gingersmom Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 This will be my daughters second year of homeschooling and I am thinking about having her take a science class via The University of Missouri. We used Apologia this past year which she liked but I am now looking for something secular and a bit more challenging for her. I like the idea of someone else coming up with a syllabus and tests and her being responsible to someone else. On the flip side it will be probably about $200 more than if I was to purchase the materials myself. Anyone with experience care to chime in? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 My experiences with online classes so far have not been very favorable. I have taken three graduate level courses online. The course delivery model that this school uses is to provide a reading list and paper topics and you're supposed to just go for it. There was zero intellectual discourse, except between the books and papers I was reading and me. There was a grader on the other side of the computer that would give a grade and a few comments. Not worth the money. My son is currently taking a tech elective at the K12 iCademy. I am even less impressed with this course than I was with my graduate courses. The course is a canned series of screens that he reads through and an automated quiz at the end of each section. The he is to go offline and do an assignment (in this case it is to create a computer game). There is a "teacher" that has never once answered his questions. I think it's possible that she doesn't really understand what she is "teaching"/grading. He also tried a Keystone Spanish course, but that didn't work out, and I withdrew him. Ditto for a K12 Spanish course. Part of that was the online aspect and part of it was that he has dyslexia and foreign languages are very difficult for him. I'm sorry I can't be more positive. I really wanted to be able to use online classes, but it doesn't seem to work well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 We've only done one on line course so far. It was much more expensive, but knowing that there was another teacher to whom my son was accountable was worth SO much!!!! My d.s. got to see his work through another teacher's eyes. Not just mine. I felt like it helped him grow as a student to have another set of eyes on his work. She was an expert in her field and helped him beyond what I could have (or any CD or DVD course could have!). Good luck with your decision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 We've only done one on line course so far. It was much more expensive, but knowing that there was another teacher to whom my son was accountable was worth SO much!!!! My d.s. got to see his work through another teacher's eyes. Not just mine. I felt like it helped him grow as a student to have another set of eyes on his work. She was an expert in her field and helped him beyond what I could have (or any CD or DVD course could have!). Good luck with your decision! :iagree: This has been true of my oldest dd who has taken a few classes online. It was also a way to inject variety into her learning experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in AL Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 My kids have taken a few online classes. Ds has taken one more than dd. I would imagine what one gets out of a class depends on the subject. My kids have both taken writing classes with two different online companies. We started easy due to the cost and due to the fact that we didn't know if we would like it--- a 6 week writing class. It went well, and they proceeded to take the next two classes. The next writing class was a year-long writing class... while I thought the amount of writing was not enough, I must say they both got a lot of experience in self-editing and writing different types of papers. The feedback/critiquing was invaluable to me, as I would not have caught/suggested anywhere near what their writing coaches did. Would I do it again if I could go back in time? Yes. My ds has also just completed an online Latin class and is signed up for the fall in Latin II. This worked really well for him. I do suspect that part of the reason it worked so well was that there is no speaking needed. We are *very* impressed with this class. Pluses of the online classes for me have been that I don't have to plan or teach the material. The kids report to someone other than 'mom', which, oddly, makes them try a bit harder, and teaches them accountability. Also, they learn to budget their time and keep a schedule. The cons are the cost and the fact that we used synchronus classes, so we had to be at the computer at a certain time each week. Also, sometimes the asignments interfeared with our lives/plans. Such is life. We dealt with it. You should search the forums here for online classes, as there are many threads about this subject. Many posters have listed their favorite (and not so favorite). Maybe this will give you a place to start. Here are a few links to get you started: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178539&highlight=online+classes http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177647&highlight=online+classes http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=175583&highlight=online+classes HTH!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 We've had great success with online classes. I took a few in college and loved the independence of them. My children have all taken online classes both through FLVS (Florida Online) and college courses online. A lot depends on how self-motivated the child is. I stress to my children that online doesn't mean 'whenever you get around to it' but instead we have pace charts and time frames that we are very strict about adhering to. I believe that until a child shows that they can handle the schedule on their own that parental involvement is key to establishing a routine. Some online classes are better than others. We've had the most success with those administered by the state virtual school and the colleges (both in state and out of state). We've also taken some classes through Universalclass.com and found those to be quite good. I like that the children report to someone other than myself for these classes. It is good experience. I did have an unsatisfactory experience with a local homeschooler that offers writing classes. I found that the feedback was lacking and overall it was not worth the time and money. I would be careful about those types of courses. Get feedback before enrolling in any course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 here are some other threads: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152889&highlight=scholars+online http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166015&highlight=scholars+online http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142416&highlight=scholars+online http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169086&highlight=scholars+online We have taken advantage of many online classes. Partly because a subject matter was complex enough that I did not have the time or energy to re-learn (or learn from scratch) ahead of my kids and still homeschool all my children. Another benefit was the input of an outside teacher. A third was getting used to firm deadlines. Here has been our experience: Illinois Virtual High School: Biology was OK, but not very challenging. I think the content was provided through Class.com. First semester, the teacher really encouraged class discussion via the message boards and gave points for participation. Second semester - the teacher wasn't as responsive and there was an influx of kids who were failing the in-person class and needed a science credit to graduate. They were not serious students and a royal PITA. I was completely unimpressed with the Spanish class. My son did not learn any Spanish, yet got an A in the class. Regina Coeli Online Academy: Latin (one son is doing Wheelocks and the other is doing Henle). This has been the BEST online class so far. Synchronous - meaning live meeting time. Audio from the instructor and students respond by typing on the white board. My kids did respectable on the National Latin Exam and they are engaged in the class. Gifted Learning Links through CTY at Northwestern U: Chemistry (Honors). A terribly expensive class for a syllabus and a sometimes grader. No instruction. No class interaction because they have rolling enrollments. My son taught himself from a college level textbook. Complete waste of money. Scholars Online: AP Physics B. Okay experience, but not great. Synchronous, but completely text based - no audio content. The class was less interesting with this format, but the class text log is archived so students can go back to it. Very slow grading and unclear standards (while a grading scale is posted, very unclear what each component is worth in the total grade.) So, what I am saying is that the quality of the courses is hit or miss. I find the best courses have involved instructors who strive to provide class interaction. It is harder to do this in asynchronous classes, but can be done if the instructor makes that part of the course grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 The benefit for us: *my daughter can take classes that I do not feel competent to teach *they provide the ever-elusive, in our case, deadlines and external motivation. *test taking skills *They're fun. We would not pay for an online class b/c it's fun but for the first, especially and the second, well, we've done it. The Math at cybeRShala is great. I am too math-stupid to do it myself, they have a great teacher, use all the material I feel is important (text, wkbk AND IP and CWP), my daughter finds it motivating and we are very happy with the math ed she's getting. The Latin at Lonepine Classical is just great, I feel we're actually learning latin, my girl got a gold medal on the NLE, it's fun and motivating. If I didn't think I was getting my money's worth, though, I'd drop it like a hot potato! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 (edited) *** Edited March 1, 2023 by J-rap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabd22 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 My dd 11 took several classes this year with FLVS. It was a very positive experience for her. She enjoyed the independence and made great strides in her learning. We have signed her up for a couple more next school year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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