What would you want out of the perfect homeschool planning software?

[hands-on-mama]

My computer whiz husband has agreed to build me a program for homeschool planning purposes. I was looking over the available options last night and didn't love the ones that I saw, so I figured why not ask him to build the perfect one.

 

He then started asking me what features I would want in it and how I would want it to flow. I haven't been at this long, so I thought I would come here and ask the Hive's opinion. Above all, I want user friendly, customizable and pretty.

 

What kind of features would you want included? What would make it the perfect software for you?

[JanetC]

My current favorite app is Homeschool Helper for ipad.

My main nits about it are:

• Horrible user interface for filling out forms
  
• It doesn't integrate with my ipad calendar so I can see things like dentist and orthodontist appointments that are going to interfere with a school week
  
• It exports reports as photos rather than as spreadsheets or text files or something that could be edited
  
• No easy way to share among devices (so that, for example, kids could get at their todo list or mark a reading lesson done while I'm using the ipad with another child)
  

 

 

My personal work flow:

teacher's lesson list -> student's to do list -> teacher's grading pile -> student's grade book

 

What happens with this app:

The teacher's lesson list and student's to do list are the same thing, and the student's grade book requires a grade so I can't have ungraded assignments there. I just don't mark things done on the student's to do list until I have caught up on the grading to make sure I don't lose track.

[hands-on-mama]

Thank you! That is definitely helpful! I'm open to all suggestions. :)

[TexasRachel]

The ability to bump/reschedule easily.

Intuitive future planning-don't make me put in every chapter. I want to say I have 40 chapters so make 40 lessons. Also I need different levels. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 etc.

[AMJ]

Coordinate with other calendars, including Google calendar, but also others.

 

Be able to sync up with a desktop or laptop computer, tablet, ereader, and various smartphones, to more easily move files and pictures around and use the bigger keyboard and screen when available.

 

Be able to show 6 months at a glance, a year at a glance, 18 months at a glance, 2 years at a glance. There are times I need to see the current half-year, plus the next two half-years, for planning and coordinating with DH's work schedule. Be able to set this view to print at ANY size, and copy to a USB drive so we can take to Kinko's or whereever to get a poster-size plot.

 

Be able to have separate "calendars" for each person/entity (yes, the house and car need them, too, and the cat), and be able to turn each one on and off individually in the display. Color-code these, or have the person/entity's name show up at the top of their calendar items.

 

Be able to import calendars from other sources -- my nieces'/nephews' school calendars, DH's work calendar, other calendars (like gmail), etc.

 

Be able to set stages of completion to check off (assigned, started/in progress, outline, rough draft, final draft, turned in, graded -- and other steps as applicable for other types of work)

 

Have sections for teacher's (mine) things to do: researching curricula/resources, drafting lists, contacts, and so forth

 

Any chance we can have it sync with our local public library's system, to help keep track of what we have checked out and compose student-specific wish lists for the library? The student-specific wish lists should be able to combine into a master view for Mom/Dad to see everything all in one go when they need to.

 

Ooh, project timelines and Gant Charts! Let our kids see how much time they've taken to get through various steps, and how much time they have left until it is due. My kids (and I) definitely need all the time management help we can get.

 

 

 

I'm new to homeschooling, and haven't used any such software yet. I'll post back again if I think of more. I'm likely to ask for the world.

[AMJ]

Not just iphone/ipad systems, please. Android and others, too!

[*Michelle*]

The ability to create the plans on a PC, then sync to my tablet. Typing on a screen is painfully slow.

[lillybell]

The ability to create the plans on a PC, then sync to my tablet. Typing on a screen is painfully slow.

 

 

 

I agree with this. I use homeschool helper on my tablet and a feature like that would be very useful. A bumping option is always necessary. I use that feature on homeschool helper. Ability to sync to other devices would be great also. At the moment, I do a backup and then my daughter restores on hers to see what I have updated. Would be nice if she could mark her items complete and I could see that on my tablet.