TOSA Tip: Google Calendar

As I've mentioned in previous Blog posts, I am an EdTech TOSA for three school sites. I try to stay at one site each day, to avoid losing time by traveling from school to school. As you can imagine, it can be a little bit hectic scheduling meetings and teacher support at three different schools. One of my favorite tools to keep me organized is Google Calendar. I love Google Calendar for the following 5 reasons:

1. Google Calendar easily syncs on all my devices, including my iPhone and Apple watch. This makes it nice for checking where I'm suppose to be each day. The Apple watch even gives me a slight buzz 15 minutes before my next scheduled event. This is great when you are working with a teacher and students in the classroom and completely lose track of time.
2. Calendar events allow you to link resources to them - Google Docs, Slides, websites etc. When I'm planning a PD for teachers, its really nice to link the Slide deck or other resources right to the event. Then, when I send out the invite, teachers can easily find the resources they need for the PD.
3. Appointment slots make signing up for support way easier. Teachers can easily see the available appointment slots that I have and can choose a time that works for them.
4. Tasks are the digital "To Do" list that I've always wanted. I love creating tasks on my Google Calendar, then checking them off as I go. It's a great way to keep track of what I need to accomplish each day, without actually creating an event on the calendar.
5. Color coding events in Google Calendar really helps me to see what's going on each month. I've an extremely visual learner, so knowing that different colors mean different things on the calendar, it super helpful!

If you are not already using a digital calendar of some type, I would highly suggest trying one out. Google calendar is a great option! Even if you are not a TOSA, there are tons of great things you can do with Google calendar!

I would love to hear about some of the ways you use Google Calendar in the comments below!

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