Moira in MA
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Posts posted by Moira in MA
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For music appreciation I'd suggest the Teaching Company course How to Listen To and Understand Great Music.
HTH
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Imho, the anticipation is almost always worse than the event. In all likelihood she's dreading it too. Just try to be your normal self.
Why do I say this? Well, every event I've ever agonized over turned out just fine; it's the ones I think will be a breeze that get me.
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Henle does not assume any prior knowledge and you should be able to complete the first sections very quickly.
You don't mention your student's age but, if you want to use a schedule, I'd recommend you find one designed to complete the first seven units of Henle I in a year (this material is considered Latin I). There is a Henle Latin yahoo group that offers assistance and also a suggested schedule -- PM me if you can't locate it.
HTH
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If you complete Henle's First and Second Years you should be able to go on to actual Latin authors (as in Henle III and IV) rather than another grammar text like Wheelock's Latin. Yes, I am aware that Wheelock's Latin includes some readings beyond the grammar but imho you don't buy Wheelock's Latin for the supplemental readings.
I have used both Wheelock's (to relearn my own Latin) and Henle Latin (to teach my dd's). I think the strength of Henle is that it focuses on the grammar and teaches the vocabulary necessary to read Caesar. It has lots of repetition which is good for a younger student but that limited vocabulary can make the work somewhat dull. I leaven the lump with readings from Lingua Latina (Orberg). Wheelock's is aimed at older learners and covers a variety of authors -- which means a larger vocabulary. But I feel it lacks sufficient repetition to truly solidify the grammar.
I chose to complete Henle I & II with my eldest and then to enroll her in Latin III at Scholars Online as I didn't feel that my own command of Latin was up to really comprehending the more complex Latin authors at anything like the speed necessary. She loves it and is doing extremely well. She has had to learn a lot of vocabulary but her grammar seems to be more solid than the students who went through Wheelock's simply because she had more practice with it -- especially translating English to Latin which is when you discover just how well you understood the grammar. I am currently completing Henle I with my younger daughter.
The reward for completing either Henle I & II or Wheelock's Latin should be to begin reading real Latin so as to experience the author's ideas directly rather than through a translator's perception of those ideas not to start another grammar text which seems to be what is being suggested by the supplier you mentioned.
HTH
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Maybe a short summer course with Bravewriter or similar would help? The expository essay course comes to mind. My eldest dd took this last summer and really enjoyed the experience while learning a lot about creating a strong thesis statement and conclusion with appropriate supporting paragraphs -- disclaimer, she does enjoy writing.
The course is conducted on a private forum and the students are split into small groups for the work.
This would allow some focused attention on writing without it seeming like a major life sentence.
I think the course runs during the school year too, but I find it hard to find the time during the school year to focus on just one thing.
HTH
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I was the only one of my generation to attend university and I went on to get a masters.
dh was the first of many in his family.
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Homeschoolers can certainly take the National Latin Exams.
But you have missed the 2008 exams which were administered here last week.
They are low stress, bubble tests. My dds took Latin III/prose and Latin I respectively. The only restriction from a student perspective is that you may not take the same level test twice (unlike the National Mythology exam which has a similar format)
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Have you considered the Canon Envirothon Competition?
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There's Sonlight's British Literature.
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A Certain Ambiguity
What "Sophies World" is to philosophy, this is to math. I'm really anxious for someone else from this board to read this book and tell me what they think.
I put it on hold at the library last time you mentioned it. I get to pick it up this afternoon. Now I just need to find time to read it.
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Dante's Inferno (for Omnibus---my girls say that Dante spent entirely too much time thinking about h___!)
We started Inferno this week -- so far all of us are planning to read Purgatori and Paradiso as soon as we get a chance which has to be a vote of confidence in Omnibus.
Needless to say, that is on my nightstand, in two versions no less! I also have:
Ascent to Love; Peter J. Leithart (to help with same)
Mimesis; Erich Auerbach
Pobre Anna bailo Tango; Patricia Verano (anyone know how to do accents?)
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World; Joanna Weaver (still!)
The Ode Less Travelled; Stephen Fry (ditto)
Just finished and need to remove:
The Civilization of the Middle Ages; Norman Cantor
Carpe Diem; Harry Mount
Since I made a point to include my Omnibus reading, I'm doing pretty well with my 888 -- 15 so far.
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How many hours per week would you say that you are spending in actual classtime? and outside reading?
Oh, I hate that question.
For Gileskirk, we typically alternate between 1 and 2 lectures a week -- there are 48 total. With time for the opportunity, that is between 2 and 4 hours a week. Both girls take notes; if necessary we stop the DVD and/or review a section. There is maybe half an hour of reading for each lecture plus time line and map work. Discussion is usually covered informally over meals. There are 4 projects/research papers over the year.
