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Planning a Re-usable course of study with the CM organizer
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I used the CM organizer for several years and I’ve tried paper and other software options, but nothing compares to the ease of the CMO. I was planning on paper for the coming year bc I am not good at daily checking things off. I would love to let my kids check off their own work, but would be afraid that they would mess things up. Ideas for this?
I’m also wishing I could make a reusable course of study. This is an appealing feature of some of the other planning programs (albeit I can’t figure out those programs.) I find myself wanting to plan the HUFI program as written with mixed resources, but I’d love to be able to save that so that in 2-3 years, I need not reinvent the wheel by re-scheduling it all. Meaning, if I’ve worked out the details, I wish it could hold those details.
Just thinking aloud.
Anyone who uses the CMO and let’s their kids check off on the computer? How is that working?
Anyone using the CMO with AO or HUFI style weeks? I’d like to hear from you, too.
I have made 2 of 3 paper planners very akin to the CMO for next year and may stick with that, but I find myself wishing I could have a paperless plan that would be accessible on the kids’ computer for them to be responsible for checking.
For the record, I’ve tried everything available for online/computer use and the only one I can figure out and easily use is the CMO.
Christie – just wanted to say – I’m SO there with you about checking off daily work – I’m not good at it. I’m much better with paper in my hand…. I’m WISHING I could print out a week at a time with the organizer and then I could check it off on paper and go back at the end of the week and then check it all off at once. I think I’m going to have my oldest start checking off her work (age 9 and SUPER responsible) – she would call me right away if she made a mistake and it’s really not too hard to check things off. I was actually thinking of switching TO a paper plan, except then I’m worried about how far out I could plan and all that erasing. I’ll look forward to hearing other replies more helpful than mine!
Rebekah
missceegee- you hit a chord with me!
I am also wanting to make ONE scope and sequence for years one through twelve – with a little bit of tweaking aloud.
If it takes me all summer I hope to get this done, Lord willing, and be done with it so I will not have to make so many decisions year after year – I have more important things to do with my time and my family’s time.
If and when I get this figured out, I will post!
As for planners, for some reason, paper has always worked better for me. I am in process of creating my own “perfect” planner. Is this even possible? LOL!
I’ve used the SCMO this last year with AO, with kids in 2 different years. It does take a bit more work with the setup, but has worked ok.
What I do is take each resource that is scheduled, make a copy (add to the title “- with AO weeks” – as I share it…) – and in the descriptions, I add the week number. I considered just making the Weeks the division (and then the description might list a few chapters, or whatever) – but I don’t want my reports to look like “Our Island Story – Year 2” completed weeks 1-36…. I want the reports to be like “Our Island Story” completed chapters 1-21
So anyway (without checking if this matches the actual schedule….) my resources look more like…
Title: Our Island Story – Year 1, with AO Weeks
Divisions – Chapters
1 – Wk 1 [name of chapter 1]
2 – Wk 3 [name of chapter 2]
etc.
Then you have a choice to make – Do you want to schedule the resources specific for each day, or do you want them for the week.
If specific for the day, you might have something like…
Monday – Our Island Story, Parables from Nature, etc, etc, etc.
Now today is Monday of Week 1, and you look at the daily plan… you can glance through the descriptions, and notice that Parables from Nature doesn’t have a reading that week – so you close it. Then print. (If later on, you missed a day, you will see any items that should have been done that day the next week – you know you need to “catch up” that one…. or if you do catchup on Friday, you can glance through all the resources to see what needs to be caught up.)
Most of our resources so far are either one or zero a week…. you’d need to watch for the later years and click on “Show upcoming assignments” on any that you do multiple chapters in the week….
If scheduling for the week (you aren’t specifying the day…)
Enter in all resources for every day of the week.
When on Daily Plan, close up any resources not being used that week (you can tell at a glance). Anything that is done more than once (multiple chapters, or things like math, etc) – the organizer now shows 4 more (instead of 3 – THANKS SCM TEAM!) so there is one there for each day. You will need to manually cross out anything extra (ie, math is only 3 days a week… or only 4 chapters for that resource…)
Ta-Da – a weekly to-do list!
Yes, I looked at the homeschool helper app. I love my iPad, but I want to use my computer not the iPad. I want the simplicity of the CMO, but the addition of logins for students and ability to plan year or semester long courses and reuse them later. I do it on paper, but would love to do it online.
Suzuki mom, I see how you’re making it work for you. That’s interesting.
I plan by weeks and use a 12 week grid like available for AO or HUFI. I break that down into chunks as needed. I’m just tired of doing it over and over. I plan my entire year at once and want to be able to reuse that work.
I have Homeschool Tracker online trial and OLLY right now, but they are very complex. I am quite techie, but neither is intuitive. I tried scholaric, homeschool minder, homeschool skedtrak, and more. They all miss the mark for me.
