Well Planned Day Software Screenshots Up!

[happygrrl]

And it looks really nice!

 

Out in June, $65 annual subscription, $40 if you buy before August 1

 

http://www.homeschoolconvention.com/mywellplannedday.html

[The Girls' Mom]

Has anyone gotten to use the beta version yet? I'm curious about a couple of things..

 

1. How easy is it to print things from the software? The Portfolios and such look great, but aren't much use to me if they have to live online forever.

 

2. Can students log in and check off completed assignments from their own computers/devices?

 

3. Is it tablet/ipad compatible?

[Tarreymere]

Where are the screenshots? That link doesn't take me to them!

[happygrrl]

Has anyone gotten to use the beta version yet? I'm curious about a couple of things..

 

1. How easy is it to print things from the software? The Portfolios and such look great, but aren't much use to me if they have to live online forever.

 

2. Can students log in and check off completed assignments from their own computers/devices?

 

3. Is it tablet/ipad compatible?

 

I wrote and asked about this a few months ago. At that time they said it would be ipad compatible, and I understood you would be able to check off and mail back lists. This may not be the case any more. I'd love to hear confirmation on this.

 

Where are the screenshots? That link doesn't take me to them!

 

The boxes on the left side are links; click on one and a window will pop up. The home management one is not up yet.

[frugalmama]

Am I the only one who looked at this and saw it as a prettier version of some of the free home school tracker options out there? Maybe I'm wrong, but so far in the screenshots I didn't see anything I'd be willing to pay $40 a year for, much less $65

[sweetbasil]

Where are the screenshots? That link doesn't take me to them!

 

The column on the left is titled, "Software Screenshots." Click on each icon and it will open a screenshot. You can use the arrows in the upper left of each screenshot to scroll through them.

 

Re: the software -- this looks fantastic, but I have to say that I do NOT like the idea of only having it online, nor do I like the (very expensive) yearly subscription fee. With something of this importance I want to have a local copy that I back up myself. And I don't want to be bothered with yearly renewals.

 

Did I mention that it's very expensive? :001_huh: Barring any price increases, I'm already looking at well over $1K for my children. I hope someone comes out with a competing product for significantly less. As much as I like the look of this one, I won't be subscribing.

Edited May 14, 2012 by sweetbasil

[happygrrl]

I suspect it is the integration of the home management that is different (though I am not sure, as I do not do any electronic planning).

 

I already pay close to that amount for my planner plus planners for the kids. I am not sure, though, that I can break the paper habit. I would love to be able to turn my 3 planners (home, business, school) into one without it weighing 75 pounds. And if I could access those planners via mobile device I might be tempted. At this point I don't even have a mobile device, lol! :D

[skirch]

Has anyone gotten to use the beta version yet?

I'm still waiting. Was told probably this week but I'm not holding my breath. :cursing:

[happygrrl]

 

Did I mention that it's very expensive? :001_huh: Barring any price increases, I'm already looking at well over $1K for my children. I hope someone comes out with a competing product for significantly less.

 

(Pssst! frugalmama! This is the point where you come back and tell us what free scheduling options you were talking about!! :D)

 

I agree with being nervous about it being online... especially for high school records. It would have to be fully printable.

 

I am not sure why I am spending a gorgeous spring morning even thinking about it, except that I am supposed to be doing a very nasty chore that I am not ready to start on!

[frugalmama]

(Pssst! frugalmama! This is the point where you come back and tell us what free scheduling options you were talking about!! :D)

 

I agree with being nervous about it being online... especially for high school records. It would have to be fully printable.

 

I am not sure why I am spending a gorgeous spring morning even thinking about it, except that I am supposed to be doing a very nasty chore that I am not ready to start on!

 

 

Well, right now I use homeschoolskedtrack to plan, and then just print out everything a week at a time. It's a little clunky until you get used to it, but it is free and fairly customizable.

 

There is homeschool tracker too - I haven't used that one though.

[Murmer]

I really like what they have so far! I really hope the home management is just as great then it will be the perfect program!

[happygrrl]

Well, right now I use homeschoolskedtrack to plan, and then just print out everything a week at a time. It's a little clunky until you get used to it, but it is free and fairly customizable.

 

There is homeschool tracker too - I haven't used that one though.

 

Looks like Homeschool Tracker is $60 a year, unless I am on the wrong site. I am off to check out the homeschoolskedtrack... I have heard of it here before, but am so resistant to adding more screen time to my life!

Off to check it out....

 

(ETA: I see there is free Homeschool Tracker, but not for mac)

[Pink Fairy]

Looks like Homeschool Tracker is $60 a year, unless I am on the wrong site. I am off to check out the homeschoolskedtrack... I have heard of it here before, but am so resistant to adding more screen time to my life!

Off to check it out....

