Red Wagon Biology -- live or not?

[Guest cookquiver]

Just a quick question for those of you who have done one or the other. My twin sons will be in 9th grade next year and I was looking around for something to liven up the Apologia text, which I am not greatly taken with. My oldest just did Apologia at home as is.

 

I can clearly see from reading many of your past comments and watching the samples on Mr. Rosenoff's website that his teaching would add a lot to the course. And I don't love the Apologia tests, so having his provided would be nice as well.

 

However, if I can buy his videos and have access to all the recordings to load on their iPods or whatever, and have access to all the class notes, website links, tests and answer keys ... wouldn't I just do that? For those of you who have done just this, have you regretted not doing the live class and what do you think your kids missed?

 

And for those of you have done the live class, what did you think? And after having done it, do you feel like they would have gotten pretty much the same thing out of it had they used the recordings on their own?

 

Having the DVDs allows us to watch them together, which is fun, and my 17 year old son could watch along and get all the stuff he didn't with just the text. Also with twins, having the DVDs is double savings. I assume I can use all the material twice versus signing up for two online classes.

 

However, the class sounds fun, and after having had my son use NorthStar for Apologia Physics, I have discovered that their lab write-ups look much nicer when they are turned into someone else.

 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Also I saw someone had mentioned in one of the previous threads about his personality possibly being a problem for some. Could you address that as well. He is no longer at Potter's School or Apologia Academy. Is there a reason for that?

 

Any positives or negatives or arguments one way or the other would be greatly appreciated. Trying to make a decision soon.

 

Thanks so much,

 

Valerie

 

Mom to 17 ds, 13 twins sons, 8 ds, 7 dd

 

PS Thanks for your recommendations regarding the French teacher at TPS. We just signed up. My kids loved their English class there last year.

Edited June 26, 2010 by cookquiver
Forgot to sign

[mjbucks1]

Valerie,

My son has just finished the chapter 3 in Apologia Biology using the CD course by Steve Rosenoff (I purchades ours from the Apologia web site). I love it, and he does as well. The lectures add so much to the course. The lecture for each chapter is about three hours (I have my son read half of the text one week, then listen to the corresponding part of the lecture..it is marked on the CDs). There are lecture notes, examples of formal labs for EVERY lab (Mr. Rosenoff has his students do 4 formal labs in the course which is what I am having ds do), and WONDERFUL tests for each chapter, which includes essay questions (I really like them much better than the Apologia tests).

I would think the only downside is that you do not have a live teacher to answer your questions at that moment, but Mr. Rosenoff gives you a phone number and e-mail so you can contact him directly with any questions:) I personally like this option because we are not tied to a set date and time for the class (for example, ds is working his way through biology this summer). And of course for you there would be a cost savings as well. Mr. Rosenoff is engaging and fun to listen to, as well. Hope this helps :)