Mac people? Homeschool tracker? Or something else?

[Ginevra]

I really want something digital to organize my kid's schoolwork schedules. But I don't know if there is (yet) a bona fide, made-for-it homeschool tracker for Mac. Is there? I need something that requires the technological knowledge of a box of pancake mix. :tongue_smilie: Something I can turn on and immediately understand. Anyone found a good one?

[knit247]

I used HST years ago when I had a PC. The past two years I have used paper & pencil, as I could find nothing for my Mac that suited me. But this year as I was planning, I discovered that HST has an online option now. I have been using it for a few weeks now and love it!

[K&Rs Mom]

I've been thinking about Olly but not ready to give up my paper & pencil yet.

[Acorn Island]

I have used HST+ before getting my mac. It has a steep learning curve, but I like what it can do. When I switched to the Mac, I tried Olly. It is easier to use than HST, although it has fewer options for printing reports, etc.

 

If you are not looking to replicated HST, I think Olly is pretty good.

 

My husband has still kept his PC, so I currently have HST installed on his computer, and I access it through TeamViewer software. Basically, it lets you access someone else's computer (who allows you to do this) over the internet - and then you are remotely using their computer. It works fairly well -- I use it so I can access old data on HST.

 

For me, I did not want to use HST online, due to the higher cost, and because I like me info to be local.

[1bassoon]

Hey! Olly is really pretty decent!

 

The only thing I don't like is I can't print by the day - which my little girls need -but other than that, it has a lot to recommend it.

 

ETA: I also thought- if you aren't averse to an online option, Scholaric is the easiest thing I have EVER used. Seriously. And it's not expensive, either!

Edited August 12, 2012 by HeatherH

[Lakeside]

 

Planbook is created for Macs. I don't know how it compares to HST, but I first read about it on here. I liked it when I looked at it, but it reminded me that I'm a paper and pencil kind of planner.

[Sue G in PA]

Small hijack: If you use Scholaric, can you tell me if I start out using it for just one student (to get the feel for it as my trial is over), would it be fairly easy to add another student and copy the lessons (if said students are doing the same thing like for history and science)? Thanks...feel free to PM me if you don't want to really "hijack" this thread! :D

[Guest]

I will check out Olly, Scholaric and Planbook. I saw the HST on-line option, but I'm not sure I want to go that route.

[1bassoon]

:Scholaric Hijack: :)

 

Yes, Sue - it is easy-peasy to share. Just click on the lesson you wrote, go to the tab "Sharing", tick the box for the student you want to share with and - ta dah! you're done!

 

hth

[Sue G in PA]

Yippee! Thanks Heather. $1/month for one kid is doable right now so maybe I'll give it a go! :D

[Veritaserum]

I switched from HST+ to Olly. I do not like the idea of an online planner because I worry about all that data being lost somehow. I'd rather have the data on my computer and my own back-up system. Olly is new, so it doesn't have all the features that HST+ has, but it is getting improved all the time. I like it. I am so excited for when the iPad and iPhone apps come out that will let us "check off" completed assignments on a mobile device and have it sync with the program on my computer.

[ByGrace3]

I am using Scholaric and love it. So easy to use.

[Guest]

Okay, I downloaded the free trial of OLLY, but...I feel like such a total dunce. I can't figure out how to do anything. The "Lesson Plan is a required value" comes up every time I do anything. Why is it doing that?

[Veritaserum]

Okay, I downloaded the free trial of OLLY, but...I feel like such a total dunce. I can't figure out how to do anything. The "Lesson Plan is a required value" comes up every time I do anything. Why is it doing that?

 

Hmm. I think that kind of error means that you're supposed to enter information in a particular field.

[1bassoon]

Okay, I downloaded the free trial of OLLY, but...I feel like such a total dunce. I can't figure out how to do anything. The "Lesson Plan is a required value" comes up every time I do anything. Why is it doing that?

 

I felt the same way when I started! Once you get it, it's EASY - seriously.

