Junior high on line course?

[Faithr]

Hi all,

 

I'm trying to compile a list of of good on line courses for potential use by my 12 year old. I'd love to hear other people's experiences with their 7th graders and on line courses.

 

We've got math and Latin covered at home, but lit, writing, science and history are possible subjects for courses. My son is especially interested in art and music history.

 

Thanks for any input!

[Crimson Wife]

I see you're Catholic- have you look into CLAA? I've got no personal experience with them as my kids are still young, but it's something I'm keeping in mind for down the road.

[Gratia271]

Do you have any feedback from others in terms of the caliber of the online instruction for CLAA? I wasted significant money this year on Memoria Press Academy which turned out to provide (below) marginal instruction (euphemism). Before I invest $$$ again, I would greatly appreciate hearing about successful experiences of others.

[Faithr]

CLAA doesn't appeal to me at all. I might be Catholic but I just don't care for the director's style at all.

 

I was actually looking at Memoria's online classes. How exactly do they work, or don't work, as the case may be?

 

I know of Regina Coeli's jr high on line, called Agnus Dei. We did a couple of classes with them a long, long time ago. There were things we liked and things we didn't like.

 

Homeschoolconnectionsonline.com has some really interesting looking courses. We took one on Beowulf when they were first starting out. It had a few glitches but was largely just a lecture/discussion class with no writing element. However, they have expanded quickly in a short period of time and I'm not sure how they go. But perversely any class we are interested in is at a bad time for us.

[amtmcm]

My DD loves her class with Rick Davis at Veritas Press Scholars Academy. She is taking Omnibus II Secondary with him and he is highly qualified, brings a lot of knowledge to the class and does an outstanding job of facilitating discussion between the students. It's a great balance of him imparting knowledge and Socratic-style discussion between the kids. He also teaches Logic and Omnibus IV.

 

We are looking forward to DD taking more VPSA classes in the future. Their 2011/12 schedule will be posted at the end of January. And no, I'm not affiliated with VPSA in any way, other than as a parent of a student. :)

 

http://resource2.veritaspress.com/Resources/Scholars_Online/Scholars_Online_New_Schedule_Page.html

[Laura in STL]

I am very interested in replies to this post, as I have the same question. My oldest is going into sixth next year. He is doing Latina Christiana with Memoria Press Online this year. We are happy with the instruction, and he is doing very well in the course. I have no experience with anything other than their Latin, but I think they do have a music appreciation course.

 

I'd love to hear more about what you liked/disliked about Regina Coeli. I have looked at that as a possibility as we are Catholic, too.

 

I have heard others mention that Veritas materials are not appropriate for Catholics, but I have no personal experience with them.

[Sunshine State Sue]

This is our 2nd year with History at our House. You may read my review here and here. Also, if you email (not PM) me, I can send you a sample of tests and more.

 

Music at our House is a new program that is starting January 18th. I can offer no review, but the syllabus looks intriguing and the instructor is qualified.

 

Laurel Tree Tutorials offers literature and composition for junior high and high school. I've only heard positive reviews, though I have no experience. I plan to use the high school composition class next year.

 

This year, we are using Derek Owens for Physics. He also offers a physical science class that I imagine would be appropriate for 8th grade. You may read my review of the physics class here. Again, email me if you would like to see sample hw, lab, test.

 

HTH!

[Stacy in NJ]

It's a Christian school with a Christian perspective. They offer a wide variety of classes in every subject. The courses are generally considered rigorous or of good quality.

 

http://www.pottersschool.org/

[Faithr]

@Laura - there was much we liked about Regina Coeli. We took a summer writing course that was basically rewriting a fairy tale of your choice (my dd picked Rapunzel) in various ways. For instance first you were only allowed to use 500 words. Then the next week you had to use only 200 (or something like that). It was a great exercise in learning to summarize. So that was a fun course. We then signed up for another course, I can't remember now for the life of me what it was called, but we kept having computer trouble, we found the 'class' method where kids were typing in questions and answers very cumbersome and confusing and also we found the teacher a bit arrogant or highhanded. So we didn't appreciate that course so much. We started the progymnastmata which my son really liked a lot. That is a different style of class and didn't have the cumbersome class meeting aspect to it. However, my dad died and all kinds of craziness ensued from that and we never finished the course. We only took writing courses with RC/AD. So Laura, what kind of interaction/feedback does a student get in the Latin class at Memoria Press?

