Organize Group Tasks Easily with Trello

Planning, organizing and collaborating on large projects or events can be a challenge for many. The most taxing aspect of any large project is to communicate in an efficient manner that does not interfere with productivity but at the same time keep group members abreast of the latest progress updates. Students, in particular, who struggle completing project work due to the breadth and depth of the overall task need a means with which to move forward to a successful completion. Trello offers just such a means! Trello is an online task management web tool that allows individuals or groups to collaborate in real-time on an user-friendly 'pin board' environment with the use of collection lists and task cards. Boards can be privately or publicly accessed with users also being able to be members of multiple boards simultaneously. View the image below to get a better sense of the layout and functionality of Trello.

Sample Trello Board

Teach-nology:

(the pedagogical rationale for the use of technology in the classroom)

Skill	Teach-nology
Organization	Use a variety of organizational techniques such as categorizing, classifying, ordering, etc. to effectively maximize group productivity. Analyze and evaluate organizational techniques for the purpose of improving a group's output.
Communication	Quickly and effectively convey information and ideas to multiple group members for the purpose of increasing group productivity. Use digital web tools to communicate for a wide range of purposes e.g. to inform, organize, motivate, etc.
Collaboration	Demonstrate an ability to effectively work in a diverse and dynamic environment with groups of various sizes. Assume responsibility for shared work along with recognizing the contributions of everyone in the group.

Sample Activities:

1. Group class projects with single or multiple members can include the teacher as a member of the group. This will allow the teacher to be fully involved in the planning and organizing of the project as well as provide helpful suggestions as to how to improve group processes or the overall quality of the project.

2. Extra-curricular school clubs or teams can use Trello to plan, organize and manage activities. Depending on the nature of the group, coaches, teacher sponsors, administrators, community members, parents and students can assign tasks, offer feedback or provide progress updates.

How to Get Started:

Please view the video tutorial below as it will provide new users with an excellent introduction to Trello.

Trello is an extremely useful organizational tool students can trust to manage and coordinate large projects. Click here to get started!

This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.