Seminar fishbowl
45 minSegments
5
First
5:00
Total
45:00
A 45-minute discussion with setup, inner circle, observer notes, rotation, and reflection.
Structured discussion timer
Free Fishbowl Discussion Timer
Use a fishbowl discussion timer for inner-circle discussion, observer notes, speaker rotations, reflection, classroom seminars, and facilitated community conversations.
Built for this job
Facilitators can keep speaker rotations fair.
Observers get protected time for notes and reflection.
Classrooms and community groups can use a visible shared timer.
Current agenda item
Setup
1/5
5:00
Next
Inner circle discussion
Total time
45:00
Use this setup in XTimer
Need a controller link, viewer display, or shared room?
Keep this simple timer for quick work. Move into an XTimer room when one person controls the clock and another screen shows it to a speaker, team, class, or audience.
Presets that match real work
Start from a timer people already understand.
Each preset has a clear use case, duration, and workflow. That makes the page useful for search visitors immediately, and gives professional users a natural path into XTimer rooms when they need separate controller and viewer devices.
Quick fishbowl
20 minSegments
4
First
2:00
Total
20:00
A 20-minute version for classroom prompts.
Community conversation
1 hourSegments
5
First
5:00
Total
1:00:00
A 60-minute facilitated discussion with opening, rotations, audience reflection, and close.
Professional setup
Use the simple timer first, then graduate to controlled timing.
Explain the fishbowl format before the timer starts.
Give observers a specific note-taking prompt.
Separate rotation time from active discussion time.
Use XTimer rooms when a facilitator controls timing for a room display.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fishbowl discussion timer?
A fishbowl discussion timer structures inner-circle discussion, observer notes, speaker rotation, reflection, and closing time.
Can I use this for classroom seminars?
Yes. The seminar fishbowl preset is built for classroom discussion, observer notes, rotation, and reflection.
How long should a fishbowl discussion be?
Short classroom fishbowls can run 20 minutes. Deeper seminars or community conversations often need 45 to 60 minutes.