opinions on geeguides please?

[wagnfun]

I am looking to subscribe to geeguides (online art program for kids) and I was wondering if anyone has heard of or tried it.. and what they thought of it!

 

Thanks!

[dragons in the flower bed]

I am looking to subscribe to geeguides (online art program for kids) and I was wondering if anyone has heard of or tried it.. and what they thought of it!

 

We used this a couple of years ago for my then 9, 6 and 4 year olds. In my opinion, it's the best course available for kids on how art works. As far as I know it's the only course for kids on how to use visual artistic mediums to communicate a specific idea. Other curricula explain how to practice the technical skills, how to draw a tree or paint in realistic shades. But geeguides explains why an artist would want to do use a tree instead of a flower or blue rather than red, what effect it would have on the people viewing the artwork. I highly recommend it.

[Targhee]

We only used the trial lesson. My kids loved it - and remembered the material. The only reason we didn't use it is because I didn't think we needed to spend so much time on art yet (1st and pre-k students). How much does the subscription cost for HSers?

[genie]

We used this a couple of years ago for my then 9, 6 and 4 year olds. In my opinion, it's the best course available for kids on how art works. As far as I know it's the only course for kids on how to use visual artistic mediums to communicate a specific idea. Other curricula explain how to practice the technical skills, how to draw a tree or paint in realistic shades. But geeguides explains why an artist would want to do use a tree instead of a flower or blue rather than red, what effect it would have on the people viewing the artwork. I highly recommend it.

 

 

Yep, what she said. :iagree: Geeguides was one of the highlights of our homeschooling last year. My daughter is very artsy and she really enjoyed the lessons. The tips on using Corel Painter Essentials (which came with Geeguides) were terrific also. If they had a second level we would buy it again for this fall. Highly recommended! :thumbup:

[TrixieB]

We bought the CD from Timberdoodle for around $30. It comes bundled with draw/paint software (I don't think this software is the same as what is used with the online subscription), which my dc have shown no interest in. They love the lessons though, and it surprises me how much they retain. My rising 2nd grader finds art prints and museums more interesting now, and enjoys telling me about paintings.

[wagnfun]

We only used the trial lesson. My kids loved it - and remembered the material. The only reason we didn't use it is because I didn't think we needed to spend so much time on art yet (1st and pre-k students). How much does the subscription cost for HSers?

 

Is $27 for a year from what I can see.

 

Thanks to all who gave their input! I think we'll give it a try. This is our "art" year and it looks like its a good program that the kids can do indepedently while I'm working with the other one!

[Savermom]

I was very pleased with the program and thrilled not to have to teach Art myself for a year! This was perfect for two boys who avoided crayons and coloring like the plague. We did a lesson every other Friday and I heard lots of giggles coming from the room. I, too, wish they had another level. I would purchase in a heartbeat.

[kalanamak]

A glance at the geeguides tells me it has the polar bear and the penguin in dire need of Flonase (I try to ignore that horrible voice as kiddo likes this CD ROM)

[genie]

A glance at the geeguides tells me it has the polar bear and the penguin in dire need of Flonase (I try to ignore that horrible voice as kiddo likes this CD ROM)

 

That's why I was VERY glad dd could do it independently! :D

[mom2abcd]

Ds9 loves it! We were at someone's house and they had some prints of paintings he had learned about with Geoguides and he proceeded to tell us the story of who the artist was, background on the painting, etc. I was impressed! I love that he can work independently.

 

The software is much cheaper. Cbd.com carries it as well as Timberdoodles.

[kalanamak]

That's why I was VERY glad dd could do it independently! :D

 

xx

[genie]

xx

 

 

The CD version versus the online? I think they are pretty much exactly the same. I haven't looked into the CD since it didn't come out until after I bought my subscription. But from the email flyers I received, it appeared that the content is the same, just on CD.

[nmoira]

Oh, you are all wicked, wicked people... I'd thought I could get through one month, just one month, without purchasing anything even remotely related to homeschooling. Now here we are only one week in and my is already resolve broken. Hmpf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks verrrry cool though. DD is going to start it later this morning.

[Michelle T]

I watched the sample lesson, and it sounds like the polar bear is voiced by the same person who does Barney the purple dinosaur. I don't think my DS could get beyond that....

 

But it sure looks like a neat program.

Michelle T

[nmoira]

 

It looks verrrry cool though. DD is going to start it later this morning.

Following up. I am letting the girls go through the lessons sans projects the first time (I didn't have much of a choice in the matter), then we'll go back and go through it again more slowly. They've just finished Lesson 6 and they love it. I'm impressed with how much information is packed in each lesson, and the presentation is such that retention seems high as well. I'd love a GeeGuide equivalent for music appreciation.