Virtual and/or hybrid learning are the new normal. As a teacher, many of whom are millennials raised on technology, we may be overestimating our Gen Z students' technological prowess - setting them up for failure. Remember, we had Mavis Beacon and only a handful of search engines. That is not the case today. Navigating cloud-based storage systems is not "natural" for an 8 year old. These platforms need to be explained, modeled, and monitored. As a parent, you may be under the assumption "the school has it under-control". Well, we don't. Honestly, the school-home relationship has never been more literal and teachers' need for parental support has never been greater.
We're already 3 - 4 months into the school year and your student has either learned to swim or is drowning. The problems may be multi-layered, but let's start with some organization tips.
1. Create an organization system that works for you. I'm talking to everyone from teacher to student to parent. The teacher will obviously set the tone by selecting the platform(s) for their class(es). Parents/Students, once you know what each teachers' expectations are WRITE THEM DOWN, PRINT THEM OUT, HANG THEM HIGH. Don't fall into the trap of "forgetting to check that site".
2. Use cloud-based storage in a systematic way. I happen to use Google Drive. Give your assignments titles AND dates so you always know which version is the most up-to-date. Again, I am talking to teachers and students. As a teacher, more than once, I have updated an assignment from my archives based on the needs of my current class then shared the wrong doc. For students, having 20 documents titled "Untitled Document - 1 (through 19)" is not very helpful in keeping track of your work. Start your assignment by giving it a proper title!
3. Delete UNNECESSARY docs to keep Drive clutter free but NEVER DELETE GRADED ASSIGNMENTS. Just because the task is done does not mean the assignment is no longer useful for studying and preparing for future assignments. I'm speaking directly to my sixth grade and higher. Teachers do not reinvent the wheel! keep useful assignments close by - at least until the end of the unit, if not the whole course. You never know when the same content will be helpful again. For my older students, 11th grade and beyond, a well-written piece is the perfect foundation for a college essay or a writing sample for that internship you are after. Work smarter, not harder.
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