When it comes to structuring homework time after school, one helpful technology tool can be the Pomodoro Technique. Students can go to the “Tomato Timer” (http://tomato-timer.com/#) to try it out. Essentially, it is a timer set for 25-minute chunks with short (5-minute) and long (10-minute) breaks. It is designed so that a person completes 25 minutes of focused work on a task. After, he or she takes a short break. When four “pomodoros,” or 25-minute cycles, have been completed, there is a long break. As the timer runs it shows the user the countdown on his or her Internet browser tab so that it is not even necessary be looking directly at the web page to know how much time is left. When time is up, it sounds an alert with a tone and volume of the user’s choice plus a desktop notification. There are also keyboard shortcuts available to initiate the pomodoro timer, a pause, or a break so that the process is completely seamless.

While the idea seems rather simple, millions of people have used the Pomodoro Technique to boost productivity since the late 1980’s when Francesco Cirillo developed it. If students can learn to structure their time and work efficiently on specific tasks for 25-minute bursts, they are sure to make great gains in their time management skills! To learn more about the Pomodoro Technique, you can click here: http://pomodorotechnique.com/