Beyond Folders : back to school

The ABCs of Organizing for Students

Community Manager — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:17:00 GMT

This school year, teach your children the most valuable lesson they will ever learn: how to be organized. Long after state capitals and algebraic equations are forgotten, the ability to organize one's time and belongings will serve your student well.

Why Get Organized?

Being organized increases productivity, improves student achievement and reduces stress. Being organized also increases free time for leisure pursuits. Other benefits include:

A (relatively) neat desk, book bag and room
A workable system for tracking assignments and managing a weekly schedule
The ability to tackle big projects that require planning over time
Decreased stress; feeling in control, rather than overwhelmed
The ability to make healthy lifestyle choices such as time for exercise and a decent bedtime

Getting Started

Students aren't born organized, they need to be coached on the basics of organization just as they would any skill. Equip your student for organization with the right set of tools:

Three-Ring Binder: The linchpin of organization; ensure it can hold papers for a particular grading period.
Folders: Three-holed pocket folders corral paperwork. Encourage your child to think about what kind of paper comes home from school, label each folder accordingly.
Calendar or Day Planner: Provides a big-picture view of schedules and helps with time-management. Parents should let children manage their schedules, but can offer guidance. Demonstrate how you manage your own calendar.
A stack of 3×5 index cards: A cheap, portable means to create lists, notes and study guides. Index cards are perfect for test review.
Designated Study Zone: Designate a distraction-free place for work. Work in a quiet, low-traffic area and set boundaries for desk use: i.e. storing books on the desk is okay, while electronic games are not.

Make it a Habit

Good study habits are created with repetition. New habits take time to become routine; parents should monitor initial progress and then slowly, give a child room to manage on their own.

Parents can help by:

Going over the child's list of homework assignments
Asking your child to create a to-do list of priorities, then vetting the list
Building in time to proof and review work
For long-term projects, demonstrate how to break the work down into a series of steps. Have your child plot out a timeline for completion.
Encourage your student to check off each item on the to-do list

Effective Time-Management

Parents can help their students manage homework and sports schedules by teaching students about time-blocking: the process of designating specific blocks of time each day for tackling particular activities or tasks. Students should examine their daily schedule and homework to-do list and establish timelines for all tasks.

Other time-blocking tips include:

Keep it real: Set realistic time-blocks; allow time for snacks, transitions and breaks.
Interruption-free zone: Schedule blocks of uninterrupted time each day. Close the bedroom door; turn off the phone and keep younger siblings away. Students should tackle tasks that require deep concentration during this time-block.

Finally, remember that organization must be learned and practiced to become a habit. Parents can and should guide their students but should ultimately allow their students to take the lead.

Tame the Back-to-School Clutter Explosion

Community Manager — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:02:00 GMT

If back-to-school is adding up to a clutter explosion in your home, you'll love our easy-as-ABC lessons for taming the chaos.

Designate a Drop Spot: Backpacks and sports gear can easily engulf a home; pick a convenient drop spot for off-loading when the kids arrive home. Make it easy to make it stick: a simple hall bench; set of cubbies or even wall hooks can do the trick. Offer simple rewards when all items are stowed away regularly.

Kitchen Command Center: Deputize a bulletin board or white board to track all family commitments, sports schedules and major tests and projects. When invites and event notices come in, log the date on the calendar, then toss the paper.

Homework Helper: Corral pens, pencils, glue sticks and other homework supplies in a portable homework caddy. Keeping study tools close at hand will prevent students from wandering off in search of needed items and individual items from migrating all over the house. Consider color coding your kids so you can tell which child is leaving supplies scattered around the house.

A Look Ahead: Model good organizational habits for your kids by spending the end of the day planning for the next morning. By taking just 15 minutes to round up school supplies, paperwork and special items such as snow boots or umbrellas, you can minimize stress during the morning rush.

