Record keeping - how much does your teen do?

[Joan in GE]

Hi all...

 

I thought I'd follow regentrude's advice about getting my teen to write what she is doing daily (and then I'll enter it at the end of the week)...but it's like pulling teeth...

 

She'll write some things but I'm constantly having to remind her. And most of the time, what she does write lacks details...

 

How is everyone else doing?

 

Thanks for answering!

Joan

[regentrude]

Student writes in paper planner, I enter in computer spreadsheet.

I do not require my kids to write details.

My son is required to list "60 minutes math". I know he is working on the geometry text, is in chapter 7. The only thing I would enter in his spreadsheet for logging time is "60" in the math column.

He may write "30 minutes Iliad", "45 minutes lecture". I record 75 minutes in the combined English/History column and "Iliad,lec" in the topic column.

 

DD kept such records in 9th and 10th grade, but is no longer keeping any records. She is taking 9 hours of college classes and works very hard for those, so I know where all her time goes and that she puts in enough. The grades and credits for the classes are outside validation, and nobody will ever ask me about hours, materials, or topics.

[Melissa B]

I chose other, but maybe I should have said parent does it all.  But, we don't keep any daily or weekly records. Most of our high school classes have outsourced grades. Any that I must supply the grade for, I just add up test scores at the end of the semester and divide by the number of tests/papers and put a grade in my online transcript. We don't live in a state that requires a log of study hours.

[Lugrita]

My oldest is in 9th grade, and at the moment he is giving me a written weekly report of his progress, and a less-detailed written daily report of his progress. I enter his written report into my own record-keeping. I asked my 7th grader for a written progress update yesterday - I might as well get him in the habit of doing this, too. :)

 

I don't ask either of them to write down the amount of time they've spent on each subject. I'm in the house with them all day and if they've done the work, then I know that they've spent the right amount of time on each subject.

 

Obviously, I check and grade their work anyway, but it's helpful to me and good practice and accountability for them to write those updates for me each week. :)

[SailorMom]

_{My son writes what he needs to know about an assignment down, but I never look at it.  I keep all the records, just as a PS teacher would do.  I just don't see it as being something A- that he needs to learn, or B   that he should be doing.  Student planner stuff is fine, but not actual records.}

[bugs]

I've used HST+ for several years now which allows me to schedule my students' work. I provide them a list of things to do, they complete it according to how they've schedule their work, I mark it complete.  It's kept in a centralized database.

[Joan in GE]

Student writes in paper planner, I enter in computer spreadsheet.

I do not require my kids to write details.

My son is required to list "60 minutes math". I know he is working on the geometry text, is in chapter 7. The only thing I would enter in his spreadsheet for logging time is "60" in the math column.

He may write "30 minutes Iliad", "45 minutes lecture". I record 75 minutes in the combined English/History column and "Iliad,lec" in the topic column.

 

DD kept such records in 9th and 10th grade, but is no longer keeping any records. She is taking 9 hours of college classes and works very hard for those, so I know where all her time goes and that she puts in enough. The grades and credits for the classes are outside validation, and nobody will ever ask me about hours, materials, or topics.

 

hi regentrude,

 

I guess we differ on what we're calling details....I would call what your ds is writing as details (though I know they aren't many at all)...but it's more than just the subject...

 

But thanks for the precision...

Joan

[Joan in GE]

I chose other, but maybe I should have said parent does it all.  But, we don't keep any daily or weekly records. Most of our high school classes have outsourced grades. Any that I must supply the grade for, I just add up test scores at the end of the semester and divide by the number of tests/papers and put a grade in my online transcript. We don't live in a state that requires a log of study hours.

 

I think your precision is helpful....

 

Ok, so the umbrella we use/will use requires hour logs...

 

But even if your state doesn't require it - what do you do for the transcript? How are you deciding that something's worth a credit?  I know for some subjects it's a book - but for subjects where you use lots of materials - you don't log hours to get an idea of a credit's worth?

 

Thanks for answering!

