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Fréda M. Antoine, Malikah R. Nu-Man, and Elizabeth Reyes-Aceytuno
Classroom management has a positive impact on student learning. However, the ability to guide students through the learning process is one of the challenges that beginning teachers face as they embark on their teaching journeys (Rose & Gallup, 2006). Classroom management involves a complex system, made up of many parts. It includes the classroom environment, teacher-student relations, behavioral expectations and consequences, as well as daily routines.
In addition to it being a complex system, classroom management involves strategies that teachers use to engage students in academic tasks. Demonstrating effective approaches allows teachers to decrease the behaviors that block learning for both single students and groups of students, while increasing the behaviors that enrich learning. Effective teachers exhibit strong classroom management skills. Less effective teachers have disorganized classrooms, loaded with students who are distracted, off task, or not paying attention to the lesson.
Educational technology can assist in the development of effective classroom management systems and skills that cultivate student learning. This chapter explores the uses of online technology classroom management tools and strategies that effectively support teachers in making the most of their instructional time through use of interactive, engaging, and positive behavioral-building learning methods. In addition, a list of online tools that can be used for classroom management is provided. This is followed by a personal narrative from a Special Education teacher who has used classroom management digital tools to enhance her students’ behavior, classroom instructions, and student performance.
Importance of Classroom Management
Instruction and student learning are impacted when there is no classroom management in place. Chaos becomes the norm when classrooms do not have established behavior expectations, are disorganized, or when students are allowed to be discourteous. However, “discipline, classroom management, and engagement strategies are critical in developing a risk-free environment where students are engaged in learning” (Rischer, 2009, p. 47). Educators who posses a sound classroom management system allow for a learning environment where both teachers and students can thrive. Research conducted over 30 years indicates that classroom management is a key element in successful teaching (Marzano, 2003).
In order to have effective classroom management, it involves designing and implementing classroom rules and procedures (Marzano, 2003). Why are behavior expectations and procedures important? They help establish a learning environment in which students are engaged in the learning process. Students become aware of what is expected of them in all areas of their learning and behavior within each educational setting. Rules and procedures decrease the amount of time wasted during transitions that occur