Gwen, There are LACs who offer nursing degree programs. The school I attended in MN for my physical therapy degree also offers a nursing degree. The school even has master and doctoral level degrees in nursing. Just in case you're wondering ... it was The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN. Whether or not VA has any LACs with nursing programs is a different story. You've probably already looked into that. I have heard that Northern Virginia Community College has an excellent nursing program at their Springfield campus. The daughter of my husband's friend graduated from there. She and her parents were very pleased with the program, and she is currently gainfully employed as a nurse in the local area. Good luck to your dd. Cynde

I agree with the woman who posted before. I don't think you see it for sale used as much as the other levels because not as many tackle it at home or don't go that far in math. Our ds used CD Calculus I at home with the dvds and tech support. He thought it was great. Our dd went through precal and didn't get as far as cal. I sold our CD calculus earlier this year on this board, so there are some sets out there to be found. Another thought is to try to find the book and solution manual used and buy the dvds from CD (just make sure the tech support is included). I'm not sure if this would be a cheaper option or not, you'd have to see. I think you could find the books used by themselves much easier since they're commonly used in college. Also, I've found Barnes and Noble has great prices on new text books (this is with my membership). There are some other sites out there that sell new and used college texts even cheaper that Barnes and Noble, but we've had mixed experiences with them so I don't want to mention any names. Just want you to know that you can find even cheaper. Our ds did great with CD Cal I at home but still decided to begin with Cal I at college. For him it was a great decision. Truthfully, the course was rather easy for him after going through CD. The professor used the same Calculus book as CD only ds had to buy the new edition so the assigned problems would match correctly (got it through Barnes and Noble). Otherwise, the book was identical in presentation of material and topics. Not sure if that helps ... but wanted to share encouragement about the program in general. Good luck.

Forgot the "how" part of your question. The Chalkdust precalculus video showed some of the how but not a lot. I think this is where the introduction in Chalkdust's Algebra II may be helpful for your student. Ds learned mostly by using the Texas Instruments manual and by trial and error. I know there must be an easier way - maybe someone will have a better suggestion. I think I've heard some mention using a "dummy" book. I bet a good library would have that. The easier method for our dd was to have ds show her - she had it easy. With CD, you do use a calculator with Geometry, but a standard TI-30 type with sin, cos, tan, log was just fine. Good luck!

Our dc began using the graphing calculator in precalculus. I was of your mind - better to do as much as possible with the brain versus machine. :001_smile: Our dc used Video Text for Algebra I and II. We then switched to Chalkdust for Geometry, Precalculus, and Calculus. Students do not use a graphing calculator for Geometry but do for precal and cal. At first, dc struggled a bit with the graphing calculator but quickly learned. I seem to recall Mr. Mosley saying that with Chalkdust Algebra II students are introduced to a graphing calculator (hope I'm remembering that correctly - you may want to email and ask). Hope that helps.

I can't comment on whether this text would work for your dd or not, but I can tell you what we used. Our ds used Chalkdust for calculus (text, solution manual, and dvds). It was a great match with him. You can purchase the text and solution manual anywhere. The text book was: Calculus of a Single Variable (Ron Larson, Bruce H. Edwards, David E. Heyd) and the solution manual was: Calculus Complete Solutions Guide Volume I (Larson, Hostetler, Edwards). The text contains what is considered both Calculus I and II. The solution manual vol. I is for Calculus I. How wonderful that you and dh can teach calculus! I couldn't even begin to ... so, it was Chalkdust to the rescue for us. Good luck!

I agree with Jane about TPS literature. Our dd took TPS Shakespeare lit course (one semester course with Heidi Zylstra). She loved the class and really learned a lot. I was impressed with the depth of study and analysis. Dd was evaluated by weekly written assignments (essay type and creative) answering specific questions and exams which also required writing. The weekly questions weren't fluffy recall type. They required serious thought, and the instructor expected a well-written response both in content and written quality. Overall, fantastic course.

