Planners Your Students Can Do

In late September, I shared how I have helped students with organization - they need a lot of help! - and I promised I'd be back with my thoughts on planners. It's 2023 - most schools are in 1-to-1 situations, so I'm sure the assumption is planners should also be digital, right? I disagree!

As with most of my advice, there is NO clear answer. There is NO "one-size-fits-all" answer either. There ARE a lot of factors to consider and there are a lot of options. That's part of the problem. Let's break it down ...

Factors to consider:

• AGE - the younger the student, the more direct support needed - whether it's on paper or it's digital. This isn't news to you; this is true of everything! Younger students probably should have a paper option, especially if they are not 1:1 with a device they bring home from school.
  
  
• TEAM/DISTRICT guidelines - ideally, you are working with a larger group to scaffold the supports and bigger picture of what using a planner looks like. What does the grade younger than you do ... what about the grade above you?
  
  
• OPTIONS - ... do you have an LMS? ... can you provide paper planners? ... what does the parent side look like?
  
  
• DEVICE SET-UP - if your students are 1:1, do they take them home? If a school device goes home, a digital planner might be a great option. If a school device doesn't go home, a paper planner might be a better option.

When my previous district went 1:1 with chromebooks, it was decided to NOT provide paper planners to our students. I was in a middle school - grades 5-8, I was teaching 7th & 8th - and it might seem like that is the logical step. I took a different approach. I created the following presentation to go over options with my students. Please keep in mind this was roughly 10 years ago ... I've not updated it. 

But it did help ... it showed my students there typically isn't just one way. They don't have to be locked into one path. It showed them they can make decisions. And ultimately, it allowed me to support my students in a manner that helps them.

If your district mandates one method over another, do yourself and your students a favor:

Follow it. Follow it with a passion. 

Don't complain about it to your students. We don't always get to choose our path. Be a good example of what to do when this happens.

Don't make keeping track of work a more difficult path than it needs to be. We are cramming so much content into our students on a regular basis, keep this as easy as possible.

Some kind of planner method is necessary in today's classroom. Picking the one that works best for your students is important, and hopefully can be a building or district wide one to make it something that truly works for ALL of the students, teachers, and parents.

How about you teachers???

Do you have a favorite planner? I am constantly on the look out for that "perfect" planner ... this school year I've got one that is a weekly lay out with a month overview. I'm finding the weekly lay out is my go to. If you've got a favorite, drop it in the comments ... I'd love to check it out! 

*** BONUS if it's a bullet journal!!! I'm fascinated by these, but super intimidated! ***

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Student Organization You Can Do

Recently, I had a conversation about a topic I love. Organization - specifically, organization for students.

Some students naturally know how to be organized, others can and will learn it, and others will struggle. So what are we to do? 

Often, it feels like a losing battle. But remember, as with most everything, organization IS an important skill that needs to be taught, reinforced, and at times, adjusted. AND, as with most everything, there is NOT a single "right" way. Which is why organization is such a struggle.

Honestly, I loved working with my students on their organization. Together, we'd empty their locker, backpack, and folders. We'd pitch what wasn't needed, make a pile to ask about, and put the things in the place where it made sense. But it had to make sense to the student. Then I'd send them with their pile and ask the other teachers what, if anything, needed to be kept. They'd return with a smaller pile and we'd find a home for it. I am no organization wizard, but I had a heart for those students who'd walk around with papers shoved into folders and lockers that were bursting at the seams. And I'd make the time to help them organize. *full disclosure ... we had a study hall like period I'd utilize for this task* I'd do this several times during the year, as needed.

I taught social studies - a subject that had less pressure on it - so I coordinated with my team when we'd do a locker clean out. Typically, it was at the end of a grading period. It's wild what you find in lockers ... forgotten clothing, school supplies that had never made it to their "requester", even packed lunches the student had chosen to not eat! All amongst the typical random papers and pencils. When you do a locker & backpack clean out, you'll see a different side of your students. And you will find school supplies that need a home.

After a year or so, I got smart. The 1st day of school, I had a box to collect supplies for my team. Sharpies for art class that you won't have until 3rd quarter? No problem! I'll get them to the art teacher. Index cards for science - got you covered! They can all go in this box and live there until needed in science. Post-it notes for ELA - yep, drop them in and they will get moved over to the room. And so on.

Finally, one of my favorite parts ... end of the year. Have you ever looked at the supplies that are going to be thrown away? How about a 1/2 used notebook? Go ahead and rip out the used pages, put them in the recycling bin and I'll put the notebook in a cabinet for a student who really needs it. What will you do with that binder? Toss it? Nope, I'll put that in the cabinet and when someone needs it, it'll be there. When i switched positions, I had filled an entire cabinet with partially used notebooks, another cabinet with folders that had a little love to them, notebook paper, binders, index cards, and pencils. All of these supplies would have been throw away. I never asked questions when a student - even students who didn't come to me for class - needed a supply. Help yourself. [P.s. I never required students to leave supplies ... it was completely voluntary.]

