{"id":7499,"date":"2026-01-14T20:33:58","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T01:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/?page_id=7499"},"modified":"2026-02-13T19:28:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T00:28:18","slug":"tech-tools-for-executive-function","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/events\/ideacon-2026\/tech-tools-for-executive-function\/","title":{"rendered":"Brain Boost: Tech Tools for Executive Function Success"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Brain Boost: Tech Tools for Executive Function Success<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 style=\"color: white; background-color: #4472c4; text-align: center;\">Virtual Session<br \/>\nPresented by Traci Hedetniemi<\/h3>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #b90843;\">Session Description:<\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Support all students in developing crucial life skills through strategic use of technology. Learn practical tools and strategies for building organization, time management, focus, and self-monitoring skills using familiar platforms and beyond. Discover how technology can scaffold executive function development while gradually building student independence. Ideal for educators working with diverse learners and varying support needs.<\/p>\n<h5><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Objectives:<\/span><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify 3 key executive function areas and the corresponding tech tools for each.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement practical strategies using familiar platforms (Google Chrome and beyond).<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support students in developing self-monitoring and organization skills.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adapt executive function tools for different grade levels and learning needs.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create classroom systems that promote executive function development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Download a PDF copy of the slides <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/11xZBbZxyOxlNOOR_jM8WHyA5SpmrGzHZ\/view?usp=sharing\">here<\/a>.<\/h3>\n<h2 style=\"color: white; background-color: #b90843;\"><em>Try It<\/em> Activity:<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Practice Makes Permanent<\/strong><br \/>\nResearch shows that applying new knowledge helps it stick. After watching the webinar, take a few minutes to complete the \u201cTry It\u201d activity. These hands-on tasks are simple, focused, and designed to reinforce key concepts so you can confidently use them in your classroom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Try-It Activity Objective:<\/strong> Set up and try one executive function support tool that addresses a specific student need in your classroom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Estimated Time Required:<\/strong> 15 minutes<\/p>\n<p><strong>Instructions:<br \/>\n<\/strong>Let&#8217;s give an executive functioning tool a test drive!<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li><em>Identify Your Focus &amp; Choose Your Tool<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>Think about one specific executive functioning challenge you see in your classroom.<\/li>\n<li>Select the tool category that addresses this challenge.<\/li>\n<li>Choose a tool from our demonstration today.<\/li>\n<li>Consider which students would benefit most.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><em>Set Up &amp; Test Your Tool<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>Create a simple example or test scenario for the tool you selected.<\/li>\n<li>Practice using the tool yourself.<\/li>\n<li>Think through how you would introduce this to students.<\/li>\n<li>Consider what support students might need to use the tool independently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><em>Plan &amp; Share Your Implementation<\/em>\n<ul>\n<li>Plan your next steps for classroom implementation.<\/li>\n<li>Take a screenshot of your tool setup or notes about your plan.<\/li>\n<li>Consider sharing a social media post to highlight your executive functioning strategy, such as:<br \/>\n&#8220;<em>Just set up a digital timer system from my @TeachersFirst EF session to help students break down big projects! Key tip: Start with teacher modeling, then gradually release control to students. #TeachersFirst EF #ExecutiveFunction<\/em>.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Now that you&#8217;ve taken a tool for a test drive, consider reviewing the resource materials below to level up your toolbox and further support student success in your classroom!<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: white; background-color: #b90843;\">Resource Materials:<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In this <em><strong>Resource Materials<\/strong><\/em> section, you will find reference materials, tutorials, and how-to information that will help you review or extend your knowledge from the presentation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Resources from TeachersFirst<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">OK2Ask (free, on-demand recording): <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=21708\"><span class=\" aw5Odc\">Chrome Power-Up: Revealing Overlooked Gems for Educators<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post Part 1 of 3: <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2026\/02\/understanding-executive-functioning-skills-your-students-brain-command-center\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Understanding Executive Functioning Skills: Your Students\u2019 Brain Command Center<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post Part 2 of 3: <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2026\/02\/chrome-tools-that-support-executive-function-and-lighten-cognitive-load\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chrome