From what I can tell from Instagram, my school year
started off as crazy as everyone else’s: back to school classroom prep, getting
to know you activities, beginning of the year assessments, launching Daily 5
and CAFÉ, as well as guided math, data collection and analysis… oh, and lesson
planning, too.
So many teachers are passionate about their planners,
whether they’re lesson planners or life planners. I was once one of those
teachers (I am a list-maker at heart, after all).
But as we continue to move into the digital age, I have let
so much of my dependence on pencil-and-paper become less of a necessity. So
much so that I can easily carry my iPhone, hereafter referred to as My Life,
around with me in a 6”x1.5” purse. If I can’t do it with My Life, I won’t do
it.
I can even post on my blog using an app.
I should mention upfront that I realize digital lesson
planning is not for everyone, which is why we’re all unique (see what I did
there?). If you’re intrigued by the notion of online lesson planning, keep
reading. If your heart is set against it, you can stop right here. I’m not
trying to convince you, but merely make you aware of its possibilities.
I used to keep a notebook by my bed and vanity so that I
could jot down notes to myself as I thought of them (my memory has never been
very good!). Now, I simply use My Life to send myself an email, create a
Reminder, or add my ideas to my Notes app. #mylife
The same is true for lesson planning. As adorable as so many
lesson planners are, I felt encumbered by its very existence. I’d have to bring
it with me to my meetings, along with my laptop where I could access my Google
calendar that I’ve been using for a few years now. It would come home with me,
and then back to school again. I used a three-ring binder for my planner so
that I could easily remove or move any pages, but that meant it wouldn’t fit in
my laptop bag. #plannerfree
Another disadvantage to a paper planner is if I planned too
far ahead, and an unexpected event interfered somehow, I’d have to readjust my
plans manually. Not fun. My motivation for long-term planning went way down,
but my stress at not feeling prepared went up. #aintnobodygottimeforthat
I now use the website Planboard
to write, organize and share my lesson plans. I have tried other sites, but
this one is intuitive to my needs. I will share out its features in detail in a
later post, but first I’d like to introduce you to the idea of online planning.
Just as I carry My Life with me in my purse, I also carry My
Plans around with me wherever I bring my laptop (which is just about
everywhere). Which means I can do my lesson planning wherever I am, even if it’s
in the dentist’s waiting room. Or at the DMV. #worstplacestowait
And when carrying my laptop is undesirable, I whip out my
iPad, because, you guessed it, There’s an App for That! Planboard has an app
that performs very similarly to the online version, so the platforms look the
same. Moving between the two is not complicated. #itsnotcomplicated
For both methods, an internet connection is required, but keep
in mind that I have My Life with me wherever I go. Did someone say Personal
Hotspot? #easypeasy
One of my favorite benefits that Planboard offers is its
sharing feature. I can print my lessons, create a PDF of them, or email them to
a colleague. If you are lucky enough to know your sub’s email address, you can
send her your lesson plans ahead of time. What could be more efficient?
I’ll post later on the specific features I’ve found useful
on Planboard, but if you have a moment, check it out for yourself and tell me
what you think. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
