Planners: Useful? or Outdated?
As a student who went to school in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, my generation very much grew up on the paper-planners. Fast forward to today working as an executive function skills coach, my students all live in the electronic-age where paper planners seem to be a thing of the past. But should they be?
I have several students that use them religiously, and others that refuse to even look at one. There seems to be a battle of the generations at times, often between parents and their students; the parent is trying to coax their student into regularly using a paper planner because “they grew up on one” while the student wants to be independent and use technology because it’s more comfortable to them. . So the challenge then becomes: which type of planner is best - electronic, paper, or a combination?
One of the issues I see when students tell me they are using only technology as a way to track their homework, it often isn’t actually a planner. When I further ask them how they are managing their homework, they then tell me “well, I check google classroom, my school’s calendar, and/or the portal.” With so many of these great tools at our fingertips, I am grateful that our students have access to these. But the challenge then becomes whether or not the student is then taking the self-initiative to individually track and manage each of these assignments. Plenty of schools also give out their own planners, which is also just as fine to use! At the end of the day, using some kind of tracking tool is better than none! Whether or not a student prefers a paper planner or electronic planner, they should be utilizing some kind of tool to track assignments. This helps students cross off the assignments they completed so there isn’t a “did a do that” memory lapse.
To be fair, there is also not a one-size-fits-all approach for all our students either. It would not be fair of me to point out the pros and cons of paper vs. electronic planners without reinforcing the fact that as a student, or parent advising your student, you will have to choose which method will work best for you! As I mentioned previously, some of my students are great at using traditional planners, for others it would simply never happen. So we wanted to share some other ideas and solutions solutions and ideas to help them manage. Regardless of which category you fall into, here are some thoughts to consider:
PRO PLANNER:
Research shows that writing things down by hand actually helps you to retain that information better, and for longer.
Using a paper planner actually engages two senses: sight and physical touch. What you don’t realize is that behind the scenes, your brain becomes more activated the more senses that are involved in a task. So as a result, more memory, thought-processes, and mental stimulation that occurs.
It’s not just a place to write down your daily homework, but it’s helpful to use the monthly layout section to write in your upcoming due dates - such as quizzes, tests, projects, etc. Not to mention any personal, social, and fun plans in your life!
I also try and encourage my students that use paper planners to employ color coding strategies such as YELLOW = quizzes, ORANGE = tests, GREEN = papers, BLUE = projects, etc. You can also even color code by class! However you choose, the more color and creative you get with it, the more it helps you to mentally distinguish which is which - plus color stimulates the brain! This can also help you when managing your priorities as well!
Often,planners can have other writing slots such as: to-do’s, reminders, etc. These areas can also be extremely useful when planning out your day/week/month.
For students who are easily distracted by technology, using an electronic planner may encourage the student to be involved in their phone.
RECOMMENDED PLANNERS:
PRO-ELECTRONIC PLANNER:
The seamless syncing between phone, laptop, ipad, computer, etc. As someone who loves using Google Calendar - I love that I can access it on my phone and laptop and they update immediately. If I don’t have my paper planner on me, I can guarantee you that I have my phone on me where I can check my calendar and it will update automatically to my computer!
For someone that may struggle with working memory, several of these apps and calendar functions can allow you to set up reminders which is a great function for helping you to stay on track and accountable to your work.
For our very tech-savvy students and schools that primarily use ipads and laptops (where homework is assigned and completed online, textbooks are electronic, etc), having an electronic-compatible planning system may be very beneficial to streamline all your work.
Not having a paper planner eliminates the “one less thing I have to carry” syndrome. This isn’t just a struggle for individuals who are not great at organizing or managing their backpack, but it can be the fact of maintaining simplicity. Not to mention, with less “baggage” it can be easier to then focus on your task at hand, at school, during class, and preparing to go home.
There are almost endless apps nowadays that you can create to-do lists, priority lists, task-management systems, etc. where you can track all your HW, tests, and to-do’s coming up. For our tech-friendly students, this may be a more appealing option for them to actually commit to, rather than forcing a paper-option that is less appealing.
HELPFUL LINKS & APPS:
Google Calendar
Tasks Feature
Microsoft To Do - list making app
Monday.com - can use web and app version
Asana - can use web and app version
COMBO APPROACH:
There is also nothing wrong with a combination of both. You can use a written panner, while also having electronic reminders via Google Calendar, or another app. You can also use apps for making lists and keeping track of different tasks, while using a paper planner to map out your month and daily to-do’s. It can be extremely helpful to have a mechanism to track appointments, meetings, big things (google calendar for example) and then a mechanism to track daily assignments (you can use a planner or the Tasks tool for this). Though what is most important is to commit to deciding which one you will choose and then consistently use it! Sometimes, we have to do a little bit of trial and error, especially if you are a student that is a little unsure of which method will be best for you. That is okay too! The important thing is to be open minded about the process. And believing that having a tracking system is extremely beneficial for your own executive function skills! By practicing this now in high school only better prepares you for college and future jobs (it’s all about time and task management!).