* Re: Org-mode notes about school lessons
2023-02-24 12:08 Org-mode notes about school lessons Sébastien Gendre
@ 2023-02-24 17:05 ` Tory S. Anderson
2023-02-25 4:37 ` Bob Newell
2023-02-25 8:08 ` Marcin Borkowski
2023-02-28 6:00 ` Jean Louis
1 sibling, 2 replies; 5+ messages in thread
From: Tory S. Anderson @ 2023-02-24 17:05 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Sébastien Gendre; +Cc: emacs-orgmode
Sébastien Gendre <seb@k-7.ch> writes:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I used Org-mode for taking notes in some school lessons, but it was a
> bit chaotic. I try to make it more efficient, easy to navigate and
> manage.
I used org notes heavily through more than two school degrees, and loved it. Definitely a sweet-spot in org use-cases.
> * What I need
You have a pretty comprehensive list of needs; that is a lot of useful information.
>
> Secondly, I need a quick view on the week lessons schedule: For each day,
> what lesson I have, when and where.
I live in org agenda, even now. You can filter it by tag/keyword easily by =C-c /=, removing filters with =|= (pipe). Don't forget to add your class to the agenda list with =org-agenda-file-to-front= (C-x [)
>
> thirdly, I need to manage the projects that teachers ask us to do. With deadlines.
Agenda is made for this. Just add a TODO to the headline =C-c C-t t= (org-todo) #+DEADLINE: =C-c d= (org-deadline) timestamp and see it in your agenda. You can modify how the notifications come for it. Also, make liberal use of org tags =org-agenda-set-tags= on headings, which you can use to filter your agenda view (eg by class).
> * What I plan to do
>
> As I need to write a lot for each lesson, and each lesson are mostly
> independent from each other, I plan to have 1 file per lesson.
This is a very stylistic, but I am a "all in one file" user, though I have a seperate directory and .org file per class, but no more split than that. I have always had =C-c s= bound in org files to something like =consult-org-heading= (or the helm equivalent, or selectrum equivalent, or even the vanilla emacs equivalent that I can't remember right now). To me, being able to easily go to headings/classes in one file fits my usage. I could see arguments for the other, though, since emacs is good at browsing/searching multiple files, too. And I suppose git version control might be more useful on the multiple-file setup.
> In each file, I plan to have the same structure:
> - General information
> - Tasks and Projects
> - Distributed documents
> - Notes
>
> In "General information", I put the schedule of the lesson, the
> classroom, the teacher and assistant name and e-mail and the URL to our
> online platform.
#+URL, #+TEACHER, etc will be okay here. Though I would probably just put them in as plain text.
> In "Tasks and Projects", I put all work the teacher ask us to do. For
> each, an Org-mode sub-headline with a TODO status. A project is just a task
> with sub-tasks. Or maybe have a PROJECT status ?
>
How about both? Are projects seperate from other tasks, though? I would make heavy use of sub-tasks, with =[/]= in the headlines to give a count of sub-tasks completed.
> In "Distributed documents", I create a sub-headline for each document. I
> then attach a copy of the document to its sub-headline with org-attach.
> Finally, I took note with Org-noter.
I have not used org-attach, though I know I should learn it. I have just stored related docs in the folder for the class.
> In "Notes" I make a tree of sub-headline based on the lesson plan. And,
> when the teacher talk about a subject, I took a note in it's
> sub-headline.
>
>
> * What I miss
>
> First, the tasks. I don't know If it's better to keep them in the lesson
> org file or move them with all my other tasks (home and work). I think
> to include them in the org-agenda, so I can have global view of all ma
> tasks. From school, work and home.
I keep them in the class listing, then add that to my agenda, as described above. Add the class to your agenda files and you are set.
> Second, the weekly schedule. Is it better to have a column view on a
> separate file or to see the all the lessons in my org-agenda ? In the
> first case, is it possible to build a column view from different file ?
> In the second case, how to do it and to manage vacations ?
Column view is another thing I have never intentionally used. I just filter my agenda to what I want.
> Third, do I include my work notes inside the lesson file ? Or do I
> create a separate file for each works ? Some work asked to do are just
> exercise, but some are rated and in this case we are asked to write a
> report.
As mentioned above, I find putting them in the same file to be most useful. Even reports I put in the same file, using export to make them pdf or odt or docx or whatever the class needs.
> Fourth, is it better to include my school notes into org-roam with other
> knowledge or keep them separate ? If I mix what I learn on my free time
> and what I learn on school time, it would make more to review before an
> exam.
I've been told that I should try org-roam. I never felt a need, though. Plain org does the trick for me.
org for class notes was a huge benefit to my quality of life for a lot of years, so I have some simple but opinionated takes on this. I hope this is useful, and I am always appreciative of any corrections.