Weekly Clean Ups: Keep chaos at bay with weekly clean-ups. Update the family command center calendar, restore missing items to their rightful place and restock school supplies that are running low. Revisit your children's personal planners or calendars and provide feedback on how they managed their schedules and workloads for the week. Praise successes and offer suggestions for improvement where necessary.

What are your back-to-school clutter-busting tips? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook and Twitter pages.

Best Back-to-School Apps

Community Manager — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 16:24:00 GMT

Back-to-school used to mean stocking up on new pencils and notebooks. Now you can better your back-to-school organization with apps that do everything from track time logged on homework to providing free access to costly textbooks. See our round-up of A-plus apps for more useful tools.

Top 10 Back-to-School iPhone Applications : This selection of apps features the cost-savings app CourseSmart which lets you save mucho dinero on 7,000 textbooks, all offered for free. Not ready to read on your iPhone? You might be persuaded after spending time on Stanza, an app that lets you track reading progress and boosts font size. It also provides links to 30,000 free classic titles such as the complete works of Shakespeare, Dickens and a host of other must-read writers.

10 Best Back-to-School Apps: Students will like free app MyHomework which lets them track tests and assignment dates and helicopter parents will like iStudiezPro which lets them track all their kids' test dates and assignment deadlines on the down-low. Never be caught off guard by your slacking student again. Other apps include ones to help with note-taking and to make virtual flashcards.

These Back to School Apps Get Straight As: Put the fun in fundamentals with apps like ChalkWalk, iStory and NumberLine. These apps help grade-school aged kids make the grade and more.

Good luck in school this year!

What back-to-school app makes the grade in your book? Share your thoughts here and on the Pendaflex Facebook and Twitter pages.

Back-to-School as an Adult

Community Manager — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:50:00 GMT

Back-to-school conjures up images of kids toting backpacks stuffed with brand new marble composition notebooks. But back-to-school needn't be just for the small-fry set. Savvy adults know that being a life-long learner reaps both professional dividends and personal enrichment. So this fall take time to investigate continuing education and professional development options that can add skills and expand your horizons.

Courses are often offered at local colleges and universities. Many public libraries also offer continuing education coursework, particularly in new technologies. To get you started, here are some do's and don'ts to consider:

Do investigate if your company will pay for classes. Often times professional development courses are reimbursable.
Don't limit yourself to courses solely in business or your industry. Taking a painting or music class can unlock creativity that in turn boosts your productivity and creativity at work as well.
Do network among colleagues you admire for ideas about helpful coursework.
Don't assume all coursework needs to be done in a classroom. Many vacation options offer classes and certification, including these classes run on cruises.
Do tap into industry and trade associations for programming.
Don't call it one and done. Keep taking classes, adding skills and new experiences throughout your career and life.

Back-to-school: not for kids only.

Tips for A Great School Year

Community Manager — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:40:00 GMT

New notebooks, check. Backpack, check. Refusing to over schedule...a work in progress. Smart parents know the back-to-school checklist should include more than just school supplies. Create the framework for a successful school year with the following checklist.

Great Expectations: Sit down with your students and discuss your expectations for the school year. Clearly tell your kids that you expect them to be polite, conscientious students. Don't assume your child knows what type of behavior you expect, tell them directly.

Open Lines of Communication: Reach out to your children's teacher rather than waiting to hear from them. Introduce yourself via e-mail and let the teacher know the best way to get in touch during the school year. Reaching out signals that you are an involved, approachable parent who is willing to act as a partner in a student's education.

Organizing 101: Teach your children to organize their workspace and calendar for greater productivity and less stress. Organization is easy with these simple steps.

Family, It's What's for Dinner: Students who eat with their family regularly have better health, grades and lower rates of troublesome behavior such as teen drinking and smoking. Put family dinners first as often as your schedule permits.

Say No to Over Scheduling: Put the brakes on extracurriculars or social engagements that get in the way of downtime and family time. Overextended and stressed out students and parents is becoming an epidemic: ward off the ill-effects of a schedule in overdrive by just saying no.