Joan

[Joan in GE]

My oldest is in 9th grade, and at the moment he is giving me a written weekly report of his progress, and a less-detailed written daily report of his progress. I enter his written report into my own record-keeping. I asked my 7th grader for a written progress update yesterday - I might as well get him in the habit of doing this, too. :)

 

I don't ask either of them to write down the amount of time they've spent on each subject. I'm in the house with them all day and if they've done the work, then I know that they've spent the right amount of time on each subject.

 

Obviously, I check and grade their work anyway, but it's helpful to me and good practice and accountability for them to write those updates for me each week. :)

 

Ok, this sounds like a lot more than what dd is doing....

 

We have a set amount of time preplanned so dd doesn't have to keep track of the time...I just want page numbers, names of books (for example what the French teacher has given her) - this is not happening that much...

Or the number of the lecture if TCC..

 

I'm wondering how to make this easier for her...

 

Where I'm doing all the teaching - art history or some history classes ( where she's not watching a lecture or reading certain books) and we're going over a bunch of different resources, then I do all the recordkeeping...

 

Joan

[Joan in GE]

_{My son writes what he needs to know about an assignment down, but I never look at it.  I keep all the records, just as a PS teacher would do.  I just don't see it as being something A- that he needs to learn, or B   that he should be doing.  Student planner stuff is fine, but not actual records.}

 

Probably it's just a matter of words here...as my dd is not doing the final recordkeeping....I should have called what she does  'pre-recordkeeping'....as I'll then document what she has done in the permanent records...

 

Perhaps it is the 'student planner stuff' you mention. Could you elaborate?

 

Thanks,

Joan

 

[Joan in GE]

I've used HST+ for several years now which allows me to schedule my students' work. I provide them a list of things to do, they complete it according to how they've schedule their work, I mark it complete.  It's kept in a centralized database.

 

Hi Deborah,

 

yes, I use HST+ for years now too....but I ran into problems with 'scheduling' as what was done always seemed to take longer than I imagined. So rather than continually 'rescheduling', I started just writing in what they did...But this too became fairly laborious, because if I didn't write it down 'right away' - we'd forget what got done when...Plus I was always on and off the computer trying to keep up with documenting...

 

thus I saw regentrude's way of having her dc keep track and then once a week putting it in HST+ (well, she uses excel spreadsheets but I think it gives the same idea)...would be a big time saver and help me not be so distracted all the time jumping between things...

 

In reading your summary though...I'm thinking of another possibility for the straightforward assignments - one book or book and workbooks, where there is perhaps a photocopy of the TC and dd can date stamp next to what she does on the day....That way I have details and a date without a lot of writing...

 

So thank you for posting! I hope this works!

Joan

[Gwen in VA]

My kids have ONE record-keeping job in high school -- forwarding me the course description of all outsourced classes sometime near the beginning of the semester.

[Candid]

Joan, I do not have to track hours and I don't like the idea of doing so, but you are in a specific situation where you need to do so. 

 

One thing to consider is the hour tracking your dd does not have to be complex. She could have a weekly sheet with each course down it and then make a tick mark for every 15 minutes she works on a subject. Then at the end of the week, you or she could add this up to produce hours spent on each subject. 

 

I don't know how HST works, but a simple spreadsheet would capture weekly hours on each subject pretty easily. 

[katilac]

My kids are 8th & 10th; I currently do it all and really do not expect that to change all that much. We don't have to count hours or such, so my record keeping is more for potential college app purposes. We don't need stuff like "60 minutes geometry" but we do need books read, extra-curricular activities, and so on.

 

This is partly b/c I think it's too important to leave in the hands of someone who hasn't really developed a feel for long-term goals and consequences yet, and partly because I am a control freak who wants to do it the best way (aka, MY way).

 

I will sometimes have them sit with me and work on it, but honestly that is like having your 5-yr-old help with chores: it's for training purposes, not b/c it's helpful right now, lol.

[Melissa B]

I think your precision is helpful....

 

Ok, so the umbrella we use/will use requires hour logs...

 

But even if your state doesn't require it - what do you do for the transcript? How are you deciding that something's worth a credit?  I know for some subjects it's a book - but for subjects where you use lots of materials - you don't log hours to get an idea of a credit's worth?

