Learning Score

Okay.

Whoever invented this deserves a prize.

I think creating lesson plans is intimidating. I hardly even know how to start filling templates out, half the time.  Well, my methods teacher told us about a new computer program today called Learning Score.  Essentially, it looks like what you see when you create a song in GarageBand or a similar program, only it lets you plug in parts of your lesson into a 45-minute block. Sorry, that's a confusing explanation. I don't really know how to describe it. But it lets you create your lesson plan visually and re-arrangeably, which is a lot easier for me than a "fill this out" lesson plan template.  Plus it's cool because, since it's a visual drag-and-drop, you can see exactly where each minute is going to go.

And.  It's free!

I downloaded it as soon as I got home from school.

If you're a teacher or would use this for anything else, download it! 

I don't know how much longer it will be free, but if you download it now and you don't like it, delete it.  And if you do like it, hey! free program!

And also, tell all your other teacher friends if you like it so that the whole world can benefit from this sweet lesson planning program!

It really does, in my opinion, make lesson planning a LOT easier.  

Here's a really quick one I made today so you can see generally how it works/what it looks like:

And you might be wondering what the "Play" button means.

If you click it, it plays through a slideshow-type thing (I think you click through it - it's not automatic like some slideshows) of your presentation using the little images on each box, giving you, as a teacher, visual clues as to what you planned to come next in your lesson plan. I think you can also set it up to show you a couple of notes with the image, too, if you want.

What did I tell you? AWESOME!