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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 386242" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>I keep a diary, a sort of running sheet. If you took all your recent posts, Shari, and cleaned them up (removing duplications etc) then you would have something similar to my diary. But then you cross-reference where you got the info. So if you found out about it from an email from SpEd, you reference after that entry, using a distinctive bracket, and include the date, title of email and sender. I also often use a specific but unusual character (perhaps four question marks, or four hash symbols) so I can search for these if I want to find which emails to print to back up those pages of my notes.</p><p></p><p>Keep it all electronically. We even scanned all the reports so we have electronic copies. Anyone wanting a report - we print it, we no longer take our originals and photocopy them. You know what happens - you go to the school with your bucketloads of papers, the school says, "Let me copy those reports for you," and generally it is your only copy of a vital report that gets forgotten and left on the copier bed.</p><p></p><p>Bucketloads of papers are not welcomed. If you're going to a meeting, nobody will have time to read reams of paper. Instead, they lean back in their chairs and say, "Give me the summary. Talk to me." If they take the papers and say, "Ill read it later, in my office," you can be almost certain they won't. There's just too much.</p><p></p><p>What works from here - you take your diary. Print only the relevant pages. IF they ask for corroboration, you then print out just the referenced emails they request.</p><p></p><p>How to file it - we have separate folders for email from various sources. We can either manually put the emails there, or we can have them filtered. Whatever works best for you. You can even convert them to text and file them elsewhere, but frankly, keeping the email copy is better if it shows you haven't had the chance to modify the test from the school. Your diary cross reference can even indicate which folder on your computer it can be found; although if you're good with your search option, you should be able to find it easily form the title. </p><p></p><p>I found, where possible, it worked best to summarise issues down to one page. Sometimes a Dept of Ed staffer would come back to me and ask for the evidence backing what I said, but it was always then easy for me to find it.</p><p></p><p>So in summary - text file reading like a diary, with dates and events described. Staff comments included (lifted form emails) cross-referenced in {} brackets with &&&& symbols so I could search for "&&&&" using FIND, so I could print out the relevant emails IF asked for them. Then keep EVERYTHING, but filed to keep the file size down (ie put the junk mail elsewhere). </p><p></p><p>I keep ALL my emails, apart from spam of course. Even some spam, in special cases. I have emails that go back to the very first internet connection we ever had. We do archive them after a decade or so. </p><p></p><p>Because one day I just might write that book, and I will need to refer back a LOOOOONG way!</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 386242, member: 1991"] I keep a diary, a sort of running sheet. If you took all your recent posts, Shari, and cleaned them up (removing duplications etc) then you would have something similar to my diary. But then you cross-reference where you got the info. So if you found out about it from an email from SpEd, you reference after that entry, using a distinctive bracket, and include the date, title of email and sender. I also often use a specific but unusual character (perhaps four question marks, or four hash symbols) so I can search for these if I want to find which emails to print to back up those pages of my notes. Keep it all electronically. We even scanned all the reports so we have electronic copies. Anyone wanting a report - we print it, we no longer take our originals and photocopy them. You know what happens - you go to the school with your bucketloads of papers, the school says, "Let me copy those reports for you," and generally it is your only copy of a vital report that gets forgotten and left on the copier bed. Bucketloads of papers are not welcomed. If you're going to a meeting, nobody will have time to read reams of paper. Instead, they lean back in their chairs and say, "Give me the summary. Talk to me." If they take the papers and say, "Ill read it later, in my office," you can be almost certain they won't. There's just too much. What works from here - you take your diary. Print only the relevant pages. IF they ask for corroboration, you then print out just the referenced emails they request. How to file it - we have separate folders for email from various sources. We can either manually put the emails there, or we can have them filtered. Whatever works best for you. You can even convert them to text and file them elsewhere, but frankly, keeping the email copy is better if it shows you haven't had the chance to modify the test from the school. Your diary cross reference can even indicate which folder on your computer it can be found; although if you're good with your search option, you should be able to find it easily form the title. I found, where possible, it worked best to summarise issues down to one page. Sometimes a Dept of Ed staffer would come back to me and ask for the evidence backing what I said, but it was always then easy for me to find it. So in summary - text file reading like a diary, with dates and events described. Staff comments included (lifted form emails) cross-referenced in {} brackets with &&&& symbols so I could search for "&&&&" using FIND, so I could print out the relevant emails IF asked for them. Then keep EVERYTHING, but filed to keep the file size down (ie put the junk mail elsewhere). I keep ALL my emails, apart from spam of course. Even some spam, in special cases. I have emails that go back to the very first internet connection we ever had. We do archive them after a decade or so. Because one day I just might write that book, and I will need to refer back a LOOOOONG way! Marg [/QUOTE]
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