tech5

Standard Five | Productivity Tools

**Staying Organized** As a teacher, there are endless possibilities when it comes to staying organized with a computer. I use my computer to research, bookmarking websites with content information and media available for students, but I also use it to organize information about student grades, keep in touch with parents, and plan units, individual lessons, and keep track of higher order thinking questions that I develop while multitasking.

If I cannot reach a parent by phone, I have the opportunity to e-mail him or her. E-mail allows me to have written documentation of my interactions with a student's parent so I can go back and reference an earlier conversation, but it also lets me send parents updates when I upload a grade into My Gradebook. E-mail also facilitates communication between myself and students who may have a question or need to send me some of their homework they did not have the chance to complete in time. Furthermore, e-mail is important when collaborating with co-workers and others in the education community, when sharing feedback on lessons, possible resources, and other ideas to use during class time. While I was student teaching, my peers and I created a Google Group to share ideas and leave feedback on student interactions and reactions.

Finding and knowing how to use these various tools is important for me in order to be productive and keep up to date with student needs. I am constantly looking for ways in which I can better organize information and help students as well. This standard also requires me how I can better present information to students they that they are not just sitting, listening, and taking notes. I enjoy trying new services to see how they work with different classes and plan to do so in the future.

