| Author | |
JennyMaine
Forum Pro
Joined: July 26 2005
Location: Maine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 209
|
| Posted: Sept 14 2012 at 6:05am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
For the past 3 weeks I've been using the Homeschool Helper App for the iPad. My teens and I are loving it! It is so quick to enter lesson plans this way, and easy to track attendance, grades, etc. As a visual person, I enjoy using it so much more than a paper lesson plan.
Another bonus to it - I've struggled with my son forever, trying to get him to check off his work in his lesson plans. While he rarely bothered to do that before, he's doing it consistently on the app. Whatever works!
Just thought I'd share, in case anyone else is looking for great homeschooling stuff for their iPad.
__________________
--JennyMaine, Mom to Catherine (17) and Sam (15) "The countenance is a reflection of the soul. You should always have a calm and serene countenance." -- Therese of Lisieux
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
NMMountainMom
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 05 2010
Location: New Mexico
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 43
|
| Posted: Oct 06 2012 at 11:04am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I must really not understand this app because I think it is useless. It just seems like a grade tracker, not a lesson planner. I really wanted to like it because it is so much prettier than the online planners I have looked at.
__________________
Danielle, making it work (some days better than others) with five boys, a family business and homeschooling.
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 1:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I just bought this and started entering our plans in. I think they have updated the app a few times since this thread was started, but it does have nice lesson planning features now. I really like it so far.
Like Danielle, I find a large part of the appeal is aesthetic. It is a very pretty planner! 
I don't anticipate using the grading tools, at least not in the short term, but I was able to use the batch planning tool to quickly insert regular assignments. I chose not to number them, though that is an option, because I don't do that on my paper versions now anyway, so, for instance, under the subject of Math, it was easy to say I wanted x number of lessons for Math Mammoth, 3 pages on MWF, and it inserted them out from there. Then I could do the same for Life of Fred, 1 lesson for TT. There is more room in the lesson notes should you need to give more explicit instructions than that.
I also made the reading assignments and narrations separate lessons so in keeping track of items completed, I could allow for a completed reading assignment eve nif the narration was not done. On my paper plans, I always had a separate checkbox for narration. Now it is just a separate line item.
Also, even though it is confined to the device (iPad, Fire, and one or two more tablets), you can generate reports and e-mail them. So, you can generate the day or weeks lessons, email, and then print from your PC so they have a hard copy to work from. It organized alphabetically by subject for each day, whereas I like having it in order of priority, and there is not a checkbox or anything. I will experiment this week to see how this works. I suppose if it became an issue, I could add letters to the beginning of each subject name for the order I want things done.
Also, you cannot share assignments among students, though apparently you can copy an assignment to add to another student. I think, though, that I am going to just add another student for Family Learning and assign subjects like "Morning Basket"
I like, too, that it has a reading list for each student. I can enter both books read independently and books assigned as well as a reading log for my "Family" student to keep track. I mean, we'll see if I manage to do this consistently  but since it has an assigned date and completed option for each book, I could also enter my proposed booklist at the beginning of a term or year and checking them off as they are completed.
Honestly, for the price, I think it is a nice product. I found it intuitive to use Only 4.99 
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 1:51pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
NMMountainMom wrote:
| I must really not understand this app because I think it is useless. It just seems like a grade tracker, not a lesson planner. I really wanted to like it because it is so much prettier than the online planners I have looked at. |
|
|
When you select a student, you automatically see the grades page, but if you hit the sticky note just above that right hand page, it toggles to lessons. There, you can start using the planning features. I don't know if this is an update since you bought the app or not.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SallyT
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 08 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2489
|
| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 2:25pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Is it available for anything other than iPad? Macbook? (I think I already know the answer, but must ask!)
Sally
__________________
Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
SallyT
Forum All-Star
Joined: Aug 08 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2489
|
| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 2:26pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Never mind, answered my own question with a trip to the App Store. *sigh*
Sally
__________________
Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
CrunchyMom
Forum Moderator
Joined: Sept 03 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6385
|
| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 3:01pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
SallyT wrote:
Never mind, answered my own question with a trip to the App Store. *sigh*
Sally |
|
|
Aw, sorry, Sally.
It IS available for Kindle Fire, Android, and Nook tablets, but not a Macbook, it seems.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
mom2mpr
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 16 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1550
|
| Posted: Jan 07 2013 at 10:12pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Trying it and liking it Simple (love KISS) and pretty easy to figure out how to do things. Glad I am finally starting "record keeping" with my high schooler.
__________________
Anne, married to dh 16 years!, ds,(97), Little One (02), and dd (02).
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: Homeschool Helper App
