Stile Education

Top tips for balancing screen time in the classroom

Chloe Marie -

By Chloe Marie, Professional Learning Leader

At Stile, we love what good tech can do. But we also know it’s not the whole story. The best lessons weave digital with hands-on, screen-free moments. Students debating hot science topics, sketching on whiteboards, building models, getting messy.

These are the moments that leave a lasting impression on our students; the moments where learning sticks.

It might seem a bit ironic coming from the team behind a digital learning platform, but here it is: screen time needs balance. 

I’ve taught in classrooms where the tech sings, and others where the Wi-Fi drops out just as a page loads. I’ve seen students light up exploring a virtual ecosystem, and I’ve seen them slump in their chairs after spending time mindlessly clicking through a screen.

Here, I share some of my top tips for getting students off devices and re-engaged in their learning.

Seven easy ways to build screen-free moments into your lesson

Here’s a toolkit of quick, flexible ideas you can apply to any Stile lesson:

1. Start with a ‘Do Now’

Get students into learning mode before they open their devices. Glossary Games in Stile X are a fast, screen-free way to warm up by focusing on key vocabulary.

2. Try a Whiteboard Wipeout

Get instant formative feedback by having students write their answers on mini whiteboards. It’s engaging, visible, and low-pressure—a great option for retrieval practice (Mayer, 2021).

3. Make movement part of the task

Use strategies like Four Corners or a Value Line to physically position students based on their opinion or answer choice. This isn’t fluff—it’s active learning that prompts metacognition (Ceylan & Elitok Kesici, 2017).

4. Swap digital polls for hands-on brainstorms

A Live Poll in Stile is great and can draw out our quieter students, but turning that same question into a Hands-on Brainstorm with sticky notes or markers can encourage richer responses—and keep students off screens a little longer.

5. Print the lesson (yes, really)

Sometimes, skipping the screens is the best way to reduce fatigue and encourage handwriting. It’s also a great way to reduce the cognitive load for students who are still developing their digital literacy skills (Marano et al., 2025). You might choose paper for part of a lesson or all of it!

6. Use Stile X workbooks

Skip the screen and bring Stile X into your lessons. Stile X is designed for off-screen consolidation and revision, supporting students with structured note-taking. Drawing, annotating, and mapping ideas by hand remains one of the most effective ways for students to process and consolidate complex concepts (Papastergiou, 2009; Mayer, 2021).

7. Build transitions into your lesson using Sections

The Sections tool lets you clearly label when devices should be open – or closed. Planning transitions this way reduces disruption and sets clear expectations.

Pick with purpose

Digital isn’t bad. Paper isn’t better. The key is to use each for what it does best. The SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model (Puentedura, 2010) reminds us that technology should transform learning, not just substitute it. Sometimes, the most transformative teaching doesn’t need a screen at all; other times using digital tools can redefine learning.

Want more?

Our ‘Balancing screen-free and digital learning’ module in Stile Academy is packed with practical strategies and classroom illustrations. Plus, our Engagement Strategies Toolkit is available soon in Prepare Mode with over 20 flexible, low-prep ways to get students thinking.

References

  • Bonk, C., & Graham, C. (2006). Handbook of Blended Learning. Jossey-Bass.
  • Ceylan, V. K., & Elitok Kesici, A. (2017). Journal of Human Sciences, 14(1), 308–320.
  • Marano, G., Kotzalidis, G. D., Lisci, F. M., et al. (2025). The neuroscience behind writing: Handwriting vs. typing—Who wins the battle? Life, 15(3), 345.
  • Mayer, R. E. (2021). Educational Technology Research and Development, 69(4), 543–560.
  • Papastergiou, M. (2009). Computers & Education, 52(1), 1–12.
  • Puentedura, R. (2010). SAMR and TPCK: Intro to advanced practice.
  • Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.