10th grade plan + university scheduling in home school settings

[johnandtinagilbert]

So, since he's my first and I made a few mistakes early on, there will be some repetition in his schooling so we can meet CC req't. I had to teach a few things while he was in high school, then he'll actually take the CC classes for credit. That's why you'll see Comp twice: once for 1st introduction and again for actual high school/college credit. My plan is to full time enroll him by 11th grade at the local CC.

 

 

 

I'm thinking about switching up my son a bit and getting him ready to the faster pace of college (which he will attend in Spring 2012) by using some university scheduling. I thought, we'd do the following classes at double pace. I need to say this aloud and get your wise feedback :) Thank you!

 

FWIW: This summer he’s finishing up Algebra 2 and Honors Biology b/c he is completing the entire texts and won’t quite be finished by the end of the year, which is July 1 for us.

 

1st semester:

Geometry Honors ((FLVS) FL Virtual School - complete course in 1 semester)

 

Composition (finishing up Write Shop 2) (if we finish early, he'll pick up the pace elsewhere. I want to teach this to him b4 he goes to CC, so he will be repeating some genres, but that's okay by me and he needs the writing practice, as he's a math kid) This shouldn’t take long, so I can add in another “class†without much trouble. That class will be Physical Science Hon.

At regular pace:

Latin

TOG4 - streamlined to be history primarily, but still simply reading the literature. We will have 7 discussions about lit. for the year, so I'll limit our "focus" and time in TOG. We will skip the Gov't, except reading gov't documents and discussing them for about 15 min. each. We will read everything, but only use TOG as History Credit. This will be my last year of pure TOG with him (sniff, sniff), but in the future, we'll take Ancients Hist. together at the CC while I teach the same time frame at home. I'll find a way to work him in :)

 

FLVS Physical Science Honors (After finishing Comp, I'll put him in the and allow him the entire year to finish it.)

 

2nd semester:

at CC

Comp. I (should be a breeze for him, but its a req't.)

Math (wherever he tests into, he'll have completed all the way through Alg 2 at this point, probably College Algebra)

 

Regular pace:

Latin

TOG4

Physical Science Hon.

Practical Drafting (2 or 3 days a week)

 

It will seem like the same classes to him, but really, they won't be. What is your experience using university scheduling? Do you think Comp (after much teaching) and Math (his strong suit) will make good classes to begin his CC journey? Esp. if he does well with the accelerated Geometry pace?

 

 

 

Thank you for holding my hand, Hive :)

[regentrude]

I'm not sure I understand everything you wrote (Physical science is not usually a high school class - what am I missing?). So i can only comment on one question:

 

What is your experience using university scheduling?

 

Scheduling alone does not make a university class. I'd look at two things:

If a course is offered as a semester course through the virtual school, I would check very carefully whether the content of the course is the content of a full high school year, taught at a faster pace, or the material of only a semester (in which case there is nothing university like about it).

I have seen math, and particularly geometry, content vary extremely between different classes.

Also, for a university class, there are typically two hours out of class for every hour in class - so I would check whether the course requires this much prep/homework. The difficulty for students is typically the out of class work, not the sitting in class - so if you want to prepare your student for college, I would make sure the class has a lot of reading and homework assignments.

 

This school year, I had my DD take two semesters of college physics, with 3 hours class per week. With class and out-of class work, she spent about 100 hours per semester (which was on the light side since it came easy to her).

[johnandtinagilbert]

I'm not sure I understand everything you wrote (Physical science is not usually a high school class - what am I missing?). So i can only comment on one question:

 

 

 

Scheduling alone does not make a university class. I'd look at two things:

If a course is offered as a semester course through the virtual school, I would check very carefully whether the content of the course is the content of a full high school year, taught at a faster pace, or the material of only a semester (in which case there is nothing university like about it).

I have seen math, and particularly geometry, content vary extremely between different classes.

Also, for a university class, there are typically two hours out of class for every hour in class - so I would check whether the course requires this much prep/homework. The difficulty for students is typically the out of class work, not the sitting in class - so if you want to prepare your student for college, I would make sure the class has a lot of reading and homework assignments.

