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!
