tracking cool resources

[violet]

This is organizational -- I come across all these great online and print resources that I want to use "sometime down the line" when we reach a certain topic or more often, an ability level we haven't reached yet. And then I'll come across the resource again....after the time we could have used it. Or I'll find a book that I wanted to include after we just finished the unit. Ugh. So frustrating. Does anybody have any tips or a good way to keep tabs on the great ideas you come across? I have a springpad app I'm starting to use for ideas I find online and copious bookmarks. I sort of have a google webpage with links to my favorite sites but I'll forget which sites have the cool things I want to do at specific times.

[zjande]

You mean besides my 85 foot long bookmarks list?? I know exactly what you mean! I wish I had an answer! I shed tears the last time our computer crashed & I lost my bookmarks list.

[moss]

i have this problem all the time too. i keep folders of educational/inspiration type files on my computer, but usually forget about them when we're covering that material.

personally, i have the most success using the resources as we come upon them. it's kind of like "when the student is ready the teacher will appear" but with materials/resources instead of teachers LOL

[mom2ponygirl]

I use del.icio.us to track my bookmarks. You can use multiple labels, put in a lengthy description if you want, and search them. You can also share them with friends.

However, I still forget stuff I marked and find it later. Then I'm smacking my forehead thinking, wow that would have been perfect a year or two ago!

[tankgirl73]

I use tags on my bookmarks and look through them every few months to remind myself about what's around (that's my plan anyway lol)

Also, if I'm really convinced that a program is great and that we WILL use it, I buy it now... If we end up not using it, I can always try selling it second hand. I have a big box of homeschool materials, which I've placed in a rough order of which I'd like to use next... based on kids' interests as well as when I expect them to finish other things... We've got materials now for at least the next three years, complete -- though I'll probably still add a few more things heh... and several materials we'd need for after that too.

[yllek]

I'm using Evernote for everything that I find online, snapshots of books or whatnot that I encounter IRL, and little notes to myself that I want to remember. This application searches every which way from Sunday, so if I get my tags straight, put the note in the right notebook or if the word I'm searching for is in the note, it will come up. This handles most of the stuff I need to remember, not just for homeschool, but for my life. This app alone makes my iPhone totally worth getting reamed by AT&T. You can also use it on your computer, which is where I use it 90% of the time. And it's FREE.

I am also starting a file box inspired by this blogger. It's basically a tickler file. The way she has six seasonal files and 52 weekly files is just a genius way of splitting up the year. Then I also have my subject files: language arts, math, geography, social studies, life science, other science, other (art, music, pe, etc.) and my all important FOR NEXT YEAR file. Any subject gets thrown into that file if I might need it for the next school year. I figure I'll refine the organization when I do my planning session, and I don't have many paper things anyway.

[zeldamomma]

You could also track resources on HomeschoolRecess.com If the book/website is already listed on the site bookshelf, you can add new tags you think are appropriate and click on "add to my bookshelf" after registering and signing in. If there's website or book that's not listed that you find useful, you can add it, tag it and it will be easier for other homeschoolers to find. Links to add books and websites are under the "bookshelf" menu, once you've signed in.

Your bookshelf is private and searchable. If you wanted to make a list of books or websites to share, you could put together a collection or a wiki-collection (if you'd like a collaborative list).

It's a free, ad-supported website. It's my website, and I'm still working on it, so if there's something else you'd like to see, or something that isn't working right, let me know and I'll try to change it.

ZM

[Callimom]

It's not the most technologically sophisticated but I use blogger.
I keep a list of unit studies with ideas, links to resources with a brief description, links to other blogs, book/dvd suggestions, field trip ideas etc.
I use tags to help keep them categorized but topic, and by grade/level.

It's easily searchable, linkable to other unit studies I am keeping track of etc.
It's also a format I am used to and use a lot so I find it is less likely that I will put something there and forget about it.

hth
Karen