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Maybe can't afford Chalkdust Algebra afterall... good alternative?


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Chalkdust Prealgebra was a hit, worked well, dd loves Prof. Mosely, wants to stick with the program.

 

I just don't know if we can afford it... Not sure I want to take money out of savings just for math, but I'm afraid NOT to do that, kwim?

 

Sigh... will keep my eyes open for used but in the meantime, what would you recommend if I really can't go the expensive route for math? Or do you recommend I skimp in other areas and make sure we stick with the math that we know works for us (especially algebra sequence).

 

Brain is spinning, as I never thought I'd have to consider math texts again (thought we'd found our math for life!! :). Now here I am, needing to order something and I haven't been paying attention to algebra threads whatsoever.

 

Thanks,

Robin

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I love the videos from Hotmath.com and I was able to understand them better than Chalkdust for Geometry. Dr. Burger's videos for College Algebra and Pre-Cal are more consise (shorter). They were only $29/yr. You can view samples online.

 

I will say I had to follow dd along in math with these so that I could explain concepts if she didn't get enough from the videos.

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This is from Pongo's posts:

 

algebra 1

Elementary Algebra the same as Algebra 1

Student textbook put out by Chalkdust ISBN-13: 978-0618107742 -- $10.00 on amazon right now

Student textbook for less… ISBN-13: 978-0618753871 (doesn’t say Chalkdust) -- $21.70 on amazon right now

Solution Guide by CD ISBN-13: 978-0618107773 -- $17.20 on amazon right now

Solution Guide not by CD (cheaper) ISBN: 9780618388196 -- $3.64 on amazon right now

Videos ISBN-13: 9780618388233 (Make sure you get 6 videos) - can't find this one on amazon

 

I really like Kinetic Books Algebra I. It's on sale right now. A one-year online subscription is $34.95. A single-user only cd-rom is $39.95. They have a trial.

http://www.kineticbooks.com

 

Jacobs is also a good program. It's generally easy to find 2nd-hand.

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You can buy the Houghton Mifflin versions of the Chalkdust DVDs, text, and Solutions Guide for around $80 total, including shipping. Chalkdust originally produced the DVDs for Houghton Mifflin, then they decided to put their own covers on the DVDs and books, mark the price up by $100s, and sell to homeschoolers. You do get tech support from Chalkdust if you buy through them, but personally I'd rather save the $200-$300! I've saved over $1000 by buying the HM versions.

 

The new version of the Algebra DVDs includes both Alg I & Alg II (13 discs total), and you can either use them with the separate Alg I & II Larson texts or with Larson's Combined Course textbook. I would recommend the separate texts if your student hasn't done Alg I before, because the combined text seems to move quite quickly through Alg I. When you start the DVD it asks you which textbook you're using and gives you the correct lectures for that book.

 

Here is a link for the DVDs, new for $33:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618753966/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

 

Textbook, used starting under $30:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0618753532/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249077823&sr=1-1

 

Solutions Guide, used starting at $4:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0618388192/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249077900&sr=1-1

 

If you want to google around and look for them elsewhere, here are the ISBNs:

DVDs: ISBN 0618753966

Elementary Algebra text: ISBN 9780618753536

Solutions Guide: ISBN 9780618388196

 

Jackie

 

ETA: The original Algebra I DVDs (that Angie posted the ISBN for in the post above mine) are very difficult to find, since the publisher discontinued them. Many people here (including me) had no luck finding them, or ordered them only to have the orders later cancelled. I'd recommend getting the "new" version -- especially since you get Algebra II included for the same price!

Edited by Corraleno
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Jackie, have you actually used these DVDs? Are they Dr. Mosely?

 

I'm wondering how many lectures (or number of lecture hours) are on the DVDs. Is there a lecture for every lesson?

 

Why am I scared to order something without knowing for sure what it is? I would feel better if I could get a little feedback from someone who has actually gone this route and felt they got the real deal...

 

Thanks so much!

Robin

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They line up with the Table of Contents/Lessons in Elementary and Intermediate Algebra by Larson.

