s/o how much time...curriculum organization

[Jess4879]

This is a spinoff of the "how much time do you spend..." researching curriculum thread.  For those who have a knack for planning, how do you organize the curriculum you've researched, plan to use, have on your shelves, need to buy, etc?

 

I am a note-taker...which means I end up with little notes, both on the computer and on my desk.  I'd like to figure out a way to have it all in one place for each kid...maybe a spreadsheet? 

 

I could really use some guidance!  Anyone want to share how they do this?

[The Governess]

I have a note on my iPhone with curriculum choices mapped out through high school. It changes a lot. :D I keep it in my phone because I am usually reading these forums on my phone. I also email myself links to interesting curriculum I come across that I want to save for later research. Then I just search my inbox for emails from myself and everything comes up.

[almondbutterandjelly]

I have a binder where I shove all my notes.  I'm a list maker, so I have constantly morphing lists of what I need, what I have, etc.  Plus for high school, I am tracking all of her extra curricular activities, volunteer work, etc., and that goes in the binder, too.

[rutheart]

I'm currently using a bullet journal to keep track of my plans.

Each child currently has 2 shelves for curriculum, one for stuff used at least weekly, and the other is for stuff used infrequently (i.e. literature books, something for a single unit like WWII, supplemental math, etc).

I also have 2 shelves for currently unused curricula: one is for stuff my eldest has used, but for which my youngest is not ready, the other is for anything new to the family. If I had more children, I would probably sort currently unused curricula by subject (since children rarely stick to a grade level in all subjects).

Ruth

[Luckymama]

I research/plan/purchase for one student who is now in high school.

 

I bookmark links by subject: AP Psych, biology, astronomy, maths, AP Comparative Government, economics, etc. I save whatever I come across, and then eliminate what won't work as I go through the planning process.I began this method when we started homeschooling in fifth grade.

 

I also make notes in my Bullet Journal (see: a zillion threads about this on the chat board).

 

On the laptop (and saved on a hard drive) are the important documents for high school: a running transcript that I update twice a year and brief descriptions of all of dd's courses. She maintains her own list of extracurriculars and awards, as sort of a resume.

[deerforest]

I keep everything on our homeschool wiki page. Wikispaces lets homeschoolers have free space. I like it because I can access it and edit anywhere and so can DD. 

[Critterfixer]

I do my planning on a yellow legal pad every year. I work on this on and off, and sometimes I might need two. I will make my lists there, hash out my choices, and finally come up with what I want. Then for each resource, I plan out how I want to use it and roughly how much we can get through per term. It's not very orderly, but at least it is all in one place.

[GAPeachie]

I'm working really hard with Homeschool Planet right now. 

[73349]

I use a Google spreadsheet. It lets me insert a note for any square, and makes a little black triangle in one corner that I can hover over to see the note.

[Hobbes]

I make spreadsheets in Google Drive with new tabs for each year.

 

Ideas are jotted in my homeschool bullet journal... most pages are subject-catagories, but some are more specific, e.g. "Ideas and resources for Fall 2016 Anatomy study". The bullet journal thing is working out really well.

[Jess4879]

I am getting so many great ideas!  I have OneNote, but haven't used it and lots of these others I hadn't even heard of.  I am in planning heaven right now. LOL

[MerryAtHope]

Curriculum I'm "interested in" goes in a document on my computer. Then I can easily copy and paste when I come across something new I might want, so I can research it later. I might print that out also, for catalog browsing.

 

Once I've researched and know what I need, I generally make a list in either a notebook just for homeschooling info, or in my calendar (this year I'm using a "Planner Pad" calendar, and have devoted several of the note-pages to homeschool planning). I take this list and "shop my shelves" first to see what I have. Everything that I'll be using for the next year goes on one (sometimes two) shelf, so I pull those items from their various locations before purchasing. Then I mark "have" and "order" for each item on my list.

 

That notebook is also where I might plan out how to approach individual subjects as well as how to structure our day for the next year.

