– July 14, 2016
Kids are like rabbits – they have an unbelievable amount of energy, they hop from place to place in the blink of an eye, and they can be difficult to keep track of. If you don't have the right type of technology – if you're still flipping through calendars and day planners to organize your kids' weekly schedules – it can be next to impossible to remember who has to be where when. Does your youngest need a ride to his after school swimming lessons on Tuesday, or was that your middle child? What time do you have child care available on the next Friday?
If it's difficult for parents, that difficulty is multiplied for anyone who runs a before or after school program. Should Sally be in your after school program today, or was that tomorrow? How many kids do you have to prepare snacks for on Monday morning? Implementing program management technology can help move you out of the stone age – and reduce your stress levels along the way.
How to Tell If You're Behind the Times
Every parent and every program facilitator has been there – you're lying awake on a Sunday night playing over the weekly schedule in your head, trying to coordinate rides and supplies. Unfortunately, no matter how good you are, you're bound to make a mistake. Perhaps one of your kids is stuck waiting at her after school program for a ride – long past pick up time. Or maybe you only purchased enough supplies for 10 kids for the before school program you run, only to find 12 kids ready to get started.
Making mistakes like those means you're probably behind the times. Implementing technology such as Eleyo can help you manage your children and your education enrichment program. By using the software, you'll have everything you need to know in one convenient place – you'll know who's supposed to be in attendance each day and what they're supposed to be doing.
Tips for Implementing Education Technology
Now that you've recognized the problem, it's your responsibility to come up with a solution. Not only that, but you need to get others on board. The best way to do that? Do your research, then experience the technology first hand. Try various solutions. Compare how you performed without the technology solution or platform, to how it affected your productivity, lesson plan flow, and preparation. Here are a few ways to introduce technology into your school days:
- Create a class blog - and keep yourself accountable for publishing content regularly
- Listen to or create a podcast that covers what your class, program, or department is focused on
- Tap into your students ... it's this generation that is the most connected, tech-savvy, and confident with technology
- Supplement your lesson plans with webinars, screencasts, slide shares, or any other interactive technology
Don't Be Stuck Using Paper
If your school district is still using paper for registration, if they're still giving you hundreds of forms to fill out and sign, you know how tedious it is to stay organized. Eleyo allows users to manage registrations and schedules. You'll know who needs to be invoiced, who's already paid, and more importantly, you'll know where everyone needs to be before and after school. Eleyo allows parents to receive real-time information about their children's accounts. For administrators, Eleyo handles all administrative and reporting needs. It even provides public online registration and scheduling, making coordinating schedules a snap.
Don't get stuck sitting at the kitchen table with a ballpoint pen and a calendar on a Sunday night struggling to figure out rides and supplies. Use education technology to take care of those problems, so you can get back to what you really enjoy – being with your family.
