Low-Tech Assistive Tech with High Impact in the Classroom

How the Time Timer® and the App Work Together for Consistency

In today’s classroom landscape educators continually explore ways to support a variety of learners. Most, if not all, students benefit from structure, predictability, and visual reinforcement.

High-tech solutions sometimes dominates the conversation around assistive technology. However, there is a growing appreciation for the effectiveness of low-tech tools like those in the Time Timer® line.

These visual timers’ thoughtful design make these highly effective classroom time-management tools, an alternative to clocks students need to squint at.

Instead, the elapsing disk of a Time Timer® visual timer gives students at a glance a sense of how much time is left. One of our larger timers can be great in the classroom for ensuring total visibility.

For digital solutions, the Time Timer® App Enterprise Edition allows educators to get the ultimate digital timer universally designed to provide an accessible experience across all learning environments.

The Need for Visual Time Management in Classrooms

For many students, especially those with ADHD, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), or anxiety, traditional clocks are not intuitive.

Telling students they have 10 minutes left is different from showing them time slipping away with a visual tangible symbol in the form of an elapsing disk.

The user-friendly Time Timer® visual timer displays time as a diminishing coloured disk that disappears over the course of the set time. This visual depiction demystifies abstract concepts, reducing stress and enhancing self-regulation.

Learners of all ages and abilities, including English Language Learners (ELLs) and early-elementary students who are still developing time concepts, can benefit from visual time management.

Low-Tech in Education Still Matters

In educational settings, routines are crucial and students vary in tech fluency.

Low-tech tools sometimes outperform high-tech counterparts in key areas:

Ease of use: No learning curve required

Portability and visibility: Can be placed anywhere and seen across the classroom

Durability: Withstands everyday classroom use

Time Timer’s variety of models—from the classic Time Timer Original to larger versions for group settings—are useful for educators looking for low-tech solutions to structure work periods, breaks, transitions, and testing.

The Time Timer® App Enterprise Edition Applies to Education

Physical Time Timer® visual timers offer visibility and accessibility, two benefits you can also get in digital form through the Time Timer App Enterprise Edition.

Classroom and school-wide use of this app, which is available on the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Our Enterprise Edition brings the signature elapsing disk to tablets, phones, laptops, and desktop computers, so that every student can have their own Time Timer® visual timer on their device.

The app’s iconic visual countdown is just the start, as the app’s benefits include:

Run multiple timers at the same time

Optional audible alerts

Custom countdown durations (one second minimum, 99:59:59 maximum) and disk colours

Create custom timers you can save

Repeating timers, with 99 consecutive timers in one play

Awake mode to keep the screen on while the app is open

Vertical and horizontal views

Here’s how educators can use both:

Consistency Across Settings: Students pace themselves during a classroom writing task with the help of a physical Time Timer®. But when they go to another classroom, or home to do homework, that support may not be there if they do not have a physical timer of their own. The visual continuity of the elapsing disk looks the same on the physical timer and the app is another perk, as the association between Time Timer visual timers’ disk and schoolwork can be positive.

Personalized Timing While Maintaining Class Structure: Teachers can set a physical Time Timer® visual timer at the front of the room for a set time while individual students use the app on their devices for personalized time intervals. E.g., a five-minute focus burst for a student, a ten-minute break timer for a student with a sensory plan, and a fifteen-minute transition buffer for a student working with a paraeducator.

Home-to-School Continuity: The Time Timer® App Enterprise Edition bridges the school–home divide for students and families using the app at home. Mirroring time management strategies used in school can reinforce useful routines and reduce frustration. Project management at home can be difficult for teachers and students. Time-tracking tools like our original visual timer can help people of all ages manage their time effectively to stay on track.

Universal Design in Action: The combo of Time Timer’s physical and digital tools exemplifies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles: Multiple means of engagement, representation, action, and expression. We take accessibility seriously: we even offer a Braille timer.