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Angel
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 8:47am | IP Logged
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After much searching, I have given up on trying to find a ready made planner to serve my needs. At the same time, I've been realizing that my relaxed, fly-by-the-seat of my pants planning is not really cutting it anymore; my kids need me to be a bit more organized. So I'm trying to put together my own planner.
Since we're moving to a more project-based/Montessori-inspired approach, I was thinking that I'd set up sections for each kid with lists of history projects, science experiments, writing-related prompts/projects, crafts, etc. I've been writing a list for each of my two older kids (age 10 and 8) on the whiteboard every day of activities to choose from, with the one requirement that they have to do math. The problem is, I'm making these things up as I go along, and some days I am way too busy with the little ones to change the big ones' lists. Then my son tells me he's already done everything he wants to do off that list, and my dd (8) tells me that she doesn't want to do anything off hers and she didn't when I put it up. These are all activities that I *thought* they would enjoy, but well... maybe that's the subject of a different post.
Anyway, what I need is a place to write down and store all these different activities, as well as to plan our reading, collect and decide on booklists, that sort of thing. But I have a hard time organizing information.
Would putting all this stuff in one binder get too unwieldy? Should I make a binder for each kid? Should I just put a lot of tabs in one binder?
Oh, this is probably such a confusing post  . But if you have any organizing tips you'd like to share, please send them my way!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Meredith
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 10:26am | IP Logged
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Angela, I don't know if this is helpful or not, but since I've been blogging most of our daily learning notes, I have really switched over to a less formal method of organizing information. That said, I have a 1 1/2 inch binder that I've kept for a while that has all my years plans and calendars, set up for me to dip into when I need a refresher on *what* I originally planned at the beginning of the year. It's certainly NOT a Homekeeping binder like Kim and Elizabeth and so many other lovely ladies here have put together, mine is sort of slapdash, but it works for me and there isn't TOO much information in it that I can easily access reading lists, books to order, and timelines for our history studies etc. I have been (loosely) following the MaterAmabilis curriculum this year for my older two (levels 1A and 2) and yet like you, I am moving towards so much Montessori for everyone that it is really just a Springboard anymore and a way for me to remember all those great books we still want to read 
Then for our day-to-day accomplishments I jot it down in a spiral notebook that I carry around with me throughout the day to make notes ('cause I'll forget if I dont' write them down) and then at some point I pop them into learning notes blog. (Although this week I have been quite deliquent  )
I also print out so much from the internet that I usually pop those items into file folders with an appropriate label so I can easily pull it out and/or discard it if we decide not to use it anytime soon.
I also have separate binders set up for the liturgical year/saints feasts/Advent & Christmas/Lent & Easter.
Sorry this got a little long-winded, and I know everyone organizes so differently. I did away with a *planner* and just keep all our activities and appts. on a wall calendar (from church) and that's it!
Oh, I should also note, that I printed out and keep the Real Learning Booklist, Fiar lists and the Sonlight Catalog all together so I can readily find new reading for my voracious ones. I also have saved in my favorites on my laptop the readingyourwaythroughhistory site for rquick reference.
HTH a little and wasn't too confusing!!
Blessings!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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meaculpa365
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 11:14am | IP Logged
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Dear Angela,
I am interested to ask how you keep the sources of the various projects organized-I often have bits of various subjects floating about in my school cupboard.
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Angel
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 6:09pm | IP Logged
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Meredith,
I've fallen down on blogging my learning notes, but that's what I do, too. So that's definitely in a separate binder. And I have a binder for all the ideas I get off the Internet... I would prefer file folders, but at the moment I only have one file drawer and the babies can get into it. So it is currently empty! (I do have some shelf space available now, though... maybe if I got some of those portable, latchable file cases? Hmmm...) I also have a spiral notebook where I write down thoughts on everything, including homeschooling, but mainly that is "thinking with my fingers". I don't go back and revisit those ramblings too much, because it's really just the process of me thinking, not notes to remember.
