Online classroom timers are web-based tools to use in your class to measure time. These tools have a number of pedagogical benefits. Using timers with students will absolutely help them develop an intuitive sense of time and will help them develop key time management habits that will benefit them throughout their life. Timers can also help with classroom management.
Providing students with timed activities to work on pushes them to do their best to meet the desired expectations within the pre-defined temporal boundaries. Timers also enhance students focus. As Toy Teacher stated, 'many students have been shown to focus better on tasks when they know how long they have to complete them'.
Classroom Timers can be used in different classroom activities. You can use them in timed reading or writing activities, turn-taking speaking activities, timed quizzes/questionnaires/polls, brainstorming activities, and many more. Below are some of the best online classroom timers to try out.
These online classroom timers are simple and easy to operate and do not require any software download or registration. Depending on which tool you choose, they offer different features. Some of them allow you to create custom countdowns to share with others using unique URLs. Others like ClassTools allow you to embed YouTube soundtracks into your timers. Some timers are optimized for mobile devices, and more. For countdown apps check out this list to learn more.
1. Google Timer and Stopwatch
Google Timer is probably the simplest timer out there. You can access it right from the search page by typing Google Timer or Google Stopwatch in the search box. Use the enter key in your keyboard to input your time values. You can always reset the timer and stopwatch. You can also choose to turn on or off the alarm sound. And yes it does provide a full screen functionality ideal for projecting on the board for the whole class to see.
2. Classtools Countdown Timer
ClassTools has this great Countdown timer which allows you to create your own countdown and share it as a weblink. A unique feature provided by ClassTools Timer is the option to embed YouTube videos and add tunes to your timers. There are various pre-set timers with tunes that you can choose from. Select the one you like, edit timer, and generate a unique URL to share with others. ClassTools also offers a premium version with more features and functionality.
3. Toy Theater Timer
Toy Theater offers this handy classroom timer to use for various educational purposes with your students. Simply input your time values, click on Set, set the alarm volume to your preferences and click on Start. Toy Theater also offers a Stopwatch, Interactive Clock, and several educational materials to help make students learning fun and engaging.
4. ClassDojo Timer
If you use ClassDojo in your teaching, you will be able to access and use its Toolkit Timer. Two options are offered by the Timer: count up and count down. The earlier works by clicking on Start, the latter by clicking on Countdown and selecting a specific period of time . At any time you can pause and reset the Timer the way you want. You can also program it to set off an alarm to notify students about the end of the countdown. Check out ClassDojo full review to learn more.
5. Online Timer
As its name indicates, this is a free online timer to use with students in class. It offers two features: a Timer and a Countdown. The way Online Timer works is simple: create a countdown clock by selecting a specific date and time, set an alarm sound then click on Start the Timer. When the measured time runs out the alarm sound will notify you. You can browse the Internet while the timer is working but if you close its tab or turn your computer into sleep mode, the timer will automatically stop.
6. Stopwatch Timers
Stopwatch Timers offers access to various tools to help you measure time. These include a stopwatch, a Timer, a Counter, a Clock, World Time, and Countdown. Timer comes with the option to run on or off alarm sound. As for the Clock, it shows time in real time and allows you to customize the font and background colours. The World Time feature allows you to view local times in different time zones in real time.
The countdown feature is my favourite. You can use it to create your own countdown with specific date and description. Type in a title for your countdown, choose a date from the calendar, and click on Generate. A personal URL for your customized countdown will be generated for you to bookmark or share with others.
7. Timerq
Timerq is an online timer that is simple and easy to use. Simply click on the enter key to edit the timer and use the space key to start and stop the timer. Timerq enables you to go full screen which is ideal for use with students in class. It also offers the option to choose sound, set volume, and bookmark various timers.
8. Online-Stopwatch
The Classroom Timer section in Online-Stopwatch features a wide variety of fun timers with animated design displaying the time lapsed and time remaining. These timers are organized into the following categories: Classic Classroom Timers, Cracking Fun Timers, Space and Sci-Fi Timers, Sports Themed Timers, Sports Day Themed Timers, Animal Timers, Party Themed Timers, Motors and Tech Timers, and Holiday Themed Timers. Online-Stopwatch offers a premium version with more features and tools.
9. Room Recess
Room Recess offers a practical free online classroom timer and online stopwatch that you can set to count up or down. It also offers 9 types of alarms including: Bike horn, Car horn, Clock chimes, Alarm clock, Digital, Sci-Fi, Ship, War-horn, and Stop.
