My husband was consulting with a company which used Trello. He was talking about how they used it at the company, and I decided to have a look. So….now I am addicted. I love Trello. I use it daily.

Trello is a visual collaboration tool which helps with planning and organization. Essentially it is a group of electronic cards which you place on a board.

One of the really helpful features of Trello is the attachment button. It allows you to upload and attach files and images to your cards. Using the interface is extremely intuitive. It is simple to navigate cards from one column to the next and reorder within the lists.

So how does this work in the classroom? Teachers can attach important documents or images. to the virtual bulletin board. Deadlines and notes can also be added. Class calendars, syllabi, test reminders, and school events are easily organized and readily assessable in Trello. Boards can be shared.

Trello boards are helpful for keeping track of all students, but particularly helpful for SPED students. It is easy to create a Trello board to keep track of students and modifications. Another possibility is to track where students are in relation to standards. As students master a concept their cards can be moved to indicate their progress. Older students can track the learning standards, what they are working on and what they have mastered.

Independent reading can be tracked with Trello. This could be a board for each student with cards indicating books they have read, notes from teacher/student conferences, etc.

Have you used planners with students to track their homework assignments and upcoming tests? In my experience, many students start out with a planner but soon they are abandoned. Teaching students to create a Trello board to form an online planner is appealing to tech savvy middle and high schoolers. Using the due date and adding attachments as needed, students can monitor their upcoming work in a way which is more engaging for students. A simple click will give those wanting a more visual approach the calendar view. (This is a power-up).

The free version allows unlimited personal boards,10 collaborative boards, unlimited cards, a 10 MB per file limit on attachments. The free version also can use 2-factor authentication. It also allows one power-up per board. For more features, a paid version is available. I’ve been quite happy with the free version for normal use.

And yes….there is an APP for that. Both students and teachers will appreciate the mobile app for Trello on the go!