 

Thanks for answering!

Joan

 

If I've pulled materials together for a class, it is going to be well over the hours needed for a credit. I like to be thorough. :) I write out the plans over the summer separating the work into 36 weeks (without dates.)  I have in the past given a half credit for a class that we have completed past the 18 week mark, but did not have the time or desire to finish. But, I do not give credit based on hours worked - otherwise my kids would simply sit and stare at the ceiling for the required number of hours.  Or there would be ongoing discussions about whether the full hour was spent in 'diligent work.' My kids are the type likely to drag their feet and wallow in the first unit all year long, if they can earn a credit doing so. At our house, for every class, work completed = credit earned.

[bugs]

Joan, I have never used the feature but isn't there a way for the kids to click on "I'm done"  and put in the hours they worked?

 

On average I tend to plan the whole year in my lesson plans (or the weekly planner) which to me makes record keeping very easy in the long run since I only schedule tasks a week in advance.

 

ETA: I am not required to track hours.

[Joan in GE]

I will sometimes have them sit with me and work on it, but honestly that is like having your 5-yr-old help with chores: it's for training purposes, not b/c it's helpful right now, lol.

 

That gave me a laugh! :-)

[Joan in GE]

Joan, I do not have to track hours and I don't like the idea of doing so, but you are in a specific situation where you need to do so. 

 

One thing to consider is the hour tracking your dd does not have to be complex. She could have a weekly sheet with each course down it and then make a tick mark for every 15 minutes she works on a subject. Then at the end of the week, you or she could add this up to produce hours spent on each subject. 

 

I don't know how HST works, but a simple spreadsheet would capture weekly hours on each subject pretty easily. 

 

I do have the time thing down - it's just the 'what's covered in that time' that is lacking.....and it's worse when there is moving around from one book to another....but perhaps I'm being overly concerned and should ask for more details from the school...

 

 

If I've pulled materials together for a class, it is going to be well over the hours needed for a credit. I like to be thorough. :) I write out the plans over the summer separating the work into 36 weeks (without dates.)  I have in the past given a half credit for a class that we have completed past the 18 week mark, but did not have the time or desire to finish. But, I do not give credit based on hours worked - otherwise my kids would simply sit and stare at the ceiling for the required number of hours.  Or there would be ongoing discussions about whether the full hour was spent in 'diligent work.' My kids are the type likely to drag their feet and wallow in the first unit all year long, if they can earn a credit doing so. At our house, for every class, work completed = credit earned.

 

This is one of those capacities that completely eludes me - the ability to know what is involved in a credit's worth of work without some kind of textbook or online guideline...I know it would be possible to spend too long on a topic but generally if I'm alert - dc are/were working during the time....so I would just go by 'time' if I didn't have a clearly defined credit...how do you manage this for subjects where you don't have experience somehow?

 

Joan, I have never used the feature but isn't there a way for the kids to click on "I'm done"  and put in the hours they worked?

 

On average I tend to plan the whole year in my lesson plans (or the weekly planner) which to me makes record keeping very easy in the long run since I only schedule tasks a week in advance.

 

ETA: I am not required to track hours.

 

Deborah - I have seen the "I'm done" column and never managed to use it...but our complication is that if you break the chapters down into all the little subtopics, they aren't always done in a steady way...so maybe only a 'half' a topic will get done, or several topics, if they're short and easy (thinking of a science book for example which has so many subtopics)...so with HST+, if you don't enter it 'after the fact', there's too much 'rescheduling' for subjects that don't follow a super regular pace (in the days when we used Saxon - those were 'daily' lessons and easily followed...but the books we're using now are very unpredictable)...but I'm going to try the 'date stamp' of a photocopy of the Table of Contents (though in bed last night I remembered that dd was having trouble remembering to do something similar with math lesson plans that were already all typed out)...I have to make another attempt at a workable solution or change my requirements (after checking with the school)....

 

Thanks all and thanks to all who have voted!

Joan...

