8 tips for navigating devices in the classroom

1. It isn’t a balance.

People will say: “You have to balance tech and ‘no tech’.”

That’s just not true. It’s not a balance. The word “balance” implies a 50/50. Research has never found (and classroom teaching will not show you) that the best way is to use tech the same amount of time that you don’t use tech.

2. It’s a moment-by-moment decision.

In my own classroom, as I’m planning lessons ahead of time OR making adjustments on the fly, I’m constantly making teaching judgment calls.

I’ll think: “OK, there are several ways I could teach this. Let’s think briefly about the pro’s and con’s of each of them. This one seems to be the best fit — and provide the right kinds of benefits my students need right now. Let’s go with this.”

Notice that this thought process isn’t tech driven. It’s outcome-driven. What do I want students to get out of it?

3 . Tech vs. “no tech” can get lopsided — on both sides — when you think like this.

Tech use isn’t the goal. Great teaching and learning is the goal.

Because of that, I’ll go on a run of days where we’ll use our devices more heavily. We might be working on a digital project … or the benefits of a certain AI feedback tool or an online creation app are particularly suited to what students are doing those days.

But then, I’ll have a run of days where we won’t even get the devices out. At all.

Personally? I’m fine with that. I’m crafting a learning experience here — much like a woodworker crafting something beautiful out of wood.

4. Quick analogy: Teachers are like woodworkers.

Picture a woodworker walking into her workshop. She has tools hanging from the walls. There are saws and drills tucked away on shelves. She has chisels and punches and planes in drawers.

She never walks in and asks, “What can I make with a screwdriver today?”

Instead of thinking tool first, she has a picture of the end product. She chooses the right tool for each step.

She doesn’t say, “I’d better balance my power tool use with my non-power tool use.”

If she’s drilling a bunch of holes and driving screws, doing that by hand would be time-consuming — and her arms would be sore the next day.

But if she’s finishing off a nice routed edge on a table, she might use sandpaper by hand to get the details just right.

Teaching is the same way. We pick the right tool — moment by moment — for each part of the job.

5. Know your teaching strategies — and know what they bring to the table.

In the woodworker analogy above, if she didn’t know when and how to use her tools, they would be useless.

I have lots of teaching strategies I’ll employ — tech and “no tech” — but I’ll only use a strategy when its strengths match what I’m trying to accomplish.

• If I want students to do quick “do now” practice in class, we’ll use mini dry erase boards.
• If I want to see all of the responses in one place so I can quickly analyze them, I might have students write responses in Pear Deck interactive slides.
• If I want students to do quick writing in Spanish without the temptation of an online translator, we’ll write on paper.
• If I’m absent and have a substitute teacher, I might have students write in a document with a Brisk Boost chatbot that can provide instant feedback.

6. The tech issue is a classroom management issue, too.

If you listen to the concerns about tech from parents, they’ll talk about being on screens for too long doing mindless activities.

A solution to that: Be clear about when students should have their devices out — and what they’re used for.

For me, I’ll just tell them at the start of class if we’re using our Chromebooks or not today. Or if we’ll start without them and then turn them on later.

That means if a student has a Chromebook open while we aren’t using them for class, I’ll ask him to close it and put it away.

Simple as that.

7. Make sure to include the “why,” too.

I’ve started adding they “why” on occasion when I tell students about our tech use for the day.

Why? They’re more likely to get on board when they see how it benefits them.

But it also helps to build digital literacy, too. They start to see the reasons for using — and not using — tech in their schoolwork. That helps them build an awareness of its place and importance that they’ll carry into their lives later.

8. Have a plan for unstructured time.

This is when the mindless video watching and game playing take over.

Unstructured time. Either students have finished their work OR they have tasks to do independently.

Answer questions like:

• What should they do if they finish early?
• Do they have a strategy for using their time — so they’re less likely to disconnect when things get hard?
• What’s my plan to make sure students are using their time wisely?

 Tips for navigating devices in the classroom

1. Brain Dumps (The Ultimate Low-Tech Retrieval Practice)

If you've read the work of cognitive scientist Dr. Pooja Agarwal, you know that retrieval practice—pulling information out of students' brains rather than cramming it in—is where the real learning happens. You don't need a fancy student response system to do this. You just need a blank sheet of paper.

• The Strategy: Give students two minutes to write down absolutely everything they remember about the current topic. No notes, no textbooks, no Google. Just a pure "brain dump."
• The Twist: After the two minutes are up, have them pass their paper to a neighbor. The neighbor uses a different colored pen to add one or two things that were missed.
• What this means: It's quick, it's zero-prep, and it gives students immediate feedback on what they actually know versus what they think they know.

Get the template: Brain Dump Note: You don't need a template, a blank sheet of paper works just fine!

2. Hexagonal Thinking

I love digital whiteboards like FigJam for brainstorming, but you can create that same collaborative energy on a physical desk. Hexagonal Thinking is a fantastic way to get students analyzing connections between concepts.

• Step-by-Step Guide:
  1. Cut out a bunch of paper hexagons (or grab a free template online).
  2. Write a key vocabulary word, character, historical figure, or concept on each hexagon.
  3. Put students in small groups and give them a deck of these hexagons.
  4. The Challenge: Students must arrange the hexagons so that the sides touch, but they can only connect them if they can justify the relationship between the two words.
• Why it works: The magic isn't in the paper; it's in the debate. You’ll hear students passionately arguing about why "Photosynthesis" absolutely must touch "Sunlight" but should also connect to "Glucose." It turns a standard review into a deeply collaborative puzzle.