For Omnibus, we do 5 primary sessions and 3 secondary sessions per week which take about 5 hours a week total. Writing assignments, when present add about an hour to that. The girls make a context sheet for all the primary and some secondary readings. Journals take about 15 minutes/day.
Reading time is tough to judge since it so much a function of reading speed and comprehension. It also varies with the type of material. In general, I think there is less reading for Omnibus II than I. This is probably because of feed back they received from early users but also the material builds upon itself and it is easier to absorb if you are familiar with the references. It is usually an hour or less/session but in general the schedule is such that if you have a long reading for primary Omnibus, you have a shorter or easier reading for secondary. I think that it takes me the longest since I have other responsibilities and often don't get to it until late. I have had to give up most of my outside reading although I can occasionally sneak in one for me -- I relish the Christmas vacation. I do get each of us copy of the books so that we aren't waiting around for someone else to finish.
Initially I was tempted to skip books if we had already read them but I found that the discussions were really worthwhile and reading a book a second time allows you to develop more insight into the structure of the text so we try not to do that. I also don't try to second guess which books my dds will enjoy or get most out of. I almost skipped Till We Have Faces and Histories for my younger dd but they turned out to be her favorites for the year.
So you purchased the curriculum cd as well?Yes, the opportunities, exams and projects are all on the curriculum CD. You also need the teacher's CD for Omnibus -- all the sample answers are there as well midterms and finals.
HTH
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We take all our literature selections from Omnibus, although the Gileskirk ones are sometimes picked up for free reading. Those selections are excellent by the way, if I were more confident in literary analysis I'd be tempted to use just Gileskirk.
My eldest does the history readings from Gileskirk but my younger dd covers the equivalent material in a simpler text -- she is 8th grade not 9th as originally posted. Next year will be different especially as Americana is considered a good introduction to Dr. G's style.
We do the opportunities, mid-terms and finals; and projects from Gileskirk. The latter are really good for going deeper which Omnibus doesn't really have. I also picked up the journalling from Gileskirk but apply it to our Omnibus readings.
From Omnibus we do almost all the readings -- we're just skipping Winning His Spurs this year -- we do most of the writing assigments, discussions and recitations as well as some of the activities. I seldom have them do the written evaluations but do assign the mid-terms and finals.
HTH
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In what area are you struggling?
If it is the math, then I strongly recommend Beginnings Publishing's Bridge Math as it really helps with setting up problems, conversions, handling precision etc. that often trip up students.
I had my dd use it before beginning Chemistry and she tells me it was really helpful.
HTH
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Biology is now taught through the lens of evolution. Example: Formerly students learned systematics, i.e. categorization of phylla or orders. Now they learn connections between common ancestors (so instead of considering Aves and Reptilia as different orders within Chordata, students learn about their evolutionary connection). It is not so much what is left out but how the subject is viewed.
Thank you, this makes more sense than the impression I was getting from just reading the chapter titles in the Thinkwell course.
I think it would be a mistake for a parent to skip a number of things in a high school biology class simply because they did not see the material when they were students. High school biology has become quite sophistocated. At least in my opinion.
I do hope that I didn't leave the impression that I was thinking of leaving stuff out just because I never saw it in my biology class. It would be a really sad course.
But to quote you from another thread on Biology:
My summer neighbor, a retired biology teacher whose father was a rather famous botanist, feels that the fun is gone from introductory courses which formerly focused on observation, classfication, larger systems. Now, biology is about the cell and evolution. It has become the study of biochemical processes.Since my student is really not intending to pursue science and she has been taking a rigorous chemistry course this year, I'd like her to enjoy her required (by me) biology course rather than view it as another forced route march. I'm trying to discover if something like that exists. I'm beginning to think that it really doesn't and I'm not sufficiently science oriented or creative to do it on my own.
One thought I've had is to see if there are some creative college level biology courses for non-majors that may fit the bill -- conceptual biology maybe? Time for some googling.
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Yes, it seems expensive, but not really if you compare it to online course prices. And, imho it is worth it. Dr G. is a respected voice in our house who is often mentioned at the dinner table and my dd will often describe some of his antics to her high school friends who wish they had teachers like him.
High school level courses just cost more.
Could you get others to join you? If you use it in a co-op situation, you need just one copy of the DVD and everyone pays a smaller licensing fee. Hasn't worked for me, either because of timing or distance so I just bite the bullet and pay the $.
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We're currently finishing up Omnibus II with a 10th and 9th grader. The readings are wonderful primary sources but to connect the dots I have used both the Spielvogel readings recommended in the text and Gileskirk (http://www.gileskirk.com).
