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BookwormTo2

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Everything posted by BookwormTo2

  1. Congrats to your son -- UVA, GWU and UMD are all great schools! We walked through parts of GWU last summer and my DD wanted to go there. It's really pretty, the location seems great for networking and internships, but the drive there (depending on where you live) and parking might not be fun.
  2. It would be so interesting to be a fly on the wall listening to meetings that various college administrators are having about the coronavirus and upcoming semesters. I would think they have to consider worst case scenarios and of course hope for the best outcome. The worst case scenarios to me would be rolling coronavirus problems. Say a college opens this fall but in November has to close and go to online only classes, or a college opens in January only to close in February and do online only classes. And then there's the issue that my DD hasn't encountered yet with having a lab go online suddenly. She's going to have to take a science lab in the fall (college freshman) whether or not classes are in person or online, or risk falling behind schedule. I know she's not the only student who is facing that possibility. And like @AEC said, sometimes the classes you need are a sequence and you can't take them out of sequence (paraphrased a bit). For example, Physics 1 then Physics 2... And at the big public universities it can be harder to get a spot in some classes like that certain semesters. Also, some classes one might take in the fall are just too difficult to take in a shortened summer semester.
  3. I thought the wording on Boston University's announcement was confusing. Some students posted comments under the announcement which indicated they were confused about when classes would begin. Does it mean online classes might begin in January but physical classes won't start until Summer 2021? Or does it mean there may not be any classes this fall at BU and fall semester will be pushed off to January?
  4. Yes, AP Classroom is super slow and frustrating in trying to create worksheets. There's a lot of clicking involved and I can't see a good way to filter the kinds of questions I need for AP Calc BC. When are they (AP) going to update the questions?
  5. One of the universities my DD was accepted to with a merit scholarship but one she declined admission to back in January -- emailed her last week offering her a spot in the fall. I think their admissions office is trying to see if local kids are going to change their mind about attending in light of the pandemic.
  6. @8FillTheHeart I agree! Hoping and praying life is back to normal by spring (sooner would be better). With DD's summer session being 100% online, she pointed out we are saving money on room and board. We have to appreciate the positives in this world we are in with the pandemic wreaking havoc on "normal life." It seems to me you have raised a very sensible and smart DD who decided not to sign her lease renewal -- kudos to you!
  7. The orientation for summer session was switched to virtual a couple weeks ago for my DD. At this point, I think there is a high likelihood that fall will also be online, because once the curve for this pandemic is flattened and stay at home orders are lifted, it just seems like the coronavirus will flare up again. How quickly can scientists come up with a solution to preventing COVID-19? Does the anti-malaria drug work to prevent coronavirus? There is a clinical trial going on to test that, which is great. I just saw this article recently posted talking about a possible virtual fall. https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/article/2020/04/01/preparing-quietly-fall-semester-without-person-instruction
  8. @TarynB When this pandemic panic started here in the U.S., my DD brought up a gap year. I thought it was ridiculous at first, but now I'm not so sure. The only problem with a gap year is if she would have to reapply -- some universities don't allow a gap year. Perhaps there would be exceptions made for the coronavirus. And I just think of all the knowledge that may be partially forgotten with a gap year... I am sure college admissions is already pondering what will happen if fall semester is online. Perhaps not just freshmen will want to do a gap year. @Bootsie What a great idea to put audio explanations in your Powerpoints! Maybe you could sell best practices for online teaching on Udemy!
  9. I'm mostly just ranting. Yes, the university is allowing pass/fail, but not for dual enrolled students. Thankfully DD has an A in the class, which is a social science elective. She hasn't spoken to the professor about it mainly because she is OK learning on her own for the subject. Her other professor (for Geology) does some Zoom sessions and also records a lecture at least once/week for them. I do feel badly for the professors, who were thrown into digital teaching. It's a tough time all around, for both students and professors. And tonight DD got word that her first time in college summer session will be online. I do worry about how that will go, and hope all the kinks have been worked out of online instruction by then.
  10. While I am happy that DD’s dual enrollment classes at the nearby university went online last month due to COVID-19, one of her professors seems to be just dialing it in for “instruction.” I wonder how many students are having to teach themselves material from a PowerPoint their professor posted for them to learn from? Of course she has the textbook for the class, but I expected more than that.
  11. I’m putting together a digital album set to background music with photos and a couple short videos from my DD’s fun times during high school. Sometime in the next couple weeks I’ll take her senior photo (I kept putting it off and then the pandemic happened). I’ll make a dairy free cake and other good favorites for a special dinner for just us to celebrate her high school graduation. I think we will use FaceTime with her grandparents and godparents before our graduation dinner starts. Whenever this pandemic is over we will have a bigger celebration.
  12. @mirabillis Congrats to your DS! It might be difficult to choose with such a great list of universities!
