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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: June 19 2014 at 10:53am | IP Logged
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I'm struggling with my three ring binder that I use to store all the school plans. It's a mess and not useable for me! Can you tell me how you have yours set up? Pictures would be nice. 
Mine is pretty, but not functional. It doesn't have any pockets and it's stiff and doesn't lay nicely. I know I need a new one. Anyone seen anything lately? I've had good luck with a normal one inch binder, but it's not pretty and I want pretty. 
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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Becky Parker
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Sorry I can't post pictures Cassie but mine is actually functional this time so I wanted to share. Unfortunately, it is not pretty. I bought a zip up binder called "Case It" at Staples. It's gray. Blah. BUT! It has a handle and carries like a brief case. the zipper keeps everything inside. It has 2 3-ring binders in there so I can keep things separate. I have lesson plans/syllabi on one side and other important papers on the other. There's even room to store books in it too! I keep my MODG enrollment book plus other books that I am reading regarding homeschooling, and my common place book that I use for educational topics. There are also several zipper pouches to keep pens and other small items. The only thing I would change is it's appearance. It's a great organizer for me! Here's the link but the pictures don't do it justice. You can fit a lot of stuff in there! And, keep it organized, which I just love! 
Editing to add that the other thing I find very helpful is the dividers. They actually Velcro in place so you can open the binder and nothing gets out of place, if that makes sense.
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
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jawgee
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| Posted: June 20 2014 at 6:12am | IP Logged
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Does the pile beside my laptop count?
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Monica
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: June 20 2014 at 8:16am | IP Logged
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jawgee wrote:
Does the pile beside my laptop count?
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That is what I have right now too! I cleaned mine out after school was finished and haven't touched it since and now I have a pile of papers!
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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pumpkinmom
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Becky Parker wrote:
Sorry I can't post pictures Cassie but mine is actually functional this time so I wanted to share. Unfortunately, it is not pretty. I bought a zip up binder called "Case It" at Staples. It's gray. Blah. BUT! It has a handle and carries like a brief case. the zipper keeps everything inside. It has 2 3-ring binders in there so I can keep things separate. I have lesson plans/syllabi on one side and other important papers on the other. There's even room to store books in it too! I keep my MODG enrollment book plus other books that I am reading regarding homeschooling, and my common place book that I use for educational topics. There are also several zipper pouches to keep pens and other small items. The only thing I would change is it's appearance. It's a great organizer for me! Here's the link but the pictures don't do it justice. You can fit a lot of stuff in there! And, keep it organized, which I just love!
Editing to add that the other thing I find very helpful is the dividers. They actually Velcro in place so you can open the binder and nothing gets out of place, if that makes sense. |
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 Can I do without pretty? I have a trip to Staples planned for today to see what they have. I'll have to check it out.
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Cassie
Homeschooling my little patch of Ds-14 and Ds-10
Tending the Pumpkin Patch
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stefoodie
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jawgee wrote:
| Does the pile beside my laptop count? |
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Does the pile beside my desk count too?
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stef
mom to five
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CrunchyMom
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Mine is a messy pile, too.
My dream pile would be made vertical and portable like these systems using a 31 utility tote with a desktop file inside.
I don't do well with binders so much. The extra step of punching and adding pages is a bit too much for me. I just end up pilling the papers in the front or back anyway. I have contemplated printing my blankish spreadsheets and binding them with a coild binder so I can do my planning with a pencil and my iPad away from the desktop and then quick type it in later. I was so excited to use the new Google Doc apps and get a keyboard for my iPad, but I have a first generation iPad, and it does not have a compatible iOS. 
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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Oh, and the extra step of UNZIPPING the amazing binder Becky uses would be COMPLETELY beyond me. It feels so very ridiculous, but I have come to accept who I am and my weird limitations
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SuzanneG
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Here are two of Jen's posts that have lots of pictures:
:: Planning in pretty notebooks
:: Folders and a new notebook for planning
I use 2 notebooks right now. They are 3 ring binders with scrapbook paper inserted in covers for the pretty-factor.
One thing that has helped me TREMENDOUSLY in making my binders more user friendly is post it flags in all different widths and colors and info tabs.
