Organizational Strategies

• Use the clock/timer to your advantage. Give students a deadline so that they are held accountable for completing the work within a short time segment. Make sure students can see the timer.

Have a storage unit for students to put their devices in as they walk into your classroom. Students can retrieve their devices when it’s time to go to work.

Use a student or a student aide who you assign the role of “device genius”. This person can attend to technical issues so that you can teach and work with students regarding the class content.

If a specific app is only available for one device platform, require that the student find alternative apps that provide similar functionality on the other platforms being used.

Require that students find and propose apps that can be used to address assignments. Have the students share their app choices with other students and teach them how to use the apps.

Display on the smartboard a green card to represent times when students should be using their devices and a red card to represent times when student devices should be put away.

Arrange classroom furniture so that it best supports the lesson you have prepared for the class period.

Have students place their devices on their desk with the screens down when you do not want them working on their devices.

Students with laptops should place their screens at a 45 degree angle when you do not want them using their computers.