Why do I share this today? 

I'm back teaching in the classroom and I'm part of these kinds of conversations again. I'm back at the middle school level where it is assumed these kids "know" how to organize. Most of them don't, or better put, they don't know how to organize.

The things I shared above are easy things we can do to help our students - ALL of them - get and stay organized. Small, easy tasks ... but ones students don't - no, WON'T - make time for. WE teachers need to make time for them. We need to show them it's important and that it takes a little bit of time and energy. And when we do that, ALL of our students will benefit. I promise.

Soon, I'll share about planners ... do you go digital? Or do you stick with paper? Which is better? 

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

Summer Sunday Tip #2: Organize Chrome (in 5 Steps) You Can Do

Time seems to pass differently in the summer for me. It's still 24 hours in one day and 7 days in one week, but summer feels like an endless stretch of time, yet I know it's not. I don't spend nearly the amount on time on professional work during the summer - but I have things I really want to get done. This series of tips is meant to capture small chunks of time and use them productively.

Summer Sunday Tip #1 was all about "To Do" lists. I use to do lists to help organize myself daily and for long projects. One thing on my to do list is to take some time and organize my Chrome accounts. I try to be good during the school year, but if I take about 15-20 minutes at the beginning of the summer, I can get through my Chrome accounts and do some clean up work. School is fresh "enough", yet not breathing down my neck, so I'm sure to keep only what I really need.

Step 1: Separate Chrome Accounts

This is a huge problem for a lot of people - they don't 100% understand the difference between logging into their Chrome account vs their Google account. If you've ever not been able to find something in your account and you are shocked to find it in a different account, this is probably your cause. There might be a bit of work here ... but the bottom line is this - it's EASY to keep your Chrome accounts separate, yet easily accessible. You just have to know how.

Kasey Bell has a great video to show how to do this: https://youtu.be/qJi0g-Lq8Xo 

You can also read her blog post, You're Doing it Wrong! How to Manage Multiple Google Accounts

Once you have your profiles separated, you can work to see if you have files that need to be moved to the correct account.

Believe me ... it is well-worth the time to do this! You will thank yourself later.

Step 2: Bookmarks - use the favicon!

I have a deep love of bookmarks. I will never forget my student, Juliana, who showed me how to use ONLY the favicon for bookmarks that I am super familiar with. (The favicon is the small image that is associated with the website ... the colorful triangle for Drive ... the colorful M for GMail ... etc). It saves SO much space & allows me to use the rest of my bookmark bar for additional websites. 

Check out the video I made showing how to make this happen.

Step 3: Bookmarks - use folders!

Another way I save space & keep my Chrome organized is to create folders on my bookmarks bar. Another super simple tip and goes a LONG way in helping keep my organized. As a classroom teacher, I had a folder for each unit and each chapter, saving me a ton of time year after year when I wanted to find the same great resources. I use folders as categories to group like bookmarks together.

Check out the video I made showing how to make this happen.

Step 4: Bookmarks - delete!

Something a lot of people might not think about when organizing their Chrome is to actually go ahead and delete the unwanted - or unused - bookmarks. When I sit down with teachers to do some organization in Chrome, many are often surprised the sheer number of bookmarks they have. "Wow!" or "I don't remember bookmarking that!" are common comments. It doesn't matter when, or why, you did, if you aren't using it, delete it. You might be surprised how much cleaner and easier it is for you when you are looking for the bookmarks you really do use. Another super simple way you can organize your Chrome account.

Check out the video I made showing how to make this happen.

Step 5: Customize your theme & profile for each account.

The final suggestion I have for you when organizing your Chrome accounts is to change the theme and your profile image. I have several Google accounts (a personal one, a school one, a Google Trainer one, and a couple of others). If they all had the same profile image and looked the same, I would struggle in knowing which is which. I have strategically used a different profile image for each and used the available Chrome themes to help me more easily see which account I am using. This is a MUST if you have multiple accounts.

Check out the video I made showing how to make this happen.

I promise, after doing these 5 steps, your Chrome accounts will feel organized. Each step should be fairly simple and easy to do.

Come back next week - Tip #3 will focus on doing the things we put off during the school year.

Questions? Comment ⤵ or connect with me on any of the socials - my links are above on the right.

Psssssst! Have you heard? I've got some upcoming presentations YOU can join me! Here's a quick peek, but for a list of all of my upcoming and an up-to-date list, head over to "My Presentations" page. (I just added a couple more of August, too!)

