One way or another, let's get organized!

As I debated about buying Valentine candy for my students last week at WalMart, I noticed something out of place.  It was a board that had sticky notes of different sizes and colors attached to it.  And they weren’t even pink with hearts or flowers on them.  How did they find their way into the Valentine’s Day section of the store?

My practical side pushed away such heady matters.  This was exactly what some of my students needed to help stay organized.  

When I saw that it cost only $3.97, I immediately snatched it up and began to examine it.   Then, as my mind tends to do, I began wondering.

Calendar, reminders, lists... this sticky note organizer has it all!

How could my students could produce their own sticky note portfolios?  What kinds of notes would they need most?  What sizes and packaging would be most helpful?  

There used to be a special glue available to make your own tablets.  Is that still being sold? How could we make the papers sticky? Would students enjoy designing their own sayings and organizational forms to suit their own needs?  Which students would really use the notes?

It was definitely a project worth pursuing .

In class, we have created digital sticky notes for their laptops, but some of my students aren’t as comfortable in a one-to-one electronic classroom.  A few of them frequently have issues with technology.  Their devices won’t boot up.  They lose connectivity at random times. They cannot access documents that are loaded.  They try to upload their work to the assigned drop, but it disappears.  Sometimes it’s their lack of knowledge, but often their trouble is inexplicable.  

Those students could use more physical tools for organization like the portfolio I found.

Use Trello to set up boards and reminders you and your student can access.

For the others, there are many digital tools that will support being better organized.  Trello is an Internet-based program that allows users to create boards that have cards on them with notes users create.  It looks like a bulletin board with index cards.

Two of Trello’s best features are that it is shareable and free.  That means that parents and students can share an account and help each other keep track of their chores, school assignments, and projects.

Using a calendar or alarm on a cell phone is one of the best ways I have found to stay organized. Many successful adults use their phones in this way.  How about encouraging students to set an alarm to remind students to read twenty minutes each day?  Many of my students do not know how to use the calendars or alarms on their phones.  This would be a great time to learn together.

Google has it all.  Check out is many options.

One last way to stay organized is by using a shared Google Calendar or even a simple Google Doc.  If both student and parent create free Google accounts, they can share a calendar or document that includes activities for the week. Both people can access and edit it, so keeping each other accountable and supporting each other is easy.  

So whether it’s using an old fashioned calendar, a set of actual or digital sticky notes, or using an Internet program, keeping organized can be easy this semester.  Find the best way for your student to be organized ... and more successful.