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Organizer
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Do most people use the online organizer, or just a paper system? Can anyone who uses the online organizer advise as to its suitability, and is it actually helpful enough to be worth the yearly cost? Thanks for the input!
Most people say yes — definatley worth the money, and a lot say they’d never homeschool without. I’ve only done a partial trial so far, but I can see how it really helps. I’ve included it in my budget for next year. I really get frustrated with a paper organizer. I have yet to find anything that really works for me paper wise. Have you done the trial yet?
I also love the organizer and wouldn’t want to do without it…
There was a post a few months ago that included how some people do a paper system – there were a few systems there that would be doable if I HAD to do without. One thing almost everyone can agree on – don’t fill out a day-by-day plan for more than about a week at a time – as something will ALWAYS change. Donna Young’s website has some good forms for planning – check out the one type of plan…. she varied the term… Quarterly Plan / Semester Plan / Subject Plan / Course Plan…. At a glance it looks almost like a weekly/monthly type plan for 1 subject – but it is more flexible when you really read how it is to work… http://donnayoung.org/forms/help/usingqup.htm
I am using a few forms for the Quarterplanner to help me see the Big Picture I’ve planned out (using Planning your CM Education) – but will definitely use the SCMO for the “Current View” of what we are doing.
Check out this thread – it should answer your questions. It is probably the one Suzukimom is referring to.
http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/scm-planner-or-alternatives
One thing almost everyone can agree on – don’t fill out a day-by-day plan for more than about a week at a time – as something will ALWAYS change.
When you say that, are you referring to the SCM Organizer or all organizers/planners? What exactly do you mean by that? I would assume you enter as many of your materials/resources as you’ve chosen before the year begins, and also choose on which days you will do certain subjects.
I also thought of another question, as I am considering SCMO as well. I haven’t yet looked into how much it costs and whether it’s an annual payment or monthly payment. I plan to watch the demo videos soon.
That said, we are currently using something called Homeschool Skedtrack (not to be confused with Homeschool Tracker). If anyone has used Homeschool Skedtrack before switching to SCMO, can you tell me what you see as the major differences? Pros and cons?
Just looking for first-hand experiences….
Sue – I meant don’t write down more than a week or so of the day-to-day plans when you are doing plans on paper… the SCMO automatically reassigns (so to speak) your readings if you don’t get them done.
I used Homeschool Tracker (free edition) for a while, and it was a pain when I didn’t record right away, or when I had to tell it to push back assignments. I looked at Skedtrack but haven’t used it at all as I already used SCMO. I think the big difference is probably again it automatically pushing back things you don’t get done – and how simple it is once you get going…
I keep flitting between Skedtrack, the Organizer, and paper. Skedtrack will automatically push back the assignments. So if you don’t get to “Robin Hood chapter 2” today, it will be there the next scheduled date. Skedtrack also (finally) has a weekly view. The two biggest drawbacks are that it’s married to the number of hours. Every class has an amount of time. If you put down that Jane needs 720 hours of school, and then do your classes, it will have an annoying warning if you are short hours, and it appearently will end your school year when those hours are completed. (That may not bug you, but it drives me bonkers.) The second is you can’t mark an assignment worked on, it’s either complete or you have to go to the activities page and add a new entry.
Except the weekly overview, the Organizer is easier to use. All your students are on one page, and everything can be clicked without reloading the page. If you want your students to be able to log in, I guess Skedtrack would be better, though I haven’t used that feature.
Big plus: Skedtrack is free. The Organizer is the most expensive homeschool planner/tracker I’ve seen. It’s also one of the best, and the one that works with my style.
Paper… I love paper – for jotting down thoughts. I don’t like having to cart it around or keep track of it. And my daughter thinks all paper is for scribbling. But I’m trying paper this term, we’ll see how it goes.
I don’t use the weekly overview in Skedtrack, per se, but I do like to look ahead to see what’s on the schedule (just what subjects) for the next day or so. I don’t even do that all of the time but plan my day in the morning instead. However, I’d like to spend less time every morning processing “What do we have to get done today?” and perhaps look at it the night before more often.
Also, at the beginning of the year (or any time during the year that I revise what subjects to teach when), I like to print out a chart (or at least look at one) that helps me to see, “Okay, we have Science on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday” or “It’s Wednesday, so that means music along with everything else.”
Sue, I print that same little chart at the beginning of the year, and then take some time to put the chosen resources in the computer, scheduling it to match the chart. I love it because then it is already done (mostly! – I may tweak a bit as we go), and every night I print the lists for the next day do I know what has to be done the next morning. I love that I am not “planning” every.single.day. but am able to concentrate on the future and not worry that I am going to miss something I wanted. The Organizer keeps it straight for me. I think that you would be impressed with it once you played with it. One of my favorite features is the Worked On button – it does take my APD child some time to complete things, and at least it will reflect that she did indeed work on this everyday.
Why can’t your children just get on the Organizer and track themselves? Did I miss a rule or something? =)
I did use it for a while, then for later high school years, I found the SCM planning your CM ebook to be enough and I plan using those forms and make my written plan from that…I found it gave me the flexibility I needed – however the organizer is wonderful, depends a lot on you as a mom as to what works. Linda
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