I've built both semester and full year courses around TTC dvds. I'll copy and paste my response to a similar question about TTC courses below that will explain how I did this. I'll also include a link to the full thread if you'd like to read all the responses. You mentioned a phyics program. I've never built a course around one of TTC's math or science programs. I'd probably do that differently than how I did for history and social science courses. Maybe I'd find a curriculum I wanted to use first (i.e. Apologia, Conceptual Physics) and use TTC dvds to supplement the curriculum by plugging in the those lectures where they fit best with the topics in the curriculum. Here's my previous response to similar question and the link to whole thread. Good luck with your courses!:001_smile: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95183 "We've used six Teaching Company Programs in high school. I used History of the United States as a supplement to a text book, and ds viewed Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoningjust for fun. I built semester or full year courses around the other four programs we used (Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations ; The African Experience: From “Lucy†to Mandela; Power Over People: Classical and Modern Political Theory; Art Across the Ages). This method proved the most meaningful for our dc. First, the student chose a program that they wanted a course built around. Then I bought the program and used the Course Guidebook to help me develop a program. Each program guidebook has a list provided by the professor for "essential reading" and "supplemental reading." Each program I used had the readings paired with the lectures. Then it was just a matter of reviewing materials online, choosing which materials to use, and scheduling the readings and lectures at the pace needed for the semester or full year course. There was way more reading than I felt humanly possible listed for each program - lots of really good options. I would usually have our dc read the material corresponding to lectures first and then listen to the lecture. After the lecture, they would complete the corresponding questions in the Course Guidebook for that lecture. There are usually two questions per lecture (some courses had more). The questions are more of the thought provoking type. Dc would also have to write several essays throughtout the course. For the art course, we did several field trips to the National Gallery of Art since we live near Washington DC. No tests on any of the programs since there wasn't enough time for me to read the materials, watch the lectures, and write one. If I were to build a new course, I'd entertain the idea of having my student write a meaningful and thought provoking test (with an answer key) as a project, and the test would have to include essay questions. Dc learned a lot from our built courses. They did a ton of reading and writing. TTC lectures are great, and I loved that they provided a reading list. To build a course, I think you'd really need to purchase TTC program instead of checking it out from the library since you'll be using it for so long. Personally, I think TTC programs are great any way you use them."

Hi Tami, I've never used AO before, but I'll take a stab at the general question of whether to do American or British literatrue first. IMHO, I don't think it really matters, at least it didn't for us. And, especially since this is your dd's senior year and you're doing both, I really don't think it makes a big deal. I think, but am really not sure (someone correct me if I'm wrong), that public schools usually do American before Brit. We did too but only because (and for no other reason) it matched with what we were studying for history that year. For literature our dc studied Ancient lit, American lit, 20th Century lit, and then British lit. I've seen homeschooling families study all sorts of other lit and in all different orders. I think you'll be safe with whatever order you choose. If you think that either the American or British AO program would be easier for your dd than the other and that she'd benefit from doing that one first, then I'd start with that one. Hope that helps a bit. Good luck!

Both of our dc took this course two years ago. They both loved it, and I was very pleased with it also. The written lessons are short and to the point - not a lot of fluff. If I remember correctly, they wrote two short stories, analyzed some other works, and practiced other skills used in short stories (such as dialogue). The lessons covered topics such as: openings, character, conflict, plot, setting, climax, and dialogue. I remember the instructor went over how and why short stories differ from novels in her feedback. For a nine week course, I thought it covered the basics quite well. Our dc's instructor (Maureen Klock) provided great feedback!!! Both our dc were at different skill levels when it came to writing fiction, and she taylored the feedback to meet their individual levels. Our dc have taken Comp 1, Comp 2, Essay, Short Story, and Research writing with Write at Home. I believe the essay course is a little different now compared to when dc took it. All instructors have provided great feedback except the one we had for Essay. Now I will say, our dc already knew how to write a decent essay before taking this class, so maybe that was why she didn't provide as much feedback. But, I was hoping that she would have stretched them more. Like I said, overall, the feedback has been very helpful for all the other courses. I also think the feedback has always been presented in a very encouraging manner. They don't nit pick every single thing that could or should be improve upon. The teachers hit the main areas that needed attention. This was why our dc liked writing more for the Write at Home teachers than me. I nit picked too much (mom trying to make them excel and learn too much? ;)) Hope that helps!

