Using a Digital Calendar to Maintain a To-Do List

Digital calendars can be used to create a to-do list and prompt reminders. Putting appointments and due dates on a calendar is what it was made for! Using a calendar as a to-do list and for reminders provides one convenient location for keeping track of everything that needs to be done. Use the following handy tips to get started:

  • Set up to-do items and plan out stages of projects by marking events as an  “All Day Event”. This puts it on your calendar on a date you want it “due” without a specific time slot.
  • Have a big project? Breaking it down into smaller chunks makes it more manageable. “Due dates” can be set for each smaller chunk of the project so that you work on it all along instead of cramming everything into the day before!
  • Set notifications to remind you at a certain date and time which can help you remember that the event is coming up.
  • Set up a repeating appointment or event, such as setting a consistent weekly reminder to take the trash out on a specific morning.
  • Events can be set with a visual reminder, such as an emoji specific to the event, like using a waste basket 🗑️ for the reminder to take out the trash. 
  • Whole calendars and/or specific events can be shared with others. Parents and/or educators can work with a student to help them learn what types of actions should be events, what reminders might be necessary, and when those should be scheduled on the calendar. 

Use the following guides based on the digital calendar you are using:

Getting Started With Google Calendar

Get Started with the Outlook Calendar

Color Coding and Adding Emojis to Google Drive Folders for Organization

The human brain 🧠 can recognize images in a matter of milliseconds, according to research at MIT. This information can be useful in helping students (and adults!) in quickly finding information by color and emojis in Google Drive. For example, science folders could be in green and social science folders could be in blue. An emoji of a microscope 🔬 could be added to the file name of the science folder and a globe 🌎 to the file name of the social science folder. Have an important file about organization? Add a file cabinet 🗄️ to it! These colors and pictures can help trigger memory in the blink of an eye 👀 when trying to locate files plus they add an element of fun! These strategies can help students organize their information in a way that they can quickly access later without the need to rely on text. Check out this video from Specialized Instructional Facilitator – Assistive Technology Jean Garrett to learn how to color code and add an emoji from emojipedia.org.