  13. I listened to a free webinar by Marco Learning this afternoon for AP teachers. It was very informative and interesting. The recording is available on their site. AP exams will be online only; there won't be any in-person AP exams (for 2020) according to what AP has tweeted. As AP has dictated the AP exams will be only 45 minutes, it was characterized in the webinar as an AP "quiz" which I thought was spot on. The content covered by AP exams has been shortened and for a few subjects like AP Calc AB and BC they are still deciding what will be covered and we were advised to keep checking the AP site for updates. We were told not to count on the live AP classes starting next week as the number of people trying to utilize those may result in tech issues. Will universities give students full credit for their AP exam scores? Supposedly, yes, but I can't think that AP has gotten agreement on that from every university. However, they will be offering free online lessons covering what they consider to be the remainder of the AP courses that students missed, so maybe colleges will take that into consideration. I know they are cutting the content covered on the AP exam to be fair to those students who cannot access online learning, and when you think of legal issues -- can they (legally) test what isn't being taught in public schools due to the pandemic? I'm not a lawyer but I don't think it would be wise. Public schools are already backing off of virtual learning being for a grade because not everyone has a computer and internet at home. It is terrible for those students who are /will be ready to take the full AP exam in May that there's no option to take the full AP exam online. Some ideas were tossed around as to why it's only a 45-minute FRQ; no bathroom break needed, the $ being spent on tech for all AP students to take the exam online, security for the AP exam... I really hope the AP releases the rest of the needed information to prepare for their exams before April 3.
  14. I don't teach at a college, but my DD goes to our local university for dual enrollment. As with most colleges right now, her university went online for the rest of the semester. Her science professor is making the final exam optional and recording his lectures and putting them on Canvas. Since she's got an A in his class right now, and there's just one regular exam left before the final, she's hoping she won't have to take the optional final exam (which will be online).
  15. Thank you, @daijobu! I did sign up w/ College Board to be an AP Teacher for DD in the fall and they approved the syllabus. I'm a little worried about the new time for the shortened AP exams for everyone; 45 minutes will go by very quickly. I really hope College Board will release practice tests soon for the shortened AP tests. DD has been getting tutored weekly for Calc this semester, but still -- how many FRQ questions will the AP put on the Calc BC exam? I know other AP Calc students are worried about this too from what I've seen on the internet. Still, it's better than the AP exams getting canceled, so there's that.
  16. DD is taking AP Calc BC at home (no class) and she is not happy about the upcoming AP exam for Calc BC -- all FRQ -- no multiple choice. What is the best way to prepare for an AP exam w/ all FRQ? She has the Barron's AP Calc prep book and completed the Calc text by Finney. Apparently the BC exam is going to cover 80% of what is normally covered in the exam.
  17. We used some homeschool curriculum early on (not online writing class) including Seton English, Vocabulary and Reading in elementary and middle school; in 9th grade we used Windows to the World (this was great and I saw huge leaps in her writing which was already advanced). Homeschool Connections (recorded classes) Julius Caesar and Flannery O'Connor was very helpful in exposing her to different literature and doing different critical thinking questions and essays (they offer some courses w/ add'l fee a teacher will grade your students papers). Kolbe Rhetoric online class was very good; now they have folded the Rhetoric class into English 11 I think. The Rhetoric was a very interactive class where both writing and speaking was done. A couple months after DD finished 11 grade, she passed the CLEP Composition with essay with a high score (getting 6 college credits), so we did something right! I wouldn't discount extracurricular writing like writing for an online student newsletter offered at some online providers. Generally, the more practice writing, the better one gets. Also, maybe it's just me but I wouldn't have my kids take a dual enrollment Composition class. A lot depends on how much the professor cares and how good at teaching writing he/she is, and I feel like I can do a better job teaching writing or finding curriculum or an online class that will teach them better than a professor. What wasn't helpful - online British Lit. class w/ Classes by Beth (now Seasons LLC). To be fair, this may have been because the coursework demanded lots of busywork which may be helpful for struggling writers but not for advanced ones. Also, not a writing class but the Chemistry class at Classes by Beth was my DD's favorite science high school class. She is dual enrolled and finishing her 2nd science class at the local university. What I realized as DD went through high school is to adapt as needed -- a few courses we dropped due to a bad fit.
  18. If what I saw on UF Reddit a couple hours ago is true, the on campus clinic closed sometime this morning (we can imagine why). I just saw an article saying UF is mandating online classes starting Friday and it looks like FSU just announced they're going to mandatory online classes after spring break. Earlier this morning there was confirmation that there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in Alachua County (where UF is located). Given the packed state of most college campuses, coronavirus could spread quickly. It's good there is online class tech.
  19. I am not a math person, and DD studied for the College Algebra CLEP on her own using the resources I listed. As far as what the College Algebra CLEP covers, I think it depends on your Algebra 2 text; my DD didn't feel prepared to take the College Algebra CLEP until she had finished Pre-Calculus. But now that she's doing AP Calculus, she wonders why she even did (Saxon) Pre-Calculus, as she said it doesn't seem useful now. I did ask Derek Owens about College Algebra when DD was taking his Algebra 2 Honors, and he thought a typical College Algebra college course covers some Pre-Calculus. But I recall seeing some posts last year that some students were able to CLEP College Algebra after completing Algebra 2.
