HST+ users who moved to HSTO...

[sewpeaceful]

I have used Homeschool Tracker Plus for over 10 years.  I have dabbled with Homeschool Tracker Online.  I don't like how the assignment grid isn't "active" in HSTO like it is in HST+ which means I have to double click into every record I want to enter a grade.  I do like that it is online so rescheduling is immediate, no more reprinting assignment calendars.  It is a little slower online, especially for rescheduling.  My kids liked the Assignment calendar report in HST+ that allowed them to see their assignments a week at a time in a nice grid (subjects down the left, days of the week across the top) but there isn't anything like that in HSTO.  So I am trying to figure out if it is worth it to make the move because a 1 year subscription is half off (I've never seen a sale like this before).

If you were a HST+ user and made the jump to HSTO, are you glad you did?  Do you miss HST+?  Did you go back?  Why do you stick with HSTO?  I'd love to read your feedback about your experience.

[bluemongoose]

Most of it is about the same to me. I miss being able to neatly do rescheduling. It doesn't work exactly the same. I used to schedule a whole year out on a lesson plan and then hit reschedule if a conflict came up...now I schedule for only a week because the reschedule feature isn't as smooth.

I'm not a fan of the loading time in the presets screen. I have a very fast computer...so the hang time is not on my end. When you are using the preset screen to schedule 4 children...this hang time adds up.

I miss the reading log. I liked that once you entered a book into the library that it was easy to add it to each child's reading long when they read it instead of how I have to do it now on my own spreadsheet.

I miss being able to share lesson plans with other hst users. A group of my friends and family members that also homeschool and use the same curricula that I do, found it so convenient to share the work load of entering in lesson plans. I guess some people used it in a way that violated copyright laws or something. Now they have a public share feature...but it cannot have the things we would have shared before. We shared privately, so it wasn't a mass share with people who may not own the curriculum...that private way (exporting and sending through email)) to share is gone. 

It was also nice to pay once and own such a great planner. 

Other than those things....I really do still like hsto. I love that my kids have their own log in. I still use it daily and find it is easier to read than the old version...this is a good thing since my eyesight took a hit this year. Overall I don't regret changing over...I just wish some of the features would change back to how they were before.

 

[sewpeaceful]

4 minutes ago, bluemongoose said:

Most of it is about the same to me. I miss being able to neatly do rescheduling. It doesn't work exactly the same. I used to schedule a whole year out on a lesson plan and then hit reschedule if a conflict came up...now I schedule for only a week because the reschedule feature isn't as smooth.

 

Can you elaborate on the scheduler issues?  I usually schedule and entire year too and I anticipate this will drive me nuts.  I like being able to ask, "If we take this field trip or 3 sick days, what is the impact on the end of the year?"  I don't like operating in a black box.  Is there anywhere in the program that says, x days of school year completed and y days of school year remaining?  At least at that point I can look at a lesson plan and say, "We have 76 days of school left but 82 days of math left and realize we need to double up or drop the last chapter."  

Does the rescheduler let us reschedule against the presets?  That would stink if it didn't.  With 2 in high school and in online courses and the youngest with classes that are only 4 days a week, I seriously cannot keep track of when to schedule what on certain days.

Yes, the hang time stinks.  I have 3 kids.  I'm with you.

As far as the reading log goes, they suggested I create a course called High School Reading Log or 6th Grade Reading Log.  Then just add an assignment with that book as the resource.  The resource list report then shows your book list.  It isn't perfect but it covers it without using Excel.  My oldest is 10th so I have completed half of her high school records at this point.  With as nice as all of the reports are, I still ultimately created a document in Word because I have a Table of Contents, transcript by year and by subject pages, reading list to match formatting of the rest of the document and course descriptions.  Maybe HSTO's formatting is nicer than HST+?  Regardless, I'm in a groove now so adding a book inside the Word document isn't a big deal though I keep a master list in HST+.  

I really appreciate your feedback.  Thanks!

[mom2scouts]

I'm still using HST+ and don't really know if I want to change to HSTO. Some of the things they've changed are things I use regularly and I don't like having to pay a regular subscription. I guess I'll stick with HST+ unless and until I need to change for some reason.