10 ways your computer can make back-to-school a breeze - includes related article on templates and their uses and a list of educational software for the instructor

Instructor, August, 1996 by Gail Lovely

Can a computer help you start the new year right? Absolutely! As a former classroom teacher who now helps teachers get comfortable with technology, I'm here to show you 12 simple ways your computer - at home or at school - can make your life easier and more organized. And the best part is, you don't have to be a technology whiz to take advantage of these shortcuts. Just choose your tools from the list on page 103 and take the plunge!

COMPUTER TIPS FOR... BEAUTIFYING YOUR CLASSROOM

A rich, stimulating classroom environment is important - and until you have student work to put up on the bulletin boards, your room can be a little bare. Here are some computer-aided ways to make your room look great from day one.

* Display Helpers

Graphic tools let you create large pictures, borders, signs, and other items for bulletin boards or classroom displays. Big Book Maker, BannerMania, and the Print Shop products are just some of the many tools available to create big visuals which can be quite effective, especially if printed on a color printer. Look for clip art (ready-to-use electronic graphics) based on common classroom themes such as sports, holidays, seasons, and curriculum areas - one good collection is Clip Art for Teachers from Ventura Educational Systems. You can also find some interesting fonts (lettering styles) to enhance your work. My favorites are in a collection called Teacher's Fonts from Forest Technologies, which includes circus, robot, seasonal, and holiday-themed letters.

* Primary Classroom Labels

In primary classrooms in particular, big labels abound on bins, shelves, and other classroom spaces. You can create neat, eye-catching versions of these signs with your computer. Look for primary printing fonts or beginning cursive fonts like those included in Teacher's Fonts from Forest Technologies for clean, clear letters like the ones you teach. Keep these signs simple - in other words, don't use those fun thematic fonts I mentioned above - and make high-quality printouts to encourage reading.

* Timelines All Around

With Timeliner by Tom Snyder Productions, you can print your class's daily agenda in timeline form and post it on a bulletin board for students to use. Or create a timeline for the whole school year, highlighting events or projects whose dates you already know. Add student birthdays to the timeline and post these as well.

COMPUTER TIPS FOR... ORGANIZING YOUR ROUTINE

Before school starts is a good time to think about how you will manage your own classroom materials.

* Label and Sort

Use software such as My Advanced Label Designer or your word processor to create new file folder labels, labels for all those boxes of materials you have in your closet, and labels to place inside your books so they find their way back to you when you lend them to others.

* Resource Minder

Begin a database using ClarisWorks or Microsoft Works to keep track of your class library, teaching materials and their locations, or other information. A database is like a card file, except the computer can sort it alphabetically, by location, or by any other piece of information you have entered, without you having to re-enter the data. You will be amazed at how much time building the database now will save you when you go hunting for that book on dragons in March!

* Making the Grade

An electronic grade book is a wonderful tool for tracking students' growth and areas of difficulty, and can be a real time-saver once you learn the system. Some grade books to consider are Grade Machine, Gradebook Plus, and Class Action - MacGrade. Each is slightly different, so choose the one with the features that most suit your needs. You may also want to check out the grade book assistant built into ClarisWorks.

* Personalized Parent Letters

Take some time now to learn how to mail merge using your word processing and database software (such as ClarisWorks or Microsoft Works). Mail merge is how all those mail-order catalogs and publishing sweepstakes houses print your name in their advertisements, and you can do it, too! Mail merge allows you to enter information on each student just once and then use that information in word processed letters. So your welcoming letter to parents can easily say "Dear Mr. and Mrs. Reed" instead of "Dear Parents," and can refer to the student by name instead of "your child." Mail merge is a shortcut that will come in handy many times this year.

COMPUTER TIPS FOR... OPENING DAY

The bell rings, and in comes your new class. Here's how your computer can help make that first day go more smoothly.

* Name Tags

Get a jump start on matching names to faces by making name tags using Print Pizazz and plastic holders from the office-supply store. They will last longer than plain paper tags, and you can reuse the plastic holders for parent nights or classroom volunteer sessions. You can make up most of the name tags as soon as you get your class list, but it's a good idea to be ready to print out more on the first morning of school, when Sam turns out to be Sammy.