Edtech Programs for Classroom Management

Classroom management is always a difficult BUT necessary thing to teach, model, and reinforce in the classroom. This is especially very important in the beginning of the school year. Below is how I use various technological websites/apps in my classroom (self-contained elementary school) to help manage my classroom!

1. Classdojo – This is a free and popular website that allows a teacher to add all their students in the class. The teacher can connect with the students’ parents/guardians and send messages to them. Another benefit is that the messages can translate into various languages! The teacher can give or take away points on Classdojo and the students/parents can also see the points gained or lost throughout the school day. You can customize the reason why the student is gaining or losing a point, such as +1 for on task or participation and -1 for off task. Students can use the points to redeem prizes at the end of the day. Here is the link to create your own Classdojo account: https://www.classdojo.com/
2. Youtube – Timers with soft music. My students with special needs struggle a lot with organizing their work time. Many times they like to ask “How many more minutes for work?” or “Is time up yet?” Therefore, I’ve found timers with soft music (to calm down students) on Youtube. Also, the timers assist my students in gaining self-regulation and adjusting to transitions between the periods. All the timers are free and have different minutes! Here are links for some timers that I use in my classroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDgW9eCNZgg (20 minutes) & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hwtqsURwE8 (10 minutes)
3. Google Classroom – Differentiation and personalized work are both very important in a self-contained classroom. Students tend to lose focus if the work is too easy or too challenging. Work is supposed to be “just right” for students. I’ve observed when work is too easy or hard for students, they will start acting silly or running around the classroom. When the work is “just right” for them, they are more engaged to finish the work. Google classroom allows the teacher to send differentiated work to students so they remain on task.