[regentrude]

This is one of those capacities that completely eludes me - the ability to know what is involved in a credit's worth of work without some kind of textbook or online guideline...I know it would be possible to spend too long on a topic but generally if I'm alert - dc are/were working during the time....so I would just go by 'time' if I didn't have a clearly defined credit...how do you manage this for subjects where you don't have experience somehow?

 

I do that. For credits where there is no well defined "canon" as to what has to be covered, for example for our self-designed integrated history and English course, seeing the amount of time spent helps me be more confident that we indeed have solid credits there.

 

Of course it would be possible to have a ridiculously light credit with too easy work and a dawdling student this way- but neither is the case in our house: the students put in the time, and the literature selections are of an appropriate level.

[Rebel Yell]

Percent done by who?

1. Parent does it all
2. Teen writes daily accomplishments and parent enters it in computer records
3. Teen does all recordkeeping
4. Other - please describe in a post

I voted "other."

 

My graduate did very litle of her record-keeping.  I made weekly/daily plans, and her work rarely varied significantly ffrom that, so a check-mark over the assignment is about all I needed from her..

Changes over high school years?

1. No change over the years
2. Starts with parent doing it all in 9th and by 12th, teen does all
3. Starts with parent doing all but teen does more by the end, but not all
4. Start high school with teen doing it all
5. Other- please describe in a post

My current 9th grader has slightly more to to than my graduate above.  My state requires a book log, so on the daily plan slips there is a space for "book log" and she fills that in for any non-textbooks she uses that day or reads/uses over the weekend. Also, for typing- she keeps tracks of WPM and accuracy scores.

 

 

[Mom22ns]

I do it all. I've tried having my kids write it down, but they just never got consistent. I do lesson plans and email them a schedule for the week every Monday morning. Some things are broken down into weeks, others into days. Some things like math are just do the next thing.

 

My database with planned lessons has a place to enter time spent. The kids do some subjects with me and I know what they worked on and for how long. For the subjects they do on their own, I ask daily, "How long did you spend on x today?". I know what they are working on, so I don't have to ask that. I might ask how far they got or I might take the opportunity to have some discussion, but for record keeping purposes I spend about 1 min for each kid asking what subjects they did and how long.

 

 

[goldberry]

Timing of this thread is ironic.

 

I make a weekly academic list for her.  I use that to track.  I don't track her PE time, Life Skills, and ASL practice.  I have been trying for TWO YEARS to get her to track these herself.  I have even put it on her academic list to "log your time".  Doesn't happen.  *sigh*.  I was just thinking this morning of how to get her to do this.

 

So...apparently, we're not doing very good in this regard.  I would be terrified to have her track academic activities at this point.  I won't even consider it until she can handle the very few things I am already asking her to do.

[regentrude]

  I don't track her PE time, Life Skills, and ASL practice.  I have been trying for TWO YEARS to get her to track these herself.  I have even put it on her academic list to "log your time".  Doesn't happen.  *sigh*.  I was just thinking this morning of how to get her to do this.

 

Tough love: time not logged has not happened, and the student needs to make it up in her spare time.

Repeat as necessary.

For some kids it may suffice to threaten that this will happen the next time the log is incomplete.

[Brenda in MA]

We have used a paper plan book up to this year, so that is the "record" when we're done. I start high school with writing the assignments into the planner myself. As the years go on, I require the student to sit down on Sunday night and fill in the planner for the week. He records which subjects he'll work on and what chapters he's doing or how much of which books he is reading. I review the plan to make sure he didn't miss anything. He doesn't always finish everything on the day that he puts it on, but by the end of the week, I review to make sure everything is completed.

 

This year, we are experimenting with using Google calendar for scheduling. I have his calendar linked with mine so I can see how he's planned his assignments. I wasn't thinking of having a permanent record, but I suppose I can print this out and save it. So far, it seems to be working pretty well. He can view his calendar on his hand-held device and add/edit/remove things from there as well as from his gmail account on his computer. Since his calendar is linked with mine, he can also see family things that are scheduled, so he can make his own decisions about his free time. This worked really well the other night when a friend called and asked if he was free to go out to dinner. He didn't have to hunt me down and ask, he just looked at the calendar, and could make his own decision if he was free to go.