 

Once I'm ready, I set up a Teacher Binder and my Teacher Box.

[Wheres Toto]

I have an Excel spreadsheet.  It has tabs for the calendar for this year with breaks and holidays marked, a tab with general long term plans (through high school, just subjects with possible things to use), a tab with more detailed plans for next year (more narrowed down curriculum choices, specific topics for science and history), and a tab for the remainder of this year with how many pages are left in each subject and how long it will take to finish them.  I also have a tab where I'm planning specifics for Science and History including resources, books, and activities for each topic we'll cover.

 

Ideas that aren't yet firm or to be considered are in my bullet journal.

[happypamama]

OneNote will change your life, and once you use it, you will wonder how you ever functioned without it.  Seriously, it beats sliced bread. ;)  It has a bit of a learning curve, in that it's very open-ended, and it can be a little overwhelming to have no template in front of you and so many options for how to organize things.  It's 1000% times worth the effort and time to learn it and figure out how it'll work best for you.  I tried a lot of different things -- paper, paper templates of my own creation, spreadsheets, word documents, a homeschooling planning app -- and OneNote is the one that has stuck for multiple years.  (Plus, after the first year, planning was a snap because I just copied all of my previous templates.)

 

All of my physical stuff is organized, by subject, on shelves upstairs, and I bring it down to my schoolroom as needed.  PDFs and other computer files are all organized (and backed up to an external hard drive) in folders for each subject (or sub-subject, like US History, Medieval History, etc.) in one big folder on my computer.  If I'm thinking about possibly using something, or want to make sure I don't forget that I have it, I put a note in a OneNote file under that subject.

 

(Question for OneNote users: Do you put the actual PDF in OneNote, or just a link to it on your computer, or just a note to see that folder?  Some of my PDFs are several hundred pages -- will that slow down OneNote?  I don't need OneNote as a backup; they're all on the external hard drive, and the expensive ones are also on my Dropbox account.)

[UCF612]

I keep a single paper with a list of my plans. I hand write it, I prefer that to computer files. I update it when I change my mind until it looks sloppy, then I write a fresh current list. Not the most organized plan but it works well for me.

 

Once I buy it it goes on the bookshelf for whichever child I bought it for. I don't plan after that because I strive for all "do the next thing" curriculum.

[Meriwether]

I make booklets for each kid each week during the summer. That pretty much plans everything out.

[happypamama]

I only put the PDF in there if its a single page or something I can quickly glance at. If it's anything longer I just post the link to the file directory or webpage or whatever. I am not sure if it would slow it down or not.

This is what makes more sense to me as well.

[Momto4inSoCal]

I use google drive for all of my homeschool stuff. I have folders with subjects and I keep downloads I've purchased in the appropriate subject. I also have a scheduling folder and I keep a google spreadsheet for each child with grades listed at the top and subjects down the side. It's more idea's of what I would like to happen. Starting Jan I go through and decide if I am going to stick with my choices or change anything. That way by May/June I can start ordering. I love having everything in one place. I even have my girls type their papers on google docs and I keep them in a folder. I can access all of my info from anywhere which is really nice.

[Jenn in CA]

Wow you guys are amazing. I keep things I want to possibly buy on an Amazon wish list. Or the backs of scrap paper. Then forget about them for several months, and when I find them it's like Christmas. And I like that Christmas feeling.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Jenn in CA

[Garga]

I use OneNote, too. Everyone seems to set up their OneNote a little differently so you'll have to find what works for you if you decide to use it.

 

For the actual planning of the school year? First I do a bit of math for each subject--how many days a week will we have to do this subject to get what I want done by the end of the year? This is mixed with how long does each subject take to do in a lesson? I do a bit of a balancing act to be sure that there's time for everything to be done.

 

I also pre-plan vacation days, etc, and try to figure out what date we'll have to start in order to finish sometime in May.

