Just now getting back over here...Okay, thanks for that information...I'll take a look at TT. I actually got to see Holt first-hand, since that is the text used in our local ISD, and my dd's friend had it at home. I'm also considering Jacob's, and a friend of mine has Developmental Geometry that I'm going to look at, too.

Thanks, Jann, I'll check that out. Is that the edition you'd recommend, or is there another one that is more to your liking? I'm really pleased with the Lial's series that I chose off of seeing you recommend it repeatedly--that's why I'm asking you in particular. :-) Thank you again.

Hi, does anyone know if there is a place where I can view samples of Holt Geometry? Thanks.

I understood that those fill in the blank and short answer were for the students to use to guide them in doing research and learning the main points. Then, the students use the research they've done to write various length essays, which I assume would involve the critical thinking. I seem to recall a question somewhere about "what was the most important cause of [historical event]," that would require the student to list all the causes, prioritize them, and discern what was the most important one AND be able to back up their opinion. But I am mentally and physically all over the place right now, and don't know if I'm making that up or saw it somewhere else. :tongue_smilie: I also understood that the one book on the reading list was intended as a "spine," and the student would use other resources, including primary, to complete their research and gather information for their papers. And, as someone else mentioned, I think the DVD is supposed to teach the parent how to lead the Socratic discussion.

No, but I sure wish I had heard of these at the beginning of the school year. We're doing HoAW per WTM recommendations, and it's going only so-so. I'm terrible with thinknig of paper topics, so my dc are struggling with that. I'll definitely remember this when we get to Medieval next year, because it looks like it would give me just the right amount of direction/handholding, as well as the my students.

1. Reading, math, language arts; 2. Music, foreign language; 3. History, science

Having the opportunity to speak the language is one of the hardest things to come up with. My dc are studying French...not too many French speakers where I live. :001_smile: My kids use The Learnables, but there was a time when they had each finished a level and I didn't have money for the next level. They used Mango French, and I purchased Barron's E-Z French for practice with grammar/writing. It was super cheap (around $13, I think). My kids found those a bit boring, and they were glad to return to Learnables (which they also find a little boring), but I think they learned something during that time. And with your son being highly motivated, I think it can work.

When I used to dream about becoming a midwife, there were at least 4 CNM-master's degree programs here in Texas, if not more, and two were very close to me--one Galveston, one Houston. Now that my kids are getting older, I'm starting to get some plan together for what type of work I'm going to do once they graduate (I know I still have 10 years, but if I need to go back to school, I don't want to start that before the youngest have graduated). As of now, according to the ACNM website, there's only Baylor in Dallas, and it's a PhD program, and I think UT in El Paso; I didn't even look at what credential UT El Paso gives, because there's no way I'm moving out there. I'm very disappointed about this, and wonder how much of it is political :glare:, vs. how much of it is the ACNM deciding that's what will serve women and babies best. I think it's a terrible trend.

Yeah, it is possible that I have had some of these topics, but just don't remember at all. I did go through Calculus 1, which I took first semester of college (fall of 1987), but those topics are drawing total blanks for me.

Hmm...interesting and reinforces what I said before about some series having it in Alg. 2, others in Pre-Calc. At any rate, I'm feeling more confident today. He did the final problem of the proof by induction "Your Turn to Play" on his own today, although he forgot to watch the Kahn Academy video first. He was looking at a problem we did together yesterday to help him remember the steps. And after I watched the KA video, I had a little better grasp of what we were doing and why, so I think ds will get it even better than I once he watches the videos.

I'm at the "behind and starting tons of hard work" stage with my 9th and 10th graders. I am confident in them that we'll get it figured out in the next few years. My younger two are way beyond where my older two were at the same age. I don't know how they compare w/ ps kids, but I am very pleased with where they are--and very grateful for WWE/WWS to help me get them there.

She says that there are ususally 1 or 2 students in her first-year writing classes who can actually write decently, but that's it. Also, I have a friend who works in the writing center at a local CC, and she has said the same thing.

So, I decide to check on some of these topics at Kahn Academy, and on the front page is a new video on Proofs by Induction--the exact topic we got stumped on today! lol I guess we'll make it through this. :-)

okay, thanks. That helps.

But isn't AoPS for advanced math people? So, not necessarily a "typical" algebra 2 course?

thanks for your input.

hmmm...so that would lead me to believe that some series put it in algebra 2, and some put it in pre-calc