The Potter's School has tons of online options in all subject areas and has both Geometry and Chemistry. I believe their enrollment for new students has opened. Classes generally fill quickly, but there are usually lots of class times for the maths and sciences to choose from. Our dc have taken lots of courses from TPS including chemistry. We've been pleased with them. Here's a link to TPS: http://www.pottersschool.org/ Another option would be Scholars Online. I've heard good comments about them too and dd has taken a playwriting course from them which we were very pleased with. I think they have both courses you're looking for. Here's their link: http://www.scholarsonline.org/Info/index.php

Add me to the "loved it" list. I read this for one of my college courses way back when. Of course, we analyzed it to death, but I loved it. Both our dc have read this in high school. Dd thought if was just okay, but she doesn't really care too much for novels in which the main characters are personified animals. On the other hand, ds loved this book. It has been one of his all time favorites.

Our dc have taken many courses at TPS but not math. We've used Chalkdust for geometry, precalculus, and calculus. I have been thrilled with all three programs (wish I would have discovered them before we completed algebra). The Larson precalculus book used by Chalkdust is a huge tomb. We did it over two years so that we could complete the whole book and not have to move too rapidly. Mr. Mosley said that to complete the whole book in one year the schools leave out some of the chapters. He also said that the precal book is a full combination of the Larson trigononmety text and college allegra text which you can see if you compare the table of contents. Our dc started algebra in middle school, so we had the luxury of spreading precal over two years. Mr. Mosley actually suggested that we do this given that we had the time to do so. I was very happy that we did this. On our hs transcripts, I called these courses Trigonometry and Advanced Algebra (not Precal 1 and 2) with no questions asked from any of the colleges dc have applied to. I don't know TPS's reason for doing their precal over two years, but just wanted to let you know that they aren't the only ones that have done so.

We've used six Teaching Company Programs in high school. I used History of the United States as a supplement to a text book, and ds viewed Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoningjust for fun. I built semester or full year courses around the other four programs we used (Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations ; The African Experience: From “Lucy†to Mandela; Power Over People: Classical and Modern Political Theory; Art Across the Ages). This method proved the most meaningful for our dc. First, the student chose a program that they wanted a course built around. Then I bought the program and used the Course Guidebook to help me develop a program. Each program guidebook has a list provided by the professor for "essential reading" and "supplemental reading." Each program I used had the readings paired with the lectures. Then it was just a matter of reviewing materials online, choosing which materials to use, and scheduling the readings and lectures at the pace needed for the semester or full year course. There was way more reading than I felt humanly possible :001_smile: listed for each program - lots of really good options. I would usually have our dc read the material corresponding to lectures first and then listen to the lecture. After the lecture, they would complete the corresponding questions in the Course Guidebook for that lecture. There are usually two questions per lecture (some courses had more). The questions are more of the thought provoking type. Dc would also have to write several essays throughtout the course. For the art course, we did several field trips to the National Gallery of Art since we live near Washington DC. No tests on any of the programs since there wasn't enough time for me to read the materials, watch the lectures, and write one. If I were to build a new course, I'd entertain the idea of having my student write a meaningful and thought provoking test (with an answer key) as a project, and the test would have to include essay questions. Dc learned a lot from our built courses. They did a ton of reading and writing. TTC lectures are great, and I loved that they provided a reading list. To build a course, I think you'd really need to purchase TTC program instead of checking it out from the library since you'll be using it for so long. Personally, I think TTC programs are great any way you use them. Hope that helps!