• Tuesday, June 22 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Docs
• Tuesday, June 29 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Sheets
• Thursday, July 1 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Slides 
• Friday, July 9 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Forms
• Monday, July 12 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Drawings and Jamboard
• Tuesday, July 13 @ 1 pm EST - Level Up with Google Sites

Gmail: Accounts, Categories, & Filters You Can Do

I'm baaaaaaccckkkk! I took a much needed break the past few weeks but I'm back today to share some tips on how you can wrap up the year & head into the new year strong with better control over your inbox.

I don't know about you, but these days I feel like I have to really work to keep my email under control. Communication is massively important and email plays a large role in my ability to communicate and be communicated with. I am jealous of the people who can achieve a "zero inbox". (If I am being brutally honest, my goal - NOW - is to have less than 100 unread emails!) I truly believe there is no one right way to handle your inbox, but there are several things you can do to make it your inbox better. 

I have taken some steps over the years to help myself stay "better" organized in my emails - I have strict boundaries on the email accounts I have: one for personal, one for school, one for my Tech You Can Do items, and one that I am honestly trying to wean off of entirely. I have also become a big believer in the use of categories in Gmail and as well as filters.

Let's dive into my top 3 Gmail tips. (There might even be a bonus tucked in!) Try these tips on your inbox and I promise you won't regret it!

I hope you found something worthwhile. Managing your inbox is necessary, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming.

I've linked to my GMail Wakelet collection on the final slide - be sure to check it out for some other tips and ideas for your inbox.

Have any questions or comments? Be sure to leave them below ... or Tweet at me - @kiefersj ... or email me - sarah@techyoucando.com .

Digital Learning Journal Your STUDENTS Can Do (& a bonus!)

We went back face-to-face 5 days a week in September. It has gone far better than any of us truly thought it would. It has been an adjustment, but we've done the best we can. As to be expected, we have had students who need to do school from home, for various lengths of time. Since my buildings are elementary, not everything is best done on a computer. Sometimes paper work is the best way for students to do work. (Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great tech uses for remote learning; but sometimes, paper is better.)

I was asked this question, "How does a student return this work, in a timely manner?" I did some thinking ... adding an image directly into Google Classroom, while possible, isn't super easy - especially for younger students. BUT ... inserting images in Google Slides IS pretty easy! (Even for those who've not done it before.)

As a result, I designed the "Digital Learning Journal" to fill this need. There is no way I could predict how many slides everyone would need, so I designed templates on the Slides Masters. It's now as simple as adding in a new slide! And you can worry less about students deleting things you don't want them to.

To walk you through this journal, I made a video hoping it explains it better and more concisely than I could write it. (The journal is below the video.)

Like what you see in the video? Here is the Digital Learning Journal:

Would you like to make a copy for yourself? Here is a template link for the "Digital Learning Journal."

Now, here is my recommendation - make your own copy, then create an assignment in Classroom and use the make a copy in Google Classroom for each student. Don't add a topic to the assignment so it will be "pinned" at the top. This makes it SUPER easy for students to find and add work in. I suggest explaining it to all of your students ... and explain this is for when/if they do school at home. (You certainly don't have to do it this way - you could opt to ONLY assign it if/when a student needs to do work at home. Either way works - just please explain this to your students.)

Finally, I promised a "bonus", too, in the title. I added a template to my co-created site, www.TemplatesForTeachers.com. It goes back to my intentional focus on Google Classroom. This time it's for parents. I called it "Google Classroom for Parents." It's a "1 pager" meant to help guide parents to the key pieces in Google Classroom. I hope it helps. Supporting our parents who are working with our kiddos at home is important, too. Keep it simple - they don't need to know everything - the basics are perfect!

And as always, feel free to check out my Google Classroom Wakelet collection. Lots of good tips, tricks, and resources to help you make Classroom work for you.

Or connect & follow me on social media - all of my links are in the top right corner of my blog under my picture.

*** Every Monday, I share a newsletter with a collection of Tech You Can Do resources. It is delivered right to your inbox. Interested? Sign up here!  ***

4+ Advanced Gmail Tips You Can Do

This will be the final in a 3 part series on Gmail. I'm wrapping it up with 4+ advanced tips. A couple of these tips will take a bit of work on the front end to set up, but once done, it can make a world of difference for taming your inbox. Another tip will prove useful when you need to find emails or content in your email.

I will start off with an admission - I do NOT use all of these. I've collected them and I'm sharing them out, because I understand that while they might not be something I choose to do, you very well might want to. I cannot stress enough how personal email is. The final tip I share is actually a collection of more advanced things you might want to look into. I link you to the Gmail Help page for each of the topics. If you look into one (or more) of them, feel free to look through other ideas. You might find something I didn't point out.

