Overview

    E-Calendars have become ubiquitous programs pre-loaded on virtually all laptops, tablets, and smartphones. These products allow users to schedule events and deadlines in the same way that a print calendar does, however they often include many other features. E-calendars allow you to schedule recurring events with a few simple clicks, allow you to colour-code tasks and events, update and sync your calendar across multiple devices, and some even allowed shared/collaborative calendars. When considering which calendar is best suited for any individual student, one may consider the following factors:

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Event Alerts: E-calendars have a setting that sends you a reminder alert (vibration or tone) a pre-selected amount of time before your event. For example, 15 minutes before your next class begins your smartphone will vibrate to bring to your attention your upcoming commitment. You can customize alerts for each individual event specifying a tone or vibrate as well as the amount of time before the event that you would like to receive the alert.

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Multi-Device Synchronization: Most e-cals offer users the ability to access their calendar from multiple devices. This way, if you add an event to your e-cal on your laptop computer, those changes should appear on your other devices you have logged into your calendar on, such as your tablet or smartphone. If the student has more than one device (a laptop and a smartphone) this function is useful in ensuring their calendar stays up to date on all devices.

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Shared Calendars: Some e-cals offer users to share events or entire calendars. For example, a teacher could share a class deadlines calendar with their students, or a parent could share “Grandmas 80th Birthday” with their children. When any of the users update the event, all other shared users received those updates. This function can be very helpful when planning group work or class deadlines as it ensures all members’ calendars are matching and up to date.

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Plain Language Scheduling: Some calendars have an option for users to enter events into their calendars with simple commands such as “Schedule a Coffee Date with Carly on Friday at 1pm” rather than having to create an event manually and enter all the specifics by hand.

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Wearable Tech: E-calendars can also be synced with wearable technology such as smart watches. This can be especially useful for people who don’t always have a smartphone with them. This option also allows you to check your schedule quickly and unobtrusively.

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Advantages:

• Available for free

• Easy to use

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 Disadvantages:

• None