 

I've always found the planning/scheduling/decision-making thing one of the most worrisome aspects of "launching" a kiddo. It's so critical for adult success, but, at least in my house, it seems to happen so very late in the teen years that it's hard to know how well it's established when the kiddo first leaves home. With my oldest, things finally clicked his 12th grade year. His brother is just starting 12th grade now, and I'm praying for that same "clicking" to happen again. I think this is pretty common, as I was assuring a neighbor that her 11th grade boy might actually snap into focus next year. I'm not sure she believed me....

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

[Joan in GE]

 

so a check-mark over the assignment is about all I needed from her..

 

so on the daily plan slips there is a space for "book log" and she fills that in for any non-textbooks she uses that day or reads/uses over the weekend. Also, for typing- she keeps tracks of WPM and accuracy scores.

 

 

I like that book log part....and maybe for the things where I don't use the TC (I've been busy copying tables of contents today) I could make a list for her to check or date stamp....

 

I do it all. I've tried having my kids write it down, but they just never got consistent. I do lesson plans and email them a schedule for the week every Monday morning. Some things are broken down into weeks, others into days. Some things like math are just do the next thing.

 

My database with planned lessons has a place to enter time spent. The kids do some subjects with me and I know what they worked on and for how long. For the subjects they do on their own, I ask daily, "How long did you spend on x today?". I know what they are working on, so I don't have to ask that. I might ask how far they got or I might take the opportunity to have some discussion, but for record keeping purposes I spend about 1 min for each kid asking what subjects they did and how long.

 

Hmmm...emailing a schedule - if dd could type in the 'work done' - she'd probably be happier....Can yours type into the schedule that you send?

 

I have asked what's done - but our days - I should say the time in the day that I remember to ask her is so irregular that it gets irritating to her if it's during another subject...

 

Timing of this thread is ironic.

 

I make a weekly academic list for her.  I use that to track.  I don't track her PE time, Life Skills, and ASL practice.  I have been trying for TWO YEARS to get her to track these herself.  I have even put it on her academic list to "log your time".  Doesn't happen.  *sigh*.  I was just thinking this morning of how to get her to do this.

 

So...apparently, we're not doing very good in this regard.  I would be terrified to have her track academic activities at this point.  I won't even consider it until she can handle the very few things I am already asking her to do.

 

I can commiserate :-) but hopefully regentrude's tough love will work :-)

Tough love: time not logged has not happened, and the student needs to make it up in her spare time.

Repeat as necessary.

For some kids it may suffice to threaten that this will happen the next time the log is incomplete.

 

So regentrude - how many times do you let them fill in the time retroactively before resorting to the 'retake'?

 

Joan

[regentrude]

So regentrude - how many times do you let them fill in the time retroactively before resorting to the 'retake'?

 

I do not accept any retroactive time as in "oh, I do remember that I did an hour of math last week Friday after all".

If it is not filled in by the next day (I believe one can accurately remember one day later), I don't log the time and it does not count towards their total hours. (Not a big deal, since we always exceed the hours required by our state by a good margin - but I don't tell them that, LOL)

 

I do not immediately require time made up over the weekend; if we are not done, we can simply go longer into the summer, as my school year end is flexible. But I have had DS make up time once. And it did make a lasting impression ;-)

 

With DD, the threat was sufficient.

[Joan in GE]

We have used a paper plan book up to this year, so that is the "record" when we're done. I start high school with writing the assignments into the planner myself. As the years go on, I require the student to sit down on Sunday night and fill in the planner for the week. He records which subjects he'll work on and what chapters he's doing or how much of which books he is reading. I review the plan to make sure he didn't miss anything. He doesn't always finish everything on the day that he puts it on, but by the end of the week, I review to make sure everything is completed.

 

This year, we are experimenting with using Google calendar for scheduling. I have his calendar linked with mine so I can see how he's planned his assignments. I wasn't thinking of having a permanent record, but I suppose I can print this out and save it. So far, it seems to be working pretty well. He can view his calendar on his hand-held device and add/edit/remove things from there as well as from his gmail account on his computer. Since his calendar is linked with mine, he can also see family things that are scheduled, so he can make his own decisions about his free time. This worked really well the other night when a friend called and asked if he was free to go out to dinner. He didn't have to hunt me down and ask, he just looked at the calendar, and could make his own decision if he was free to go.

