fit these into our timetable.”
Mere Brow CE Primary School, Preston.

For a topic such as online safety, which can feel overwhelming to teachers and parents, these badges clearly lay out the key components of being safe, savvy and kind online. They're an essential part of the platform’s design and there has been fantastic feedback from schools on their practical use and impact.

“Nice and visual! It means my class can measure progress and see which online skills they still need to demonstrate.”
Frensham Heights School, Surrey

 

Introducing the Natterhub Badges of Honour

There are eight badges of honour and each relate to a core skill – you can choose to filter lessons using the badges so that the rewards seamlessly progress in line with the teaching. The badges contain power and children earn them for attending and participating in online safety lessons but can also boost badge power by demonstrating their knowledge and skills using a variety of features within the platform. 

• Chat It

Online relationships and the language we use to conduct them.

• Balance It

The positive and negative aspects of technology.

• Feel It

The importance of empathy and kindness.

• Learn It

Curating online views, ideas and work to share.

• Mind It

Online reputation created on social media.

• Question It

The necessity for critical thinking skills.

• Secure It

Security and data protection skills.

• Think It

The importance of reflective self-awareness.

 

Whilst the badge may be the ultimate prize, Natterhub has great short quizzes to check that children are gaining the understanding they need to be excellent digital citizens. As part of their ongoing development, Natterhub will soon be introducing an exchange where pupils can swap stars for avatar assets.

“We like how the badges represent different topics and it helps us to see the coverage in each area.”
Mere Brow CE Primary School, Preston.

If you like the badge system, you are bound to be impressed by the wealth of information available for leading engaging lessons on online safety. Ask us for a Natterhub demonstration and we’ll walk you through the features – you can then freely explore the platform for yourself!

“The children love to earn their power. It gives a lovely incentive.”
St. Faith’s CE Infant and Nursery School, Lincoln.

Get your children wearing their digital Badges of Honour with pride. 

Remember! These soft skills are transferable to any online platform and equip pupils to safely navigate the internet.