 

Here's my .02, if you don't want to watch the videos on the help page (but they are helpful, so give 'em a try)

 

This assumes you've added users and set up your school year. This is all accessed from the "learning" page:

 

1. First, add a course. I added, "Chemistry" for my son. Assign it to him.

2. Then, add a lesson plan. I made one for Spectrum Chemistry. Go to the lesson plan page, add in the name of the plan, then add assignments. to make it easy, just hit "Generate Multiple" (it's the little triangle by the assignments name) and do a generic, 'Lesson 1' etc sequence.

3. Then, go to Learning plans. First, drag your course, "Chemistry" to your child's name column. Then, drag the lesson plan you made "Spectrum Chemistry" into Chemistry - it should show up under "Chemistry".

4. Last, go to Assignment Calendar. The course/learning plan should be on the right under the child you assigned it to. You can either just drag the right lesson to the right day, or do auto assign.

 

Clear as mud? Really, watch the videos. The are helpful!

[Guest]

I felt the same way when I started! Once you get it, it's EASY - seriously.

 

Here's my .02, if you don't want to watch the videos on the help page (but they are helpful, so give 'em a try)

 

This assumes you've added users and set up your school year. This is all accessed from the "learning" page:

 

1. First, add a course. I added, "Chemistry" for my son. Assign it to him.

2. Then, add a lesson plan. I made one for Spectrum Chemistry. Go to the lesson plan page, add in the name of the plan, then add assignments. to make it easy, just hit "Generate Multiple" (it's the little triangle by the assignments name) and do a generic, 'Lesson 1' etc sequence.

3. Then, go to Learning plans. First, drag your course, "Chemistry" to your child's name column. Then, drag the lesson plan you made "Spectrum Chemistry" into Chemistry - it should show up under "Chemistry".

4. Last, go to Assignment Calendar. The course/learning plan should be on the right under the child you assigned it to. You can either just drag the right lesson to the right day, or do auto assign.

 

Clear as mud? Really, watch the videos. The are helpful!

 

I watched a couple of the videos, but I have a mi-fi device so my internet is not unlimited and videos really blow it.

Did you try the free trial? I am trying the free trial. I thought I added my son, but I don't see anywhere that I can change between children. It's just staying on "Default user". And this "Lesson plan is a required value" comes up when I do anything at all. I put in a Lesson plan for MUS, but no matter what I'm doing, I still get that error message. I'm so confused. I'm about ready to run back to good ol' paper.

[Acorn Island]

There is a forum on the Olly site. Plus, if you have questions/probs not answered on there, the developer responded fairly quickly to my questions.

[NittanyJen]

Hooray! The latest update for Olly was just released! I've just been playing with it, and it has really fixed a lot of the small issues they were having-- moving lessons backwards as well as forwards, the crowded assignment calendar, and a few other things that people have been asking for.

 

Love these guys-- they really listen to the users, and Olly has been so much easier (to me) to learn and use than HST ever was-- and I can use it on my Mac :). Now, just waiting for the release of the ipad & ipod version so we can go more mobile with it . . .

[Veritaserum]

Hooray! The latest update for Olly was just released! I've just been playing with it, and it has really fixed a lot of the small issues they were having-- moving lessons backwards as well as forwards, the crowded assignment calendar, and a few other things that people have been asking for.

 

Love these guys-- they really listen to the users, and Olly has been so much easier (to me) to learn and use than HST ever was-- and I can use it on my Mac :). Now, just waiting for the release of the ipad & ipod version so we can go more mobile with it . . .

 

Woo-hoo! Off to download it. :)

[justLisa]

Pancake mix :lol:

 

That is me. I am computer illiterate. I need something too and quick.

[rousselab]

I have tried HST, and I vote for OLLY. It's amazing, and the new update just came out, which made it absolutely perfect for me. It would be difficult to find anything easier with more features than OLLY. If you try OLLY, use the weekly view to enter assignments. The monthly view gets full and runs slowly. HTH! :)