KarenNC Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 I need to switch Spanish programs to something that has more support online than what we are using, but it also needs to be very user-friendly to the non-Spanish-speaking facilitator (me). It looks like Avancemos! will do that for us, if I can just figure out which portions of the program I actually need! I will plan to call the sales rep, but I know I won't be able to reach anyone until at least Tuesday and maybe not next week at all. My daughter is using Holt Life Science and really likes the textbook approach. I think I need a student edition, teacher edition with all answers to any student exercises, some way of testing with all answers provided, I'm guessing the workbook (and whatever answer key that requires), likely also the Lecturas para todos (and answer key) and the Avanzacomics (since she loves comics). The Middle School Lesson Plans also look good since it's all laid out so nicely. What I can't figure out is the way to get these with the least number of books (and, therefore, expense) and with minimal replication of the material available freely online at classzone. If you have used the program, can you enlighten me as to the differences between the online edition and the print edition? It looks as if the online edition may be a combo of the student and teacher editions, as well as the workbook? Is this correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Unfortunately, I think the middle school lesson plans are only available to schools. If it has a blue star by it, it can't be purchased individually. :lurk5: because I'm considering Avancemos! for my dd. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted December 24, 2011 Author Share Posted December 24, 2011 :D Fair enough, since I got the idea for this from your thread. Are they different than, say, Prentice Hall, where you have to talk to them directly to get an educator account set up so that you can order teaching materials? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Oklahoma State University has a really good online Spanish class. My daughter did it completely independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted December 24, 2011 Author Share Posted December 24, 2011 Oklahoma State University has a really good online Spanish class. My daughter did it completely independently. Thanks, it does look good, but I'm afraid $389 plus books is a bit too rich for our budget at the moment and I don't think she's ready to be put into a high school Spanish class. I'll keep it in mind for the future. I'm looking at Avancemos in part because it's set up to be paced for middle school (she's still in 6th grade and level 1 can be done over 2 years) and in part because I hope to find at least parts of it used. With all the online activities for auditory reinforcement, I have some hopes I can facilitate at least level 1 without having to hire a tutor, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txhomemom Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 (edited) If you go to Holt McDougal's website it does look like they have a cheaper e-Edition of the Advancemos book. Not sure what all that includes though because they don't have a description on the order form. You would probably have to call them to see what is included. I think it was listed for around $20/year. I have been thinking about using their French online text called Bien dit. For that one they list it as an interactive online edition with grammar tutor and sound booth for $20/year. I might just order it in the next few days to test it out and see what it all it includes. I hope this is somewhat helpful. I guess if you wanted the actual hard copies of their curriculum you could get the ISBN numbers off their website and look everything up on Amazon or Ebay to see what you could find. I forgot to mention that we are currently using Holt's Earth Science online interactive textbook and it includes everything, student textbook, teacher materials and text, audio version of the text, tests, worksheets, activities, etc. I am guessing that their other courses for other subjects that are offered online are similar, but I cannot say for sure since I have not used the Spanish course materials. The only difference I can see with Holt's Earth Science online version versus actual paper textbook is the price, online being cheaper! Edited December 24, 2011 by txhomemom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted December 24, 2011 Share Posted December 24, 2011 Thanks, it does look good, but I'm afraid $389 plus books is a bit too rich for our budget at the moment and I don't think she's ready to be put into a high school Spanish class. I'll keep it in mind for the future. I'm looking at Avancemos in part because it's set up to be paced for middle school (she's still in 6th grade and level 1 can be done over 2 years) and in part because I hope to find at least parts of it used. With all the online activities for auditory reinforcement, I have some hopes I can facilitate at least level 1 without having to hire a tutor, as well. You can definitely take the course before high school. My daughter did it in 8th grade. We tried Exsperante (another Spanish textbook Holt sells) before we do the OSU online class. I have taken about 8 years of Spanish 1 and I found it very difficult to teach Spanish without being fluent in it. I am going to have my son do the OSU online in 7th grade and probably continue into 8th grade. You can find the books used for around $10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted December 26, 2011 Author Share Posted December 26, 2011 If you go to Holt McDougal's website it does look like they have a cheaper e-Edition of the Advancemos book. Not sure what all that includes though because they don't have a description on the order form. You would probably have to call them to see what is included. I think it was listed for around $20/year. I have been thinking about using their French online text called Bien dit. For that one they list it as an interactive online edition with grammar tutor and sound booth for $20/year. I might just order it in the next few days to test it out and see what it all it includes. I hope this is somewhat helpful. I guess if you wanted the actual hard copies of their curriculum you could get the ISBN numbers off their website and look everything up on Amazon or Ebay to see what you could find. I forgot to mention that we are currently using Holt's Earth Science online interactive textbook and it includes everything, student textbook, teacher materials and text, audio version of the text, tests, worksheets, activities, etc. I am guessing that their other courses for other subjects that are offered online are similar, but I cannot say for sure since I have not used the Spanish course materials. The only difference I can see with Holt's Earth Science online version versus actual paper textbook is the price, online being cheaper! So you've had no problem having this online textbook as your only source? It includes answers to all the tests and problems, etc? I am intrigued by the Earth Science as well, since we will be doing this subject next year and I'm still deciding on the text. Can both the student and teacher be on the site at the same time from different computers? I had assumed that the online text was something that you could only get if you also purchased the hardcopy, not something that was complete in and of itself for the student, much less for the student and teacher. Thanks! I am obviously going to have to call and talk with Holt directly this week. I would love to hear about your experience with the French. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txhomemom Posted December 27, 2011 Share Posted December 27, 2011 So you've had no problem having this online textbook as your only source? It includes answers to all the tests and problems, etc? I am intrigued by the Earth Science as well, since we will be doing this subject next year and I'm still deciding on the text. Can both the student and teacher be on the site at the same time from different computers? I had assumed that the online text was something that you could only get if you also purchased the hardcopy, not something that was complete in and of itself for the student, much less for the student and teacher. Thanks! I am obviously going to have to call and talk with Holt directly this week. I would love to hear about your experience with the French. We are using the Earth Science online text as our main source. My dd frequently reads other books and watches science videos on her own, so that helps to supplement. We may do a few earth science lab kits here and there once we get further into the text. Overall, I feel like the Holt Earth Science online text has tons of information and has more than enough depth and activities. I have only been using it for a few weeks so I am still learning all the ins and outs of the online components. I will have to try out the logging in question you had. I don't think my dd and I have been on at the same time yet, but I will get back to you on that. When you first purchase the online text access, you go to the Holt website to create a login. This first account you create is what you will be using as the teacher, it has all of the material. Then, if you want a separate login for your student(s) from the main screen when you first log in there will be options to create a class and add students. You create a class, just name it whatever you want, and then you start adding students. You can have one log in for everyone if you have multiple children using it or do a separate one for each. You can also go in and edit the log in information later and change the password. Once you have created the class and student(s) and they have a password then they can log in from the Holt screen to get access to only the student materials and assignments. You can give them assignments which they can see for each week or tests, etc. Also, the text is complete, everything is on there! I did not even know it existed until I started looking around at science curriculum. I just happened to find it one day. If you feel like you need a hard copy of the text you could also get that to go along with it and get an inexpensive copy off of Amazon or Ebay. There is also an audio option where you can listen to the text while reading it online, kind of cool! Let me know if you have any other questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 PM'd you! Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted December 28, 2011 Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) I called Holt, and homeschoolers can purchase the online edition, which does come with student access to the books and Class Zone activities as well as all the teacher info. It's an astonishing $14.95 per year (for 1A). Karen, when do you think your dd would start this? I am thinking next year (5th grade) for my dd, as she's only 9 right now, but I am very excited about it and might try to start sooner. Tara Edited December 28, 2011 by TaraTheLiberator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted December 28, 2011 Author Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) Since she's halfway through 6th grade, we might actually start next week. I don't see much value in trying to flog the dead horse that the program we are using has become.:glare: Thanks so much for checking into this! I'm excited about the possibility. We've been very frustrated with our previous attempts to do Spanish, but I'm hopeful that all the additional built-in supports will do the trick for us. I'm also excited about what this might mean for other subjects from the same publisher, since we like them for science. One question---did they recommend the edition with the Cuarderno or is that something that is not necessary? It's $36.30. Edited December 28, 2011 by KarenNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 The guy I talked to said that the online version with Cuaderno gives you the Cuaderno workbook online instead of having to buy it as a workbook and buy a separate answer key. Btw, unless you are a "heritage" learner, you want the Cuaderno practica por niveles, not the Cuaderno para hispanohablantes. Are you starting your dd in 1 or 1A? Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 The guy I talked to said that the online version with Cuaderno gives you the Cuaderno workbook online instead of having to buy it as a workbook and buy a separate answer key. Btw, unless you are a "heritage" learner, you want the Cuaderno practica por niveles, not the Cuaderno para hispanohablantes. Are you starting your dd in 1 or 1A? Tara We're definitely not heritage learners :). Since the workbook and answer key would run about $40 more, I'm inclined to the combo, but I'll look at the used prices for the workbook to see if that's a better bet. Would one need to print out the workbook? I am considering the comic book (she loves comics) and possibly the Lecturas para todos anyway. I'm wrestling with the placement decision. Since we've done a lot of the basics (colors, that sort of thing) in other programs, I was inclined toward 1, but that was when I was planning to buy a used hardcopy of the book and possibly stretch it over two years. I can't imagine spending more time on it would be bad. ;) Did he say whether the subscription runs with the academic year or as a full calendar year from the time of the subscription? If it's the academic year, I'd only do 1A, definitely, since we have only 6 more months. It may make the most sense to just go with 1A and see how things go. If it's an academic year ending in June, we could then pick up 1 in July and finish up any of 1A that wasn't completed then go on to the rest of the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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