  20. My DD passed both the College Algebra and American Government CLEP tests. She used these for American Gov't CLEP: the REA American Government text, SparkNotes 101 American Government, and AP US Government and Politics Power Pack. She also watched some videos on Modern States. With REA CLEP texts, there is a diagnostic tool at the beginning that is very good to do; it will show weaknesses and strengths in knowledge for the subject. Also be sure to know about important Supreme Court decisions for that test. For College Algebra, I got her the Shormann College Algebra CLEP prep and she also used Khan Academy and the REA text for practice. She practiced after doing the diagnostic test in the REA College Algebra text. There are 2 practice tests in the REA CLEP books. The practice tests are good to take when you think you're ready for the CLEP test. Generally, you want a score 10 points higher on a practice test than you need for the CLEP test. College Algebra CLEP you usually need a score of 50 or higher to pass, so a practice test you'd want to score 60 or above. Check what scores she needs to get on the CLEP tests at the universities she's interested in.
  21. My DD is taking 2 classes (dual enrollment) at the local university, and she said today her professors reviewed how they would handle the classes if classes have to move online due to coronavirus. I think it's likely to happen that they go online for the rest of the semester; I saw that some universities are already definitely going online only now or in the next week or two. Also, I can't imagine if they cancel AP exams -- all that work out the window with no score. I guess DD could take the Calc CLEP instead if the local community college is open in May and not online only...but prepping for AP Calc BC doesn't have a CLEP equivalent. And my DD is starting college in late June, so if there's an AP exam make-up hopefully it's before then. My hope is this coronavirus will be gone come summer. My sympathies to all the kids who have been prepping for the SAT March test which got cancelled.
  22. It looks like you have a lot of great responses re: CLEP. My experience with CLEP has been fantastic. Even for universities that didn't accept the CLEP tests that my DD passed, I had her CLEP transcript sent to the universities she applied to in order to prove her "proficiency" in those subjects (I did this after calling admissions and they said to please send it). Some universities accept CLEP scores as proof of proficiency in lieu of SAT subject tests/AP exams/ dual enrollment. CLEP is a lower risk test in that it is not offered just one time a year like the AP exam. I had to make an appointment online at the community college locally that offers CLEP, Dantes, and other testing. Certain CLEP tests like the CLEP Composition take longer to do, so check the allowed time for the CLEP test you're interested in. As far as how long to study for CLEP tests, if you google the CLEP test you're interested in, Reddit and Degree Forum typically have good advice. One can take an AP course but not take the AP exam, and take the CLEP test for that subject instead. Or one can take both the AP exam and CLEP test for the same subject... CLEP credit varies widely depending on the state's requirements for scores for CLEP tests, and also if you will get credit for the CLEP test at all, so look into that. Harvard actually accepts some CLEP tests.
  23. Is your DD interested in Physics? In high school, so much can change with a student's interest from one year to the next. AP Environmental Science or Environmental Science would be a good option if she doesn't want to take Physics. If you have a public virtual school in your state, Physics might be doable. You wouldn't have to teach Physics, but be aware how the student learns at the public virtual school in your state. The one I'm familiar with, the student basically teaches himself/herself via an online textbook and videos. If you have access to free dual enrollment, Intro to Earth Science is a great course to take.
  24. @daijobu That's interesting. We had a similar experience where the 2-day/week tutoring place DD attended in 9th grade only was accredited when she went there, but lost its accreditation about 2 years ago. Thankfully she ended up with plenty of proficiency proof by the time it came to apply for college. What worked for DD for high school likely won't for DS due to learning styles and what I learned about a few different providers with my oldest (guinea pig). If I only knew how DS would do on SAT Subject tests in future, I wouldn't stress so much about a certain number of accredited classes in high school. @RootAnn I've heard great things about Sr. Gamache.
  25. @daijobu I've never heard of Language Bird for foreign language, so thank you! I think foreign language has been the hardest thing to figure out for my DS. @cintinative My oldest is in 12th grade, and after having been through the college app process with her, it's been eye-opening. It seems like the regional accreditation for core classes including foreign language for a couple of the competitive universities she applied to is important, at least to be competitive in the admissions process (or to show proof of proficiency like AP, CLEP, dual enrollment, SAT subject test etc.). Our local university did not ask for proof of regional accreditation for foreign language, and it seemed like the 2 years of Spanish completed through an online provider that wasn't accredited was perfectly fine. Homeschool requirements for college admissions seem to vary widely. As far as taking Spanish at your local public high school, it should be regionally accredited (I think all public schools are). I looked at Homeschool Spanish Academy's accreditation page, and it looks like you have to register with NARHS and document (lots of) things for Spanish. I think I looked into NARHS briefly and thought it wouldn't be a good fit but I'm sure others have used it!
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