 

I've always found the planning/scheduling/decision-making thing one of the most worrisome aspects of "launching" a kiddo. It's so critical for adult success, but, at least in my house, it seems to happen so very late in the teen years that it's hard to know how well it's established when the kiddo first leaves home. With my oldest, things finally clicked his 12th grade year. His brother is just starting 12th grade now, and I'm praying for that same "clicking" to happen again. I think this is pretty common, as I was assuring a neighbor that her 11th grade boy might actually snap into focus next year. I'm not sure she believed me....

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

 

You have a level of organization that is still way beyond my capacities! But I like to hear about it - and you must have very good handwriting. I think my hand would cramp up quickly...But actually, thinking back to the old days when I didn't use a computer much...I did write most things by hand....Doesn't it take you ages? and what makes you choose that instead of typing it up?

 

That Google calendar sounds like a good option if both have hand-held devices....I got a hand me down first generation one several weeks ago and it is much easier to use the Google calendar on that - so I could see it working easily for scheduling. But dd doesn't have one yet...Maybe mine is too old but I haven't figured out how to see other calendars besides my own without the other kids putting in their whole account and passwords....Is that capacity something that comes with later OS's?

 

I know what you mean about "launching them to do their own scheduling" worries...

 

Thanks Brenda,

Joan

 

[Joan in GE]

I do not accept any retroactive time as in "oh, I do remember that I did an hour of math last week Friday after all".

If it is not filled in by the next day (I believe one can accurately remember one day later), I don't log the time and it does not count towards their total hours. (Not a big deal, since we always exceed the hours required by our state by a good margin - but I don't tell them that, LOL)

 

I do not immediately require time made up over the weekend; if we are not done, we can simply go longer into the summer, as my school year end is flexible. But I have had DS make up time once. And it did make a lasting impression ;-)

 

With DD, the threat was sufficient.

 

Thanks for the details regentrude :-)

 

I'm going to bring this up when everyone is in a good mood, in a calm manner...

 

Joan

 

[Brenda in MA]

You have a level of organization that is still way beyond my capacities! But I like to hear about it - and you must have very good handwriting. I think my hand would cramp up quickly...But actually, thinking back to the old days when I didn't use a computer much...I did write most things by hand....Doesn't it take you ages? and what makes you choose that instead of typing it up?

 

That Google calendar sounds like a good option if both have hand-held devices....I got a hand me down first generation one several weeks ago and it is much easier to use the Google calendar on that - so I could see it working easily for scheduling. But dd doesn't have one yet...Maybe mine is too old but I haven't figured out how to see other calendars besides my own without the other kids putting in their whole account and passwords....Is that capacity something that comes with later OS's?

 

I know what you mean about "launching them to do their own scheduling" worries...

 

Thanks Brenda,

Joan

Writing the entries by hand really didn't take that long. We used quick entries for most things, like under "Math" i the planner, it might just say, "Sec 3.1" or something crypic like that. I did buy an early version of a homeschool tracker program years ago, and I found that it actually took me more time to use it than to just do things by hand. I write the stuff in the planner in pencil, and it's nice to be able to move it around easily if we need to. I also just like being able to flip back/ahead easily. When I did the handwritten stuff, I used to do about 4 weeks at a time.

 

The google calendar is working out nicely so far. This past summer, I bought myself and my son used Motorola droid phones off of ebay for around $50 each. We use them like ipods, they are WFI-compatible, and you can download apps onto them, many of which are free. We still have our old flip phones for cell service. I could activate the droids as phones, but then I've have to purchase a data package, which is expensive and which we really don't need. I have a "To do" list app that I like, and a weather widget, and one for sports scores. Probably my favorite is iBreviary, a Catholic app that allows you to get the daily Liturgy of the Hours prayers at the touch of a button. It certainly makes praying the LOH very easy.

