I would very much appreciate recommendations for really good online honors or AP Physics classes for a STEM student. I am especially interested in providers that do not have a lot of 'busy work' associated with their courses. Thanks!

I would love to hear back from others who have signed up with Kolbe Academy for high school classes or who have used Kolbe in the past. I signed up my student for one of their science courses. Before classes have even started, we are having a lot of time-consuming issues with wrong and conflicting information being sent out, random messages being sent to my student from random people who don't bother to introduce themselves, very slow tech support from folks who don't always seem to know what they are doing, etc. We are paying a ton of $$ for the course and I have a sinking feeling about the year that hasn't even started yet. If anyone has any good suggestions and/or can tell me that things will improve I'd love to hear from you.

I would appreciate any reviews of Kolbe Academy science classes for high school. I have a STEM student and I'm looking for rigor. Thanks.

We opted in to Great Courses Plus a couple of months ago when they offered 50% off an annual subscription. We own quite a few courses on DVD but jumped at the opportunity to have access to such a vast number at any time. Our library system offers a number of Great Courses on DVD but we strongly prefer being on our schedule (versus on the library system's schedule) and literally having access to any course we want anywhere we want.

New net neutrality regulations have NOT gone into effect, nor does anyone know what the real effect on anyone is going to be yet. ISPs have NOT taken any measures yet, so anyone using the changed rules as an excuse for something or other is simply not acting on facts but on rumors, innuendos, speculation, erroneous interpretations, etc. The following article is relatively apolitical and does a good job, IMHO, of trying to separate fact from fiction/speculation. https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/14/the-fcc-just-repealed-net-neutrality-what-happens-next/

What is an SOS program?

Mrs. Up plans to return to teaching WTMA Biology for the school year 2018-19. HTH!

Since the instructor is new to WTMA and so is the instructor for Physics, it seems that it would have made more sense to assign them to courses more in line with their education. Why have someone with a PhD in Physics teach Biology, and someone with a background in Botany and Entomology and Conservation teach physics? High school physics is and should be a focused course, and I personally wouldn't be comfortable having my student (who plans to major in Engineering or Physics) take the physics course with WTMA, at least not with the current lineup. It would make sense, for those of you who have students signed up for Biology, to ask if the instructor will have the same format and materials as last year or if she's going to totally revamp the course. I do know that Memoria Press also offers online Biology using the same Holt text used last year for WTMA, and I understand it's a very good course. In case you're looking for options! I would also inquire about refunds. Given the rather sudden changes and the fact that the instructor DOES matter for many, I would hope they will have a more lenient refund policy.

Memoria Press offers Chemistry and I understand it's a very good course. There are still seats in the class!

My student took this class with Amy Upperman last year. It was a very challenging class with lots of work, but a good class with an excellent, very well organized instructor who really wanted the students to succeed. On-mike participation is not required. The student can always type in the answers in the chat box. It is important to participate because it is (was) a component of the class grade. I'm sure there is a very compelling reason why Mrs. Up had to back out of teaching, it is not her style to make drastic changes. That said, I'm sure it doesn't make the rest of you feel any better and, if I were in your shoes, I would look at other options. My student had taken another class with Mrs. Up prior to signing up for Biology, and we signed up in some part because of her excellent teaching style. The labs are thorough but not overly difficult. They do require prep and focus, and a lab report must be submitted. Materials are, in general, easy to obtain.

I've asked for reviews of this course but haven't been able to get any more recent responses. My student is registered for this course for the fall but, after seeing the syllabus, I have serious concerns about the workload and amount of time needed for just this one course. WTMA Biology was a good course but required a ton of time and went into a depth that seemed, at times, overwhelming for an intro Bio course. I think it should have been at least an Honors course. I have concerns that the same will be true for Chemistry. Also, the textbook is quite expensive and the most recent edition is required. I am trying to look for alternatives to the course with other providers.

I've contacted Memoria Press, asking if it's possible to see the Chemistry syllabus prior to enrollment. We would be switching from another provider and I would like to assess the workload prior to enrolling. It's been nearly 2 weeks and I haven't received a response. If your student took Chemistry with Memoria Press, could you give me some feedback on the amount of time the course and labs require? Approximately, I understand each student is different. I would also appreciate any other feedback you care to share. Many thanks!

Absolutely not, at least not WTMA bio and chem together. Not if we had tried to fit in other subjects as well. At least for bio, there are other online providers who use the same book but do not go into nearly as much depth as WTMA. I do wish these courses would be, at the very least, honors classes and designated as such. Let's hope that there are some other parents on here willing to share their experience. The chem course has been taught by the same instructor since they first started offering it. When structuring our high school schedule, I am careful to allow some time for my student to get together with friends and decompress. My student asks for it and I can't imagine why I would homeschool high school without such opportunities. :-) How did you get a hold of the syllabus? My student obtained it from a friend also registered for the course, I did not see where I could access it on the website. Thanks!

If your student has taken the WTMA Chemistry course, I would appreciate your feedback on workload and number of hours your student spent weekly on this one subject/class. I have just had a look at the syllabus, and it looks daunting. Even in comparison to Biology, which my student took last year, did well in, and is a great class. But it was not a walk in the park by any means. And we do have other subjects to cover! Many thanks for the feedback.

My almost-15 year old has always had a set bedtime and he now naturally goes to bed every night about the same time (10PM). He's an early riser, could probably use a couple more hours of sleep a night, and I think the discipline of a regular bedtime will always serve him well. Besides, regular bedtimes are one of the most important recommendations for all of us, including adults, including those who have trouble going to sleep and staying asleep. It certainly works in our house! :-)