SOS! SOS! Super Organizing Saturday - Flash Drives

Do you ever use flash drives to store your documents and then go back to find something, and you can't find it because:

A. You forgot what you named the document...
B. There are so many items on the flash drive that you can't possibly sift through them all efficiently...

Unless you take the time to create folders, and name everything "just so"....there's a good chance your flash drive is a cluttered mess. Flash drives are meant to grab and go---no one wants to spend time organizing them, I know!

Not to worry---here's one way you can spend some time organizing your flash drives once and for all and then you'll be able to use these little devices in the most organized and efficient manner!! We're all busy people, efficiency is important! Read on....

You'll want to start with having a few flash drives on hand....and perhaps some 3-ring binders.

Photo borrowed from Google Images

I forgot to grab a photo of my own binders at school---so these will have to do. They look pretty organized! In my classroom, I use a binder for each of the themes or concepts that I teach. For example, I have binders for monthly themes, and a binder for measurement, etc. In the binder, I store any lessons, re-producibles, activities that will fit inside, vocabulary cards, and more.

THEN----I also have a corresponding flash drive that goes inside EACH binder. My #1 tip is that you only put related information on ONE flash drive. So----if I am working on my "Down on the Farm" theme binder, I will need a "Down on the Farm" flash drive, in which I only store documents and information pertaining to that specific theme. 

So---however many units of study, concepts, or themes you have....you will want that many flash drives. It seems excessive, and perhaps expensive (unless you grab for 4GB drives on SALE for $4.99 like I mentioned the other day). But once you get everything in its rightful place, you will be able to easily locate your documents to quick make extra copies, for planning, and staying organized and efficient! 

I also do this for any committees that I work on. Each committee that I am involved in gets its own binder, and a flash drive to sort out that information. If the committee work is not piling up high, you could combine them on one flash drive - provided you create a folder on the flash drive to keep the information separated.

Now---how do you keep track of all those flash drives floating around? EASY! They should not be floating around everywhere....you can place them right in the binder! Take a little velcro dot and place it on the bottom of the flash drive, and another velcro dot in the binder - and you've created a spot where the flash drive cannot get lost! OR---you can get this cute little holder HERE!

When you are planning, headed to your grade level meetings, taking work home for the weekend, or off to a committee meeting---simply grab your unit binder and all of the contents will be well organized and with you when you need it!

PS---this is a project that requires your focus and attention. If you don't use binders right now and want to begin, it is a big under-taking. You will want the summer to work on it!! It took me about 2 weeks to switch everything from my file cabinet to organized theme binders and to put everything on a thumb drive!

Ready for your binders to go paperless?? Even better if you are brave enough to let go of the hard copies! Check out LIVEBINDERS.COM! Grab some lesson plans from other teachers, or upload your own into a web-based "3-ring binder". Get organized "virtually" anywhere! :)

Will flash drives be on your Christmas Wish List or school supply list this year? Happy organizing!!!