Planning can serve a few different purposes: Set up individual or group goals for children, use a plan to link stories together, create lesson plans, and more. This article reviews the different ways to link these plans to other documents in Educa - to demonstrate your process and provide context.
You'll need to start by creating a plan template and writing a plan.
Live Links and Copy as PDF Links
Educa uses two different link conventions based on most common use cases for the underlying document.
Live links are used for linking plans and story, where following the program cycle is important. It allows teachers and administrators to follow the thinking and flow of a learning progression - and perhaps edit as they go - but it requires being logged into Educa.
Copy as PDF links are used where the linking is more about evidence and where document is often downloaded for external use, e.g., most forms. We chose the PDF format so that the evidence could travel with the Form if it is downloaded. Simply click on the evidence link to open the attached PDF - without needing to be logged into Educa.
Linking to Learning Stories (Live Links)
At the bottom of the story template page you'll notice an opportunity to link that story to a plan. If it's an individual story, you'll only see the plans for the child the story is for. If it is a group story, you'll see all the plans for all children linked to the story. When published, a parent will only see the plan for their child attached.
Once you link, that plan will appear with story for teachers and family to see. They can click the link to see the plan. And on the plan, Educa will show that the story is linked.
Editing Plans in Story Mode
Since planning and learning stories are part of a cycle - meaning one feeds into the other - Educa makes it possible to edit a plan that you are linking to while you are in story mode, to update the plan with relevant progressions from the story. You also have the option to create a new plan.
You'll be able to view and edit the plan before publishing your story, allowing you to update you plan with relevant progressions.
Linking Plans to Forms (as a PDF)
If a question on a form allows you to attach evidence, one of the options under the Copy Educa Item option is to select a Plan. That will open all the plans you have access to related to that child or children.
You can select a plan, then click "Copy" to attach the plan in PDF format to the form as evidence.
Linking to Teacher Portfolio Posts (as PDF)
On each post you add to your Teacher Portfolio, you'll be able to link your plan. Once you've written your post, use the Copy Educa Item option and attach a plan as evidence.
This will allow you to select from all of the plans you have created, and the selected plan will automatically be converted into a PDF and attached to your post.
Linking to Plan (Live Links)
Link one plan to another is a really useful way of demonstrating your cycle and the continued progression of the child's development.
Prior to publishing your plan, use the Link to Plans option to select the other plans you wish to link to. The selected plan will automatically be converted into a PDF and attached to your plan.
Any parent with access to the plan you are writing will be able to see all of the linked plans.