 

Linking a gmail account to each unit is pretty easy. Sharing calendars requires that the other user also have a gmail account. You can then send a request via email to that person to allow you to share their calendar, and once they approve it, you can see their calendar when you look at yours. Their entries show up in a different color, and you can't edit the other person's entries.

 

Hope this all makes sense...

 

Brenda

[Excelsior! Academy]

My children are so very different.  My oldest is just now getting it as a Junior.  She sat down with her outsourced classes last night and made a prioritized list.  It is a necessity for her since she works one to two days a week and takes classes another day a week.  If she doesn't manage her time well she will not do well.  I am still having to encourage and help more than is needed, but can finally see a transition to self-motivation happen.  My next two are almost there, but are still having the early teen brain disengage.  They will likely click much earlier.

[Mom22ns]

Hmmm...emailing a schedule - if dd could type in the 'work done' - she'd probably be happier....Can yours type into the schedule that you send?

 

 

I just send a pdf, but you could send it in a word processing document, spreadsheet or share a google doc where they could enter it. I have a feeling if I had put it in Google docs and told them only the time recorded each day will be counted and given the 24 hour limit that Regentrude uses, it might have worked. It is just more convenient for me to ask.

 

I ask for times randomly when I think of it, but my kids never mind the 1 minute interruption. I also ask first thing each morning (the first time they are with me) for any subjects that I didn't get recorded the day before. Like Regentrude, I think they still can remember the next day. If I don't have something after that, I don't record it either.

 

My kids usually have somewhat ridiculous numbers of hours. Ds is a slow meticulous worker and he rarely has a 1 hour credit with less than 200 hours of work. He has been doing 7-8 credit hours per year. Our state only requires 1000 hours of school time and there are plenty of hours documented for each class if a college should ever wonder.

[Joan in GE]

Linking a gmail account to each unit is pretty easy. Sharing calendars requires that the other user also have a gmail account. You can then send a request via email to that person to allow you to share their calendar, and once they approve it, you can see their calendar when you look at yours. Their entries show up in a different color, and you can't edit the other person's entries.

Hoping to have more time to answer the other parts of your mail and the other posts tomorrow as I have to leave in a few minutes...

 

Just to ask about this meanwhile as it's easy - mine have shared their calendars - I can see them in gmail...But how do I get them on the iPod? (possibly my version is too old)

 

Thanks

Joan

 

[Joan in GE]

Tough love: time not logged has not happened, and the student needs to make it up in her spare time.

Repeat as necessary.

For some kids it may suffice to threaten that this will happen the next time the log is incomplete.

 

I have to report about this :-)

 

I broke the idea gently today.

 

Dd looked incredulous.

 

"People do that?" she asked.

 

I nodded..."On the WTM" :-)...

 

Shortly after she started negotiating for other ways of doing this...For example the 'carrot' approach...I'm still debating...

 

Writing the entries by hand really didn't take that long. We used quick entries for most things, like under "Math" i the planner, it might just say, "Sec 3.1" or something crypic like that. I did buy an early version of a homeschool tracker program years ago, and I found that it actually took me more time to use it than to just do things by hand. I write the stuff in the planner in pencil, and it's nice to be able to move it around easily if we need to. I also just like being able to flip back/ahead easily. When I did the handwritten stuff, I used to do about 4 weeks at a time.

 

The google calendar is working out nicely so far. This past summer, I bought myself and my son used Motorola droid phones off of ebay for around $50 each. We use them like ipods, they are WFI-compatible, and you can download apps onto them, many of which are free. We still have our old flip phones for cell service. I could activate the droids as phones, but then I've have to purchase a data package, which is expensive and which we really don't need. I have a "To do" list app that I like, and a weather widget, and one for sports scores. Probably my favorite is iBreviary, a Catholic app that allows you to get the daily Liturgy of the Hours prayers at the touch of a button. It certainly makes praying the LOH very easy.

 

Linking a gmail account to each unit is pretty easy. Sharing calendars requires that the other user also have a gmail account. You can then send a request via email to that person to allow you to share their calendar, and once they approve it, you can see their calendar when you look at yours. Their entries show up in a different color, and you can't edit the other person's entries.

