TOG: DE or Print or Combined?

[Mosaicmind]

I think I am going to buy the first unit of TOG year 1 and don't know if I want to get the DE or the print. I like having a book to actually hold but I also like the fact that everything is on the computer and not taking space on my shelf. Then again how much will it cost for me to print out pages?

 

The cost might be a factor; I don't remember the difference. What is your preference and why?

[BlsdMama]

PRINT.

 

If you order the DE + Print, realize you still do not get the option to resell or the actual CDs. To print is expensive. If you know you want the print version, get the print.

 

I MUCH prefer print over digital, but I need a copy in my hands to page through, look through, etc. If Tapestry is something you are VERY familiar with already, I can see how the DE would be very attractive. But if you are new to using it I'd really only consider Print. But I'm biased! ;)

 

ETA: But, something to note: Whether you buy the DE or the Print edition, you will still be printing pages unless you order copies of the student pages, you wouldn't actually want the kids to write on your print edition anyway. So do realize with either version you'll be printing/copying something.

[Guest]

DE for us. While you cannot resell the DE you get all the new updates when you buy DE. We use it directly from our computer in our school area and print off only what we need, which is very little at the LG level. I have had no problem using it directly off of the computer. It has been set up in a very user-friendly way. You just click on the week you want and then what you want from that week and you go directly to the pages you need, rather than having to flip through a binder to find what you want. We have a large screen hooked up to my son's computer and we use all our programs on PDF and TOG DE directly off of our computer.

[Quiver0f10]

I prefer print becuase I like to have a book in hand and because I would want to be able to resell a curriculum, especially one as expensive as TOG.

[robsiew]

For me, it would come down to my personal style. Are you a person who prefers the book in hand? I would go with print. Are you a person who doesn't mind reading things on the computer or likes the flexibility of only printing what you need? Go with digital. I would get whatever is going to make it easier for you to implement. It's not worth saving a few dollars if it's going to hinder you implementing the program well! :D

[lovinmomma]

I really like the DE, but I spent time pouring over it to feel comfortable with it. I like the updates. :) Also, I'm a newbie so take it with a grain of salt. ;)

[Woodland_Mom]

Some people prefer the DE because they have the benefit of printing only the pages they need/plan to use.

[Joy at Home]

I bought the print/DE set because it was not much more than the printed set. HOWEVER, the print that comes with the set cannot be resold as it's just a printoff of the DE.

 

I need to buy year 1 for next year and I'm on the fence. If I had to choose I'd definitely choose the print, as I work primarily off a hard copy. The DE is handy for pulling off dialectic questions and reformating them in a Word document. I plan on holding on to my TOG for years, so reselling is not a problem.

 

It really comes down to how you prefer to work. Do you like reading over a computer screen or holding an actual copy in your hand? If you want both and don't think you'll be reselling, I would say the combination package is cheaper than buying DE and having it printed. It is definitely way too much printing to do from home (for me).

 

Lisa

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

DE for us. While you cannot resell the DE you get all the new updates when you buy DE. We use it directly from our computer in our school area and print off only what we need, which is very little at the LG level. I have had no problem using it directly off of the computer. It has been set up in a very user-friendly way. You just click on the week you want and then what you want from that week and you go directly to the pages you need, rather than having to flip through a binder to find what you want. We have a large screen hooked up to my son's computer and we use all our programs on PDF and TOG DE directly off of our computer.

 

:iagree: I'm only using it for the Rhetoric level, so far. I didn't catch the ages of your dc, so my thoughts might not be helpful.

 

I have always been a book-in-hand person. I never, ever thought I'd want a digital copy of any curriculum or any teacher's manual. I thought it would be a confusing nightmare. Also, I used to like to spread out everything on a tabletop or desk to have it all in front of me.

 

I bought the TOG year 1 DE last month when it was on sale. I went with the DE because it was *much* cheaper than the print version, bringing TOG down to a price I could afford. I thought that I would just do the work of learning to like it.

 

Well, there was no work to learning how to use it, and I love it.

 

Maybe my mind just works in a TOG-friendly way, but I am not one bit confused about it. I see that I am dealing with a gazillion pages for every week, and I am so glad that I can just very quickly click to what I need and ignore the rest.

 

I love that I can choose questions, copy and paste to make worksheets the way I want them to be, or I can print it as-is.

 

I love that I can have the DE on my computer and DS's computer. He can read his assignments, type his papers or whatever, and shoot them back to me through email. LOVE that.

 

After soooo many years of homeschooling four children, I am so tired of paper, paper, paper that I could just scream.

 

I recently learned that Apologia has high school science on CD-Rom now. I'll probably buy it instead of the books. I switched my struggling math student to Math Mammoth, and I am loving that I can just print his pages but leave the answer keys and other stuff on the computer.

 

We got a graphics tablet for our student computer for Christmas. That will also cut down on the paper, paper, paper problem as the boys will be able to do more schoolwork on the computer with the graphics tablet.

 

My homeschool has gone digital, and yours can, too. LOL

 

My advice: Don't be scared of the DE just because it is not the familiar book/IG format. Look it over really well on the website before you buy, and if you can't get a feel of it, then buy the print. But DE is worth a good hard look, even for former Luddites (including myself in that).

[TracyP]

I bought one unit of DE just to try TOG. For $35 I figured it was an easy way to see if I liked it. If I liked it I planned to buy print or print/DE because I wanted a hard copy (resale is not an issue for me). I liked DE so much I now have Year 1 and 2 (and 3 as of Jan 1:001_smile:) on DE alone.

 

I did print Reading Assignments, Overview, and Writing Assignments. This is 6 pages per week. I can't imagine having to flip through 50+ pages every week, pull out the pages I want to copy, find the pages I want to read, etc. I believe you end up with a 3 (or 4?) inch binder for each unit. I know it works for some but I wonder if that is not (partly) why so many feel overwhelmed by TOG.

 

Unless the resale issue is a deal breaker I would get DE whether you get it as a combo with print or on its own. It is so easy to navigate, search, print off only the pages you need.

[jewel7123]

I would get Print alone first.....you can always add DE at a later date for only $35, but by waiting you can be absolutely sure that TOG works for you before you remove your option to resell.

[luvnlattes]

I would also recommend print, especially since you mention you like to have a book to hold.

 

I'm the same way but bought only the DE version because I was trying to save money. I've printed out a lot of the pages because I get tired of reading on the computer. There are things that I like about the DE version however, so when I buy year 2 I plan to buy print/DE.

 

Once you try the first unit you'll have a better feel for whether or not TOG is for you and if you think you could get by with just DE.