My Summer Organization Goals and Homeschool Tracker Online

Organization

Those of you who know me well know that I kinda like organization... Okay, that's not true, I LOVE organization. I like labels and lists and have a post it note app on my iPad I can't live without ;-)

I organized my summer into "To Do" projects and made a list about that. Actually, I made a blog about it too. See it here! I know, I'm kinda an organization dork, LOL! I'm pleased to announce I have accomplished all but one of those summer goals and am working on the last one as we speak! I will admit that I had a little extra motivation to get #2, 3 and 5 done as my father-in-law decided to come visit from Ireland for 3 weeks and I thought it might be good if he didn't have to trip over boxes of homeschool books to get to the downstairs bathroom, lol! I'm also super pleased with my yearbook and so bummed that I can't get it to share online :-(

Anyhow, onto the last goal which, as I mentioned, got bumped out of order- #4 Purchase Homeschool Tracker Online! I have purchased it and am currently logging in ALL my school subjects for this year (this is where not being an eclectic homeschooler [which I am] would have made it much easier!) I have literally spend about 20 hours in front of the computer logging in lots of little details. Please note, one does NOT have to be this detailed oriented, but it is how I wanted mine. I am probably about 1/2 to 2/3 done entering all my subjects for the kids. Here are some reasons why I picked this particular program, why the online version and why I am getting so detailed:

• I picked the Homeschool Tracker Online (HST Online). Here is their website if interested.  I looked at lots of different ones out there including the My Well Planned Day online (since I used their paper book one last year). I heard from other homeschooling moms and read the best reviews about HST Online by a landslide! The other ones don't seem to measure up for the features this company has to offer.
  
• I went with the online version. It would have been much cheaper to get the desktop one, however I have been putting a TON of time into this and want it to not get deleted, lost or trapped in my computer. You tech-savvy folks probably could update and move all your data from one PC to another. I probably could not. So instead of a one-time $49 for their desktop version, I am choosing to spend $60 a year. I know that sounds like a lot, but it breaks down to $5 a month and it is SO worth that to me. I like that it is stored in the cloud and can't be lost or deleted by me. Also, we don't switch PCs often, but given that I will be homeschooling for the next 17 years or so, I'd imagine at some point we will. I especially like that I can get it on my iPhone as I am on the go a lot and this way our lesson plans can be too. Grace has been saving her allowance to get an iPod touch and she when she has enough money, she will be able to see her assignments on it as well.
  
• My main reason for this one over some others I looked at was that it saves your lesson plans so they can be used for your other children. I made detailed lesson plans last year in my Well Planned Day book, but I realized that at some point I might be looking at 3 different lesson plan books at a time trying to find old lessons for younger siblings! With HST Online they are all saved and I can just assign them in years down the road. So, yes, that is why I am doing all the detail now! It is like making one lesson plan for Grace, grade 4 then knowing it is done for Cian, Zoe and Ellie when they are grade 4. Obviously, there will need to be minor adjustments and some subjects I do different publishers for the different kids based on how they learn or how strong they are in the subject, but barring all those things, it will be a HUGE time saver for me across the years.
  
• I am able to get all the lessons entered now during the summer then can either assign the whole year or take a couple minutes each week or month to sit down and assign them! Awesome! I spent lots of time writing out lesson plans each week last year and that is gone forever! Yippee!
  
• I heart organization and this gives me plenty! I am now an oh-so-experienced 2nd year homeschooler, but what people that don't homeschool don't understand is that with multiple kids at multiple levels and sometimes multiple "grade" levels even per kid on the different subjects it is a lot to organize and keep track! When I was a high school teacher I had roughly 150 students each year. I taught usually 3 different subjects and taught 7 periods a day. I thought that was a lot until I began homeschooling last year! What I explained to someone last fall was now I am only teaching 3 [this year, 4] different kids, but teaching a bazillion subjects. ;-) Here is last years' course load - click here- I haven't even written out this year's yet. It'll be posted before August 19th- our start date though! HST Online will have all my subjects broken down into the number of lessons I wanted and I can assign it with a few short clicks. LOVE IT!

So that's my 2 cents for the day for what it is worth. If anyone is interested in getting their homeschool organized and want the lessons to be saved for future siblings I recommend this program. 

Best of luck to all my homeschool teacher and classroom teacher friends for a great new school year. I can't believe that later this week is AUGUST! Summer has flown by!