For well over a decade I've used the internet to help find resources for lessons in my classroom. More often than not, the resource I find is not timely; I've usually already taught that topic or will teach it several months from when I find it. So, in the past I bookmarked it. The only difficulty was that I never actually went back through my math bookmarks--because I couldn't remember where things were or because I had forgotten I found the resource or because I couldn't remember what I wanted to look at on the webpage I bookmarked.
I just read a bunch of people's MTBoS Mission #6 posts on this and really, it sounds like no one else has it figured out either. Some people use a virtual filing cabinet system to keep stuff organized--putting the resource where they want it to go in their curriculum the moment they find it. That sounds like to much work to me. Plus, that means I always need a computer handy that can either access my curriculum documents or edit my webpage... in a way that doesn't kill the fun I'm having exploring other people's resources.
It's not that my old method was horrid, I just never found stuff or forgot what I wanted in the first place. Here's my current method: Evernote with lots and lots of tags and a text note in Dropbox with all the activities and concepts I do for a particular course.
How I use Evernote:
Because I often stumble across resources, I need a method I can access no matter the device I'm using. Laptop? No problem. School computer? No problem. iPad? Almost no problem. I use the Evernote Web Clipper plugin on whatever browser I happen to be using (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and iOS Safari). The only tweak is that Evernote web clipper can't technically run in iOS Safari. But it does work as a bookmark. It takes a bit of work setting up but works like a charm.
How I use my text document:
Then, either during the summer or whenever I my memory works I take a resource and rework it. Then reason I needed a general course outline with concepts covered and the current activities and tasks I use is because I don't want to keep every possible resource I find; I only want to keep it if it's better than what I currently do. But I don't often remember what I currently do. The text document has also helped me be more focused in my searching for new ideas. You know what? I don't need anything more ever for exponential functions. Ever.
Here's a link to my Aglebra 1 text document so you get an idea of how I've organized it. If you've got any ideas as to how to improve it, I'm all ears.
I just read a bunch of people's MTBoS Mission #6 posts on this and really, it sounds like no one else has it figured out either. Some people use a virtual filing cabinet system to keep stuff organized--putting the resource where they want it to go in their curriculum the moment they find it. That sounds like to much work to me. Plus, that means I always need a computer handy that can either access my curriculum documents or edit my webpage... in a way that doesn't kill the fun I'm having exploring other people's resources.
It's not that my old method was horrid, I just never found stuff or forgot what I wanted in the first place. Here's my current method: Evernote with lots and lots of tags and a text note in Dropbox with all the activities and concepts I do for a particular course.
How I use Evernote:
Because I often stumble across resources, I need a method I can access no matter the device I'm using. Laptop? No problem. School computer? No problem. iPad? Almost no problem. I use the Evernote Web Clipper plugin on whatever browser I happen to be using (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and iOS Safari). The only tweak is that Evernote web clipper can't technically run in iOS Safari. But it does work as a bookmark. It takes a bit of work setting up but works like a charm.
How I use my text document:
Then, either during the summer or whenever I my memory works I take a resource and rework it. Then reason I needed a general course outline with concepts covered and the current activities and tasks I use is because I don't want to keep every possible resource I find; I only want to keep it if it's better than what I currently do. But I don't often remember what I currently do. The text document has also helped me be more focused in my searching for new ideas. You know what? I don't need anything more ever for exponential functions. Ever.
Here's a link to my Aglebra 1 text document so you get an idea of how I've organized it. If you've got any ideas as to how to improve it, I'm all ears.
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