Here is a link where you can make your own copy of "Advanced Gmail Tips". 

Feel free to share these Slides with others. 

I have a growing Wakelet collection dedicated to Gmail for items that I find useful and interesting. Be sure to check it out! There might be a nugget in there to help you, too!

https://wke.lt/w/s/z-FYRE

Have a question, comment, or idea? Share them with me on Twitter (@kiefersj), via email: sarah@techyoucando.com, or in the comments below.

5 Intermediate Gmail Tips You Can Do

If your email is anything like mine, it's a constant barrage. Emails that I really want, emails that are pure junk, emails that peek my interest, emails that take me down rabbit holes I didn't intend for, emails that inspire me, and so on.

I'll be honest ... email can be incredibly overwhelming. Exhausting, even. Last week I shared some basic Gmail tips - "4 Basic Gmail Tips You Can Do". Today, I'm back with 5 more that can go a loooooong way in helping you organize your Gmail. I've deemed these intermediate, but I promise YOU CAN DO THEM.

Since email won't be going away - let's take control and learn some tips better manage it. Please always remember, email is a very personal thing. Some of these tips might not fit your needs ... it's ok! I hope at least one or two of these will help you tame your email. In the following Slides, I share 5 different tips that can help you manage your email. Below the embedded Slides is a link you are welcome to click on, use, and share with others.

 Here is a link where you can make your own copy of "Intermediate Gmail Tips". 

Feel free to share these Slides with others. 

I have a growing Wakelet collection dedicated to Gmail for items that I find useful and interesting. Be sure to check it out! There might be a nugget in there to help you, too!

https://wke.lt/w/s/z-FYRE

Next week, I'll share a 3rd one about Gmail with even more advanced tips. 

Is there something you'd like to know with Gmail? Share them with me on Twitter (@kiefersj), via email: sarah@techyoucando.com, or in the comments below.

Happy emailing!

4 Basic Gmail Tips You Can Do

Chances are you have at least one email account. I'd even venture a guess you have more than one email. Email is an important part of communication these days and any time I find ways to make it easier, I jump on it.

I have used Gmail as my personal email for more than a decade so when my district switched over to Gmail last year, I was overjoyed! The biggest bonus for me was unlimited storage because we are a GSuite education domain! 

While doing research about Gmail, I came across the Time magazine article, "How Gmail Happened: The Inside Story of Its Launch 10 Years Ago" (published April 1, 2014). It is an interesting read about the creation of Gmail.

Today I want to share some basic, yet possibly overlooked tips that can go a long way in helping you organize and tame your email. Do you know how to create labels? Add color & emojis? How about adding a signature to the end of your email? Giving your email a theme? Check out the Slides below to find out these and a few other tips. 

Here is a link where you can make your own copy of "Basic Gmail Tips".

Feel free to share these Slides with others. 

I have a growing Wakelet collection dedicated to Gmail for items that I find useful and interesting. Be sure to check it out! There might be a nugget in there to help you, too!

https://wke.lt/w/s/z-FYRE

In my next post, I'll be sharing more advanced tips. Is there something you'd like to know with Gmail? Share them with me on Twitter (@kiefersj), via email: sarah@techyoucando.com, or in the comments below.

Google Drive Organization You Can Do

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉

I'm starting this year off with my favorite topics - Google & Organization - and when you put these two together, I'm in heaven!

Remember the days of 4 drawer filing cabinets ... I do!  They took up a lot of floor space in my classroom (I might have even decorated mine 😆 ).  These are fabulous organizational tools ... and, at the same time, organizational nightmares! 

You know what I'm talking about!  

A lot of thought and energy was put into the overall organization of these file cabinets, but we all kept a section for papers "To File Later" ... which we rarely did! Your Google Drive can easily become the same nightmare ... but it doesn't need to be.

The new year is a great time to make the decision to organize your Drive.  Below, I've shared some basics to get you going.  But I must warn you.  It will be an ongoing task.  You will never be "done". Organization is something you must do regularly and faithfully.

Get Started:

"My Drive" ... the big picture ...

How do you organize? How is your day divided up? Content? Periods? Do you manage groups? What are the biggest chunks of your day?  Make folders to match these groupings.  Don't get hung up on how to organize inside these yet. Then, drag & drop individual files or folders inside these "main folders". 

Tip - if you have files/folders that you have no idea what they are, I recommend opening them and decide to keep or delete.  Don't be afraid to delete ... this is an incredibly important organization feature! 

Folder Names ... an overlooked tool ...

When you decide names for your "main folders", think about this ... does your brain organize by dates? By names? Be sure to use terms/phrases that you are familiar with. Keep it simple and broad.