I considered using iCal to plan and make daily to do lists but that doesn’t help me save my work each year. This is when I wish I knew how to design exactly what I want. Ugh. I think my paper planner will have to work for now. It’s quite good, but it seems a waste to not use the Mac for such things.
Can someone tell me if there are any plans in the works for making it possible to print off a week at a time? I would be very interested in this.
I was talking about the CMO. 🙂
You mean a weeks worth, with specific information for each day?
ie
Monday To Do
blah blah blah
Tuesday To do
blah blah blah
blah blah blah
etc
As opposed to a list of everything to do in the week, without specifying the days?
A few thoughts from a paper planning CMO User Wannabe. 🙂 (I try to pay attention to all the usage tricks so I can transition easily to CMO some day.)
I think the CMO is designed more for those of us who follow the atmosphere and life parts of CM’s motto more than the discipline part. ;0) KWIM? But, I do hear you about wanting a weekly plan. I use a chart that has our weekly schedule on it. I just note starting points on Monday now in subjects that are “turn the page” type situations. This can be kept in a page protector and marked with a vis a vis pen. That doesn’t solve everything, I know, but it might trigger some thoughts while you wait for the weekly print out option. I’m not sure it’s very high on the list as it seems there are ways to actually make one with a bit of effort. I recall reading suggestions to open / close boxes prior to printing that will give a look to three or four days out. Have you tried this? Hmmm, maybe it was on a YouTube video demo?
On the student login: Do your children already use daily checklists for accountability? If not, start habit training lessons with paper. If they already do this, you might consider habit training for the CMO. Term 1, require student(s) to watch as you check things off based on their paper checklist. Term 2, have them verbally go through the steps with their paper under your supervision without checking anything unless you give the “yes, that’s how it’s done.” Term 3, supervise without the verbal walk through and startle them prior to a mistake. ;0) JK.
On permanent reusable plans: wasn’t there a recent discussion on repeating a source after completion? If that’s possible, could that option be utilized? It seems it might be a matter of closing the option until needed again… I’m very imaginative when I talk out of turn, but it would be cool if that would work.
If that works, keep an end of year print out so you can just jog your memory to turn those resources back on the next time they’re needed.
On HUFI type permanent plans: isn’t there an option to print out the resources for the year page? If not, that would be a cool wish list addition. If that’s possible, enter your resources for your planned year, print it out, and keep it in a scope and sequence file. See. I’m still thinking in terms of hard copy. Instead, keep it in a file on your computer. It would be your own tweaked version of HUFI, or AO, or SCM, or… Mine are on Fritz, my laptop. The hard copy is in my binder. If I find an adjustment needs to be made (in the math department most recently,) I pencil it onto my current hard copy, but only add the (option) in the file copy if that’s a better fit. I reserve the right to change based on each child’s needs.
I’m guessing my plans aren’t as permanent. But, Lindafay has notes in your suggestions concerning deletions and changes she’s made based on particular student needs, or rotten choice award type situations.
I’m seeing that my suggestions are probably still more suited to paper versus plastic planning. I was hoping to help. I’m antsy about a computer and Internet solutions right now. I’m tempted to upgrade and join the rest of you, but I do actually love being fairly unplugged. 🙂
If any of these thoughts actually help, please let me know. I’d like to cc: myself so I can utilize the CMO well if I ever get to that point.
I’m traveling right now and just have a few minutes, but thanks for some ideas. I have decided to either make something with either Evernote or iWork numbers. I’ll post an update when available.
Have you heard about ‘Homeschool Planet’ from Homeschool Buyers Coop? I just got an invite to a beta test version today. I have only just watched the intro video, but I immediately thought of this thread. It looks promising.
Joanne
I would love for the days I have things scheduled to stay with my info in the planner as well so next year or in 4 years when my kiddos come around I wouldn’t have to re-do it all.
Here’s what I do. I have everything in the scheduler. I love the SCMO but I don’t have time to input daily work all the time. That said I made a spreadsheet for each day and which books they are to do so it might say history under Monday w/ noted 4pg per day and then a little space to write which book they are to be reading. It’s all on one sheet for a week (wish I could show you but I wouldn’t have a clue unless you PM me and I emailed it to you). then daily they can check off there information and once a week I will go in and enter it into the computer. This is then kinda a best of both worlds. computer which keeps it all there and let’s me know where I need to be and in order, and paper once a week vs. daily that lets us check things off and made notes that I can see from day to day throughout the week.
Probably didn’t help much but I do know exactly how you feel! Misty
Suzukimom and Misty – it sounds like you girls have kinda solved my problem – I love the idea of leaving the fields open to show the next four assignments – print out on Monday morning – check off our work all week and then on Friday go in and enter it into the computer – I could also print a weekly report at this time for hubby – perfect accountability for me and helps keep him in the loop and seeing our progress. I MAY even teach my oldest how to enter all the work in at the end of the week. Going to try that! Thanks girls!!!
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