Website FAV: Classroom Screen

There's this website that is PERFECT for the classroom that has a teacher device/projector setup: ClassroomScreen.com. There are several reasons it is so awesome, but the #1 reason is: It's FREE!

This website has all the tools a teacher needs to help with classroom management: clock, calendar, timer, traffic light, work symbols, random name generator, whiteboard, text box, dice roller, sound level, QR code generator, and more (like exit polls). You can customize the background to the already loaded pictures, a GIF, or even upload your own to match the theme/topic of your class.

I know teachers love to say "there's no such thing as a dumb question" and while the question might not be dumb, the timing of the question is another topic altogether. Ha! We all had that student who would interrupt something we were doing to ask what time it is <insert dramatic eye roll here>. With this, you can just point to the board.

In my classroom, I'd put up the instructions for the current assignment on a PowerPoint on one side of my room and the agenda for the week on the other side of the room. When they asked what we were doing, I'd just point to whichever one worked for the question. When they asked what time it was or how much time was left, I'd just point to the clock and keep on going (I would usually say "we will do this until the minute hand is on the __ and then we are moving on"). Eventually, they understood that I was not answering those questions, I'd only direct them to where the answers were and the questions eventually stopped. This website is even better!

One hangup: nothing you do on it can be saved. But that is because it takes less than 30 seconds to set up- it's just a quick click to add a timer, or a click to take it away. The name generator can upload names from a file, or you can have a file already created with student names and you just copy/paste them.

Benefit: They are constantly listening to feedback and making improvements! For instance, the timers didn't have sounds when the timer ran out- now there are a variety of alarm sounds to chose from (I like the Mario Bros one- it's the mushroom). They've also added a little "ding" when the set sound level is breached. They also recently surveyed for new backgrounds, so they listen to their teachers.

Coming up on the end of the year, it's the perfect time to try out this website! Pull it up and start with the traffic light (green = working, yellow= finish up, red = pencils are down) and the work symbols. Start small and experiment with how it works in your class. I'm pretty sure you'll fall in love with it like so many of us have.