 

(ETA: I see there is free Homeschool Tracker, but not for mac)

 

I don't think HST is a yearly subscription. It's a one time payment and you download the software.

[beaners]

I'm still waiting. Was told probably this week but I'm not holding my breath. :cursing:

 

I'm not holding mine either. I have actually put off getting some of my plans organized because I've been waiting on this for so long. I was really excited when I found out I got in for the beta testing, but my excitement is waning.

 

I'm also surprised that the regular price is so high now. Wasn't it originally going to be less than $50? Even that is more than I've spent on any single subject for the upcoming year.

[SonshineLearner]

This looks great. If I had a lot of kids I would purchase it, probably. I have a hard time spending that for one child...

[Tarreymere]

:party:I am sooooo buying this!

 

 

 

HST+ is available for $60 a year for the web version or for a one-time price for the regular version. Don't get me wrong, I do like HST. It does what I want it to do.

 

BUT this one is prettier and looks even better! I think having good planning software is worth it, especially since I'm in PA and I can use the software to print out neat reports for that pesky portfolio.

[lcelmer]

The boxes on the left side are links; click on one and a window will pop up. The home management one is not up yet.

 

 

OK, I must be missing the link. The one posted takes me to a page with no left column or left boxes at all?

[abacus2]

It looks cool, but there would have to be a digital way to back up my data, not just hard copy printouts for it to be worth it to me I think.

[LG Gone Wild]

It looks very pretty but I have a hard time giving up writing down stuff. Love paper.

[tuzor]

I agree it looks great but I can't see paying that much a year. Does anyone have experience with www.homeschoolmider.com You can purchase it for 35.00 and then if you want updates pay the 35.00 yearly. It is not tied to the internet which is something that I am considering. Currently using www.homeschoolskedtrack.com Its okay but I don't like that I have to track by the hour and my state does not have that requirement and as my year progresses it can become complicated keeping up modifying what the system says and what I need drives me crazy.

[talltexan]

It looks very pretty but I have a hard time giving up writing down stuff. Love paper.

 

:iagree: And it's just too pricey for my taste right now.

[happygrrl]

I don't think HST is a yearly subscription. It's a one time payment and you download the software.

 

Yeah, for PC. I use Mac, so it seems like my only option is the 'plus' online version which costs $60.

 

There was at least one other Mac program discussed here recently, but I think I am going to wait a little while to see how it works for others before taking the plunge myself.

[ClassicalTwins]

Have you looked at scholaric http://www.scholaric.com

[Curly]

$40 a year seems reasonable for an online only planner. For $65 I would want a program that I could use offline as well as online. Does anyone know if there will be a demo to try before you buy?

 

I have to admit, after seeing the screening shots, I'm not as excited about this as I was back in April. I'll be looking for the reviews of the testers, if they ever get their hands on it.

[Tarreymere]

OK, I must be missing the link. The one posted takes me to a page with no left column or left boxes at all?

 

 

Refresh your page. Mine was taking me to a page I had cached and not the newest version of that page.

[happygrrl]

Have you looked at scholaric www.scholaric.com

 

 

Off to do so now, thanks!! :auto:

[mudboots]

I'll be waiting to see how people like the beta.

 

It looks beautiful, and I like having the calendar, menu, and shopping lists all right there.

 

One thing that makes me hesitate is that I don't know if it will auto-create assignments. It's very time-consuming to enter assignments for an entire year. It looks like you can add repeating assignments, but I can't tell whether it will automatically add a sequence of chapters, for example. Both Homeschool Tracker Online and OLLY will allow this.

 

OLLY has been very intuitive and easy for me to set up. Now I'm looking at HSTOnline again (much bigger learning curve), because I wonder if it has some of the features that I can't figure out with OLLY.

[1bassoon]

I'm working on OLLY myself.. . . . although I'm in line to be a beta tester, we've heard nothing. . . which is a little frustrating.

 

The price is - wowza. So I'm hoping OLLY's one-time purchase will be the thing I need this year!

[dsacco]

I thought the new software version was supposed to sync to ipods so you can send your kids their assignments? I know I read that somewhere - but now can't see it anywhere. For me the syncing would be the best part and what's worth it to me.

[mudboots]

I'm working on OLLY myself.. . . .

 

I'm back to OLLY, too. The last time I opened the application, it prompted me for an automatic upgrade, which fixed the problem I was having with it. It's been very easy to get the whole year of assignments onto the calendar and then drag them around or bump groups of them.

Edited May 23, 2012 by mudboots

[Mommee & Baba]

I've held off on planning next year because I'm anticipating the release of this. However I would have to buy it before August to make it worth the cost. I have 3 kids that I will be planning for. I really wish you had the offline capability though. We occasionally do have a spring & summer storm wipe out the Internet. This would be an issue.