 

Hope this all makes sense...

 

Brenda

 

Hi again Brenda...you make writing it out sound easy :-)...I might resort to that for some subjects...I'd tried the predilection suggested by 8fth and just didn't get so far...but i'm trying again content wise this year...

 

I've now printed off week schedules and tables of contents for subjects where there is one book (this is turning out to be very helpful to me to have on hand without dragging out the books every time to see where she is)...

 

but if that doesn't end up working we might try the Google calendar approach just on the computer (still haven't figured out multiple calendars on my iPod if anyone has any suggestions)

 

My children are so very different.  My oldest is just now getting it as a Junior.  She sat down with her outsourced classes last night and made a prioritized list.  It is a necessity for her since she works one to two days a week and takes classes another day a week.  If she doesn't manage her time well she will not do well.  I am still having to encourage and help more than is needed, but can finally see a transition to self-motivation happen.  My next two are almost there, but are still having the early teen brain disengage.  They will likely click much earlier.

 

Funny...I hadn't thought about it so much with ds3 - but he ended up managing quite well - with almost no practice....But he was really good about working overtime on math, etc...

 

 

I just send a pdf, but you could send it in a word processing document, spreadsheet or share a google doc where they could enter it. I have a feeling if I had put it in Google docs and told them only the time recorded each day will be counted and given the 24 hour limit that Regentrude uses, it might have worked. It is just more convenient for me to ask.

 

I ask for times randomly when I think of it, but my kids never mind the 1 minute interruption. I also ask first thing each morning (the first time they are with me) for any subjects that I didn't get recorded the day before. Like Regentrude, I think they still can remember the next day. If I don't have something after that, I don't record it either.

 

My kids usually have somewhat ridiculous numbers of hours. Ds is a slow meticulous worker and he rarely has a 1 hour credit with less than 200 hours of work. He has been doing 7-8 credit hours per year. Our state only requires 1000 hours of school time and there are plenty of hours documented for each class if a college should ever wonder.

 

Good point about getting it down within 24 h as per regentrude...(so many details to remember - my mind is bulging)..

 

We do a lot of hours too...start 7:30 - end 4:30 with 1 hr lunch and a couple hours off Wed afternoon after 2:30...and now dd is starting to do homework at lunch so that she can finish earlier...

 

Joan

[regentrude]

I have to report about this :-)

 

I broke the idea gently today.

 

Dd looked incredulous.

 

"People do that?" she asked.

 

I nodded..."On the WTM" :-)...

 

Shortly after she started negotiating for other ways of doing this...For example the 'carrot' approach...I'm still debating...

 

LOL.

I wanted to add one more comment: actually, the biggest reason I am forcing my kids to log their time is not the ease of my record keeping. It is that they have a way to see where their time went. If they have to log, they are more conscious of any computer breaks they take, because they will have the gaps in their logged times. If I did not insist on logging, the ten minutes short break will easily become an hour and a half - we all know how easy it is to get sucked into the internet. Having to be accountable for the hours of their day forces them to be more mindful. And yes, they do get to take breaks, or have a long lunch - but they will be mindful of the time because they still need to complete their school hours. Since I am working every morning of the week and can not be home supervising, this has been vital for the success of our homeschool.

 

[Joan in GE]

LOL.

I wanted to add one more comment: actually, the biggest reason I am forcing my kids to log their time is not the ease of my record keeping. It is that they have a way to see where their time went. If they have to log, they are more conscious of any computer breaks they take, because they will have the gaps in their logged times. If I did not insist on logging, the ten minutes short break will easily become an hour and a half - we all know how easy it is to get sucked into the internet. Having to be accountable for the hours of their day forces them to be more mindful. And yes, they do get to take breaks, or have a long lunch - but they will be mindful of the time because they still need to complete their school hours. Since I am working every morning of the week and can not be home supervising, this has been vital for the success of our homeschool.

 

 

I quite agree - but a point easily lost over time if not kept up...

 

I still haven't quite figured out how time on the internet seems to 'disappear' so easily.

 

Trying to log my time helps me see where it's going too!

 

Joan