Tools That Support Executive Function\u00a0and Lighten Cognitive Load<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Blog Post Part 3 of 3: <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2026\/02\/building-daily-routines-that-make-executive-function-skills-stick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Building Daily Routines That Make Executive Function Skills Stick<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">TeachersFirst Review: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=21934\"><span class=\" aw5Odc\">Flexible Thinking Activities<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">TeachersFirst Review: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/single.cfm?id=22039\">Brain Games for Stop and Think Power: A Set of SEL Kernels Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Other Resources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/themindtrek.com\/2026\/01\/executive-functioning-in-the-classroom\/\">Executive Functioning in the Classroom Explained for Upper Elementary and Middle School Classrooms<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gentleobservations.com\/post\/30-executive-functioning-strategies-across-7-core-areas\">30+ Executive Functioning Strategies Across 7 Core Areas<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\">Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepathway2success.com\/what-are-executive-functioning-skills-and-why-do-they-matter-for-teens\/\">What Are Executive Functioning Skills? And Why Do They Matter For Teens?<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/helping-students-develop-executive-function-skills?utm_source=Pinterest&amp;utm_medium=organic\">Helping Students Develop Executive Function Skills<\/a><\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\">Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cultofpedagogy.com\/executive-functions\/\">Teaching Executive Functions to All Students<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Mentioned During the Session<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/classroomscreen.com\">Classroomscreen<\/a> for Time Management and Task Initiation<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classtools.net\/timer\/\">Classtools Countdown Timer<\/a> for Time Management and Task Initiation<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pomofocus.io\">Pomofocus.io<\/a> for Time Management and Task Initiation<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/goblin.tools\/ToDo\">Magic To-Do<\/a> in Goblin Tools for Time Management and Task Initiation<\/li>\n<li class=\"CDt4Ke zfr3Q\" dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/asoftmurmur.com\">A Soft Murmur<\/a> for Focus and Attention Support<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"color: #4472c4;\">Videos<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JhbNxXbJ5qw?si=gAFWQkMkUwKt0FEI\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NqOsPl2OqT0?si=TSibXS0w8b90LbyO\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"color: white; background-color: #b90843;\">In-the-Classroom:<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Our <em><strong>In-the-Classroom<\/strong><\/em> section is where you will find ideas and examples for integrating the tools shared into classroom instruction.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thepathway2success.com\/30-digital-executive-functioning-tools-activities\/\">30+ Digital Executive Functioning Tools &amp; Activities<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/designing-executive-function-friendly-classroom\">How to Set Up Your Classroom to Support Students&#8217; Executive Function Skills<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/article\/7-ways-to-support-executive-function-in-your-classroom\">7 Ways to Support Executive Function in Your Classroom<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edutopia.org\/blog\/strategies-students-scattered-minds-donna-wilson-marcus-conyers\">Strategies for Students with Scattered Minds<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Article: <a href=\"https:\/\/engagingandeffective.com\/ted-talks-to-teach-executive-functioning-skills\/\">TED Talks to Teach Executive Functioning Skills<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"padlet-embed\" style=\"border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.1); border-radius: 2px; box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 100%; background: #F4F4F4;\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4>Return to the <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/events\/ideacon-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IDEAcon 2026 Session Listings Page<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brain Boost: Tech Tools for Executive Function Success Virtual Session Presented by Traci Hedetniemi Session Description: Support all students in developing crucial life skills through strategic use of technology. Learn practical tools and strategies for building organization, time management, focus, and self-monitoring skills using familiar platforms and beyond. Discover how technology can scaffold executive function &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/events\/ideacon-2026\/tech-tools-for-executive-function\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Brain Boost: Tech Tools for Executive Function Success<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":7458,"parent":7467,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7499","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","user-has-not-earned"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7499"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7588,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7499\/revisions\/7588"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/conferences\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}