I guess what I'm thinking about is a sort of "command center". I don't need detailed lesson plans, but I do need to make lists of presentations I want to give so I know that okay, I'm going to try this first, and after this, then this... For instance, I've been trying to do my 8 yo dd's math by just sort of keeping a list in my head of areas I thought 2nd graders should cover (based on looking at published math curricula and my NAMC manual), but when I got busy (when am I not busy? ) I found that I was often left with no clue what we should be doing for the day and would revert to just telling her to practice her facts on the Flashmaster.
Anyway, I have to write stuff down. But because I am probably the poster child for executive dysfunction I need something well-organized, easy to use, and above all, easy to maintain. I really like Dawn's file folder system but see above for the file folder problem, and I just don't think I could maintain it over the course of a year.
Anyway, probably I am thinking too much, but then again I haven't actually had the time to DO any work on a planner today because we have had some unexpected appliance malfunctions. So maybe the extra thinking time will help.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Angel
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 6:21pm | IP Logged
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meaculpa365 wrote:
Dear Angela,
I am interested to ask how you keep the sources of the various projects organized-I often have bits of various subjects floating about in my school cupboard.
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You mean all the books and printouts of blog posts and favorites marked on my computer that I forget about?
I actually know where to find all (most) of the books... Our children's books are in bookcases in our living room. I keep the kids' books organized by topic in bins, but the upper shelves are for my homeschooling-in-practice books (the project books) as opposed to the homeschooling theory books, which have their own shelf. So that's where I keep books like Catholic Mosaic, A Year with God, The Complete Homelearning Sourcebook, and my Montessori manuals.
Project books that the kids might use on their own, like How Nature Works, are in the appropriate bin of children's books... except for the ones the kids have spirited off to their bedrooms, which may never be seen again.
As I mentioned above, I have a couple of binders for the stuff I print off the Internet... and I use Google Reader to star a lot of blog entries... but my Internet favorites are TOTALLY disorganized, and I forget what I've bookmarked.
My problem is remembering to USE all this stuff in a timely fashion. So I thought if I could go through at least a portion of it and write down reminders in a central binder, it might help.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Marjorie
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 8:28pm | IP Logged
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Angela,
I love the idea of using a binder, but my memory is not very good and I like having a permanent copy of my plans in the computer. Have you thought about using something like Homeschool Tracker Plus? I have been using it this year and really like it. While it is very well suited to assigning workbook pages etc., it is very flexible and can be used as a central repository for lesson plan ideas. For example, you create a lesson plan with any name i.e. History Projects, and enter your overall objectives for that topic i.e. a list of countries, events, people, etc. anything that you would put on your main list in your binder. From there you can add specific activities that would fall under History Projects, add the directions for the student, resource to be used, notes to yourself for the presentation, and the main topics that you will cover. You could 'write' these lesson plan ideas up and when you are ready to use them hit the assign button and print out a list for that week/day/month for your students. It also has a great reading log section to keep track of their reading, a resources log for all the books you use (you can enter it with just an ISBN like Typepad), a field trip section and more. I like it because at the end of the month/week/term/year all I have to do is run a scope and sequence report to see what we have covered.
It has more features than you need, but you don't have to use everything and at $35 with unlimited free updates I think it is a steal. The also have a free basic version you can download.
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Yours in Christ,
Marjorie
Lettres de mon Moulin
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 10:13pm | IP Logged
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I was just thinking about this today. I walked past a cabinet in one of the school areas and a door was a little bit opened. When I went to shut it I looked inside and saw a whole bunch of very cool science kits, projects stuff, art supplies, etc that I had forgotten about including:
Model heart kit
Crystal growing lab kit
triassic triops
model Chinese Junk (boat)
Medieval Times card game
molecule kit
and alot more I can't recall right now.
Now I could have really used this stuff on one of our recent "off days" due to a fussy baby.
So, I need a way to keep track of not only ideas, but the stuff I have to go with them!
