I’ve been enjoying seeing all of the back-to-school photos my friends have been sharing on Facebook, especially since my kids don’t go back until next week, but then I’m all holy crap my kids go back to school next week and I get a little sad. I’m in a bit of denial that a new school year is almost upon us because I’m not looking forward to setting my alarm clock and I’m starting to freak out about the fact it will be Cody’s last year of high school. I’m a bit nervous about his future, but that’s a post for another day because today I want to talk about a few ways to ease everyone’s anxiety about a new school year and keeping track of everything, especially if you have more than one child. From sports to grades, and everything in between, it can begin to feel overwhelming when we’re trying to stay “in the know” either at home or on-the-go.
Technology can be used as a wonderful tool to keep everyone in the family organized and on the same page as a new school year kicks off and you’re all moving in different directions. With devices like the iPhone 5s and the Samsung Galaxy S5(my personal favorite), technology is one of the best ways to enhance your life and enable better moments with your friends and loved ones. As much as I don’t like to brag, I’m also pretty fortunate to have access to U.S. Cellular’s 4G LTE Network, which is always reliable and fast, especially when I’m away from home and need to stay in contact with my husband and kids.
How many times have your kids forgotten to check for a homework assignment or missed school due to being sick? I know they’ve both happened in our family, which is why I love that I have an app on my phone to keep track of schoolwork and grades and even Cody and Nick’s class schedules. It’s just so darn convenient to know I can reach for my smartphone or tablet and check in on how they’re both doing on any given day. I truly love that students, teachers, and parents can all stay connected while optimizing the learning experience in and out of the classroom.
Best Back to School Apps
Check out these great apps that U.S. Cellular recommends to keep you organized and connected for the upcoming school year.
- Notability: This powerful note-taking app allows iOS users to complete worksheets, draw ideas, keep a journal, include photos and record a lecture while keeping everything all in one location. You can even use the search feature to quickly find notes by title or content and then share it with others using iCloud or Google Drive. The best thing about this app? It is totally FREE.
- DropBox: This cloud-based file sharing and storage app allows you to send files from various locations across different networks. Students and teachers can use Dropbox to turn in and return assignments, share an up-to-date syllabus from different locations in an instant, and post grades securely and simply. This app is also FREE!
- Teacher’s Assistant Pro: Featured in USA Today as one of the best teacher apps, Teacher’s Assistant Pro ($3.99 download) allows teachers to keep track of student actions, behaviors and achievements in the classroom. Using an iPhone or iPad, teachers can record student infractions and accolades, create a detailed written description of the event, and communicate with parents, reducing time consuming paperwork.
U.S. Cellular’s Calling All Teachers Program
Since we’re talking about back-to-school I have to share U.S. Cellular’s Calling All Teachers Program and their commitment to donate $1 million to fund teacher classroom projects. For the fourth year in a row U.S. Cellular is teaming up with DonorsChoose.Org, a charity website, to provide classroom materials or enhance the educational experience for teachers and students in the upcoming school year.
Through U.S. Cellular’s ongoing commitment to the community and education, they have provided more than $7 million through this and other philanthropic programs. Any K-12 public school teachers can register online at DonorsChoose.org and affiliate as a U.S. Cellular educator. Then they can enter their classroom projects for funding consideration. In partnership with DonorsChoose.org U.S. Cellular has funded more than 4,500 classroom projects to date, which has included technology tools, art supplies and science equipment. All projects must be submitted by September 21 to be eligible for this year’s funding and selected projects will be in announced in October.
P.S. Don’t forget to download the Parent/Child Agreement so your entire family can be on the same page where cell phone responsibility is concerned.
Disclosure: I’m a compensated member of the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger brigade, but as always thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thanks so much Armand! Glad to hear it, would love to have more from Caramat if you are ever interested in submitting photos/articles about anything happening!