 

Some years I've been creative and had a 6 day "cycle" instead of a 5 day week. There are certain subjects that I do daily but other subjects that are done only a few times a "cycle." By spreading those subjects out over 6 days instead of 5, I have more wiggle room. I don't have to squeeze them all into 5 days.

 

As far as how long this takes? After the curric has all be purchased and I'm figuring out how long each lesson will take and how many lessons in each subject need to be done each week or cycle? I'd say a good 20 hours of work. I do get easily distracted, but I'd say it takes 4 hours a day for 5 days including a few forays onto the WTM boards for a little break every now and then. On Planning Week my boys spend each morning with a friend so I can sit home and plan without interruption.

 

And then I plan the first month of school and that takes me another good 20-30 hours. I don't plan beyond the first month. After I get the first month planned, then I just plan ahead for each week on Sunday afternoons. My weekly planning sessions take about 4 hours a week. This includes things like gathering supplies for science or creating homemade worksheets for art and music.

 

The reason I don't plan out the entire year is that often I'm wrong about how long something will take to complete. If I'd planned a whole year and then found out my plan didn't work--yikes. That would be misery. I have to be able to reassess and change things.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Garga

[abacus2]

I am a bit haphazzard, I'll admit. I have homeschooling links and files saved in my internet bookmarks and in my homeschooling folder in my documents. I use Homeschool Planet for the day to day, what's next questions. I buy a simple paper monthly planner each year which I use to plan what dates we will have school each year and use the notes section to write out my broad plans for each student. When I input my plans into Homeschool Planet, I typically scribble on random envelopes while dividing up the lessons to fit our schedule. I have curriculum I am not using in banker's boxes, stuff for this year in my school cabinet, and current items in my children's school baskets, in my china cabinet, and in my desk. 

[Holly]

I like to arrange our books on a MS Word table.  I fit everything on one page, so I can see it all at a glance.  I have digitally "highlighted" which books we still need to purchase and refer to it often as I'm making purchases (I try to buy things throughout the year).  I like this format because I can merge the cells when my DC are combined for certain subjects.  I list each child's name across the top of the table and the subjects down the left side of the table.  I try to include all the books they'll be using, except for free reads.  For family subjects, I'll merge all 4 cells so it's one long box.  For a few subjects, I may just have two students' cells merged for that particular subject.  It's simple to create, just shows our entire year on one page.  It also makes a great record for the year.

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2016 by Holly

[Jess4879]

Curriculum I'm "interested in" goes in a document on my computer. Then I can easily copy and paste when I come across something new I might want, so I can research it later. I might print that out also, for catalog browsing.

 

Once I've researched and know what I need, I generally make a list in either a notebook just for homeschooling info, or in my calendar (this year I'm using a "Planner Pad" calendar, and have devoted several of the note-pages to homeschool planning). I take this list and "shop my shelves" first to see what I have. Everything that I'll be using for the next year goes on one (sometimes two) shelf, so I pull those items from their various locations before purchasing. Then I mark "have" and "order" for each item on my list.

 

That notebook is also where I might plan out how to approach individual subjects as well as how to structure our day for the next year.

 

Once I'm ready, I set up a Teacher Binder and my Teacher Box.

 

I love the Teacher Box idea!  With how our homeschool is set up/what we use, it wouldn't work for us...but I still want one.  LMBO

[Jess4879]

OneNote will change your life, and once you use it, you will wonder how you ever functioned without it.  Seriously, it beats sliced bread. ;)  It has a bit of a learning curve, in that it's very open-ended, and it can be a little overwhelming to have no template in front of you and so many options for how to organize things.  It's 1000% times worth the effort and time to learn it and figure out how it'll work best for you.  I tried a lot of different things -- paper, paper templates of my own creation, spreadsheets, word documents, a homeschooling planning app -- and OneNote is the one that has stuck for multiple years.  (Plus, after the first year, planning was a snap because I just copied all of my previous templates.)