Read Together: Reading fosters a love of learning and improves vocabulary; it is also a wonderful way to nurture deep connection between parents and children. Often parents stop reading to their children once they can read on their own. But parents can read to willing children for years. Pick books that are challenging or that focus on a shared interest: reading it together pushes children outside of their comfort zone. Consider forming a parent/child book group with a group of friends.

Finally, smart parents model a positive attitude to school and learning. Share stories from your own education; let your children see you continue to try to learn new things, be it a sport, a recipe or a new language. Being a life-long learner is enjoyable and presents a positive role model for your children.

Top 10 Back-to-School Products for Tweens and Up

Community Manager — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:32:00 GMT

1. Livescribe Pen: Write your class notes while recording what you miss with digital recorder pens. How cool is that? Be sure to ask your teacher's permission before recording.

2. Alarms: Forget your parent's snooze button. There's a battery of creative alarm clocks on the market these days: opt for a fire alarm ring, clocks that talk and even one sporting wheels to roll away from attempts to hit the snooze button.

3. Power Strips: Multi-gadget kids need a surge protecting power cord to keep the juice flowing safely. Check out the Pivot Power, a flexible strip that lets users opt for different configurations, easily pivoting cords around furniture and hard to reach spots.

4. Laptock Locks: Combo locks aren't just for lockers; make use laptop locks to tether your computer to a desk when you duck out of the library.

5. iPad: A multitasking master: read eBooks, stream music, take notes and pictures; organize class and activity schedules with time management apps. Anything else? Oh, right, studying.

6. iPad Accessories: Trick out your iPad with accessories like headphones, eye-catching cases and our favorite, the Padfoot, which holds the tablet in a variety of positions including upright for better viewing and slightly lifted for easier typing.

7. USB Flash Drives: Store digital materials including presentations, notes and pictures on portable flash drives.

8. Laptop Bags: Many bags now come with laptop and cell phone pockets. Also, solar-powered backpacks, yes, you read that right, allow you to tap into Mother Nature to recharge devices in between classes with a solar power backpack.

9. Lunch Pack: Encourage healthy eating by sending your child off to school with a homemade lunch. A wide range of stylish lunch totes, including Japanese-style bento boxes and insulated lunch totes, puts a fresh face on brown-bagging it.

10. Smart Phone: For many tweens, the first phone is a major rite of passage. Be sure to set parameters for use and keep an eye on texting. Family-plans can help manage usage while allowing parents to keep an eye on their child.

Top 10 Ways to Keep Your Kids Organized

Community Manager — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:28:00 GMT

Back-to-school shopping catalogs are flooding the mailbox. Time to think about getting the kids organized for school and the fall sports season. Smart parents keep busy households organized with these top ten tips.

1. Designate a Drop Spot: Backpacks and sports gear can easily engulf a home; designate a convenient drop spot for off-loading when the kids arrive home. Nothing fancy is needed: a simple hall bench, set of cubbies or even wall hooks can do the trick.

2. Kitchen Command Center: Deputize a bulletin board or white board to track all family commitments, sports schedules and major tests and projects. The shared schedule lets all family members see major events at a glance.

3. Calendar Smarts: Teach your children to maintain their own calendar to practice optimum time-management. Even the very youngest students can be taught how to chart tasks on a calendar. Talk about how to assess how long a task will take and allocating sufficient time for completion.

4. Designate Study Time: Get your children in the study habit by designating a specific block of time for homework each day. Encourage children not to race through work, but instead to proceed slowly and methodically, leaving time for proofing.

5. Checklists: Encourage your child to use checklists to prioritize tasks and keep track of each item's status. Crossing off items on a to-do list provides a sense of accomplishment.

6. Quiet Zone: Find a quiet area for students to do their work. An interruption-free zone enhances focus and productivity.

7. Homework Caddy: Set each child up with a portable homework caddy with must-have tools such as pencils, pens, erasers, stapler, etc. Keeping study tools close at hand will prevent students from wandering off in search of needed items.