 

@Gratia - what class did you take with Memoria? Why did you feel you didn't get adequate instruction? What kind of interaction do you have with the instructor?

 

@Sue in St. Pete - those classes look incredible. Especially the History at My House stuff! I'm excited to look into those resources. Thanks!

 

Thank you all for your suggestions! I've also heard VP is not a good fit for Catholics though I love their catalog! And I'm also intimidated by Potters School as it seems very intensely academic. Don't know if it would be a good fit for my son.

 

Thanks again everyone. I so appreciate the input!

Edited January 9, 2011 by Faithr
typos

[coffeefreak]

My DD loves her class with Rick Davis at Veritas Press Scholars Academy. She is taking Omnibus II Secondary with him and he is highly qualified, brings a lot of knowledge to the class and does an outstanding job of facilitating discussion between the students. It's a great balance of him imparting knowledge and Socratic-style discussion between the kids. He also teaches Logic and Omnibus IV.

 

We are looking forward to DD taking more VPSA classes in the future. Their 2011/12 schedule will be posted at the end of January. And no, I'm not affiliated with VPSA in any way, other than as a parent of a student. :)

 

http://resource2.veritaspress.com/Resources/Scholars_Online/Scholars_Online_New_Schedule_Page.html

 

We've been looking into this. Do you have her enrolled in other VP courses? Are you going to enroll her in the accredited program?

:bigear:

Blessings!

Dorinda

[amtmcm]

We've been looking into this. Do you have her enrolled in other VP courses? Are you going to enroll her in the accredited program?

:bigear:

Blessings!

Dorinda

 

 

Hi Dorinda, DD also attends Classical Conversations Challenge B classes, plus we do our own science and math at home, so one VP class is all she can squeeze in right now. She adores her CC classmates, so she's not willing to give it up for more VPSA classes.

 

Next year she will take Omnibus III Primary at VPSA which will coordinate nicely with CC Challenge 1 (some of the same readings) and she might sign up for their Fiction Writing class. I'm also considering the Spanish class since it would provide the opportunity to speak with an instructor twice a week instead of the once per week which is typical of other co-op type classes.

 

Overall, the way the classes are run and organized is very well structured. We like the live discussion (and I enjoy listening in too) and the concurrent, live chat room adds a whole other element of learning.

 

Hope this helps,

Ann

[Sunshine State Sue]

And I'm also intimidated by Potters School as it seems very intensely academic. Don't know if it would be a good fit for my son.

 

IMO, the quality and intensity of TPS classes varies widely with the teacher. I believe I've heard outstanding things about French, mixed reviews about English, outstanding things about Advanced Composition. I investigated the computer programming classes last year and found some of the teachers were good and some were disorganized.

 

Note that some of the classes have a good bit of parental involvement (ex. checking the student's work and giving the grade to the teacher) and others don't.

 

My 9th grader is taking Java this year. I don't find the workload particularly rigorous. In fact, if it wasn't an elective, I'd feel a bit uncomfortable about granting a high school credit for the amount of time ds puts in. There are only 7 assignments due during the year. They won't cover input to/output from a file, which I would think is essential. And at only 32 weeks per year instead of the 36 weeks that are typical, I see it as kind of light. OTOH, the teacher is fairly organized and friendly and helpful and definitely knowledgeable. I like that the teacher does all the grading. IMO, TPS is definitely nothing to be intimidated by unless you are taking Advanced Composition and writing is not your strength (that's assuming you can pass the placement test anyway).

[8filltheheart]

And I'm also intimidated by Potters School as it seems very intensely academic. t!

 

Faith,

 

You might want to look at TPS's SOF. It has prevented me from even looking at their courses.

 

FWIW, the only online programs that I have been satisfied with are PAH (only high school level courses) and GBA's Socratic discussions.