 

All of my physical stuff is organized, by subject, on shelves upstairs, and I bring it down to my schoolroom as needed.  PDFs and other computer files are all organized (and backed up to an external hard drive) in folders for each subject (or sub-subject, like US History, Medieval History, etc.) in one big folder on my computer.  If I'm thinking about possibly using something, or want to make sure I don't forget that I have it, I put a note in a OneNote file under that subject.

 

(Question for OneNote users: Do you put the actual PDF in OneNote, or just a link to it on your computer, or just a note to see that folder?  Some of my PDFs are several hundred pages -- will that slow down OneNote?  I don't need OneNote as a backup; they're all on the external hard drive, and the expensive ones are also on my Dropbox account.)

 

I was having a gander at OneNote yesterday!  Definitely overwhelming when you first look at it.  I've been browsing screen shots, etc to get ideas.  This is going to be my spring-break project.  :)

[happypamama]

I was having a gander at OneNote yesterday! Definitely overwhelming when you first look at it. I've been browsing screen shots, etc to get ideas. This is going to be my spring-break project. :)

The screen shots and all are really helpful! I can also send you screen shots or even pages that I've created if you want; just send me a PM with your email, and I'd be happy to do that. I just started creating pages and eventually was satisfied. But yes, a spring break project for sure!

[Coco_Clark]

I use a bullet journal while researching/planning.

 

Once plans are set, it's all about the spreadsheet.

[smarson]

I do a ton of research and I have my little spiral notebook where I take notes of things I see here but overall, I kind of fly by the seat of my pants.  We do our work and the next day we go on to the next lesson.  If I have it too planned out, I get paralyzed by my schedule and that "I'm behind feeling" doesn't work very well for me - makes me just give up.  This way I'm not exactly sure where we will end up but we've gotten done the last couple of years with everything in April or May so it has worked out.  But keep in mind, my kids are little and we don't have a TON of school work to do every day.  It's way more manageable.  I would imagine I'll need to up my game real soon considering we'll be starting 2nd grade next year. :)  But for now this works. :)

[smarson]

Now you've all encouraged me to go spend some quality time with OneNote and master that! :)  Because, you know, I have so much free time these days. :)

Ha!!

[happypamama]

Now you've all encouraged me to go spend some quality time with OneNote and master that! :)  Because, you know, I have so much free time these days. :)

Ha!!

Wahoo, another convert! :)  Welcome to the dark (er, color coded) side!

[J&JMom]

Annual Plans - I keep a mental list of subjects, Amazon/ebay lists for curriculum wants, type up in blog when finalized.  I also keep a running excel spreadsheet of purchases and wants to keep things on budget and not buy stuff twice.  I pretty much open the textbook and starting at page 1 work our way through the end supplementing and tweaking as needed on the fly, so I don't plan too far out, but do keep pacing in check to finish on time.

Monthly plans - In an academic planner I pencil in weekly/daily goals for the curriculum.  As I find 'fun' stuff I put post notes for the applicable week.

Daily Plans - as the day progresses, I erase the penciled plans and write in pen what was actually done.

Read aloud list - in the front of my planner I keep a list of books I might like and record what was actually read on the week it was read in the planner  and maintain a running list in the back and on our blog.

Web Bookmarks - I have hundreds grouped by broad subject, for example language arts has a main folder with subfolders for online textbooks, reading guides, spelling, etc.  

Hard Drive - I keep a 'homeschool' folder with any and all pdfs and other resources that I think I might ever have a use for now or in the future grouped by subject, grade, and resource.

 

It's pretty haphazard but has been getting the job done for the last 3 years ;)

[Jess4879]

The screen shots and all are really helpful! I can also send you screen shots or even pages that I've created if you want; just send me a PM with your email, and I'd be happy to do that. I just started creating pages and eventually was satisfied. But yes, a spring break project for sure!

 

That would be great!  Thanks!  Sent you a PM.  :)

 

I was originally going to just use a spread sheet...but all those colored tabs and pretty pages lured me in.  I just learnt how to "screen shot" a calendar in and I'm sold. This is like a dream come true for me...lol