Written by Megan Davenport, Atlas Team
Every year seems to fly by faster than the last, and there seems to be more content we are responsible for teaching. Because of this, pacing is key to making the most of the one, short school year we have with our students. If we aren’t thoughtful about how we spend our time, we can easily find ourselves pulling our hair out at the end of the year trying to squeeze too much into the last month of school. Here at Atlas, we decided to focus on improving the calendar features to give teachers more options to keep an eye on that all-important curriculum flow. In addition to the increased functionality, these updates also feature a more intuitive and modern design.
Single-Click Access from your Google Calendar
It sounds dramatic to say that my Google Calendar keeps all areas of my life organized, but it really isn’t an overstatement. Everything from my work meetings to my kids’ school and soccer schedules are managed on my Google Calendar. Having the option to view my units and lessons from that same calendar is a game changer. Now I can visualize my curriculum on a page that I already have open on my computer, and, best of all, I can jump into those units and lessons with one click to see more information or make adjustments. Talk about a time-saver!
Explore Scope and Sequence
The Unit Calendar by Year has always been one of my favorite pages in Atlas. Being able to set the length and pacing of units, and easily adjust as needed, keeps the year running smoothly and ensures that we are mindful of our time. This view has been updated and modernized, but still contains all of the great features that have always existed.
Connect Lesson and Unit Pacing
The new view, Unit Calendar by Month, allows us to zoom in on our curriculum and see how the units and lessons fit together. This view allows us to easily edit the pacing or explore any of the current or upcoming units/lessons.
Course Description
Though the Course Description is not new to Atlas, we wanted to update this underutilized resource and make it more visible. We are pleased to share that the Course Description is now visible from the main calendar page making it more prominent and easier to access.
Here are a few ideas for how you might use this area in the future to help highlight or add additional information about your course:
- Type, copy/paste, or link your course syllabus, course expectations, course objectives, or course goals. This area keeps all of that high-level information handy and easy to review as you work throughout the year.
- If your school has an Atlas Public Site (with the Course Description showing), you can use this area to share the course information with families either at a teacher-by-teacher level, or holistically as a way for students and families to decide which courses they want to register for. Alternatively, you could use this area to share important class updates and announcements.
These updates are a direct result of the partnership and feedback from the many educators we support. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas as we work together to support meaningful curriculum development and student learning!
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About The Author
Megan Davenport
Atlas Product Manager
Atlas Team
Megan Davenport’s passion for education is at the forefront of her work. Megan earned her master’s degree in education from Arizona State University and bachelor’s degrees in sociology and business management from the University of Montana. Thanks to her academic background, Megan takes a well-rounded approach to working with schools and benefits from knowledge of organizational structure as well as change management paired with classroom experience and a love of helping children learn. Megan has consulted with public and independent schools both domestically and internationally and enjoys synthesizing knowledge gained from working with a wide variety of schools to make Atlas the most effective product it can be.