 

I really don't want to get into a discussion on the forum,, but I have tried several of the ones mentioned + others (though only for high school and not ms), but I will not re-use or recommend them.

 

PAH has been great. GBA"s discussions were wonderful, but the grading of essays was rather pathetic.

[abbeyej]

We use Derek Owens for math (a local class, but we still also use the online components), and he's great. He also offers a "physical science" course for 7th-9th graders and a physics course for high school students. We're definitely planning to continue taking courses with him after this year. I love the way he eases middle schoolers into taking notes and getting used to being responsible for turning in homework, keeping to deadlines, etc.

[Gratia271]

Faith,

 

You might want to look at TPS's SOF. It has prevented me from even looking at their courses.

 

FWIW, the only online programs that I have been satisfied with are PAH (only high school level courses) and GBA's Socratic discussions.

 

I really don't want to get into a discussion on the forum,, but I have tried several of the ones mentioned + others (though only for high school and not ms), but I will not re-use or recommend them.

 

PAH has been great. GBA"s discussions were wonderful, but the grading of essays was rather pathetic.

 

Thanks for these recommendations!

[Gratia271]

 

@Gratia - what class did you take with Memoria? Why did you feel you didn't get adequate instruction? What kind of interaction do you have with the instructor?

 

 

 

Two of the classes are Latin. Due to some horrific trials in our family, I decided to use MP for Latin instruction this past Fall despite the fact that I know it well. The HS class does not even comport with the class description. I suspected lack of instruction from the teacher in my younger two students' class, so I decided to view the videos. The teacher is not even proficient in Latin. Further, the class is structured such that the student is to come to class having already completed the lesson that the lecture is to be about. Typically, students are taught a lesson prior to doing an assignment on the content. In addition, there were mistakes on every online quiz my children took. When I brought one in particular to the attention of the administrator, he didn't even understand the mistake. Apparently, he does not know English grammar.

 

With regard to any grading that is not computerized, there is either no feedback until I ask for a grade or there is a lag of 2-3 months with no detailed feedback at any time.

 

I brought all of the foregoing to the attention of key people at MP/HLS. There was NO REPLY. They have their money in full, as they now require payment up front in full for the year. Apparently, all they value is the money. They certainly acknowledge no accountability. We removed our younger two from their class, and the teacher never even missed them.

 

The unethical conduct and lack of accountability from a "christian" organization frankly disgusts me.

[Faithr]

What is PAH?

 

Thanks.

[Faithr]

Wow! That sounds like a terrible experience! Thanks for sharing.

[Gratia271]

I think PAH is Pennsylvania Home schoolers here.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Wow! That sounds like a terrible experience! Thanks for sharing.

Yes, do your homework.

 

We used Home2Teach for 3 sessions of writing. I can't recommend them, though some people have had better experiences with them.

[Faithr]

I checked out PAH. It seems to be only for high schoolers? I had forgotten that a couple of years ago I'd checked them out for music theory for my then high schooler but wound up not doing. (That high schooler just got accepted into a music conservatory!!!). I might be interested in the PAH Human Geography for my current 10th grader.

 

But anyhoo, we are talking of middle schoolers!

 

The Memoria class that looked attractive to me was this

 

Btw, two on line classes I've used before with pretty good success are www.writeguide.com and the intro to logic course at lphrc.org. The latter is Catholic though I don't think that figures into the logic course. It is a basic intro like Traditional Logic I only the kids do it on the computer and the format was more appealing to my son than using a workbook. The Writeguide is one on one. I think my rising 7th grader would benefit from a writing class so he could see what others are writing as well.

[coffeefreak]

Hi Dorinda, DD also attends Classical Conversations Challenge B classes, plus we do our own science and math at home, so one VP class is all she can squeeze in right now. She adores her CC classmates, so she's not willing to give it up for more VPSA classes.

 

Next year she will take Omnibus III Primary at VPSA which will coordinate nicely with CC Challenge 1 (some of the same readings) and she might sign up for their Fiction Writing class. I'm also considering the Spanish class since it would provide the opportunity to speak with an instructor twice a week instead of the once per week which is typical of other co-op type classes.

