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April 29, 2009

Record Keeping

Lesson Plans, Record Keeping, Scheduling, all just a click way, I hope! This as you may know by now is my last week of our first year of homeschooling! We made it through one whole year! 3 cheers for us! Hip, Hip, Hooray; Hip, Hip Hooray; Hip, Hip, Hooray.

Record keeping has not been our strong suit! That if anything is the one thing I need to change for the up coming school year. I'm hoping I can find (very soon) a software program that will make record keeping easier for us. I don't care if it's a program on the PC or if it's web-base. I do have a few things that I have in mind. Perhaps I can get some help from my fellow homeschoolers!!!

There are some basic things that I think would make a program good!
  • Allowing easy scheduling. I can pre-enter a schedule with "certain days" for "certain subject", but flexible enough to allow me to edit each individual day schedule as needed.
  • Can easily assign "assignments" for each subject as needed.
  • Can enter in sick days, vacation days, etc and it will automatically adjust the schedule and assignments
  • students' page for the kids to be able to view and check of their assignments for the day, etc
  • oh and price, I prefer it to be FREE!
I've tried out homeschool-inc web based planner. It did most everything I wanted but the critical flexibility per day scheduling. We are going to working on a 5 day week. However we will have only 4 days of "book work" and allow the 5th day be be open for field-trips, errands, etc. That day will be on Fridays. However I have one week where I want that day to Monday and I can't adjust that week to reflex that....At least I'm not seeing how too!

I've taken a look at homeschool tracker and I've downloaded the FREE basic version, but to be honest it's to confusing and an NOT very user friendly in my opinion. Plus the basic does not have many of the features I want. The plus version may, but I find the basic NOT to be user friendly, so I assume that the plus will be the same. The PLUS, also, comes with a steep price tag $50. I don't want to spend $50 on software. I really don't want to spend anything, but that's besides the point.

However I'm hearing from Sara at A Shower of Roses that the plus is actually user friendly. So I really don't know any more!

So what do you use? (beside the good, ageless, paper and pen method LOL)

8 comments:

  1. SAHMinIL, I'm right there with you. I've ventured into homeschool tracker myself and feel very bound by the scheduling. So, I just stopped using it.
    I would like to see what others offer too!

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  2. Way to go! Congrats on your Homeschooling and on your wedding anniversary.. Great week for you. I have to tell you, I have so much respect for women that have the patience and ability to home school.
    That is definitely a spiritual gift.

    Love,
    Kelly

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  3. Thanks Kelly! You know this is my first year of homeschooling. Last year the kids were in Public School. It has been a real growing experience for us.

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  4. Thank you for your nice comment on my photography efforts!! I will have to check your blog out - I hear the 'lil ones calling for now!! I commend any home schooling mom! That is awesome!

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  5. Thank-you Katie for visiting. I hope that you become a regular visitor of the blog :)

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  6. YAY for you on your first year!!!

    I am an old fashioned spiral bound planner type o' gal...but perhaps this link could lead you to something for which you are looking?

    http://www.donnayoung.org/index.htm

    Also...Wendy Young at homeschool curriculum for life (from the Lounge)
    has published a new MOM PLANNER.

    Hope this helps :)

    For my family...in order to be able to "surrender all" to the Lord as to how each day must go...I can not tie myself to a big software program...for I know my personality...and I will become enslaved to trying to follow that..and then become frustrated when I can't :)

    That's the blessing...we can each find what works BEST for our families :)

    Hope you find what works best for you!

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  7. Judy- I totally relate to not wanting to be tied down. That's why I want a program that would allow me to change things with a couple of clicks. I know I can do what I want with paper and pencil. I just like to do things on the PC. For me it means LESS paper (less clutter) and only printing what I want when I want. LOL

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  8. This may be what your looking for!

    http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com

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