Planbook is a comprehensive online lesson planning tool designed to streamline and enhance the teaching process for educators. Here’s an overview of what the product does and its key features:
What Planbook Does
Planbook is an online platform created to help teachers manage and organize their lesson plans efficiently. It was founded in 2010 by Rod Hall, an elementary school teacher, and his brother Jeff, a software developer, with the goal of simplifying lesson scheduling and improving communication with parents.Key Features and Functionality
Lesson Planning and Organization
- Teachers can create and organize lesson plans by day or week, using customizable templates and preset lesson layouts. This includes the ability to define up to 10 unique sections for each lesson.
- The platform allows for easy copying and pasting of lesson formats, enabling teachers to replicate plans across different days or classes.
Standards and Assessments
- Planbook enables teachers to integrate standards into their lesson plans, ensuring that their teaching aligns with educational standards. It also supports the creation and management of assessments, which can be auto-graded and integrated into a gradebook.
Customization and Personalization
- Teachers can personalize their plans using various tools such as color-coding for different subjects, adding icons, and custom fonts. This helps in visually organizing the lesson plans and making them more engaging.
- The platform supports flexible scheduling, including A/B, weekday, and rotating schedules, allowing teachers to adapt the plans to their specific needs.
Sharing and Collaboration
- Teachers can share their lesson plans with students, colleagues, and administrators, controlling exactly what is shared and when. This facilitates collaboration and keeps all stakeholders informed.
Accessibility and Mobility
- Planbook offers both web and mobile app access, allowing teachers to view and manage their plans from any device. This mobility is particularly useful for teachers who need to access their plans in different settings.
Historical Data and Reusability
- The platform saves lesson plans from previous years, enabling teachers to review and reuse them. This feature is especially useful for tracking progress and maintaining consistency in teaching.
Additional Tools
- Planbook includes features for adding events, such as holidays and student birthdays, and allows teachers to attach various media like videos, images, links, and files to their lesson plans.