 

Overall, the way the classes are run and organized is very well structured. We like the live discussion (and I enjoy listening in too) and the concurrent, live chat room adds a whole other element of learning.

 

Hope this helps,

Ann

 

Thanks Ann! That is a great help! :D

Blessings!

Dorinda

[Enjoyinglife365]

Xxxxxx

[Jyniffrec]

There are online classes available from an Eastern Orthodox perspective here. Since you are Roman Catholic you might find them compatible. I don't have any experience with it so I can't vouch either way as to the quality of the courses.

[Stacy in NJ]

this is our second year using TPS and I wasn't even aware they had a statement of faith. Parents and students are not required to sign it.

 

Ds took a Logo to Lego class last year. Other than starting the class with a very short prayer, there was no religious content whatsoever.

 

This year he's taking Apologia Physical and because of the text there is discussion about old vs. young earth and issues regarding global warming. And while they've discussed these issue, it was done in a rather balanced way. The teacher expressed her opinion but also explained why others disagreed. I'm an old earthy myself and had zero problems with the way it was discussed.

 

TPS is a Christian organization, but I, as a primarily secular homeschooler, have had only minor issues with the content of their classes. Those issue have been great opportunites for discussion with my ds.

 

Faith,

 

You might want to look at TPS's SOF. It has prevented me from even looking at their courses.

 

FWIW, the only online programs that I have been satisfied with are PAH (only high school level courses) and GBA's Socratic discussions.

 

I really don't want to get into a discussion on the forum,, but I have tried several of the ones mentioned + others (though only for high school and not ms), but I will not re-use or recommend them.

 

PAH has been great. GBA"s discussions were wonderful, but the grading of essays was rather pathetic.

Edited January 10, 2011 by Stacy in NJ

[Faithr]

Thank you Jennifer! I want to take those courses! Never mind my kids! I'd never heard of that resource. I am so attracted to Eastern Orthodox stuff, so thanks so much for the link!

 

And thanks Stacy in NJ for your input about TPS. It is good to hear different perspectives.

[Jyniffrec]

Thank you Jennifer! I want to take those courses! Never mind my kids! I'd never heard of that resource. I am so attracted to Eastern Orthodox stuff, so thanks so much for the link!

 

And thanks Stacy in NJ for your input about TPS. It is good to hear different perspectives.

 

They are tempting. I would be enrolled this year but saw it too late.

[Bloggermom]

Park City Independent offers online self-paced, accredited middle school courses you can start and finish anytime. My son is using them and is doing fantastic! http://www.parkcityindependent.com/

[Beth in SW WA]

Faith,

 

You might want to look at TPS's SOF. It has prevented me from even looking at their courses.

 

 

 

 

this is our second year using TPS and I wasn't even aware they had a statement of faith. Parents and students are not required to sign it.

 

 

We've used TPS for years. My former high school teacher is a co-founder. You won't find a better online school. I'm confident you can rest easy.

 

Dd is currently taking English 2 with Mrs. Frederick, World Geography with Mrs. Runkle, US History with Mr. Crosby. We've taken Latin from Mr. Spotts.

 

Excellent program. No complaints. Only praise.

 

Hope you find something that fits your needs. :)

Edited January 11, 2011 by Beth in SW WA
clarify

[Gratia271]

Regarding TPS, what level of accountability exists between teacher and parent and between teacher and student?

[Stacy in NJ]

Regarding TPS, what level of accountability exists between teacher and parent and between teacher and student?

 

TPS web site includes a class "board" or page. The teacher posts the syllabus and all class information (assignments, tests, policies) and updates it weekly if not daily. Once a week the class meets online; the teacher lectures and the class discusses content. If a student presentation was scheduled, that may consume some class time as well. Frequently tests are online and are password protected. Grades are posted on the student/parents private page. The parent is copied on all communication to the student. Many of the classes include a chat board where the students can post questions or chat about the class.

 

Parents are definately in the loop. If a student fails to complete an assignment the teacher probably won't send a reminder or contact the parent, but all grades are accessible to parents on the student's page.

 

Hope this information helps.

[Gratia271]

Thanks!