3-Paper+and+Electronic+File+Systems

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** Materials Management 101: How to Find What You Need...FAST! ** An organized desk, backpack, binder, and laptop allows you to efficiently keep track of papers needed for class. It also helps you avoid wasting time looking for important papers when you need them. It’s worth taking time to organize your stuff. Afterall, why would you want to spend hours redoing lost, misplaced, or misfiled assignments when it is so much easier to spend 10 minutes a day to stay organized? Below are some guidelines to keep your materials organized. Before reading the guidelines though, please watch this video about backpack safety. It offers another reason to keep your backpack organized!

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 * ** Outside Pockets ** This is a great place for putting small items that you need to reach for often. If your bag doesn't have outside pockets, use the one on the inside instead or purchase a pen/pencil zipper bag to keep the smaller items contained and in one location. Try to find a bag that has outside as well as inside pockets for best organization.
 * ** Inside Pockets ** This is a great place for small things that you want to keep more secure such as money, keys, cell phones, etc. Don't place things that are important or expensive in outside pockets where they can be easily taken.
 * ** Drinks ** Water bottles are best in a pocket with a net and stored on the outside, away from books and papers.
 * ** Multiple Bags ** If you participate in sports or other activities that require specific gear, consider purchasing an additional bag to store the gear for each activity separately. Just don't forget to take the correct bag with you when you need it!
 * ** Clean Regularly ** Go through the bag and clean it out daily. It's best to do it right after you come home.
 * ** File It Away ** File important papers when you clean out your bag (during study hall or right after you get home is best).
 * ** Prepare For Tomorrow ** Pack your bag before going to bed. You're less likely to forget something important if you do it at night rather than first thing in the morning rush to get out the door. If you're not a morning person, pack your books at night so you can sleep later in the morning!

Paper Files
 ** What Type of Organizing System Should You Use? ** Here are some options:
 * One large 3-ring binder with an accordion file.
 * Separate, color-coded binders for each class. (You can have more than one subject stored in one binder to save space in your backpack.)
 * Color coded folders.

 ** How Should You Organize Your Binder(s)? ** Notebook sections should be organized by class. Each subject should have the dividers required by that teacher.
 * **Make sure you arrange dividers in a way that you can see every index tab.** It also makes sense to label each divider with the name of the class and section (i.e. Math Notes, Math Homework, History Notes, History Handouts) just in case some classes happen to have the same divider label (i.e. Notes).
 * **IF you have an accordion file in your 3-ring binder, label each divider of the accordion with the name of the class (i.e. Math, Humanities, Science, Language, Co-Curricular, Arts)**//.// This accordion file can be used to store papers that you do not have time to //immediately// file. You should make sure you take the time to file any papers in the accordion section at least every two days. If you do not do so, you rHisk losing important papers!

Electronic Files
Managing files on your computer isn't much different from the way you store and manage paper files. It boils down to this: Store the information in folders - by category, and in a sequence that makes sense to you.You will want a folder for each class. Inside each class folder, you can add folders that make sense. (Science Notes, Science Lab Reports, Science Study Guides, etc.) Here are some tips to help manage your files:
 * **Avoid saving unnecessary documents.** Don't make a habit of saving just about everything that finds its way into your Inbox. Take a few seconds to glance through the content, and save a file only if it's relevant to your work activity. Having too much data on your computer adds to the clutter that makes it harder to find things in the future - and it may, over time, slow down your computer's performance too - so be selective about what you keep.
 * **Follow a consistent method for naming your files and folders.** Create a folder for each subject. Divide a main folder (i.e. Science Folder) into subfolders ( Notes, Lab Reports, Study Guides, etc.), or by unit (Chemistry, Genetics, etc.). Create a new subfolder for projects within a unit and store all word documents, presentations, spreadsheets etc. in one place. On some computers, you can even give a different appearance or look to different categories of folders - this can make it easy to tell them apart at first glance. Click here to see a video on [|how to create folders on your laptop]. Click here to see instructions for creating and sharing folders in Google Docs.
 * **Install Google Desktop on your PC**. If you can (sometimes IT departments don't permit this), install Google Desktop on your PC - you can find this at []. This neat tool creates a desktop search engine that indexes all of your files and emails, meaning that you can search for them quickly and easily. This can be invaluable when you need to answer offbeat questions!
 * **Make sure your filing system is backed up**. Again, this is a bit tedious, but it's so important, as anyone who's had a failed disk drive will testify! Make sure that your computer is backed up regularly. At BCDS, we will have a "cloud" where files are automatically saved, but it is still a good idea to have another backup plan. You can copy files onto a disc or USB key.

**Discovery Tasks**

 * 1) Organize your backpack.
 * 2) Make a list of dividers for your paper filing system. Add labeled dividers to your paper filing system before next class.
 * 3) Create electronic folders for each of your classes.

 **List of Sources**  __Videos__  //Safe School Backpack Use// by newcaredoc

 __Content__  //Back to School Organizing for Kids 101 - Backpacks and Bookbags// by Shelley Morton //Creating a Shared Folder and Setting Permissions// by BCDS Help Desk