Our dd did the lit portion only of Core 200 four years ago in 8th grade. From what you've described as your desired program, 200 might work for you. All the books are scheduled and mapped out for you. There are some comprehension type questions for most of the books (if I remember correctly, some might not have questions). I felt the number of questions for each book was light. Some books have answers to the questions and some don't. There is no literary analysis. And of course, SL encourages discussion of the works between parent and student. There was no writing other than the comprehension questions which could just be discussed. No essays. This is what I remember from four years ago; things could have changed since then. On the other hand, it is also easy to beef up this lit program more with literary analysis (other study guides, Sparknotes, essays, etc.) if desired.

Abeka grammar has served us well. We've used levels I - VI (7th - 12th grades) after completing the all the Easy Grammar levels. Each level of ABeka basically covers the same concepts only building in complexity and depth. Levels I - IV (7th - 10th grade) have only one student book which is a combination textbook and workbook. Levels V - VI (11 - 12th grades) have a separate text and workbook. The separate text is meant to be kept as a reference. Levels V-VI don't have as many practice exercises or review exercises compared to the other levels (therefore, it's less time consuming). With each level, diagramming becomes more complex. Levels V-VI don't have as much diagramming as previous levels. For us, dc used levels V-VI more as a review and an opportunity to keep grammar concepts fresh (in addition to writing lots of papers :D). Personally, I felt like all the "meat" was learned in the earlier levels and V-VI allowed for continued practice and review with more slightly more complex exercises (only not as many of them). Not sure if this helps you, but thats how I view some of the differences between the levels you are considering. Good luck with your studies!

I think it would be wise to continue working on literary analysis. Our ds started college this year. He does a lot of literary analysis writing in this composition course. The teacher assumes that the students have a good basic understanding of literary terms and that this is not their first experience analyzing lit. The prof does not hold their hand. I think the ladies have already given you lots of good suggestions. We used many of the books they suggested. The only one I didn't see mentioned was Laurence Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. We loved this! This is a textbook. See if you can find a copy at your library to look over. I don't think you need the newest edition of this book. Personally, I think the older ones are equally beneficial (but then again I have an older one). Good luck and don't give up!

Our favorites were Spielvogel's World History: The Human Odyssey, The Teaching Company History of the United States, and a variety of other TTC DVDs. We supplemented TTC History of US with a traditional text book. World History and US history were my high school requirements for the dc. But what was really fun was letting them choose their own TTC courses for the remaining years of history. I'd buy the program they chose and then build a program using the course guidebooks which are filled with suggested books that are matched with the corresponding lecture(s). I couldn't test them like with a traditional course (there's no way I could do all their reading and write tests). I just had them do a lot of writing (essays and answering questions in the guidebooks). They did a ton of reading! They really enjoyed studying what they choose.

Don't be intimidated with course descriptions. Just dive in and get your rough draft, then modifiy - it will all come together. Use your table of contents and descriptions from courses/books for your starting point - most of all the information you need is right there.

Okay that's my sampling. I hope I haven't embarrassed myself!:blush: Someone had shown me her descriptions in the past (Tina - thanks!) which I found so helpful, so I wanted to pay it forward. Maybe others will have more samplings to provide you with other examples.