So far we have used Antiquity w/Omnibus I; Christendom w/Omnibus II and plan to use American next year.
HTH
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We threw out some chapters on evolution and some other religion parts...
Interesting phrasing, that, but I tend to agree.:iagree: I'm researching texts for HS biology and I want to address both sides but the issue has become extremely polarized. I took a look at the Thinkwell lectures, it seems every chapter circles back to the idea of evolution.
If they are spending so much time on evolution, what are they leaving out?
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I agree with Sharon, if your son has done well w/Jacobs for algebra then move on to geometry. If, and only if, he experiences problems then worry about it.
HTH
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There really is no consensus on what is good nutrition at the moment. Much of what you'll see in texts is highly debatable even fats are being rehabilitated!
Food and health is an area where you need to be a wise consumer. There just plain isn't an easy answer. It isn't just what you eat but how it is grown and prepared.
I'd suggest something for background such as "Terrors of the Table" by Walter Gratzer. This gives a wonderful overview of the history of nutritional research and tells how each time the researchers thought they had the whole story they found they'd missed something vital. Warning: food will never be the same again.
Other titles to consider: are Michael Pollan's books, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food;" "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon; Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser.
I'd also take a look at Ayurvedic principles and other non-western traditions.
As you may gather from the above, I'm not very main stream on nutrition.
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Here's what my eldest did last year. No time estimate -- she says she can't remember how long it took because she was so busy. That said, she added 2 extra classes this year without a noticeable problem -- she's very self-motivated.
Math- 1 credit
Geometry (Jacob's 2nd edition)Bridge Mathematics (Rainbow publishing) - summer courseSpanish I (Buen Viaje I & Rosetta Stone level 1 units 1-4) - 1 credit
Latin II (Henle Second Year) - 1 credit
Physical Science - 1 credit
Physics in your Life (Teaching Company)Chemistry (1 semester co-op class)History (Gileskirk Antiquity) - 1 credit
English - 1 credit
Omnibus I Ancient LiteratureSummer Shakespeare II (Scholars Online)Expository Essay (Brave Writer)Physical Education/Health - half credit
Dance - Morris & RapperIntro to NutritionElectives:
Theology (Omnibus I) - 1 credit
Traditional Logic II - half credit
Introduction to Art - half credit
Extra Curricula:
Performance – Romeo & Juliet
Piano - National Music Examination Grade 6
Still working on my younger daughter's plan for next year. This is how is currently looks my time estimate is 6-7 hours but she tends to wool gather:
Math- 1 credit
Geometry (Jacob's 2nd edition)Bridge Mathematics (Rainbow publishing) - summer courseGerman I (OSU) - 1 credit
Latin II (Henle Second Year) - 1 credit
History (Gileskirk Americana) - 1 credit
English - 1 credit
Omnibus III -American and European literaturePractical Grammar (Scholars Online) - summer courseMold Your Argument(Scholars Online) - summer courseScience (probably Scholars Online Natural Sciences II) - 1 credit
Phys Ed/Health - half credit
SkiingDance - Morris & RapperHealth - tbdElectives:
Theology (Omnibus III) - 1 credit
Traditional Logic II - half credit
Fine Arts (Artistic Pursuits senior high 1) - half credit
Extra Curricula:
Revels Chorus if she can get in
Piano - National Music Certificate Grade 5
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I hear you. It seems that a lot of my days are spent in "hurry up and wait" mode. My eldest is pretty much self sufficient except for Omnibus discussions and a (brief) math lesson that is more to keep tabs on her than to teach her anything. My younger dd still needs me for Math, Spanish and Latin, too. It isn't nearly as frantic as it used to be but I still have enough work to be able to turn a blind eye to the housework.
I heard Steve Lambert (Jane FIAR Lambert's husband) speak on this transition a number of years ago. The way he put it was that we're busy working ourselves out of a job that we can never replace directly. We need to find a new role, as I recall, Jane took up gardening with perennials and writing curricula.
The difficulty is that there is an extended period of time during which the number of hours actually spent on the job is diminishing but the on-call requirement is still there. I have no great insights to offer but you are definitely not alone.
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My copy is dated 1979 (I bought it new a couple of years ago), I don't think it has been updated since.
There is a 3rd edition of his Geometry text. It is much less proof oriented than the 2nd edition, which is the one I prefer.
HTH
Omnibus I credits
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Michelle
I have my eldest do the Western Civilization readings for Omnibus, she reads the entire chapter, not just the few pages assigned. In my opinion there is not enough history content to give a history credit. I am using the Gileskirk lectures and history readings together with the 4 history projects/papers assigned over the year. I give one credit in each: Literature, Theology and History for the combination.
My younger dd does only the history work in Gileskirk.
HTH