 

I've used HST, the free version on my laptop & love it. I just didn't like the annual fee so this planner I'd purchased when it's $40 will make it cost effective. I purchased an app that is my shopping list, my menu, & another app for household management. To know this app would put all those aside and only have to open one app to input all that I info is super appealing!

 

What is OLLY?

[mudboots]

What is OLLY?

 

It's brand-new planning software just for Mac. Their homepage is here. I've been trying to choose between OLLY or HSTOnline (also relatively new, and usable on a Mac). The two are somewhat similar to each other.

 

Our internet speeds are variable enough to be frustrating at times. I'll probably go with OLLY because it's not online. Also, the one-time license fee covers the use of OLLY on more than one computer, and it includes unlimited free upgrades on 1.x versions. I haven't bought it yet - I'm still using their one-month free trial.

 

I initially thought OLLY was easier to learn than HSTOnline. I switched to HSTOnline for a while because it seemed a little easier to enter a series of assignments there - but they're fairly similar. Then I switched back to OLLY because it's far easier to move assignments around on the calendar (fewer clicks to drag & drop or enter a new date; more intuitive "bump" feature). Other things make more sense to me in OLLY, too, like editing lesson plans after they've been scheduled or checking off completed assignments.

 

OLLY includes things like a journal and photo uploads, which I haven't used yet. I am using the "routines" feature, so we can see our daily schedule right next to the specific assignments for the day.

 

If WPD offers any type of trial, I'll probably try it. It's the assignment entry and rescheduling that will probably decide whether I use it or not.

Edited May 23, 2012 by mudboots

[Miss Peregrine]

Do any of these other planners you all are mentioning offer transcript - making?

[mudboots]

Do any of these other planners you all are mentioning offer transcript - making?

 

Both HSTOnline and OLLY offer transcripts in their "Reports" sections. You can choose options for how to calculate grades as each course is set up, and then then the final data appear in the transcript.

 

WPD has a "Reports" section, too, so I assume it will offer transcripts as part of that.

[navywife]

Both HSTOnline and OLLY offer transcripts in their "Reports" sections. You can choose options for how to calculate grades as each course is set up, and then then the final data appear in the transcript.

 

WPD has a "Reports" section, too, so I assume it will offer transcripts as part of that.

 

Besides the homemaking screenshots (coming soon) the homeschool reports SAMPLES is what i'm really wanting to see.

 

I'd been stalking their website waiting for more info, LOL, and now that some screenshots are up... well, I. Just. Want. More.

 

I do LOVE the part of the menu, to-do, and shopping to be right there handy. I *thought* i'd read in one of their emails that the online planner was going to be able to sync to Google Calendar. Does anyone else recall that? That was a *huge* eyebrow raise for me as I'd LOVE LOVE that feature!

[sflood]

Can you use olly for more than one child like you can with homeschool tracker. I'd like to be able To save assignments and move them between kids.

[Wizecoder]

(OLLY developer here)

 

sflood: Yes it is possible to use OLLY with multiple kids. But, although it isn't possible to drag assignments from one kid to another, instead you just create courses and lesson plans (the lesson plans contain assignments), and then combine those courses and lesson plans together however you want each year to create learning plans for each kid.

 

The lesson plans are essentially reusable templates that make it easy to create, edit, and assign assignments.

 

I hope that answered your question. :)

[momma2three]

It's beautiful... but yikes to the price. I can see that for a one time payment, but $65 per year is out of the question for me.

[HSMom2One]

I'm confused. It says that it's the software version of TWPD, but there are no technical specs and everyone is talking about it being online. Hmmmm. Is it one, the other, or both?

 

I've loved using TWPD hardcopy planners for a few years now, but I have to say I'd be tempted to get the software if I didn't already have my new planners for the coming school year.

 

Oh well. :D

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[mudboots]

Can you use olly for more than one child like you can with homeschool tracker. I'd like to be able To save assignments and move them between kids.

 

OLLY is similar to HSTOnline for this. You create/auto-create the lesson plans separately. Then they stay there, ready to be assigned to any child, any time. [This the the part of WPD that I'm most curious to see...]

 

From there, it gets a little different from HST.

 

In the "Learning Plans" module, you just drag & drop lesson plans under the name of each child. (So yes, each plan can be applied to several children.) Then the "Calendar Assignments" module shows the calendar on the left. The right-hand column lists unscheduled assignments, in a sort of "holding place." OLLY can auto-schedule, or you can drag & drop assignments onto/off of/around the calendar. If you mess up, there are several ways to fix it (like "undo" and "bump" features).