Other Electives Principles of Public Speaking (0.5 credit on high school transcript, 3 credits on community college transcript) Description: Applies theory and principles of public address with an emphasis on preparation and delivery. Lecture: 3 hours per week. Materials: Art of Public Speaking (Stephen Lucas) Course Location: Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA; instructor: [instructor's name] First Responder (0.5 credit on high school transcript, 3 credits on community college transcript) Description: Wilderness Medical Associates is the leading wilderness medicine training program in the United States. This course is designed for outdoor enthusiasts, outdoor professionals, and medical professionals who want the best possible training to prepare themselves for medical emergencies in remote environments. Class days are long (10 hours) and 100% attendance is mandatory. Teaching techniques include: lecture, professional power point, a great deal of hands-on training scenarios, and reading assignments in the evening. Successful completion and certification is based on passing both written and practical skills exams. Topics of study include: general concepts, patient assessment system, basic life support, anaphylaxis, circulatory system, respiratory system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, musculoskeletal injuries, dislocations, spine management, wounds and burns, emergency childbirth, altitude, diving, thermo-regulation, drowning and near-drowning, frostbite, search and rescue, electrical injuries and lightning, backcountry medicine, medical and legal issues, allergies, and toxins, bites, and stings. Materials: The Outward Bound Wilderness First-Aid Handbook (Jeffrey Isaac), Wilderness Medicine Lecture Notes and Wilderness Medicine Workbook (Wilderness Medical Associates), medical lab equipment Course Location: in residence through Northwest-Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals, Al; course taught by [instructor's name] of Wilderness Medical Associates Certifications earned: Wilderness First Responder (expires 3/26/2009), Basic Life Support (expires 3/26/2009), and Anaphylaxis Workshop (expires 3/26/2009)

Fine Arts Art History and Appreciation (0.5 credit) Description: This course covers a sweep of Western art from its earliest sources in the late Paleolithic period to its most recent developments in the early 21st century. The course progresses primarily chronologically, but parallel and overlapping trends and developments are studied to more fully understand the varied geography of human thought. Since certain elements and developments in Western art influence or are influenced by others, the course also delves into the artistic activity in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America. The course examines a range of media that have defined Western visual art – from painting and sculpture, to architecture and decorative arts, to photography and drawing, to mixed media, assemblage, and installation art. Various periods, artists, and techniques are studied. Finally, the course reflects on the ways in which visual art has echoed the human experience and has refracted human intelligence and creativity across the ages. Materials: Art Across the Ages (The Teaching Company, DVD lecture series), The Story of Painting (Sister Wendy Beckett), field trips to the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Foreign Language Spanish II (1 credit) Description: Following Spanish I, students use the next level of Rosetta Stone as the basis of instruction. Students learn Spanish the way they learned their own native language using the Dynamic Immersion Method. Native speakers, real-life images, speech recognition, and fully interactive software teach students like they learned their first language – naturally. The software utilizes four modalities of learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The program includes: 400 hours of instruction, speech recognition function for accent development, systematic structure to teach vocabulary and grammar naturally, exercises and tests for every lesson. In addition to the software program, other supplemental materials are used to further develop grammar skills and vocabulary. Materials: Rosetta Stone Spanish Level 2 – Latin American (Fairfield Language Technologies), Spanish Verb Tenses (Dorothy Devney Richmond), and http://www.studyspanish.com/ (Learn Spanish, grammar instruction)

Social Science Electives Classical and Modern Political Theory (0.5 credit) Description: This course examines some of the fundamental questions that have shaped Western political thought since its inception in Athens in fifth century B.C and some of the most influential answers that political theorists have proposed. Issues addressed within this course fall into three broad categories: essential characteristics of human nature and the good society, the relationship between the individual and society, and theories of change. Topics covered include: the Hindu vision of life, Thucydides and The Peloponnesian War, the law and rule in Sophocles’ Antigone, Socrates and the Socratic quest, Plato’s Idealism, Aristotle’s critique of Plato’s Replublic, Machiavelli’s theory of power, Rousseau’s theory of human nature and society, Marx’s critique of capitalism and the solution of communism, Freud’s theory of human nature and civilization, Thoreau’s theory of civil disobedience, Dostoyevsky’s “Grand Inquistorâ€, anarchism and the example of Emma Goldman, and both Hitler’s and Gandhi’s use of power. Students will be challenged to think more deeply about themselves, the standards that guide their behavior, and their obligation, if any, to society. Materials: Power over People: Classical and Modern Political Theory (The Teaching Company, DVD lecture series), “Pericles’ Funeral Oration†and “Civil War in Corcyra†from History of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides), Antigone (Sophocles), “The Apology†from The Last Days of Socrates (Plato), The Republic (Plato), The Politics (Aristotle), The Prince (Niccolò Machiavelli), The Social Contract (Jean-Jacques Rousseau), “Civil Disobedience†(Henry David Thoreau), “The Grand Inquisitor†from The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoevsky), Mein Kampf (Adolf Hitler, selected chapters), Mahatma Gandhi: Selected Political Writings (Mahandas Gandhi, editor: Dennis Dalton)

