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 !  Record Keeping

Accountability takes up a large part of our time and energy and it seems to be taking up more time every year. This section of the Itinerant Tools and Treasures online module offers example forms you can download to make your record keeping and communications more effective and consistent. There are directions provided for modifying the documents for your own use.

Objective

Explore the example forms provided for record keeping, documentation, and communication with students, schools, families, and the school district. Create and share ideas and materials.

Content Information

The following three pages contain example forms that can be downloaded, modified to meet your needs and used in your professional setting. The forms are available in html, pdf, Word, and Appleworks formats. HTML format means you will see the information on a Web page. The next, PDF format, can be viewed using Acrobat Reader, a free program by Adobe. The .pdf files cannot be modified but can be viewed, printed and saved. Word and Appleworks formats work on both Mac and Windows computers for those people using the productivity suites Microsoft Office or Appleworks.

How to modify and personalize the forms on the following three pages.

Open each form:

  1. In the title change (district) to your district's name by highlighting (district) and typing in your information. Use caps lock if desired.
  2. Change (name of teacher) to your name using the method described above.
  3. Change 555-5555 x555 to your phone number. Change and/or add other contact information as appropriate.
  4. Carefully read through each form and make any changes that better meet the needs of you and your program.
  5. When changes are made to a form the date in the bottom of the form (or in a footer) may be changed so that the latest update is recorded.
  6. Save the form as a template so that you keep an original copy intact.

How to Create Your Own Template

Microsoft Word:

  1. Open the document you want to use often or again.
  2. Go to File > Save As.
  3. Pull down Save as type: and select Document Template (*.dot).
  4. Decide where you want to save the document and make sure the top Save in: pull down box is listing the appropriate location.
  5. Give your file a name and keep the .dot file extension name.Rather than being a .doc (regulary document file) you are saving a .dot (document template file).
  6. Click Save.

Appleworks 5:

  1. Open the document you want to use often or again.
  2. Go to File > Save As.
  3. Type the name for your document.
  4. Click the radio button for Template (Assistant/Stationary). Appleworks will try to put this template in the Appleworks Templates folder. You can put it in your own folder so you can back up your data, find them all in one place, etc. From the pull down menu at the top of the dialog box, select the folder you have for your templates.
  5. Click Save.

You now have a template of your own. If you want to keep a variety of templates for your personal newsletters, parent communication logs, etc. it is always a good decision to have your own folder for your templates somewhere on your computer. Make sure you back up this folder on a CD, flash drive or other portable drive, or server regularly.

Each time you open a template, you will have an "untitled" document. You will be prompted to save the document with a new name. Just to be safe, you can always use "Save As" to rename the document.

Note: Depending on many factors, the Word and Appleworks documents may have some formatting errors when you open them on your own machine. This may happen because the margins or fonts are affected by the settings on your computer. For example, some of the spacing may be incorrect. Make sure you check through the documents and modify them to meet your needs and save them with your changes and corrections.

How to create a new form using Microsoft Office and/or Appleworks software.

Support for using Microsoft Word and Appleworks are found on our Tutorials page. Another resource that we really suggest schools and districts look into getting is a subscription to Atomic Learning. Atomic Learning offers video tutorials on MANY different software programs. Check it out and sign up for a free trial subscription.

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The Florida Deaf Education Professional Development Online Community (FL DEPDOC) is made possible in part by a grant from The Theodore R. and Vivian M. Johnson Scholarship Foundation. The Resource Materials and Technology Center for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (RMTC: D/HH - FDLRS) is funded by the State of Florida, Department of Education, Division of Public Schools and Community Education, Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services through federal assistance under IDEA, Part B and state general revenue funds.