I remember all the techniques I was taught as an undergraduate student and novice teacher to get the students to move from task to task in a classroom or to settle students down after a large group activity. And how about when they come back from recess or PE? Some of my favorites were the "flip" the lights on/off or how about the clapping in rythmn where the students follow your pattern. I also used the kitchen timer and music cues to monitor time on task.
I remember being a participant at a professional development session and the workshop leader started doing the "patterned" clap thing and I just about died! How inappropriate for the audience.
Now, I conduct adult training and one of the best ways I have found to help move from task to task between small and large group activities has been to use some electronic timers on the Internet or with personal handheld timers for Palm OS.
Here is an intriguing
humanclock! It is just fun...although I wonder if the students will watch the pictures instead of doing the TASK!
Some of my other favorites:Speedcubing's online timer counts down from up to 15 seconds, but then this timer also will count up! Use it to check how much time you talk as well as how much time for learning tasks.
This
one may make you sick watching the time revolve away!
A very
patriotic clock!
A few stopwatches--take your pick-
A
stopwatch that counts up and down and
one that can count both up and down at the same time.
Another
stopwatch!
A plain 'ole Stopwatch for those time limited tasks you have. (scroll to timer) Windows Desktop
Timeleft's Windows desktop utility help keep track of time for all learning tasks and can be customized.
Handheld clocks and alarms
Big Clock 2.8 It's a clock, timer and alarm all in one to monitor those classroom tasks.
Individuals can set alarms on their handheld to monitor tasks with CFB Timer
And by the way......this is a
java script counter so you can create a stopwatch and put it on your page.
