In my last post (*cough* third 1st post...) I mentioned that I started this blog as an experiment in record keeping. Our first few years of homeschooling I had a hard time figuring out what worked to keep track of progress, lesson plans, goals for the year, etc. DURING the year and also kept compiling portfolios at the end of the year from becoming a multi-week, stress inducing process. You know, the kind of project where when Eric gets home he knows I must have been on the computer all day (toys EVERYWHERE, breakfast and lunch dishes still in the sink, dinner not started, laundry piled in various stages, but none actually made it to the drawers, you get it...).
This post goes a little against the grain of the "not having my shit together" theme, but I promise this is really the only thing I feel like I have down. And it took 5 years to figure it out.
I tried a bunch of different things. Some were on paper in notebooks, there was the blog, I tried folders on the computer, then I found OneNote, that random program Microsoft insists on loading on all their PCs whether you want it or not. Turns out it's actually pretty useful. Nice work, Microsoft. If you haven't used OneNote picture your locker from high school. Notebooks for science, social studies, math, etc. all with dividers for notes, handouts, homework...I don't remember what else, high school was a long time ago, but you get the idea. One locker, multiple binders with multiple dividers in each binder. All digital. All backed up (FOR FREE) to the Microsoft cloud. Which also means your OneNote binders sync across devices. I have yet to find a device that does not have a OneNote app available. For me, this means I can plan on my big tablet with a keyboard or a regular computer (either on the OneNote program or on the online version), but I can take pictures with my phone and insert them in project records on the OneNote app (android or iPhone). I also am able to "scan" (take pictures of) tests or other work and store them in the appropriate section.
And here's my favorite part, well probably second after the syncing over devices feature, if I am diligent about doing quick records during the year, when it comes to portfolio time, a few quick cuts and pastes and an easy-peasey "save as PDF," and portfolios are done and ready to send. I know. Stupid easy.
It took me a couple years to decided what binders and divider categories worked for us. I should have consulted the state evaluation requirements before I started. It would have saved a lot of hassle when I first started, but alas...I don't generally think that far ahead and ended up with a lot of shit I didn't need recorded and scrambling to find things that were requested for evaluation at the end of the year.
Below I have screenshots of what my OneNote looks like both from my android tablet and my iPhone. I am partial to android. I had an android phone, but when I went to replace my (totally demolished) phone an iPhone was the cheapest option (??? I think Apple is trying to take over the world) and I for something as dumb as a phone, I will alway go cheapest. Even if it does mean iPhone. But I digress...screenshots:
iPhone screenshot
A sample of a few of the sections in Charlie's notebook. Daniel also has a notebook. Both are listed under the current school year and in each there are sections for math, book lists, writing samples, etc. I scan samples as we go through the year so I don't have to search through piles of paper at the end of the year.
Android Screenshot
Here you can see a little better how the notebooks are organized. You can see I also use this for things other than school. All my recipes are organized in the "Household" section, all neat and orderly even though I always just blindly search through the mountains if shit I have pinned in Pinterest instead...not sure why...oh well...digressing again. As I said above, each kid has a notebook with folders, but then I have a book list for the books we read all together, also a list of documentaries we watched, and a field trip section where I record where we went and also drop in pictures of the activities they participated in. Depending on the trip the boys will add descriptions of what they are doing and what they learned. I then just have to cut and paste the correct kids pieces into the correct notebook if it is deemed "portfolio worthy." The farther I get into this post, the more proud I am of myself for having this one piece of our schooling organized. I am just freaking amazing!
Well, on THAT note...I have included links to the Google Play store and iTunes for the OneNote App. If you are struggling with keeping all the homeschool shit organized, I HIGHLY recommend giving OneNote a try.
(I feel like I need to add some sort of note here that Microsoft isn't paying me to say these things. They have no idea who I am.)
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