AP Chem. with Chemadvantage : How did you help your student with course study and

[Nissi]

preparation for the exam? What specifically did you do to help your student succeed with this online program? Please don't consider any detail as insignificant. I thought I will ask this question now as this will be fresh in memory. Plansrme and Gwen, please do share. Could you list study skills required, time management, etc that was necessary for your student to ace this course? Thanks. I have a student who is an auditory learner who maybe interesed in a couple of years. I was very hands off with my oldest and would like to plan better for the future.

[Gwen in VA]

I have had three kids take the class in the past five years. (Does that set a record?)

 

They have all loved it. My older son mentioned just a few weeks ago that it was his favorite class in all of high school, even though he is a math/philosophy/politics guy.

 

Honestly, I have been COMPLETELY hands-off with this class. I do ask what the assignments are and when they are due, and near the end I do help choose an AP prep book for the kid, but that's about it.

 

For each of my kids, this is the first class where flashcards are beneficial -- memorizing ions and colors and solubility rules is best done with flashcards. I did help them organize the flashcards (though my youngest found a set that she could download on her iPod -- the young ones are so technologically savvy!)

 

The homework is VERY self-directed -- the kids do the assignment on the computer, and as they do it they find out immediately if they got the question wrong. If they got the question wrong, they have 1-3 more tries (with points deducted for each try). If the kid just doesn't understand the material, he can post a question to the forum and it gets answered very quickly -- usually within an hour or two -- by someone from the class or the TA's or Mr. Moskaluk, who keeps a close eye on the board.

 

The immediate feedback is highly motivational, and the kids have a real feel for how well they understand the material.

 

The problem sets are due on Monday evening. How my kids approached the work varied on the kid -- one started on Tuesday morning and one started on Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon. Reading and studying the chapter before tackling the problem sets helps, but one of my older ones skipped that step (!!!) and still did well.

 

I really appreciate how Mr. Moskaluk provided enough AP testing experience that the kids knew what they were facing before the exam!

 

All three of my kids say that this is probably best online classes they have taken.

[mjbucks1]

I don't mean to highjack the thread, but Gwen could you tell me about how long your kids spent on the class each week?? Also, did your kids score well on the exam? I signed up my ds for this class because I have heard good things, but I have a little anxiety as ds will only be in 10th grade (ds took biology in 8th grade and is almost finished with chemistry). He also really wants to take AP Computer Science as he took a Java programming class this year and loved it. I just don't want to overschedule him :001_smile:. Thanks!

 

Michelle

[plansrme]

Honestly, I have been COMPLETELY hands-off with this class. I do ask what the assignments are and when they are due, and near the end I do help choose an AP prep book for the kid, but that's about it.

 

I agree with Gwen--this almost all that I did as well, except that I did not even choose an AP prep book. I think she may have used one the girl across the street ferried over via her little sister, but I think she mostly relied on the prep they do in class. I asked how the class was going once in a while, and she told me her grades, but that was it. It is a time-consuming course. The time estimate they give you--10 hours a week, maybe?--whatever it was, it seemed accurate.

 

My daughter feels she easily made a 5 today. As I have said before, she is definitely a smart cookie, but she also put in the hours for this class. I cannot say enough good things about the way this class was run.

 

Terri

 

Terri

[plansrme]

I have a little anxiety as ds will only be in 10th grade

 

I am not Gwen, but if it is any comfort, my daughter is in 8th grade. Her prep consisted of reading the Apologia chem book over last summer. I don't even think she is the youngest in the class. She has a very strong math background, though (she did calculus this year), and that may be one of the reasons chem is usually postponed until tenth.

 

Terri

Edited May 8, 2012 by plansrme
Chem book, not biology

[Gwen in VA]

Hours per week --

 

Oldest son (12th grade when he took the class) -- probably 10

Second son (11th grade when he took the class) -- ~10 first semester, ~5 second semester

Dd2 (10th grade with no prior chemistry and currently doing algebra 2) -- She was extremely overcommitted this year -- we joked that she was in a contest to see how well she could do in her classes while spending next to no time on them. She probably spent ~7 hours per week. We are pleased with how well she did, period, and the fact that she got the grade she did while shortchanging the class time-wise amazes me.

 

We are VERY happy with my older two kids scores. We'll wait and find out about dd's.

[HodgesSchool]

Are the Chemadvantage classes the same as the Pa Homeschoolers version? Still trying to figure it out...

[Gwen in VA]

Are the Chemadvantage classes the same as the Pa Homeschoolers version? Still trying to figure it out...

 

Yes.

[HodgesSchool]

Thanks, Gwen!

[ks-sunflower]

My ds took the honors chem version of this as a freshman but the honors level isn't offered anymore. The instructor is excellent but in my opinion the content and amount of material was waaaay too much for a first chemistry course. The AP class is even more intense. I would strongly recommend a year long introductory chem class before tackling AP Chem - or even just taking a whole year to complete say the first 8-10 chapters of Chen (text that was used) and perhaps do a few labs along with that.