Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 So, my dd11 who has always liked and been good at math, and has always loved Singapore, is just finishing 6a. She had also been doing CWP. She didn't want to do the CWP much of the time, so I suggested that she try Alcumus as a supplement instead. Now she only wants to do Alcumus and doesn't want to do Singapore at all anymore. I told her that Alcumus is a supplement, not a course, and that she could switch to AoPS if she wanted to (I already own their Algebra and Geometry books, but don't have Prealgebra), but that she'd have to do the actual books. She looked at them and said she like them (but she said she liked Singapore DM better when she looked earlier :glare:). I have a feeling she will peter out on the AoPS books too once she realizes that they are going to require work. I'm thinking maybe the online classes are the answer? It's not that I don't think she can do the work; she's just lazy, or maybe it's just that she needs more interaction. She always loves doing the lesson with me, and the self-taught part of the AoPS books on their own I think will not be so good. She loves doing anything on the computer. Should I just sign her up? I know they're fast-paced, but I think she may just rise to the challenge if she's got peers and a teacher and it's on the computer. Feedback from those BTDT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Not sure. My son loves the classes online. We also do a lot of bookwork on our own on a different math subject than online. He is willing to put in the work to keep up with the online class - it moves fast. In addition we keep plugging away slowly on our own as well. There is a two week full refund period for the classes, but she'd have to be willing to put in the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) Could you tell me more about how the classes are set up? How is the interaction with teacher and peers in the class? ETA: One more question about the progression of AoPS classes if she likes this one - each is a semester long? Including their Algebra? So, if she started this spring, it would be Prealgebra 1. Then, next year (6th): Prealgebra 2 and Algebra 1 The year after (7th): Algebra 2 (does Algebra 2 basically just finish the Intro Alg book up?) and Number Theory? The year after (8th): Geometry (still just a semester for that huge book??!!) and ??? Or what would everyone recommend?? Edited January 9, 2012 by matroyshka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in SEVA Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 (edited) We had to rule out the classes because they are done in chat/text format. The teacher, assistants, and students are all in a chat room, and the teacher will ask a question (typed into chat text field), the students reply (also via chat text field), and the assistants also type to help answer questions. I tried one of the evening seminars (can't recall what they are called) that is the same environment as the classes and it was so confusing. It took several minutes for my question to show up, and by then the person leading the discussion had moved on to something else. I was so sad to hear the classes are set up the same way. I know my DS would benefit from a class situation, but I know there is no way he can keep up with the typing right now. I know many people find the AoPS classes a perfect fit for their kid, but it just would not work for my DS. I was very happy to find the online videos that go along with the AoPS books though! :) http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Videos/index.php?type=prealgebra Edited January 9, 2012 by Colleen in SEVA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 We had to rule out the classes because they are done in chat/text format. The teacher, assistants, and students are all in a chat room, and the teacher will ask a question (typed into chat text field), the students reply (also via chat text field), and the assistants also type to help answer questions. I tried one of the evening seminars (can't recall what they are called) that is the same environment as the classes and it was so confusing. It took several minutes for my question to show up, and by then the person leading the discussion had moved on to something else. Hm. I know they teach by problem solving rather than direct teaching, but does this mean that a kid who doesn't solve as quickly as the other kids is going to just get passed by? How do they structure giving assignments over the week before/after the online portion? http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Videos/index.php?type=prealgebra Thanks for the link. I'd heard about those, but hadn't paid much attention since I hadn't thought she would end up with AoPS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 The students are given assignments from the book to read ahead of time. The instructor does teaching and/or problems in a written format. The students have the opportunity to answer, but it is moderated, so not everyone's answer will appear and wrong answers aren't posted. At the end of the class you can print the entire transcript if it moved too or you just want to review. If you have questions during the class you can type them in and a moderator will start a private chat with you to help you understand whatever you are having difficulty with. Problem sets are posted online and discussed in a forum setting such as this. Additional problems sets are given about once every three weeks for the students to email/mail in to be evaluated. Most students don't take the class for a grade, but it is offered if you wish. I was very hesitant about the format, but decided to try it since I knew we could pull out with a full refund in the first two weeks. Both my son and I have been very pleased. There are classes that run in the fall, spring and summer. They start at different months as well as various days of the week. Some of the classes are as short as 12 weeks and others are 16-24 weeks - just look at he class descriptions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I would say that the online class is what you make of it, just like the rest of AoPS. You can prepare ahead of time and really interact with the instructors during class time or you can just be logged in on the session watching time roll by. For this reason I make sure my DD is in the kitchen so it is quieter but in an area that I can always walk by to see how she is doing. There do appear to be a smaller number of kids that participate all the time in class, but I also know that there are some kids that only watch the transcripts (one child was registered from overseas, so class would be at 1am for that child). The TA's are always there to answer questions and explain concepts, but the child needs to ask for help or ask a question to start a side chat. The TA's can be very detailed on the side chats to figure out what is being done wrong. The feedback on the Challenge Sets is extensive. I was very impressed with the comments and suggestions. Overall the format works very well for my DD and she is enrolled in Prealgebra 2 with RR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Are all the problems from the book expected to be done, plus extra problems assigned via the class? I'm trying to figure out if we can handle the pace. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 The child is expected to have worked through the discovery section of problems and then review the answers before class. The alcumus is the class version of homework that is due the week following the online discussion on that topic. The section assignments (the practice problems in the book where the complete answers are in the solutions manual), and the chapter reviews and challenge problems are at the discretion of the student/parent, you check those yourself. The assigned challenge sets (which are given out online) are where you get the large portion of feedback on your childs work. They are done over a few weeks and then reviewed by the instructors. I get the impression different students do different levels of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in SEVA Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 Hmmmm... it has never occurred to me to just get the transcript of the class. That would eliminate the issue of him keeping up with the chat, and it would give him something to refer back to. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Well... I have signed the girl up. Did not see this coming - she's always loved Singapore - but I think 6 maybe had too much review - she said she was bored. I told her that one condition of taking the class is that she had to finally get her math facts down cold (she still skip counts!) which she has resisted doing forever... and she happily agreed and has been busily working on them! :svengo: She's even informed me that she wants to take the Prealg 2 class over the summer so she can start Algebra in the fall. :001_huh: Well, we'll just have to see if the enthusiasm continues once she's actually taking the class... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 THe class has been interesting. I think the pace is a bit fast for my math hating son. Now he likes AoPS best of any math, but he still doesn't like it. I suppose I'm moving in the right direction. Sigh..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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