History African History (1 credit) Description: This course provides an introduction to Africa’s history and geography from its beginning to current day and covers the whole of Africa with a heavier emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. Students will gain a greater appreciation and understanding of the complexity of Africa. Through the consideration of Africa’s historical development, students will analyze why events occurred and their impact on the future. The course examines: natural environments and ecological zones, development of human society including the Iron Age and agriculture, importance and development of religion, state-building, evolution of trade, relations with Western powers, Atlantic slave trade, effects of diamond and gold mining, South Africa, Ethiopia, the Congo, Zimbabwe, colonization and later decolonization of Africa, Rwanda genocide, HIV/AIDS pandemic, Darfur, and more. A research paper and essays are required. Materials: The African Experience: From "Lucy" to Mandela (The Teaching Company, DVD lecture series), History of Africa (Kevin Shillington), A Continent for the Taking (Howard W. French), A History of South Africa (Leonard Thompson), Africa Since 1940: The Past of the Present (Frederick Cooper), Africa: A Biography of the Continent (John Reader, selected chapters), Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela (Nelson Mandela), Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe), We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda (Philip Gourevitch), Uncle Josh's Outline Map Book (George Wiggers and Hannah Wiggers); The Geography Coloring Book (Wynn Kapit), Africa: The Serengeti (IMAX), Diamonds of War: Africa's Blood Diamonds (National Geographic documentary), and Darfur Diaries (documentary).

Science Anatomy and Physiology I and II with Lab (1 credit on high school transcript, 8 credits on community college transcript) Description: This college transfer-level course integrates anatomy and physiology of cells, tissues, organs, and systems of the human body and involves the concepts of chemistry, physics, and pathology. Students attend both lecture and lab for 3 hours each per week for a total of 6 hours. Topics covered include: general introduction; chemical basis of life; cells; cellular metabolism; tissues; integumentary system; skeletal system; joints of the skeletal system; muscular system; nervous system (basic structure and function, divisions of the nervous system, and senses); endocrine system; blood; cardiovascular system; lymphatic system and immunity; digestive system; nutrition and metabolism; respiratory system; urinary system; water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance; reproductive systems; pregnancy, growth, and development; and genetics and genomics. Students take both lecture exams and lab practical exams. Materials: Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology (David Shier, Jackie Butler, and Ricki Lewis), Hole’s Human Anatomy and Physiology Lab Manual (Terry Martin), and An Introduction to Chemistry for Biology Students (George Sackheim) Course Location: Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, VA; instructor: [instructor's name] Physics with Lab (1 credit) Description: This course provides a detailed introduction to the methods and concepts of general physics. Heavily emphasizing vector analysis, it is ideal preparation for a university-level physics course. It provides the student with a strong background in one-dimensional and two-dimensional motion, Newton’s laws and their application, gravity, work and energy, momentum, periodic motion, waves, optics, electrostatics, electrodynamics, electrical circuits, and magnetism. The course requires the completion of 34 labs covering topics such as velocity, acceleration, air resistance, vectors, horizontal speed, inertia, frictional force, centripetal force, energy, momentum, Hooke’s Law, frequency and volume of sound waves, real and virtual images, simple circuits, Oersted’s experiment, and much more. Lab reports are required on all labs. Materials: Exploring Creation with Physics (Dr. Jay Wile, Apologia Educational Ministries) and Physics Science Kit (Home Science Tools, lab set for Exploring Creation with Physics)