- Tory
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 5+ messages in thread
* Re: Org-mode notes about school lessons
2023-02-24 12:08 Org-mode notes about school lessons Sébastien Gendre
2023-02-24 17:05 ` Tory S. Anderson
@ 2023-02-28 6:00 ` Jean Louis
1 sibling, 0 replies; 5+ messages in thread
From: Jean Louis @ 2023-02-28 6:00 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Sébastien Gendre; +Cc: emacs-orgmode
* Sébastien Gendre <seb@k-7.ch> [2023-02-24 15:58]:
> For each lessons, I need to note:
> - Name
> - Schedule
> - Classroom
> - Teacher name and e-mail
> - Assistant name and e-mail
> - URL to the web page of this lesson on our online learning website
> - List of all distributed documents
> - Note on each of the distributed documents
> - Lesson plan
> - Notes taken in classroom while the teacher speak
> - Notes taken while doing the practice work
> - Tasks asked by the teacher
Here is the solution with Org:
------------------------------
* People
** Teachers
*** Mr. Evil
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 067030f3-b833-4559-8159-6f94913a5408
:E-MAIL: mrevil@example.com
:END:
** Assistants
*** Mini Me
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 894a5fe6-f694-44c6-9285-b1fa7727e6c9
:E-MAIL: minime@example.com
:END:
* Classrooms
** Classroom #1
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 23a3959a-19af-4890-a4de-16aff843f3a8
:END:
** Classroom #2
:PROPERTIES:
:ID: 891d563d-96f8-47a5-b7cd-4d4565cf1524
:END:
* Lessons
** My lesson name
:PROPERTIES:
:CLASSROOM: 23a3959a-19af-4890-a4de-16aff843f3a8
:TEACHER: 067030f3-b833-4559-8159-6f94913a5408
:ASSISTANT: 894a5fe6-f694-44c6-9285-b1fa7727e6c9
:URL: https://www.example.com/my-lesson-name
:END:
*** Distributed documents
**** My document one
Notes here about the document one
**** My document two
Notes here about the document two
*** Lesson Plan
*** Notes taken in classroom while the teacher speak
*** Notes taken while doing the practice work
*** TODO Tasks asked by the teacher
---------------
What I would do for the above referencing system is representation or "jump" function, so that when you have something like this:
** My lesson name
:PROPERTIES:
:CLASSROOM: 23a3959a-19af-4890-a4de-16aff843f3a8
:TEACHER: 067030f3-b833-4559-8159-6f94913a5408
:ASSISTANT: 894a5fe6-f694-44c6-9285-b1fa7727e6c9
:URL: https://www.example.com/my-lesson-name
:END:
That I can quickly see which classroom is that or which teacher is that.
(defun rcd-org-uuid-name ()
"Display name for referenced Org UUID."
(interactive)
(let* ((uuid (thing-at-point 'uuid))
(found (org-id-find uuid))
(heading))
(when (and found uuid)
(save-excursion
(goto-char (cdr found))
(setq heading (org-get-heading)))
(message "%s" heading))))
When you move cursor to one of those UUIDs, you would see "Mini me" in
the mini buffer. Or you wish to jump there by UUID:
(defun rcd-org-uuid-jump ()
"Go to heading of the referenced Org UUID."
(interactive)
(let* ((uuid (thing-at-point 'uuid))
(found (org-id-find uuid))
(heading))
(when (and found uuid)
(goto-char (cdr found)))))
The referencing system can enable to make reports on each lesson where
names of people and other attributes are nicely displayed. When you
change the heading or name of the teacher, the report would get
automatically updated.
> Thirdly, I need to manage the projects that teachers ask us to do. With deadlines.
>
> * What I plan to do
>
> As I need to write a lot for each lesson, and each lesson are mostly
> independent from each other, I plan to have 1 file per lesson.
>
> In each file, I plan to have the same structure:
> - General information
> - Tasks and Projects
> - Distributed documents
> - Notes
You need not have one file per lesson, you can write it all in one single file.
> In "General information", I put the schedule of the lesson, the
> classroom, the teacher and assistant name and e-mail and the URL to our
> online platform.
>
> In "Tasks and Projects", I put all work the teacher ask us to do. For
> each, an Org-mode sub-headline with a TODO status. A project is just a task
> with sub-tasks. Or maybe have a PROJECT status ?
I do not agree to the hierarchy how you specified, as I am used to
military style:
1. Plan
2. Programs, belong to plan
3. Projects, they are one step of a plan, when that step cannot easily
be executed
4. Orders are tasks, or steps of programs or projects
But I cannot see how "Project" is subsection of a "Task", as task is
often something very specific. Though in other definitions task can be
project too. I just say it is not common, though you can mix terms as
you wish.
> * What I miss
>
> There is some point I'm note sure on what or how to do it.
>
> First, the tasks. I don't know If it's better to keep them in the lesson
> org file or move them with all my other tasks (home and work). I think
> to include them in the org-agenda, so I can have global view of all ma
> tasks. From school, work and home.
Yes, and that works.
> Second, the weekly schedule. Is it better to have a column view on a
> separate file or to see the all the lessons in my org-agenda ? In the
> first case, is it possible to build a column view from different file ?
> In the second case, how to do it and to manage vacations ?
You already got it, how I see it. It is possible to use multiple files
for agenda, see variable `org-agenda-files'
> Third, do I include my work notes inside the lesson file ? Or do I
> create a separate file for each works ? Some work asked to do are just
> exercise, but some are rated and in this case we are asked to write a
> report.
I would keep it in one file.
> Fourth, is it better to include my school notes into org-roam with other
> knowledge or keep them separate ? If I mix what I learn on my free time
> and what I learn on school time, it would make more to review before an
> exam.
I don't think you need more than Org.
However, I could keep it all in plain text, without Org mode, and it
would work equally well.
Though I tend to keep information in RCD Notes & Hyperscope, The
Dynamic Knowledge Repository for GNU Emacs. As I like to relate freely
people to documents, that is important as your case demonstrates. And
I don't like doing copy, paste of UUID, or names.
--
Jean
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^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 5+ messages in thread