Learn more: Hexagonal thinking: Creating connections in the classroom

3. The "Silent Conversation" Gallery Walk

If you want to hear a pin drop while your students are actively participating in a rigorous academic discussion, this is your ticket.

• What can you do? Tape a few large sheets of butcher paper around the room. Write a big, juicy, controversial question or a complex math problem at the top of each sheet.
• The Rules: Armed with a marker, students walk around the room responding to the prompt. But here's the catch—they cannot speak. They must write their thoughts, draw arrows to connect their ideas to classmates' comments, and write counter-arguments directly on the paper.
• Tip: This is an absolute goldmine for your introverted students who might feel drowned out during a lively class discussion. It gives everyone equal real estate to share their voice.

Learn more: Teacher Toolkit: The Gallery Walk

4. The "Four Corners" Debate (Get Up and Move!)

When students have been sitting in front of screens, their bodies are just as tired as their brains. This is the perfect activity to get them moving while engaging in critical thinking.

• The Strategy: Label the four corners of your room as Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, and Strongly Disagree.
• The Action: Read a controversial statement related to your content (e.g., "The antagonist in this novel was actually justified in their actions," or "This scientific discovery caused more harm than good"). Students physically walk to the corner that matches their opinion.
• What this means: Once there, give them two minutes to huddle with their corner-mates and formulate their best argument. Call on a spokesperson from each corner to debate. It forces students to take a stand and defend it.

Learn more: Facing History and Ourselves: Four Corners

5. Tabletop Texting (Analog Social Media)

Let’s meet them where they live, but without the actual data plan. This is a great way to summarize a reading passage or historical event using a format they love.

• What can you do? Have students fold a piece of printer paper in half vertically to look like a smartphone screen.
• The Challenge: Task them with writing a "text thread" between two historical figures, literary characters, or even two scientific elements (imagine Oxygen and Hydrogen texting each other).
• Why it works: They have to use emojis (drawn by hand), character constraints, and modern slang to convey deep conceptual understanding. It’s a first draft of a summary that feels like play but requires serious brainpower.

Get the Template: Smartphone Template PDF

6. The "Envelope" Whiteboard Review

If you have individual handheld whiteboards, this is a staple. If you don't, plastic sheet protectors with a piece of white cardstock inside work just as well with a dry-erase marker!

• Step-by-Step Guide:
  1. Divide the class into teams and give each team an envelope with 5 different colored index cards inside.
  2. Each color represents a level of difficulty or a different category of questions.
  3. Pull a card, ask the question, and give teams 30 seconds to whisper-confer.
  4. When you yell, "Boards up!" one representative from each team holds up their answer.
• Tip: To keep the engagement high use a bidding system. Teams can bet points based on how confident they are in their answer before you reveal the correct one.

Learn more: Jamie Clark’s email newsletter issue about mini white boards

7. Sketch-noting and Concept Mapping

We often think note-taking has to be a linear, boring copy-paste job from a slide deck. Sketch-noting turns note-taking into a visual, creative process that anchors learning in the brain.

• The Strategy: Challenge students to dual-code their notes by using both words and simple drawings.
• The Twist: Instead of a list, they must draw a "map" of how ideas connect, using thick arrows for strong relationships, dotted lines for weak ones, and warning signs for common misconceptions.
• What this means: According to cognitive science, combining visuals with text doubles the chances of information sticking in long-term memory. Plus, it’s deeply relaxing for a over-stimulated, post-screen brain.

Learn more: Sketchnoting 101, for those with little artistic talent

8. The Human Timeline / Flowchart

Instead of looking at a timeline on a website or a flowchart in a textbook, let's make the students become the diagram.

• The Action: Hand individual students or pairs a card with a specific event, a step in a scientific process, or a line of code.
• The Challenge: Without you saying a word, the students must talk to each other and physically line themselves up in the correct order across the front of the classroom.
• Why it works: It turns a static concept into a kinesthetic puzzle. Once they think they have it right, have them "read" the timeline from left to right to verify their accuracy.

Learn more: Facing History and Ourselves: Human Timeline

9. Give One, Get One (The Analog Networking Mixer)

This is a fantastic, high-energy way to review before a quiz or test without using a digital game show tool.

What can you do? Give every student an index card and ask them to write down one major fact, formula, or concept they know inside and out from the current unit.

• The Mixer: Students get up and mix around the room. When you clap your hands, they pair up with the closest person.
• The Trade: Student A "gives" their fact by explaining it to Student B. Student B does the same. Then, they swap cards and move on to find a new partner.
• What this means: Now, they have to explain a new concept to the next person. It keeps them on their toes and crowdsources the study guide!

10. The 3-2-1 Exit Ticket

No Google Forms? No problem. The humble sticky note or a scrap piece of paper is still the reigning champion of formative assessment.

• The Blueprint: Have students draw three boxes on a blank piece of paper:
  • Box 1 (The Lightbulb): One big "aha!" moment or takeaway from today.
  • Box 2 (The Roadblock): One thing that is still confusing or muddy.
  • Box 3 (The Question): A question they would ask if they were writing the test.
• Tip: Stick these on your door as they leave. In five minutes of sorting them into piles on your desk, you will have your exact "first draft" lesson plan for tomorrow based on what they actually need.

Get the self reflection template: 3-2-1 Self Reflection Template