Here is what I have come up with:
I am going to set up a index card file system. I already write all of my project ideas for ds on index cards anyway, but now I will have a file box divided by subjects to put them in. On the cards I will write the project idea and on the back will be a list of materials or other resources we 1. have, or 2. need.
I figure if I can keep that file box full of ideas, then there will always be something to pull out and do, especially when I am distracted with other things.
I also need to start a similar system for dd for next year as she is about ready to start in on some little projects, too.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: April 28 2007 at 10:17pm | IP Logged
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An idea I thought of but have not developed into practical use yet: have a list of specific activities in general order of progression for each subject - not dated or otherwise required by a certain time, but just maybe 2-3 years worth in order. I kind of think this could be used as something of a checklist as well as a guide. Just pull out whichever subject we're covering to see what 'should be done next' allowing for needing to repeat earlier stuff, moving ahead quickly or slowly, dating initial and subsequent coverage for each child, and pulling out needed materials as we go.
I thought of this while looking at Montessori activities, and considered how to add in non-Montessori activities but still with something of a natural flow.
If anyone else has done something like this, I'd love to hear about it.
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 29 2007 at 10:17am | IP Logged
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That is kind of the idea behind my file cards. I can just pull the next one out whenever ds is finished with what he is doing. No dates or anything like that, but in a sort of logical progression.You can read examples of the types of activities I put on the cards in this post:my planning post
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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ALmom
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| Posted: April 29 2007 at 2:30pm | IP Logged
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I am looking for ways to organize my loose stuff. My books - well, nothing short of a library system would work here and we are contemplating the scanner system reviewed elsewhere and trying to ditch stuff in the meantime.
I am NOT a computer person, so I have to have stuff written down and in my hands but I hate having 30,000 computer printouts, laminated matching cards, etc. and don't want everything out at once. I'm gradually organizing as I clean and don't know if it really, really works yet - but _
I liked the information about liturgical year so a notebook using photo pages and dividers divided by month and feast day things grouped together. But then I have my miscellaneous resources for teaching academic subjects or my Montessorish manipulative materials. I'm thinking these could be grouped by subject/concept. So for instance, I'd have page dividers for things like Math (divided by things like place value, adding, factoring, etc.), History (time periods and countries/regions), Lit (reminders of resources I have by author), Grammar, punctuation, Science (divided by type of science, etc.) Then I could put a sheet of paper with table of contents on the outside of the binder and hopefully find the neat lesson plan, presentation, extra practice sheets, special supplies for that lesson as I saw a need for something new. If I had to store extra manipulatives somewhere or science kits - I would certainly have a note to myself about where in the house this particular tray is stored so I could find it easily when the time came to actually present it and put it out.
I probably need something like this for home management too - but haven't tackled that one yet.
I'm looking for tried and true ideas before I get too into this project (still in the ditching mode here) so I am looking to see ideas.
Edited to add: if you are looking for something to keep up with what children have actually done we have found something that has helped our very scatterbrained way of doing things. I have issued each child one three ring binder with the plastic covers. We divide this into to subject areas and it has paper of different varieties. Anyways, finished work is supposed to have name and date on it - and be stored in this binder. I have a different color for each child so I can pick up the correct binder at a glance when I need to review what the child has done. As we review work together (at least once per week), we discuss what works and doesn't and we make plans together for the next week. I write these plans out one day per page and tuck them in the outside plastic of the binder. My child then checks off things as they are done and adds anything else done. It has saved us on record check time a bunch.
Janet
Janet
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Angel
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| Posted: May 09 2007 at 4:24pm | IP Logged
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I wanted to thank everyone for their replies. I got part of my binder put together... and then became totally overwhelmed at what to put in it. And I thought I finally had a handle on what I needed!
Anyway, I don't think these things are as complicated for other people as they are for me. I'm now wondering if I shouldn't go back to a workbook approach to basics... but then the kids don't seem to learn as well when we use workbooks exclusively.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Building a homeschool planner