 

The 13 DVDs contain over 52 hours of lectures by Dr. Mosely.

 

I paid $34 for them from Amazon Marketplace Seller named Oddyssey. It took a few weeks to receive them. They were new and in shrink wrap.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618753966/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

 

I ordered the Combined Text and the solutions manual mentioned in Pongo's post. Both arrived in great condition.

 

Student Text (Combined)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618388362/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

Solutions Manual (Combined)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618388389/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

 

hth

K

Edited by NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too
Added links to textbooks
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They come shrink-wrapped in two 6x12 cardstock folders (much like the SOTW CDs). They look like they came directly from Houghton Mifflin .

 

The cover says:

 

Mathematic Instructional DVD Series

 

STUDENT SUPPORT EDITION DVD PROGRAM

FOURTH EDITION

 

FOR USE WITH:

Elementary Algebra

Elementary and Intermediate Algebra

Intermediate Algebra

 

Larson/Hosetetler

 

Now with captions for hearing impaired

 

The back contains informaiton about "Dynamic math instructor..." and how it's "organized by your textbook's Table of Contents..."

 

 

System Specifications:

Windows 800 MHz or faster processor

Windows 2000 or XP

16x faster DVD drive with DVD playing software installed

256 MB Ram or higher

800x600 or higher resolution (1024x768 recommended)

Windows Media Player 10

I get the impression that these DVDs are what Houghton Mifflin sells the schools.

 

hth

K

 

Videos can be viewed on a standard DVD player .....

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:iagree:

Yes, they are "the real deal" -- the startup screen for the DVDs says "Produced by Chalkdust" and it is Dana Mosely giving the lectures.

 

If you read Pongo's thread (she's the one who figured out all the ISBNs and generously shared the info), quite a few people ordered the HM DVDs and confirmed that they are indeed produced by Chalkdust. Pongo also confirmed that the lectures correlated with the text chapters. I bought Prealgebra, Alg I & II, and Precalculus using the ISBNs in Pongo's thread, and they are all Chalkdust-produced, and they are all in the shrink-wrapped cardboard folders produced by HM.

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89513&highlight=chalkdust+%24%24%24

 

Jackie

Edited by Corraleno
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They come shrink-wrapped in two 6x12 cardstock folders (much like the SOTW CDs). They look like they came directly from Houghton Mifflin .

 

The cover says:

 

Mathematic Instructional DVD Series

 

STUDENT SUPPORT EDITION DVD PROGRAM

FOURTH EDITION

 

FOR USE WITH:

Elementary Algebra

Elementary and Intermediate Algebra

Intermediate Algebra

 

Larson/Hosetetler

 

Now with captions for hearing impaired

 

The back contains informaiton about "Dynamic math instructor..." and how it's "organized by your textbook's Table of Contents..."

 

 

System Specifications:

Windows 800 MHz or faster processor

Windows 2000 or XP

16x faster DVD drive with DVD playing software installed

256 MB Ram or higher

800x600 or higher resolution (1024x768 recommended)

Windows Media Player 10

I get the impression that these DVDs are what Houghton Mifflin sells the schools.

 

hth

K

 

Videos can be viewed on a standard DVD player .....

 

I got the same ones. They came shrink wrapped in a cardboard holder. I paid @$30.

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Oh, thank you all so very, very much!! One last question... are we certain the solutions guide is the right one? I see that it has a copyright date of 2003/2004 but the book and dvds are 2007/2008? If someone has these and can check and confirm that they match up even though the dates don't, that would be great!

 

Does the solutions guide give solutions to all problems or just the odds or just the evens or something like that? What about tests and chapter reviews, etc?

 

P.S. I put that ISBN (for the solutions guide) into Barnes and Noble and the solutions guide that came up is published by Cengage, not HM. Odd numbered problems only. Does that sound right??? Also, the ISBM for the textbook is a Cengage 2007 text. Here is a link to a fourth edition Larson Elementary Algebra which is published by HM. Are we sure that the DVDs everyone ordered match up with the textbooks?