I found that if I just have ONE TAB DIVIDER that says "dictation".....I get annoyed when I have to "page through" to find things. I like to just look for my little tab that says "JT"--->Johnny Tremaine arrow. And, flip to it. Then after a month, when we're done with that resource, I take the tab off, even if it takes me another month to take out the pages, which I'm not always on top of.
I also have a hard time keeping up with the 3 hole punching....after I have put it together. So, I keep a couple of plastic pocket dividers in them to "just stuff things in" which helps it stay out of the front and back pockets. I try to use the front and back pockets only for "immediate things". So, something I know I'm going to need in the next week, ONLY!
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Suzanne in ID
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KackyK
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I just have one of those big avery binders...I did splurge and got a big pink one and big green one. I bought these dividers. Then I bought these sitck on tabs (they weren't that expensive...you can get them cheap at an office supply store).
So...I homeschooled 6 kids this year, so I used 6 dividers, each was labeled with a kid's name. Then I put all their syllabi and book lists and such behind the divider and used the stick on tabs to delineate different subjects. The pocket dividers are nice because then I could put different important things that pertained to that particular child with their stuff.
Then on the weekend when I would write out their planners, I just needed the binders and would flip to each kid.
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KackyK
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Kristie 4
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Does the plan in my head count? It is VERY messy.
As I move onto what is now my last two kids at home (sob),my planning has got more and more simple. I have had a binder I look at throughout the years and add and take from. But my main thing is a clip board and the computer (mostly the clipboard). It has some simple schedules I fill out for the kids, and ideas etc. I also have the messy pile on the printer!
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Kristie in Canada
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ekbell
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I use clipboards, tanged report covers and a couple of notebooks.
All my rough planning is done on looseleaf and stored in a clipboard.
At some point (when I'm no longer rewriting plans), they are stored in a series of report covers (I use report covers for a *lot* of things) and placed either on the relevant child's bookshelf or on the 'material for everyone' bookshelf.
Once a week during the school year I sit down with my lesson plans and write up a weekly plan in a nice sturdy notebook with elastic fastener and ribbon placeholder (my highschooler's weekly plans go into a separate notebook).
I've tried using binders but my method of planning required too much opening and closing of the rings. I also like having separate sections separately bound as I'd rather pull up a separate book then do much flipping through a binder.
Oh and at some point I'm required to actually write out a set of 'Learning Plans' for the school board I'm registered with which is when I pull everything together and see if I'm missing anything important.
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stefoodie
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I do  spreadsheets. :D All our lesson plans and schedules have been on spreadsheets. I'm a spreadsheet geek/nerd/fanatic.
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stef
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CrunchyMom
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stefoodie wrote:
I do spreadsheets. :D All our lesson plans and schedules have been on spreadsheets. I'm a spreadsheet geek/nerd/fanatic.
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I love my spreadsheets, too. It is so intuitive for me.
Yk, I competed in high school in office applications. It sounds sort of silly, but it has benefitted me so much. Then, when I started working, I took classes in other programs. There are day long classes for leraning to use various programs used by the publisher I worked for. Knowing how to more fully use all the tools in Word, Excel, etc... has been such a great tool. I often think homeschooling moms should take advantage of these things--surely there are virtual classes now--and learn to use these programs with the proficiency required in an office environment. It would help so much in all the planning.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Willa
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I use this file holder to hold current things I'm working on. ... lesson plans and those types of things.
I also use IKEA magazine holders for overflow vertical storage... things I want handy but that aren't essential.
After reading this thread I started experimenting with comb-binding my plans. I wrote a little bit about it here with a few pictures.
So far, the most helpful part of that experiment has been the planner/ checklist I made for my sixth grader. Having a checklist with the week's expectations set out has made it way easier for both of us. Often I just write in a note on the specifics under the subject heading of his checklist. I keep syllabi in the back part of his book so once in a while we can track progress.
I would like to have something equivalent for myself but am still trying to figure out the best way to put it together. While I am deciding, the desktop file holder works the best. I can't seem to use 3-hole punch binders. .. I have one similar to the one Becky linked to, that I found in a thrift store, but it's only used as a laptop pack when we travel.
I archive my old / not presently useful lesson plans and resources in milk crates using alphabetized folders.
I like the idea of a literature wall rack (maybe a prettier wire version) to keep things accessible but that would take some engineering... and some $$$.
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Willa
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: What does your planning binder look like?