 

You have to work with each child separately when actually placing lesson plans into the calendar. But it's so much easier to auto-schedule and reschedule that it's worth it to me. (For certain shared courses - because I'm not assigning "grades" for the transcript at this point - I created a separate child named AllKids. I also added myself, so I can create "Lesson Plans" like menus, birthdays, and appointments. :) ) The "Today" module shows actual assignments (you can easily see that day's math exercise number), color-coded by subject. Daily routine(s) are shown in the right-hand column. (For example, a routine labeled "Monday" might list 8:00 Breakfast, 8:30 Math, 9:00 Piano).

 

I hope that gives a better idea how it's similar to or different from HST.

Edited May 24, 2012 by mudboots

[Guest GlutenFreeFamily]

I spoke with the WPD people at the FPEA convention, the Google Sync option will not be available with the first release on June 4th. They are going to wait until they have 500 requests before they write that portion of the software. Needless to say, I was pretty bummed. That was one of the main draws for me.

 

I also learned that kids will be able to have access to their assignments from their own devices.

 

Hope that is helpful!

T:)

[Ecclecticmum]

I only just saw this, hence the late reply ;)

 

They definitely lost me as a customer. Theres too many things wrong (and this is without even trialing the software or seeing how "easy it is" to use)

 

Cons:

 

* $65 a year. I'm not really into annual subscriptions, what if I input 2013's curriculum, then when it rolls around I don't have the money there for some reason? I lose my whole years curriculum plans.

* Online - This presents wayyyy too many problems. What if my internet goes down? Or there site goes down? I may need the information that day, and they or I, may end up "offline" thus cannot access what I need and stuff up my school/housework.

* Maintenance times - If they are running a site, and now running software off it too, then that means they will have maintenance times (scheduled or unscheduled) and with the influx at the beginning of the purchase date, it will end up being quite often, they will either upset US people by doing it during business hours, or try not to upset US people, thus do it at night/slow hours, which would be my daytime hours out here.

* Renting as opposed to buying: This has the added problem or you are paying for the priviledge to "rent" their software, you don't own it, thus they can decide to pull it at any time, and you keep having to make payments for something you don't own.

 

I was looking forward to seeing the end result, hoping with the testers, they would change their views a bit, unfortunately, they haven't.

 

Looks like I will be going for HST+, which means ordering the manual soon to start figuring out how to use it for next year.

[BlsdMama]

DD uses HST+. However, I've never quite gotten into it. As much as I hate paper when it involves three little girls and multiple pairs of scissors :glare:, I love paper when it comes to me and planning and pretty color-coded boxes. :D

 

I ordered The Well Planned Day paper version and I'm a little excited to see it come. I've promised the free calendar to the DD but as long as I get the good stuff I should be happy.

 

I'll be honest, I spent a few days trying to figure how to get the "most" out of HST+ and then went, "Meh." It tracks Ana's grades. It makes me happy. She keeps her readings on GoodReads and all of her assignments in HST+. All I really want? Something I can write down what I accomplished (and need to accomplish) with CJ, Liz, and Rebecca so I can look over the past year and nod my head and convince myself I really did accomplish school this year.

[Guest wiseguy]

I'm wondering if you can make/share lesson plans. I'd love to be able to import some lessons plans from some publishers, etc, like BJU.

[abacus2]

Beta is now available to purchase.

[pdalley]

I wish I had waited. I'm very disappointed. I cannot add students though I added them with the setup wizard. So now it's pretty useless to me and I can't play with it and try and figure it out.

 

It is very pretty.

 

If you are short on funds I'd wait until the bugs get worked out. It wasn't worth saving what I did for the frustration at this point - to me anyway.

[CourtneyBrooke]

I wish I had waited. I'm very disappointed. I cannot add students though I added them with the setup wizard. So now it's pretty useless to me and I can't play with it and try and figure it out.

 

Just got a Facebook message that they've fixed that. Click on "Administration" on the top right.

[1bassoon]

Oh. My. WORD.

 

I just popped in from setting up WPD online. . .it is really amazing, so far, and not all the features are rolled out! I love Cozi, and use it regularly - this is like Cozi on steroids, adding in all the features (and more!) that homeschool moms need!

 

And you're right, they are fixing things as they come up - it is the beta launch, after all!

 

Off to play some more. . . :D

[beaners]

Just got a Facebook message that they've fixed that. Click on "Administration" on the top right.

 

I now have a button to add new members but it's just sending me back to the members I already have.

[navywife]

 

And you're right, they are fixing things as they come up - it is the beta launch, after all!

 

Off to play some more. . . :D

 

 

yes, things are getting worked out as early-purchasers (for the limited $40 "special) poke around in and and continue to send in "support" emails to their techs. It is sooooo not ready, but they've been completely honest and forthcoming that is is very much still in [upper-end] Beta.

 

I knew this going in, am happy to keep sending support emails... I wanted the lower price (and could have waited till towards the end of July)... but, eh, it's another bit of time-sucking tinkering I get to enjoy. ROFL.