 

http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Algebra-Fourth-Hostetler-Patrick/dp/0618753877/ref=pd_cp_b_2

 

P.P.S. I am also seeing that the ISBN for the textbook is showing up as an instructor's annotated edition with all answers. Can someone help clarify? Thanks again so much!!

Edited by Robin in Tx
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They line up with the Table of Contents/Lessons in Elementary and Intermediate Algebra by Larson.

 

The 13 DVDs contain over 52 hours of lectures by Dr. Mosely.

 

I paid $34 for them from Amazon Marketplace Seller named Oddyssey. It took a few weeks to receive them. They were new and in shrink wrap.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618753966/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

 

I ordered the Combined Text and the solutions manual mentioned in Pongo's post. Both arrived in great condition.

 

Student Text (Combined)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618388362/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

Solutions Manual (Combined)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618388389/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

 

hth

K

 

I ordered this set from Amazon also...Had it all within 2 weeks and it cost under $50!!!

I am thrilled because I NEVER thought we could afford this program.

 

~~Faithe

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Houghton Mifflin is now Cengage; it's the same company, new name.

 

I have this Elementary text (it's not a teacher's manual, just a student text):

http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Algebra-Fourth-Hostetler-Patrick/dp/0618753877/ref=pd_cp_b_2

 

And I have this Solutions Guide:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0618388192/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&qid=1249089284&sr=8-1&condition=used

 

The Solutions Guide has answers for the odd practice problems and for ALL the review and test questions.

 

As long as the text and solutions guide are the same edition (e.g. mine are 4th edition) you should be fine.

 

Jackie

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I'm sorry for being so difficult and dense... the book you just linked me to is a little different than the earlier link you gave me.

 

Before, you linked me to this edition: http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...9077823&sr=1-1

 

But you are saying you have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Alg.../ref=pd_cp_b_2

 

 

Are they the same but different covers? It's the first ISBN that I'm running into problems with (many are teacher's annotated versions)

 

Thanks again, Robin

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The links I posted earlier were ones I pulled from Pongo's thread, since my own books were in a box in another part of the house. When you said it might not be right, I went and dug up my own copies, and searched Amazon for the ISBNs that were on the actual books I have. So I know those definitely work. :001_smile: I think as long as the books you buy all say "Fourth Edition," you should be fine, even if the year is slightly different.

 

Jackie

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When you start up the DVD it asks you which textbook you're using. You click on Elementary Algebra, then the chapter you want to work on. Then it shows the exact table of contents for that chapter. For example, if you are working on 3.2 Equations that Reduce to Linear Form in the text, you click on "Chapter 3," then on the button that says "3.2 Equations that Reduce to Linear Form" in the DVD menu.

 

The DVDs were commissioned by HM/Cengage specifically to accompany these texts (they are sold as a set to various schools and colleges), so each lecture is explicitly correlated with the text lessons. Maybe that wasn't clear from the earlier posts -- these aren't lectures that were done for a generic Algebra course, or that were done for different books than the ones listed. It says right on the front cover of the DVD package:

 

"Student Support Edition DVD Program, Fourth Edition, for use with:

Elementary Algebra

Elementary and Intermediate Algebra

Intermediate Algebra

Larson & Hostetler"

 

Hope that helps!

Jackie

 

Jackie

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Yes, that is very helpful. I understand better now. I guess I was getting worried about there being more than one "fourth edition" out there and didn't know if the lectures for the edition that the DVDs were made for actually lined up with the chapters of *all* fourth editions (or do the lectures line up with only one certain book).

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Apparently the 2007 version of the 4th edition, called the "Student Support Edition" (the one I linked earlier that I got from Pongo's thread), just adds study tips and "student success materials" -- the mathematical content is identical (I just checked the TOCs for both books). If they changed the content, it would be a new edition. So as long as all your components say "Fourth Edition," you're good. :001_smile:

 

Jackie

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Guest Martha2

Does anyone have a link for the alternative to CD Geometry? We could not afford it, but would use it if their were a cheaper alternative. Thank you!

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