 

This school year, I had my DD take two semesters of college physics, with 3 hours class per week. With class and out-of class work, she spent about 100 hours per semester (which was on the light side since it came easy to her).

Thank you. I'll edit that to say, Physics. Sorry, I have multiple plans in my head. And I keep thinking I may just have him "audit" a physics class b/c he has to take it for college anyways. Perhaps the lightness of just reading several living books this year, without awarding credit, will prepare him well enough for the CC class he'll be required to take. He has taken Physical Science in Middle School. Thoughts? Will reading living books and carousing a text be sufficient? All that so he doesn't have to take a full course on the same topic, twice.

 

So far as the FLVS class, it a year long course, but he's going to complete it in 1/2 time. I was thinking this was a nice test drive since many of us use college texts for one year's time in high school, perhaps accelerating the speed of this h.s. course will give an idea of workload for his college classes to come...as near as I can show him w/o actually being in a college class. Am I on the right track?

 

I see what you mean about "hours" of classes. I'm kinda focusing on "workload" with him so he can learn to speed up a bit or start spending more hours in school to compensate. I'm hoping this will exemplify that for him. I'll have to peek further for estimated time for the class. Thank you for thinking through this for me.

[regentrude]

And I keep thinking I may just have him "audit" a physics class b/c he has to take it for college anyways. Perhaps the lightness of just reading several living books this year, without awarding credit, will prepare him well enough for the CC class he'll be required to take. He has taken Physical Science in Middle School. Thoughts? Will reading living books and carousing a text be sufficient? All that so he doesn't have to take a full course on the same topic, twice.

 

 

For physics at high school level, I do not see living books and "looking" at a text as sufficient. That's OK for Middle school, but if you want this physics class to count as a high school credit, I would have him work an algebra based physics (since he has the math background) and have him actually work the practice problems - that's the only way to really learn physics, not by reading about it. If he is required to take physics at college, he could then take a calculus based class. This way, taking two physics classes is not repeating the same stuff (which I would consider a waste of time); having done the lighter math based one before calculus based will benefit him.

[Susan C.]

The only thing I see is Geometry in one semester. If you don't see the pace you need after a few weeks, this one could end up being one of your year long classes.

 

Our public hs did the semester class thing for several years. The math scores went down. It was because of the semester without math.

 

Just information for you to chew on!

[regentrude]

Our public hs did the semester class thing for several years. The math scores went down. It was because of the semester without math.

 

 

 

That's a very good argument against block scheduling with math. Semesters (or whole years) without math are a recipe for disaster.

I was, however, under the impression that the OP was planning to have her student take math at the CC during the second semester, so that would not be an issue for her.

[Susan C.]

That's a very good argument against block scheduling with math. Semesters (or whole years) without math are a recipe for disaster.

I was, however, under the impression that the OP was planning to have her student take math at the CC during the second semester, so that would not be an issue for her.

 

I see it! Didn't the first pass!

 

Whew, that is a lot of math for one year. A math kid would love it, but my dc would have been very overwhelmed.

[FloridaLisa]

To be honest, I wouldn't rush the math. If he's ready for CC courses, great. Otherwise, I would rather put the time into ensuring that my dc's math foundation is rock solid than squeeze a full-year class into a semester.

 

I don't think squeezing the geometry pace will necessarily prepare him better for CC classes. How is his pacing now? Does he keep on pace in his current FLVS courses? In our experience, pacing hasn't been a problem at CC. While the classes do move more quickly, but that's all the more reason to make sure the foundation is there so that pace isn't a real issue.

 

Even without block scheduling and a full year for math and physics, your ds could still take 2 math/sciences the next year. Or do some CC classes in the summer.

 

Just my 2 cents based on what would probably work and fly in our house,

Lisa

 

ETA: Just re-read your post and this is for a rising sophomore? I would definitely not be in a rush then. He has plenty of time to get in the classes you want to shore up at home as well as higher level classes at CC.

Edited May 3, 2011 by FloridaLisa