8. Backup Supplies: Keep a supply of notebooks, binders, report covers, poster board, glue and markers and crayons on hand during the school year. You'll be glad to have a ready supply when a child inevitably announces late in the evening they are missing X item for a project due tomorrow.

9. A Look Ahead: Get in the habit of spending the end of the day planning for the next morning. By taking just 15 minutes to round up school supplies, paperwork and special items such as rain boots and umbrellas, you can stave off the stress that often adds to the morning rush.

10. Weekly Clean Ups: Keep chaos at bay with weekly clean-ups. Update the family command center calendar, restore missing items to their rightful place and restock school supplies that are running low. Revisit your children's personal planners or calendars and provide feedback on how they managed their schedules and workloads for the week. Praise successes and offer suggestions for improvement where necessary.

Handling School Cutbacks

Community Manager — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:28:00 GMT

School budget cuts are headline news as at least 46 states slash funds to address budget shortfalls. With federal stimulus money set to end this school year, teachers and students will have to do more with less. This isn't news to anyone who found basics such as paper towels, baby wipes and Clorox on back-to-school-shopping lists. When schools can't afford to buy their own cleaning supplies, parents may well wonder how their children's education will be affected.

Worried About School Budget Cuts?

If your school district has seen budgets slashed, you may be looking for ways to offset the impact on your child's education. Consider enrolling your student in after-school programs that support education through homework assistance or enrichment activities.

Programming varies state by state; the following resources may be helpful in locating after-school programs in your area:

YMCA: Offers homework and after-school enrichment programming as well as sports for preschoolers, elementary aged kids, teens and adults. Often offers child care.
Boys & Girls Club of America: Offers a wide-variety of programming including homework assistance.
After School Matters: A Chicago-based afterschool programs for teens offering a range of innovative programming including theater and science workshops. While this program serves the Chicago-area, programs like it can be found across the country. Search the web using "after school" as key words or contact your school-district to ask if similar programs exist in your area.
Afterschool.gov: A government web site providing information for afterschool providers about Federal resources supporting children and youth during out-of-school hours. Search the site for programs in your area.

Do you have any tips for offsetting school budget cuts? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

Back-to-School Communications

Community Manager — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:22:00 GMT

Summer is a time of togetherness for many families. With the back-to-school season now in full swing keeping up communications becomes more of a juggle.

But as multi-tasking moms and dads know, juggling is just one of the many skills in the parenting arsenal. So take time to make time: schedule one-on-one time with each child in the family and set up regular family meetings.

Family meetings don't need to be formal; they can take place once a week at a family dinner or first thing Saturday mornings. Use this time to reconnect about important happenings during the week and for announcements that affect the whole family such as weekend plans or changes in chore schedules.

Once you've carved out time, use these tools to help make communication more effective:

Young children: Communicating positively with young children helps them develop confidence, self-worth, and good relationships. Try to get down on their level if you can. When giving commands or disciplining, avoid angry voices; try to use a neutral voice. For more tips on communicating with children, visit the Mr. Rogers' Family Communications resource guide for a wealth of tips.

Teens: Don't believe the hype; teens want to talk to their parents about sex, drugs and rock and roll as well as a host of other topics. Studies show that teens want to discuss these sensitive topics but don't know how so it's your job as a parent to get the communication going. For tips, check out Communicating with Teens by FamilyEducation.com.

Kitchen Command Center: Keep family members in the communication loop by setting up an effective kitchen command center. Color code calendars to keep track of various sports and social commitments for each family member and use a white board or chalkboard for messages. For more tips on setting up a command center, visit our past post "Is Your Kitchen Your Home Office?"

Finally, keep in mind that September is hurricane season in many parts of the country. The time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens; use this government guide to put in place a Family Communications plan for emergencies and review it with all family members: Ready.gov: Make a Family Communications Plan.

Do you have any tips for back-to-school communications? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Candie Harris