DEMs typically attend births outside of the hospital. They are independent practitioners, so in other words typically own their own businesses. I've never had the impression that the money was what I call "good." I think you can earn a liveable wage, but I don't think it's what CNMs who attend hospital births earn. When I lived in west Texas, my midwife said she averaged it out one time, including all her expenses, etc., and her wages were about equal to minimum wage. That is probably skewed, however, since she attended births in a very rural part of the state, and would drive very far to both births and prenatal visits--it was 2.5 hours from where she lived to where I lived, and yes, she came to me for all my prenatals. And, as far as benefits, you'd have to provide that yourself, since you'd own your own business. It might be different if you work at a birth center owned by someone else, and perhaps there are more of those types of opportunities where you live, but here in Texas they are far and few. As a CNM, you may work in a hospital, birth center, or homebirth setting (the latter two only with an MD signing off on your protocols and/or "supervising.") Obviously, if you work at a hospital (or I've also heard of CNMs only doing office visit stuff like pre- and post-natals, and well-woman care), you'd have a regular salary, and the benefits provided by the hospital, including the hospital paying your liability insurance. You'd most likely also share call time with other midwives or even OB/GYNs. Maybe five years ago, I remember reading that the median salary for a CNM who had been practicing for 5 years was something like $70,000. I don't know if that's still true or not. A CNM practicing in a free-standing birth center or homebirth situation would make less money, and would be on call most of the time (unless, of course, you work in a joint practice) and again, you would own your own business, so would have to provide your own benefits. In my experience, CNMs who attend home births charge more than DEMs, so the income is higher, but there may be higher fees for certifications, etc.--I'm not sure. No matter if you are a DEM first or not, you still have to become a RN (often with a BS in nursing, but not always) before you go to CNM school. But there are actually multiple routes into becoming a CNM. For example, I have a BA in music. I could attend a program where I spend 1 year earning my RN, then 2 years in the MA program to become a CNM. There are also RN to BS-nursing to CNM programs. Check out this page on the ACNM website. Also note that the ACNM offers a CM credential. It is the ACNMs version of DEM, but the training takes place in college, not through the typical classroom and apprenticeship hybrid model that many DEMs receive their training through. Back when I was looking there was only one college that offered this training, and I think it was CUNY, but I'm not sure. Where do you think birth is safest? Where will you feel safest attending women who are giving birth? How much trust do you have in the birth process? How would you feel if you were attending a birth at home, and a baby died who might have been saved with a stat cesarean or other interventions only immediately available in a hospital? Those are the types of questions you should ask yourself before you decide, IMO, in addition to the ones about your quality of life. As to whether you would be happy as a DEM... would you be happy owning your own business, with all that entails? You may or may not be able to get liability insurance as a DEM (from what I know it varies from state to state); without liability insurance, your practice could be vulnerable to lawsuits in the case of an injury or a death. You will be on call all the time. I think that some DEMs work out arrangements with other DEMs near them, and trade some call time, but I don't think that is the norm. Of course, you have control over your client load, so you have control over how much you work overall...but not how much you may work any given week, weekend, or month. That's all I can think of for now. :tongue_smilie: I hope it is helpful.

My kids, in 9th and 10th, will get a credit for "English" and one for "Literature." I am going by how many hours they will spend studying each, and going by what SWB said in one of the workshops I attended at a conference this past spring. She said if a student gets 120 hours of study in a subject, it can count as one credit. Some courses (like math or science) I count by subject matter completed, but things like history or english, I go by hours. Given that, my kids will spend around 130 hours studying literature this year. They will also spend about 120 studying grammar, writing, and vocabulary, which I am lumping into one and calling it English. Grades-- For Literature, they will be graded on comprehension questions, their papers (including both content and the technical aspects), and class participation, each weighted equally. For English: grammar, writing, and vocabulary will be weighted equally. I am considering "writing" to be the time we spent working through the exercises in Jensen's Format Writing. So, actual writing instruction, as opposed to the writing they're doing for their lit papers. HTH

My ds is using LoF Advanced Algebra. He is good at math, but not "genius," and he's done well with the LoF series. I was and am good at math. It wasn't what I studied in college, but so far, I've been able to help him on the few topics where he needed help. Today he was doing Proofs by Math Induction. I've never seen this stuff in my life, and although after working through some of the problems with him, I have a basic grasp of what's going on, but I don't fully understand why we are doing the steps. These problems are HARD. I started looking at what was coming up next, and there are other things I have never heard of in my life. I pulled up on the web the TOC for Lial's Intermediate Algebra, which dd14 will do when she gets to Alg 2, and it has all the stuff I remember from alg 2, but not some of the topics in LoF Advanced Algebra. I'm thinking that if some of these topics aren't normally covered in Algebra 2, I'll give ds credit for attempting to understand them and struggling with them, but if he doesn't master them, that will be okay. Here are the topics of concern: Proofs by Math Induction Linear Programming Arithmetic Progressions Geometric Sequences Sum of a Geometric Progression Permutation of n Things Taken r at a Time Combination of n Things Taken r at a Time We hit one of these "questionable" topics earlier: determinants. I went to Kahn Academy for help with that, and we managed to get a decent grasp of what was going on. But I just don't have hours and hours to spend on these higher math topics, even though I'd love to. I do have other kids to teach, and ds has other subjects that need his attention. Thanks for your help.

And I give credit for effort. My ds is using LoF Advanced algebra, and some of this stuff is really hard. I suspect (and I'm about to ask in another thread) that some of this isn't normally covered in a high school algebra 2 class. I've certainly never seen "proofs by math induction" and "linear programming" before. :001_huh: All that to say, I give credit for working hard at trying to understand what's going on with some of these advanced topics, even if he (and I) don't fully get it. Oh, and I am going to try to find someone in our community who is more of a math person than I to help us. :tongue_smilie:

Just looked her up on the Alumnae Association's MHConnect...she did major in Geology...which is why I know her name...my roommate and good friend, Tuffy Peare Traylen, also majored in Geology, and I know she talked about Martha frequently.

I graduated in 1991; I know the name, but don't think I ever met her. Did she major in geology by any chance? Yes, I am far away, but this is where I am from originally. So, really I went far away for college. I'm feeling very nostalgic after reading this thread.

I used to live in Granby! I went to Mt. Holyoke College, in South Hadley, then lived in Granby and worked in Chicopee for a few years afterwards. I really, really miss MA this time of year, even though it's been 17 years since I lived there. Back then, Chicopee wasn't bad at all, but maybe things have changed? I agree with not living in the city of Springfield, but there are many 'burbs that are very nice.