fiberaddict: (Calvin: Toilet)
fiberaddict ([personal profile] fiberaddict) wrote2011-07-22 07:38 am
Entry tags:

All right, I give up...

Yesterday I downloaded the trial of HST +. Followed the directions (that had worked for Basic) and...Nothing. Tried a few other things....this AM, I got the program to *start* loading, then it crashed. I quit. I don't have any more time to spend messing with this......and I don't have time (nor does SG) to try and get the stupid Dell to print.

I set up my lesson plans on Excel. It's not ideal - I can't easily plan more than 1 week at a time, I can't easily swap assignments around, and I can't put in a full description (I'm limited on column width/height - if I change too much it won't flow properly to the individual student sheets). It'll work....but it's not what I want.

And grades....I'm trying to find a native Mac app for grading. There's quite a few out there - but the free ones don't have screenshots/good descriptions, and I'm leery of them. :sigh:

Supposedly, there's a student on the WTM forum whose summer project was to create HST for Mac (only, from scratch). S/He claims it should be ready for beta-testing at the end of August...which is a bit late for me to start with - but I'm watching the thread closely, because it's the only thing out there for Mac that has all the bells-n-whistles I want. (Yes, there ARE online sites - some free! - that do most of this. I don't WANT to have to rely on the 'net for this - what happens when the power to the servers gets shut down? Or our net gets blocked? I want it here, on my Mac, where I can always access it.) I know that such a program isn't a requirement...but I know it'll help ME stay on track, and keep me organized. I need that....:glances at the table, piled high with school supplies/planning stuff/sewing stuff and freaks:

Anyway - I had allowed a week to futz around with this, and that week is up. I'm still on track - I have my lesson plans set up, I have *my* binder set up, and today I'll be setting up the kids' binders. And making 1 more snood - I found some cute quilting fabric yesterday. It's black with "Math" stuffs on it - cute little animals, numbers - for "2", it's a pair of socks. :lol:

Dentist.....3 hours. *3* hours. I didn't sleep last night because of the pain in my jaw - the tooth itself doesn't hurt, but my JAW...oi. I can't eat - can't open my mouth wide enough to get a spoon in. :sigh: Can't take anything - I'm allergic - so.....it's fun. Not.

Hope y'all have a good day! Shabbat Shalom!

[identity profile] ali snowdale (from livejournal.com) 2011-07-24 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
Ok I downloaded the free trial and lemmee tell ya - it took a bit of fanagling to get what I wanted - but I just printed out a report for two weeks of assignments and I am very very encouraged!
Three weeks ago I was beyond overwhelmed and now I almost feel like I have a handle on this! Thank you thank you!

[identity profile] fiberaddict.livejournal.com 2011-07-24 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
You're welcome! Yeah, HST isn't intuitive (my Mac has spoiled me; most Mac programs are SO intuitive it's not funny), but I LOVE all the stuff it'll do - even the Basic!

We found a lesson plan program for Mac - Plan Book. That's ALL it is; lesson plans. It took maybe 5 minutes to get it set up, I can designate holidays, and I can copy lessons. But.....:sigh: I want it to do a little bit more.....ah, well - beggars can't be choosers! :grin: (And - it PRINTS. :hee:)