MtnTeaching Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I noticed on a recent thread regarding The Teaching Company/Great Courses that there was a new edition of "How to Become a SuperStar Student". I have been putting off buying this one because the reviews were not all that great. Has anyone seen the new edition yet? Is anyone able to compare the two? I read that it really needed to be updated. Thank you!~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I have the new edition ordered, and we used the first edtion, but it's too early to compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachnut Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm using the new edition w/ my 6th grader & 9th grade boys. I can't compare it to the older one, but I can say that I think the new one is pretty good. They teacher (Michael Geisen) is kind of funny, which the boys like. And he covers topics relevant to all students (working in groups, taking notes, learning styles, etc.), even though the lectures are obviously geared to students in a public/private school environment. Nevertheless, I've found the info to be helpful, especially having it come from someone besides me. ;) And I'm having the boys practice their note-taking skills while they watch the lectures, so they're putting to good use some of the info they just learned. I bought the course on sale ($29, I think) and have found it worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 I'm using the new edition w/ my 6th grader & 9th grade boys. I can't compare it to the older one, but I can say that I think the new one is pretty good. They teacher (Michael Geisen) is kind of funny, which the boys like. And he covers topics relevant to all students (working in groups, taking notes, learning styles, etc.), even though the lectures are obviously geared to students in a public/private school environment. Nevertheless, I've found the info to be helpful, especially having it come from someone besides me. ;) And I'm having the boys practice their note-taking skills while they watch the lectures, so they're putting to good use some of the info they just learned. I bought the course on sale ($29, I think) and have found it worthwhile. Thank you. I have been looking at this one and will definitely get in during the next sale. I missed the good one they had the other day. Bummer. The idea that this comes from someone other than myself is a big deal to me. I can talk about what it means to have these skills, but without experiencing it, it can be difficult for my kids to understand. Hopefully, hearing if from a "real teacher" will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amtmcm Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I personally prefer the 1st edition if you can find it used on Amazon or eBay. The current edition is much more hip and whizzy, but I don't seem to come away with the concrete action items like are presented in the 1st ed. In my opinion, the 1st ed. is geared towards more linear-analytical thinkers and the current version may appeal to global-spatial learners. For instance, the 1st ed emphasizes outlines where the current ed suggests using idea webs for taking notes of a textbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted January 31, 2012 Author Share Posted January 31, 2012 I personally prefer the 1st edition if you can find it used on Amazon or eBay. The current edition is much more hip and whizzy, but I don't seem to come away with the concrete action items like are presented in the 1st ed. In my opinion, the 1st ed. is geared towards more linear-analytical thinkers and the current version may appeal to global-spatial learners. For instance, the 1st ed emphasizes outlines where the current ed suggests using idea webs for taking notes of a textbook. Uggg. I definitely have a linear-analytical kind of guy. From the ed. 1 reviews, several stated that the course could really use a revision. That was why I had hesitated on buying it. I am just not into the web way of taking notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Is the new edition the one with the blond, young looking guy? An English teacher? Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachnut Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 The 2nd edition features Michael Geisen, a brown haired, former middle school science teacher who looks about 35. Here's his bio from TTC: "Geisen was selected from among millions of public school educators to serve as the National Teacher of the Year in 2008. In this prestigious position, he helped educators and policy makers meet the unique needs of today's students. Named the 2009 Outstanding Teacher in K-12 Education by the Oregan Academy of Sciences, Geisen has been featured in numerous books and media appearances." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Thanks Beachnut! Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasda Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Have you checked your local library for edition 1? We have it at ours. If they have it you could view it for free and if afterwords you still want to get edition 2 you could wait for a sale. This particular course is frequently on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 Have you checked your local library for edition 1? We have it at ours. If they have it you could view it for free and if afterwords you still want to get edition 2 you could wait for a sale. This particular course is frequently on sale. Thank you! I just checked and the library does have the first edition. I will definitely take a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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