Back to School for Therapists: Managing Paper Schedules – Tips and Tricks

Back to School Tips and Tricks –  Managing Paper Schedules

It’s back to school time for students as well as teachers and specialists. As I think about those days and what it takes to get the school year and schedules started, I am reminded of teacher schedules, specialist schedules, building schedules, gym schedules early release day schedules – all needed to create your own  OT or teacher schedule! It can be a maze of schedules which you are dependent on to craft your own.

Here are just a few suggestions for mobile device users that can help simplify the paper schedule chase at the beginning or during the school year:

1. Digitize it! -

a. Collect those hard copy teacher, building or related studies schedules on your mobile device by taking a picture with your iPad or Android mobile device. The pictures will be stored in your Photo Album (iPad) or Gallery (Android) for easy access and organization.

b. If it already is digital, have the electronic schedule sent to you.  If it is posted out  in cyberspace somewhere, navigate to that site and take a screen shot – (that handy trick every OT or teacher should know how to do):

 iOS -Press Home +  Power Button simultaneously (you will hear a snap shot taken) – a picture of the screen will be sent to your Photo Library.

 Android devices (most of them, some differ a bit) Press Power + Down Volume Button (you will hear a snap shot taken)

2. Where did the photos or screen shots go?

iOS photos and screenshots go to your Photo Library.

Android Screenshots go to your Gallery.

3. Organize them! Create an Photo Album of just schedules for easy access in one place on your iPad. Here’s how:

 iOS –  Go to Photo Library  > Albums > “+” creates a new Album call it “Schedules” > Save > Add/Select photos to “Schedules” > Done). All those schedules will be store in one location to refer to when you need to craft yours.

 Android – Screenshots images on my Dell Venue (Jelly Bean OS) are collected in the (photo) Gallery and automatically organized in a Screenshot folder (bonus!).  If you do a lot of screen shots and need further organization of them there is another way to organize photos by tags using Picasa but is a bit more complicated.

Now you have all of those schedules view-able on your device, on demand and organized. Once they are organized you will be able to find them with a few taps on your device and you are ready to create your own schedule!

More for your teaching or OT mTool Kit!

Carol